Hot damn!!! I finally tracked down a Version 1.00 Revenge of Shinobi!!! [Archive]

Mark Robert

10-28-2009, 07:52 PM

I just bought it for 4 bucks CIB at a local game shop called Gamers. It definitely is the unedited 1.00 version with the 1989 copyright on the title screen and the flamethrower guys looking like Rambo with their long hair and bandanas. I had quite a hard time tracking one down because versions 1.01 and 1.02 look identical game case and cartridge-wise. I get to look forward to battling all the true bosses of the game; spiderman, batman and godzilla. :D It's a pain in the neck to acquire because you have to do some research but it is well worth it. :cool:

Knuckle Duster

10-28-2009, 08:30 PM

Behold!

A collector's jubilation brought forth...BY A MULLET SPRITE!

http://images.paraorkut.com/img/funnypics/images/m/mullets_poster-12884.jpg

Baloo

10-28-2009, 08:55 PM

Mark Robert

10-28-2009, 09:05 PM

Behold!

A collector's jubilation brought forth...BY A MULLET SPRITE!

http://images.paraorkut.com/img/funnypics/images/m/mullets_poster-12884.jpg

Lol. Classic.

mugenmidget

10-28-2009, 11:01 PM

Congrats, Mark, that's an awesome price! Where's that store located?

Jesse813

10-28-2009, 11:04 PM

Congratulations on the great find Mark :ok:

Mark Robert

10-28-2009, 11:30 PM

Congrats, Mark, that's an awesome price! Where's that store located?

It's a chain of stores here in the midwest called Gamers. It sells all the latest next-gen consoles along with most of the old school consoles/games. Every week or so, I'll drop by and take a look at their boxed Genesis section. Quite often they sell CIB and in mint condition at times. The prices range from 3 to 9 bucks max which is way below the typical Ebay price offerings. Revenge of Shinobi was just sold to them yesterday. I decided to take a chance on it once an employee fired it up and it showed the 1989 copyright on the title screen. We have a store here in Ames, Iowa BTW.

Mark Robert

10-28-2009, 11:31 PM

Congratulations on the great find Mark :ok:

Thanks. It's awesome to finally snag a copy. :D

streetsofrage

10-29-2009, 02:34 AM

you finally caught your moby dick , congrats

Zebbe

10-29-2009, 07:13 AM

Welcome to the club! You are now immortal.

Devil N

10-29-2009, 07:29 AM

Dang, I want to get a copy of this too sometime. I started truly caring for Revenge of Shinobi a while ago, and now the 1.00 version of the game is becoming one of those holy grails.

It's not likely the first version ever got released in Europe, so I would have to get a copy from the US. That makes it considerably more difficult to verify which version you're buying, unless the seller knows it and explicitly mentions it. And in that case, they probably know what it's worth too and jack up the price accordingly. It's going to be a Quest with capital Q.

Anyway, congrats on the find. I'm jealous as you might have guessed.

Dunn

10-29-2009, 08:12 AM

<-- Jealous! Congrats though.

Oh, and Zebbe: mind sharing tips on good places to look for md-games here in Sweden? second-hand and whatnot. Going to Stockholm in a week, and Jönköping late next month. So maybe anything there? :)

Zebbe

10-29-2009, 09:01 AM

Dunn

10-29-2009, 09:09 AM

Stockholm is unfortunately crap for retro game shopping, but I know these two stores have shops somewhere:

http://www.gameshop.se/?page=start&
http://www.spelia.se/

The best place to get MD games in Sweden is on the Internet, or "Neo Sweden" as we may also call it since all Swedes are there. Check Tradera, Blocket and forums/communities to get the best deals.

Aight, thanks mate. :)

I regularly check: blocket, tradera, loading.se recently, a torrent tracker i'm on, and pretty much everywhere where it doesn't bother people that you ask around. :)

Cauterize

10-29-2009, 10:08 AM

Is anyone aware if there is a PAL version of 1.00?

