Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master is a smooth fast-paced sidescroller  with a limited story. I can't help but compare this game to Ninja Gaiden, though I'm not saying that one is better than the other.

Graphics:
The game contains excellent graphics quality. I feel that everything involving graphics in this game was exceptional. The characters were detailed and the objects were quite interesting. The boss characters were AMAZING. They were well designed, unique, and above all interesting. I can't really say too much about the bosses because it might spoil the game! The backgrounds were also interesting and lively. I'd give this a 10.

Sound:
Shinobi III contains some pretty good music and sound effects. The music was considerably good. It wasn't boring, but it wasn't very memorable. The sound effects on the other hand were great! I loved the projectile sounds and the damage sounds. The cutting, wall jumping, and damage sounds were high quality and cool. I say this is worth an 8.

Addictiveness:
This game wasn't all too addicting. It is worth playing and a game you would want to beat, but you could easily put down the controller (or leave the computer). The game is fun but lacks ultimate excitement. I do have to admit there are a few parts where you feel that you MUST beat it. I give this a 7.

Story:
After beating the game twice, I realized that there was pretty much no story. There are no cut scenes like in Ninja Gaiden, and no way to really tell what is going on. I did find the story by reading the box, but other than that the story isn't developed. Truthfully, I don't think you play Shinobi for the story line anyway. There is a story, but you don't learn anything new. There is text in the ending, but it doesn't tell you what happened during the game. I feel that this game had a lot of potential for a good story, but sadly did not use it. I say 5.

Depth:
This game does not have much depth, as the levels are pretty straight forward. There are no real secrets and the game can be completed in a relatively short time. I beat this game twice in one day, so I don't think it offers too much. Not to mention there are very few abilities and justu. Sadly this game does not offer as much as I would want, but redeems itself with the amazing gameplay. I rate this a 5.

Difficulty:
I think that Shinobi III is considerably hard at times. The game has some parts that leave you only able to use your pure skill to complete. The levels at the beginning are quite easy, but eventually it get HARD. A great example is the last level. There is no walkthrough that can teach you how to complete that level. Only your own skill can complete it. There is a reason why this game is called ninja tough. I give this an 9.


Over all, this game is very good despite the score I have given it. There were many things I was disappointed in, but in the end the game turned out alright. It had high quality graphics, decent sounds and music, barely a story, but a high level of difficulty. Some thing that deserves mentioning is the gameplay. The gameplay is smooth, yet fast and exciting. The double jump can be stubborn at times, but above all else this game is fast. The over all score is 7.3. I would recommend this game to anybody for its exciting gameplay, and quality graphics. 

I love this game. But I can't review it because of my nostalgia for it but this game is great.