Shadow Force - Henshin Ninja [Model TA-0032]

33 Years old Arcade Video game Technos Japan Corp.

Shadow Force - Henshin Ninja © 1993 Technos.

Shadow Force is a side-scrolling platform beat-em-up for one or two players, who choose to play as one of four Ninjas and must use all the means at their disposal to free the world from the grip of the evil Dr. Wong and his terrifying 'Theaser' organization.

Shadow Force has 6 buttons: 2 for punches (low and high) 2 for kicks (low and high) 1 for jumping and 1 for possessing an enemy. Additional attack moves can be utilised by moving the joystick up or down and pressing punch and kick buttons. It's also possible to combine punch and kick attacks to obtain different combos and while the enemies can do the same, the number and variation of their attacks is generally lower than those available to the players.

In addition to being able to possess nearby enemies, Shadow Force also features something else new to the side-scrolling beat-em-up genre; at the end of each stage players take part in a bonus round consisting of a one-on-one fight.

Players can choose to start on any one of the first three stages and the game features 14 different possible endings.

TECHNICAL

Game ID : TA-0032

Main CPU : Motorola 68000 (@ 14 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.579545 Mhz), OKI6295 (@ 12 Khz)

Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 320 x 256 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 16384

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 6

TRIVIA

Shadow Force was released in June 1993.

The subtitle of this game translates from Japanese as 'Metamorphosis Ninja'.

A Technos billboard featuring Kunio appears at the start of the Construction stage.

UPDATES

The Japanese version is different from the US Version :
- The game's sequence in attract mode are different.
- During the attract mode, you can see the events that bring the Dr. Wong and his evil organization 'Theaser' to menace the world. In the US version this sequence has been cut.
- There's a characters description during the attract mode.
- You can use only 3 keys in the game : one for punch, one for kick and one for jump, to possess an enemy press A+B when your close to him, and press A+B+C to execute the special attack.
- The enemies are more easily to beat, even the bosses suffer much damage (so, the game is a little bit easier)
- The Bonus Stage after each stage has been cut on the Japanese version.
- The standard color of the Coyote character is different.

The US version has at usual the 'winners don't use drugs' logo during the attract mode.

TIPS AND TRICKS

* To possess an enemy, go close on him, then press the 6th button, now you can use that enemy like a playable character, and you can use his moves too! (a screen appears with a description of one of the enemy moves). For leave the enemy body and return to your normal character hero, press the same key. Try to control different enemies and have fun to switch on them!! Find what of them are most powerful and how you can take advantage of their moves! Remember that you can't possess a boss, and also you can't possess nobody if your lifebar is empty; also, when the enemy possessed dies, the player is still on action, but is lifebar remains empty.

* When you engage an enemy, you fight still versus one of them, and in that moment you can go back and forward on him without turn your shoulder on him, you can also execute a block when the enemy attack simply press the opposite direction on him. If you engage groups of enemies, you fight one enemy at once, while the others stay far of you waiting that you defeat the first enemy before they attack you.

* After you've beaten the last boss, Dr Wong will challenge you giving the chance of one last battle before you can terminate the game : this final battle is identical to the bonus stage, but you can choose one of the 4 boss to fight versus the other character boss controlled by CPU. This is the only moment on the game where you can control a boss. If you win this last battle you can see the real final of the game, if you lose you'll obtain a game over.

STAFF

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Planner : Toshinari Takahashi
Object Designers : Seiichirou Ishiguro, Koji Ogata, Michiaki Ishida, Kosei Okamoto, Makoto Shirai, Long Hair Mori, Inemuri Nakamura, Hideki Hoshiya, Manabu Taniguchi
Background Designer : Shinichi Saito, Kuni Bayashi, Kozukuri Ohsumi, Hiroyuki Kato, Yasuhiro Ohi, Takayuki Ozawa
Programmers : Tatsumi Saitoh, T. Obi, Oira Matsumoto
Key Puncher : Masakazu Yoshida
System Engineer : Yasuyuki Taruki, Genei Fukuhara
Hardware Designer: Kenji Nishikawa
Music Composer : Kazunaka Yamane
Sound Programmers : Michiya Hirasawa, Robert C. Ashworth, Taku
Adviser : Naritaka Nishimura
Fight Choreography : Toshinari Takahashi, Bruce Ebichan Lee
Radio Actors : Shinya Takeuchi, Dajare Hosaka, Kokomadeonde Chikako, Izumi Tokutani RX20, Mayumi Hachisu, Sayuri Miyamoto
Special Thanks : Takashi Hanya, Pine Akutsu, Bamboo Nemoto, Plum Okada

SOURCES

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Game's ROMs.
Game's screenshots.
See goodies section.