Devil N

10-29-2009, 10:31 AM

Not very likely. The Mega Drive and Revenge of Shinobi didn't get released in Europe until 1990, and by then the game had gone through a couple of revisions already. If 1.00 or 1.01 did ever get a PAL release, it must have been a very limited print, so very rare. I haven't heard about anyone owning a copy, so it's doubtful that it exists.

Of course, Revenge of Shinobi is a region free game and the PAL version doesn't contain any optimizations, so if you get a US copy of 1.00 you can play it exactly the way a PAL version would play.

Zebbe

10-29-2009, 10:32 AM

I think not, since the game was released in 1989 in Japan and America and the system was released in late 1990 in Europe. They should have made the new versions within that time.

Bablefish

10-29-2009, 11:38 AM

Mark Robert

10-29-2009, 12:42 PM

First of all Mark that is an amazing find, and congrats. I just wish I had one. I know most say including here Version 1 is worth what the other versions are worth. But I say how can it be when everybody wants one including me.

Thanks man. :D I had to take a chance on the purchase because the 1989 copyright on the title screen does not automatically prove it's a version 1.00. I had to play it to level 3 to see if the flame thrower enemies were the unedited Rambo look-a-likes instead of the bald-headed Kojaks in the later edited versions. ;)

Mark Robert

10-29-2009, 12:56 PM

Thanks to Dunn, Devil N, Zebbe and Streetsofrage. It's quite a nuisance to track down an original copy just because verifying version 1.00 is quite a pain in the neck. Most sellers don't have any idea what version they're selling. I tried asking different sellers of ROS on Ebay whether they had a version 1.00 and none of them had any idea. Censorship sure makes things difficult. :(

Phantar

10-29-2009, 01:39 PM

Censorship? Why's that? Do you mean why Rambo, Godzilla and Batman had to be removed? That was due to trademark violations, this doesn't really count as "Censorship".

Nevertheless, congratulations on that nice find! You've got a true gem here, and for a bargain price at that! Kudos!

jerry coeurl

10-29-2009, 03:50 PM

I'm not particularly good at this game, sadly. Is there like a level select cheat or something? I have an old, cart-only copy and I'd love to be able to check and see if the original bosses are in it without committing a great deal of my time to it. Not that I don't intend to do that some day, just not while school is in session.

Or is it completely possible to tell which version you have by the start-up screen?

Devil N

10-29-2009, 04:24 PM

If there is a copyright notice between the Sega logo and the intro scene that also acknowledges Marvel and Spider-man, then it is version 1.02 or later. If there is only a small copyright notice at the bottom of the title screen, then it is either version 1.00 or version 1.01. The only way to differentiate between those first two versions is by playing up to level 3, when you first encounter the Rambo-type enemies.

Zebbe

10-29-2009, 04:25 PM

One of the later versions has a copyright screen that mentions the Spider-Man license from Marvel, which isn't in the earliest version(s?).

jerry coeurl

10-29-2009, 04:32 PM

Oh awesome! I just checked and I definitely have 1.00 or 1.01. I've been to level 3 before but I was playing on the Sega Classics CD, so I'll have to check later and see if the enemies are Rambo or not on the cart version.

Thanks for the info! If this is version 1.00 then I'll just snag a cheap complete copy and swap out the carts!

PimpUigi

10-29-2009, 05:18 PM

Now if I could just find a 1.0 of Moonwalker...

Devil N

10-29-2009, 05:38 PM

Oh awesome! I just checked and I definitely have 1.00 or 1.01. I've been to level 3 before but I was playing on the Sega Classics CD, so I'll have to check later and see if the enemies are Rambo or not on the cart version.
You could also give it to me and let me check it for you. :mrgreen:

jerry coeurl

10-31-2009, 02:40 AM

Oh man I'm excited! I got up to level 3 last night and the flamethrower guys are indeed Rambo. Now all I need is a box and a manual, and I'm set!

