5. Art
Shinobi presents different graphic characteristics that give an unique image of the game that are often accompanied by the storyline.
First of all, the game presents many "easter eggs" characteristics of the game period and you can see characters or trends like Marylin Monroe or some references to superheroes such as Spiderman.
Secondly, it is also important to talk about the use of certain colors that are used to contrast and are significant in the gameplay. For example, we see that in some missions in which it is necessary to rescue the hostages, they wear a color that contrasts with the colors of the other elements present on the screen, such as pink. Another example, there are some enemies that are considered more powerful, that implement more saturated colors such as yellow, green or purple.
Finally, another important point to highlight is the influence of Asian culture, since being a ninja game, different features related to it are appreciated. For example, in the Bonus Stage you can see elements such as shuriken, fans with Asian typography and some engravings on the walls with classic decorations from that continent and its culture.
Files:
There are different ways to get the original sprites of the game but after different tests and research in different forums we found which is the most effective method. First of all we searched the internet for game sprites, but we found almost nothing so we decided to investigate how to extract the sprites from the game files.
We found a tool called Sega System 16 Sprite Viewer that shows us the sprites of various system 16 games, but these are not with the color palette applied and we couldn't get the sprites with colors, so we looked for another much more efficient method despite that it is a very slow process. This method consists of executing a MAME emulator command at the system command prompt. We use the mngwrite command that allows us to record all the frames of our emulator's screen and from the mng file that it generates we were able to extract the png of all the sprites.
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Mission 1: “Pursue the Terrorists”
The first level has a very simple appearance, a level of a ruined city (full of broken walls) where the predominant colour is beige for all the buildings, lowering the saturation for the buildings in the background. For the sky he uses a dark purple, with which he gives us to understand that the level is at night. The soil we can intuit that it is sand or something similar due to the granules they use.
The first part of the level is set in a more industrial neighborhood, and details found in the scenario suggest that it is a loading and unloading port. The ground of this map appears to be made of metal or tiles. In the background, it can be appreciated that it is nighttime and is composed of muted colors, without saturation, contrasting with the people that need to be rescued. The end of the level ends with a green helicopter (a color that does not appear throughout the level).
After that, the next part of the level is set in a cave. In this part, the main color is a granulated brown with other shades, indicating that they are rocky walls. This level is very simple aesthetically, as there is not much else to it, since you move through platforms that, due to their ochre tones, can be assumed to be made of rusty metal. The interesting thing about this level is the contrast it creates with enemies of pink or green colors standing out against the background.
Finally, the last part of this level returns to the port, but we are in a different area, as the main color of this zone is blue with different shades, referencing the sea.
The mission begins on a mountain, as we can see from the background, where mountains of different heights are visible, and a wall where enemies made of cracked rocks appear. Muted colors such as brown and gray can be appreciated, and we can infer that there is a lot of fog due to the grayish color of the sky. We can infer that the ground is soil or gravel due to its granular texture.
The next part of the level takes place in a cave, and a large part of it is in a pipe or duct (we can infer this from the design which, thanks to different shades, has the effect of being rounded). This level is very simple and has hardly any noteworthy details.
After the cave part, we reach the exterior, as if we were in a warehouse or something similar. We can appreciate the detail of the background, even though it is all green, it is full of patterns and decorations. We can also appreciate the contrast between the detailed greenish background and the completely smooth pink floor. Another abundant color is ochre, used for the platforms (shaped like a metal box).
Finally, the last area of the level, the boss. This boss is golden in color, giving us the impression that it is valuable, powerful, like a deity. This boss has a certain resemblance to Buddhism and its sculptures, although it has a robotic touch, as we can see from the panels or reliefs it has.
The background of this level is like the previous area but grayish in color, playing with blinking lights to create a tension effect.
The first part of this level is notable for its use of turquoise in the sky and for the ground, referencing vegetation. Due to the granulated type of ground, we can understand that it is like a route/passageway that is not maintained and the vegetation has grown uncontrollably, merging with the small shrines. Then at the end of this part, we arrive at a temple of ocher color. It can be seen that it is ancient, because numerous cracks can be seen on the walls.
Next, we enter the temple. Aesthetically, it has many details that make us understand that it is ancient, with cracks, very worn parts... We can appreciate that the floor is composed of wooden cylinders (we infer this from the colors). Another feature that I would like to highlight from the background is the tonal contrast that the windows have with the wall.
The next zone is still in the temple but you can see how it has lost color as the background is now blue, but has ocres touches on the background. The windows have that ocher color, simulating that they are rusted. We can also appreciate another type of background in the lower part, which would be made of bricks.
Finally, the final boss. This scenario has the most details. We are still inside the temple, but the style has completely changed. It has the typical Asian pattern and in the center, like a picture of a Chinese dragon, giving it a serious effect. Another thing I want to highlight is how it uses unsaturated colors for the background, with the intention of giving more visibility to the boss.
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Mission 5: “Defeat the Behind-The-Scene Ninja”
The first part of the final level has certain features that make us understand that it is the end of the game. The background is composed of muted colors, as if the weather is bad. Another artistic detail I wanted to mention is the wall that runs through the level with the classic Asian decoration/style. The ground, like in other scenes, has a grainy texture to simulate the texture of sand, although in this level there are very deep pits.
The next area is a bamboo forest, and the main color is green, playing with different shades. In this part of the level, there is an effect on the ground to give depth, as since the entire ground is undergrowth, our character's feet cannot be seen when walking.
After finishing the forest zone, we arrive at a temple, which, unlike the previous temples, is in good condition. It also has many details, such as Asian doors and decorations.
Then we arrive at the final zone of the game, an uncovered area of the temple. It is nighttime, but completely black, giving it a dramatic effect. We can tell that the background shows the temple garden by the plants and wall in the distance. The ground in this part of the level is the typical smooth tatami, which gives it a traditional touch, and the final boss stands out with its golden tones, implying his prestige or superiority over us.
