Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master is a ninja action game that Sega released for the Mega Drive in Japan as The Super Shinobi II on 23 July 1993, followed by North America and Europe in September 1993. It was directed by Tomoyuki Ito and Takeshi Matsuhashi.
Joe Musashi returns to fight the Neo Zeed crime syndicate and its leader, the Shadow Master. The game adds dashing, wall jumps and flying kicks to the series' moves. It was originally planned for 1992, then delayed to 1993 and substantially reworked; a beta of the earlier version later leaked.
The game has been re-released many times, including the Sega Genesis Collection on PS2 and PSP, the Wii Virtual Console, Steam and iOS. In 2013 it became the first handheld entry in Sega's 3D Classics line on Nintendo 3DS, sold in Japan as 3D ザ・スーパー忍II.12
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master | Genesis | September 1993 | Sega | 1 |
| NA | —Sega Genesis Collection (also PSP) | PlayStation 2 | 2006 | Sega | 1 |
| JP | ザ・スーパー忍II | Genesis | Jul 23, 1993 | Sega | 1 |
| EU | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master | Genesis | September 1993 | Sega | 1 |
| JP | —Sega Game Honpo retail line | Windows | 2004 | Sega | 2 |
| JP | ザ・スーパー忍IIVirtual Console; sales ended 31 January 2019 | Wii | Jul 3, 2007 | Sega | 2 |
| WW | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja MasterSteam | Windows | 2010 | Sega | 1 |
| WW | Shinobi III | iOS | 2011 | Sega | 1 |
| JP | 3D ザ・スーパー忍II3D Classics | Nintendo 3DS | Aug 7, 2013 | Sega | 2 |
| WW | —Mega Drive Mini (North American and European editions only) | Other | 2019 | Sega | 2 |
| WW | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja MasterNintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack | Switch | Oct 25, 2021 | Nintendo | 3 |
Also known as: ザ・スーパー忍II JP2Za Sūpā Shinobi Tsū JP2The Super Shinobi II JP13D ザ・スーパー忍II JP2Shinobi III WW4
Box art by region
NA Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master 
EU Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master 
JP ザ・スーパー忍II
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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TitleJPNA/EU
In Japan the title makes it a direct sequel, The Super Shinobi II; Western releases are called Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master.1
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Content1992 prototype
Magazine previews from the original 1992 schedule showed levels, enemies and moves that were cut when Sega delayed and reworked the game for 1993; a beta of that earlier version later leaked.1
Translations
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English Official
Sega1993Genesis · Japanese versionReleased · complete
The official English release came out in North America and Europe in September 1993.1
Where to play legally today
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Nintendo Switch Online Subscription
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (SEGA Mega Drive - Nintendo Switch Online)
Mega Drive/Genesis version
Checked: 2026-10-134ec.nintendo.com
Reception
The Genesis version holds 85% on GameRankings; MegaTech gave it 93% and its Hyper Game award, though some reviewers found it easier than The Revenge of Shinobi. Retro Gamer included it in its top ten Mega Drive games.1
In lists
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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