You could also give it to me and let me check it for you. :mrgreen:

Nice try! ;)

Devil N

10-31-2009, 08:59 AM

Oh man I'm excited! I got up to level 3 last night and the flamethrower guys are indeed Rambo. Now all I need is a box and a manual, and I'm set!
Okay, now I am obliged to hate you. You've got the highly sought-after version 1.00 and you don't even care for the game itself. There is no justice in this world.

Baloo

10-31-2009, 09:38 AM

Now if I could just find a 1.0 of Moonwalker...

Same.

Keiosquad2

10-31-2009, 10:57 AM

What the hell? There is a 1.0 of Moonwalker? What are the differences? Are there any other games with big revision changes?

Smii

10-31-2009, 11:47 AM

The only Moonwalker difference is the zombies dance with MJ to the tune of Thriller (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFO9Z1Yc-_A). There's no epic battle between crazy car-transforming MJ Robot and The Terminator that was later removed, or anything. Which is a shame.

As for other games, there's a version of Sonic with moving Green Hill clouds and ripply water effects (Labyrinth and Scrap Brain act 3). I have a Jpn version, a pirate cart (which also has infinite lives or something, I think) and a Pal version like this. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that there's also another super mega rare version (Jpn only) that has a spike-bug fix as well.

Keiosquad2

10-31-2009, 12:11 PM

Oh wow. Cool. I knew about the sonic clouds though, as it's the version Sega uses in every emu package they make now.

shinobimusashi

10-31-2009, 12:40 PM

ill buy it from you for 100$

jerry coeurl

10-31-2009, 03:45 PM

Okay, now I am obliged to hate you. You've got the highly sought-after version 1.00 and you don't even care for the game itself. There is no justice in this world.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I do like the game very much! I just suck at it. I'm much better at Shinobi III, which stands to reason as it's a much easier game. I love every Shinobi (up to the PS2 game, which I am emphatically NOT a fan of) I'm just not very good at most of them. I've gotten to the last boss in Shinobi III once and the second to last level in Shinobi Legions several times, but I've never actually completed any of them.

I think Revenge is gonna be the next game I pour my time into mastering. I was able to get to level 3, and confirm that the bad guys were indeed Rambo, but that was it. I ran through three continues just trying to get to the end of that first stage!

PimpUigi

10-31-2009, 06:25 PM

That'd be funny if you had the 1.0 revision of Moonwalker too.

zetastrike

10-31-2009, 07:40 PM

I have the latest version, off of the 6-Pak cart. What is Godzilla replaced with? I haven't reached him yet.

Devil N

10-31-2009, 08:58 PM

A brontosaurus skeleton. I haven't reached him yet either, but I've seen screenshots.

jerry coeurl

11-01-2009, 09:56 PM

Been playing and I got to the Spiderman boss. Haven't been able to kill him after he transforms into Batman though, those bats that fly around the screen are really annoying.

PimpUigi

11-05-2009, 11:08 PM

...guess who else has a version 1.0 copy???
And I had never played my copy until I looked at this topic.

...and I really don't care about the game!
I want a 1.0 Moonwalker.
lol
No justice indeed.

Christuserloeser

11-06-2009, 02:52 AM

...and I really don't care about the game!

Maybe just sell it to someone here who is looking for that version.

jerry coeurl

11-06-2009, 03:21 AM

This game is so unbelievably awesome! Finally beat Spider-Man/Batman. The more I play this game, the more I like it better than Shinobi III. And I like Shinobi III a lot.

Christuserloeser

11-06-2009, 05:56 AM

It is definitely better than Shinobi III. - Not that Shinobi III would be bad or anything, but this game is perfect.

I think I've beat it more often than any Sonic game.

- Can't wait to hear about your frustration with the final labyrinth and boss. ^_^

Devil N

11-06-2009, 06:03 AM

This game is so unbelievably awesome! Finally beat Spider-Man/Batman. The more I play this game, the more I like it better than Shinobi III. And I like Shinobi III a lot.
Hey, you've just had the same epiphany that I experienced a few weeks ago. Congrats! :)

PimpUigi

11-06-2009, 12:13 PM

I'll trade my Revenge 1.0 copy for a Moonwalker 1.0 copy.

