Released in 1987, Sega's Shinobi was a textbook case of perfect timing.
Ninjas were cool thanks to the rising popularity of imported kung-fu movies and Hollywood's adoption of the genre as a vehicle for emerging stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Cynthia Rothrock and Chuck Norris, and the arrival of the mega-media brand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was just around the corner.
A massive commercial success in arcades and on home formats, Shinobi would kickstart a series which continues to this very day, and would span systems such as the Mega Drive, Saturn, GBA, PS2 and 3DS. Titles such as The Revenge of Shinobi and Shadow Dancer have become a staple of Sega's campaign to reissue its back catalogue, while entries such as Shinobi (3DS) and SEGA AGES Shinobi have kept the brand alive in more modern times.
The Shinobi series is home to some of Sega's most beloved titles, but which one is the absolute best? That's what we're here to find out; below, you'll find a list of all of the Shinobi games. Cast your votes for each one, and you'll influence the running order of our eventual list.