Shadow Dancer
Sega Master System · 1991
About this game
Shadow Dancer on the Master System retains a lot of the arcade game's content, but simplifies the graphics and sound to better suit the hardware.
Stage layouts are slightly different, and the decision to use sprites similar in size to the arcade version means that fewer enemies can appear on screen at any one time.
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Sprite flicker is a common sight, and entire sections of stages are removed to save space.
Unlike the arcade version, players cannot backtrack during either side-scrolling or boss sections, limiting player to a very small section of the screen during the boss fights.
The most striking omission in the Master System version of Shadow Dancer is the dog as an active character, but it is still available as a game mechanic.
When a valid target is onscreen, the player must crouch.
While crouched, the ninja magic icon will slowly transform into a a dog head.
When the icon is completely full, it will move to the target enemy's location.
Pressing attack will cause the dog to appear out of nowhere and attack the enemy.
If no valid target exists, the icon will not move and pressing attack while crouched will perform a normal attack.
The dog can be called only three times each stage.
The Master System version retains the first-person shuriken-throwing bonus rounds, but the one between the second and third stage is the same bonus round used by the Mega Drive version, which makes player to jump from a tall building and attack ninjas in a downward shoot-'em-up fashion.
Like the Master System version of Shinobi, ninja magic cannot be used during boss fights.
In addition to the previously mentioned problem of being confined to a small section of the screen, this makes the boss fights even more difficult than the arcade version.
A small oddity, in the Master System version, Shinobi always bows to the boss before the battle.
About Sega Master System
The Sega Master System (1985/1986) was Sega's answer to the NES and, while it lost the console war in North America, became genuinely dominant in markets like Brazil and parts of Europe. That regional split matters for collectors: PAL and Brazilian-market cartridges can differ meaningfully in scarcity and pricing from their North American counterparts for the same title.
Gamevaro tracks Shadow Dancer for Sega Master System with separate market values for loose, complete-in-box (CIB) and factory-sealed copies, sourced from real eBay sales. Prices also vary by region — PAL, NTSC-U and NTSC-J releases of the same game often sell for different amounts due to print run sizes and regional collector demand.
Adding Shadow Dancer to a Gamevaro collection takes seconds — search by title or scan the box barcode, and the app fills in cover art, release details and current pricing automatically. This SMS release dates back to 1991.
Market values by condition
No price data available yet.
Rarity & condition
No market sales have been tracked yet for Shadow Dancer — this could mean it rarely changes hands, or simply that Gamevaro hasn't recorded a sale for it yet. Be the first to add it to your collection.
Complete-in-box (CIB) copies typically command a premium over loose cartridges/discs because the original box and manual are more fragile and get discarded or damaged over time — fewer complete sets survive.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Shadow Dancer worth?
Gamevaro hasn't tracked a market sale for Shadow Dancer (Sega Master System) yet, so no current value is available. Prices are sourced from real marketplace sales, and this page will update automatically once sales data comes in.
Is Shadow Dancer rare?
No market sales have been tracked yet for Shadow Dancer, which could mean it rarely changes hands or that Gamevaro simply hasn't recorded a sale for it yet.
What's the difference between loose, CIB and sealed for Shadow Dancer?
Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. These are tracked as separate market values because the price gap between them can be significant, especially for older releases.
Ratings & Reviews
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