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?p=194776#post194776

jerry coeurl

11-06-2009, 06:27 PM

Hey, you've just had the same epiphany that I experienced a few weeks ago. Congrats! :)

Thanks. As flashy and fast and awesome as Shinobi III is, RoS still manages to trump it somehow. Probably the level design, along with the awesome music and sweet bosses. When I first played Revenge it just seemed really slow, almost agonizingly so, but somewhere around the 5th or 6th time I popped it in, it really started to click. Now, it seems like it gets better every time I play it!

Devil N

11-06-2009, 06:35 PM

Genesis32XCD

11-08-2009, 05:14 AM

I checked my cart and it's version 1.01

I want Rambo dammit :mad:

PimpUigi

11-08-2009, 10:47 AM

Trade me a Rev 1.0 moonwalker.
; )

zetastrike

11-08-2009, 12:25 PM

I just finished another attempt at getting further in the game. For the first time, I managed to get up to level 6 without losing a life. And also for the first time, I reached the Godzilla boss (skeleton brontosaurus in my version, sadly) and managed to beat him too! Then I started level 8 and got beaten into a pulp. The game can be so frustratingly hard, almost unfair even, but when you finally do beat a section, you feel so good.

RoS is masochism at its best.

I used to have the Japanese version of RoS on the Sega Smash Pack 1 for PC years ago. I'm pretty sure it was version 1.0 because Rambo was in it. There was a setting on the option menu that made you invincible. No code needed.

Devil N

11-25-2009, 06:37 PM

A few hours ago I bought a Japanese copy of The Super Shinobi on Ebay for £0.99. Fingers crossed it will be version 1.00...

Devil N

12-01-2009, 12:06 PM

So, I just got The Super Shinobi in the mail. 1989 copyright on the cartridge, check. Copyright notice on the title screen, check. Flamethrower guys with mullets in level 3... no check.

Damn, it's version 1.01. It was just too good to be true.

Mark Robert

12-02-2009, 01:43 AM

It was frustrating for me to track down a version 1.00 copy. When I did by mere chance after several tries, I decided I wouldn't attempt to track down a back-up copy (which I usually do for games I really like).

PimpUigi

12-02-2009, 02:23 AM

I have a complete one up for trade in the Bazaar...

capi1010

12-02-2009, 02:46 AM

Where are the screen shots of these alleged bosses...?

Devil N

12-02-2009, 04:15 AM

I have a complete one up for trade in the Bazaar...
Yes, and if I had a version 1.0 of Moonwalker I would trade it with you. But I don't. So, yeah...

PimpUigi

12-03-2009, 01:23 AM

Do you have a complete Moonwalker at all?
I think I'd take any of them at this point.

Devil N

12-03-2009, 05:37 AM

Nope, not even that, I'm sorry. If I had had anything of interest to you, you would've heard from me a long time ago. And at this point, it's probably cheaper for me to buy a whole bunch of Shinobi carts and hope I strike gold with one of them, than it is to buy a complete US Moonwalker and trade it with you.

PimpUigi

12-03-2009, 05:52 AM

Really it's just my pain of not being patient enough to place a bid of $35 (after shipping) on every single complete Moonwalker posted.

That's what they were going for until mid October.

Shame no one else on the forums want to do this trade with me either.

The game looks like it's going for $50 now.
Exactly how rare is a 1.0 Shinobi? Must not be Panzer Dragoon Saga rare.

Devil N

12-03-2009, 06:02 AM

Shinobi 1.00 is not that rare, it's just hard to track down. You can't see from the outside what version it is, you have to play the game up to level 3 to know for sure. And since a lot of people have trouble even finishing level 1, you can't simply ask a seller to play the game to verify what version they are selling. In short, the only thing you can do is just buy the game for cheap and cross your fingers it's the right version.

Smii

12-03-2009, 11:00 PM

I actually just realised that I have the coveted Batman Version, albeit loose and crummy-labelled! It's been kicking around in one of my boxes of spare crud (mainly full of sports games, half-destroyed Sonics etc) for ages - found it when I was having a sort out, and I got round to playing it last weekend. Batman and his bat friends were fun to kill. :)

I still hate that stupid maze level. It made me have to create a sort of crude map and everything.

