In celebration of Shinobi 3DS’s release we’ve recorded an entire episode devoted to the series. From its beginnings as an arcade game up to its re-imagining on the PS2 and every game and spin-off inbetween we talk about it all. If you’re allergic to shurikens we highly recommend you avoid this episode.
The GG Shinobi II: The Silent Fury is my favorite Shinobi game, personally. I’m less familiar with the first GG Shinobi game, but I do recall some of the abilities between the different ninjas being somewhat reworked for the second game. In either case, I always preferred the added depth of the GG Shinobi games, and I’ve always wondered why Sega never saw fit to make a new game in the same style.
By the way, I had a feeling that you wouldn’t mention it, but it’s worth noting that Batman Returns for Game Gear (and maybe even the Genesis version) feels very similar to the GG Shinobi games. Certain aspects of the game play, as well as the graphics, are similar enough that I’d actually go so far as to say that it’s just a reskinned Shinobi game. It’s definitely worth checking out.