Shinobi on the Master System is one of those games that makes you realize how ahead of its time SEGA was. You play as Joe Musashi—basically the coolest ninja name ever—slicing through waves of enemies to rescue hostages. The first level throws you right into it: shurikens flying, dudes in masks lunging at you, and this weirdly catchy music that sticks in your head.

What’s wild is how much variety they packed in. Between the side-scrolling action, there are these first-person throwing star segments where you have to nail targets before time runs out. And the difficulty? Brutal, but in that satisfying "one more try" way. It’s no surprise this came out before Ninja Gaiden—it’s got that same "die a lot, learn faster" energy.

If you’ve got the patience for old-school challenge, this one’s a ninja classic for a reason.