Devil N

12-04-2009, 04:07 AM

The labyrinth level is really that difficult. There's a fairly simple linear path through that area, you just have to remember which doors to take. The second time I got to that area, I blasted through it pretty easily. The difficult part IMHO is making sure you're stocked up with the right items before engaging the final boss.

Now if the labyrinth level had had doors that you needed to activate by going through other doors or flipping switches, then it would've been really difficult.

Genesis32XCD

12-04-2009, 08:55 AM

So is the only difference between 1.00 and 1.01 is Batman and the Rambo enemies?f

Devil N

12-04-2009, 09:28 AM

Yup.

NeoVamp

12-04-2009, 12:51 PM

And wasn't there something about a Godzilla enemy too?

its been awhile since i last read this stuff.

Devil N

12-04-2009, 12:57 PM

Yes, Godzilla is the boss of level 6, but he was replaced by a skeleton brontosaurus in version 1.03. All the earlier versions have Godzilla as he should be.

Actually, let me just sum up all the differences for easy reference:

Version 1.00 (1989)

Copyright notice on the title screen.
Rambo look-a-like flametroopers on level 3 and beyond.
Hulk/Terminator boss on level 4 (he never changed).
Spider-man boss on level 6, morphs into Batman.
Godzilla boss on level 7.

Version 1.01 (1989)

Rambo flametroopers are now bald.
Spider-man boss now leaves the battle and returns as a demon-like creature, instead of Batman.

Version 1.02 (1990)

Copyright notice is moved to a separate screen before the intro, acknowledges Spider-man copyright.
Some say Spider-man was redesigned, but I'd have to see a side-by-side comparison to see if there are any differences.

Version 1.03 (1990)

Godzilla boss is replaced by a brontosaurus skeleton.

Version 1.04 (2009, Wii VC only)

Spider-man boss is now colored pink (ack).

jerry coeurl

12-04-2009, 01:47 PM

It's weird that they bothered to recolor the Spider-Man sprite. Does it still have the copyright acknowledgment for him?

Mark Robert

12-04-2009, 07:34 PM

Thank you Devil N for clarifying the differences between versions. :D This game sure has gone though a lot of edits in its history.

zilog

01-24-2010, 08:09 AM

Cool, I just checked mine (Jpn copy) and after battling my way through to Stage 3 it turns out I have a Rev 1.00 as well... I'd never really bothered playing it much before as I am rubbish at it.

Still, nice to know there's different bosses in there that I'll probably never reach :D

Zz Badnusty

01-24-2010, 03:48 PM

Actually, let me just sum up all the differences for easy reference:

Version 1.00 (1989)

Version 1.01 (1989)

Version 1.02 (1990)

Version 1.03 (1990)

Version 1.04 (2009, Wii VC only)

Which version is on the Sega CD collection?

Devil N

01-24-2010, 06:43 PM

Which version is on the Sega CD collection?
Version 1.03, if I'm not mistaken.

oldmanwinters

01-24-2010, 07:50 PM

Anybody know which version is on the Genesis 6-Pak cart?

Zz Badnusty

01-24-2010, 09:30 PM

Version 1.03, if I'm not mistaken.
I knew it wasn't the original one,
And what really stinks, I had the original release - it was one of the first games I purchased for my Genesis.
But I then sold it to Funcoland when I got my SegaCD. :daze:

smokeydadog

02-05-2010, 10:45 AM

Great thread! I'm a long-time Genesis fan (bought my first in 1990) and I never knew about the different versions of Shinobi. I popped in my cart last night and saw the copyright 1989 screen, but playing up to level 3 I ran into the bald flamethrowers. No Rambo and no Batman for me, rats. Although I'm still pretty good at this game, surprisingly. I still remember the first time I beat it, and then the first time I actually saved the chic. Good times.

