Shinobi

The gameplay is very similar to the previous game, a side-scrolling game with platform elements. Musashi uses kunai (throwing knives) and a sword as weapons and can upgrade their power by picking up power-ups inside crates. Inside those crates he will also find extra lives, health, kunai (5 or 20), ninjitsu, and time bombs that will explode in 5 seconds or immediately if touched.

The gameplay is divided into seven rounds, each subdivided into two parts with a boss at the end of each part. Most levels feature horizontal scrolling from left to right, but some levels will also feature vertical scrolling. There are three forced scrolling levels: two horizontal and one vertical. The game features four difficulty levels, including normal difficulty, where the player has 3 lives and 3 continues.