Sega - The G.G. Shinobi (1991), 7/10

If there is a game worthy of its time on Sega's handheld system it is this iteration of Shinobi. While it can be incredibly punishing, and therefore frustrating to repeat, the triumph of passing through each area, recruiting other ninjas with special abilities, and defeating minions and bosses that combat those unique strengths makes this title truly special. The ability to cycle through characters, choose your level order, and use special abilities at any moment make the experience varied enough to reward trial-and-error, but like many 8-bit era games, the limited life system eventually feels like a crutch to create a false sense of game length. Still, the game is long enough in reality to justify significant playtime even without too much death, defeat, and repeat gameplay.

The sound design is among the best in handhelds of the era, perhaps even more so the aesthetic is not just appealing but very memorable. The landscapes are varied, have particular sprite design to each region, and there are a number of interesting character design choices in enemies and bosses. The Great Oni Mask is one of the more interesting enemies, but there are plenty of minion style enemies that are equally interesting and well executed. There are rarely enemies that feel under-developed, and level design is very intentional down to each jump and attack. Immense difficulty aside, the value in G.G. Shinobi is most clearly hosted in its visual and audio design, using Sega's system to its peak abilities. While it is almost inarguably frustrating, the gameplay is worth the effort and time to master.