Here's something else I noticed. I still have the original box for mine, and it's the Sega Classics version. Since my cart is 1.01, wouldn't the 1.00 have to be the one with the original (non-classic) box art? I'm thinking of buying a complete in the original box off Ebay to test my theory. Does anyone have a 1.00 complete or know which box it came in?

BrYaN

02-05-2010, 08:31 PM

I had a brand new Sega Classic version, and it was REV03 (1.03). I thought that all the Sega Classic were REV003? And the original versions were REV00 REV01 and REV02...

djshok

02-05-2010, 08:53 PM

Pretty sweet man, wish I could get my hands on a copy.

smokeydadog

02-06-2010, 11:21 PM

I had a brand new Sega Classic version, and it was REV03 (1.03). I thought that all the Sega Classic were REV003? And the original versions were REV00 REV01 and REV02...

Well, I can't swear that I bought mine brand new since that was a long time ago but I definitely have a Sega Classics box and the second version of the game. When I get an original and complete off Ebay I'll post back. Of course, there's no guarantee that the Ebay cart and box aren't a mishmash either.

SegaMan89

02-07-2010, 01:15 AM

All right!!! In a lot of games I just purchased:http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=5733281 the copy of Revenge Of Shinobi is the REV 1.00:D:D:D.

shinobimusashi

02-07-2010, 06:13 AM

Anybody know which version is on the Genesis 6-Pak cart?

1.02

SegaMan89

02-08-2010, 11:42 PM

Anybody know which version is on the Genesis 6-Pak cart?
1.02

My Majesco Re-release cart has Rev 1.03 with the dinosaur skeleton boss instead of Godzilla.

Devil N

06-02-2010, 06:59 AM

*thread necromancy in progress*

As I just reported in the Haul thread, I finally got my hands on a REV00 Japanese cartridge of this game. Oh yeah!

But what I'm actually resurrecting this thread for: while playing through the game to check the revision, I noticed that there were a couple of slight differences in enemy placement in the first two levels, compared to the later revisions. I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison to be certain, but I'm pretty sure there were a couple of things different from what I'm used to. If I'm right, then a REV00 cartridge could be identified quicker than playing up to level 3. To be continued...

Sparksterz

06-02-2010, 09:43 PM

hmm...weird let us know! I can compare it to my copy as well!

Mark Robert

06-03-2010, 01:27 AM

It's great to own version 1.00 but I still suck at this game. I'm still a long ways off skills-wise from reaching the spiderman/batman boss. The furthest I've gotten is a level past the Hulk/Terminator boss. I'm playing it on easy too. :cry:

Zz Badnusty

06-03-2010, 01:43 AM

Devil N

06-03-2010, 04:11 AM

hmm...weird let us know! I can compare it to my copy as well!
Well...... I was wrong. :( I did some side-by-side comparisons in Fusion and then played through the entire game again start to finish last night, and there were no differences.

What probably happened is that I messed up a few parts and then the enemies reacted slightly differently from what I am used to. I then wanted so badly for my theory to be true, that I was seeing little differences everywhere, up to the point that I was almost certain of it. Yeah, how the mind can play tricks on you.

It's great to own version 1.00 but I still suck at this game. I'm still a long ways off skills-wise from reaching the spiderman/batman boss. The furthest I've gotten is a level past the Hulk/Terminator boss. I'm playing it on easy too. :cry:
Playing on easy doesn't actually make the game easier. You just get more lives. The infinite shuriken cheat can make things a bit easier, but the enemy patterns don't change at all. This game is all about practice, memorization and perseverance.

Mark Robert

06-03-2010, 10:29 AM

Do you know about the infinite shuriken trick?

Yeah, I use that cheat everytime I play. :( I do get a little bit further every time I play though.

cheaterdragon1

06-03-2010, 06:21 PM

Aw crap. I got rid of my copy of this game because I already had in on the Sega 6 Pak. I had no idea some copies of the game are worth more then others.

Just wondering, but what version is it on the 6 Pak?

Sparksterz

06-03-2010, 07:00 PM