Shinobi III

Shinobi III is 2D ninja action's apex. Joe Musashi possessed era-unmatched movement fluidity: wall running, sliding tackles, acrobatic jumps with mid-air shurikens. Levels were incredibly varied: horseback forest rides, canyon surfboard sections, high-tech base infiltration. Hirofumi Murasaki's soundtrack — powerful, rhythmic, with the Mega Drive's signature FM distortion — is among the console's best. Every game element — gameplay, graphics, audio, variety — simultaneously reached excellence, an extremely rare balance in 16-bit gaming.