SHADOW GANGS ZERO - Retro-style ninja action game for Shinobi fans !

[Marcio D.]

If you're a fan of games like Shinobi (1987) and Shadow Dancer (1989), you'll want to check out the following game series. A Shinobi-style game called Shadow Gangs was released in 2020 for several platforms, the Dreamcast being one of them. Its success has now led to the development of a prequel named Shadow Gangs Zero. This time, not only will it be available for the Dreamcast, it'll also be released for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive.


The Kickstarter campaign is already fully funded, so further development is surging forward. For these remaining weeks of the campaign, a series of stretch goals will be attempted, the first of which is:

Second Playable Character
Introducing Hikaru, the ninja girl! Play as this new character and experience the game from a fresh perspective.


Here's the webpage, so check it out if you'd like to contribute:





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[vbt]

it's promising, is there a beta of the md version?

 

[Marcio D.]

it's promising, is there a beta of the md version?

I only see a Neo Geo demo for now, and it's because Neo Geo is the lead platform for development this time.

 

[Marcio D.]

The core campaign ended on September 14, 2024 and was a smashing success. Not only was the project fully funded, but it also surpassed the stretch goal for having the female ninja included as a playable character!

Due to extremely strong demand, the developer has decided to accept Late Pledges for those who missed out during the core campaign. Here's the exciting part... The project is only £6,000 away from reaching the next stretch goal: 2-player co-operative gameplay. This will be a revolutionary feature, as none of the arcade and console Shinobi games had this 2-player simultaneous gameplay.


Mega Drive / Genesis fans have multiple options to choose from:

- Digital edition.

- Physical boxed cartridge edition (your choice of US / EU / JPN variations); includes digital edition.

- Collector edition: Includes physical boxed cartridge plus digital edition, and adds several goodies - Collector's box, art book, T-shirt, soundtrack CD.


Join the revolution here:

 

[Marcio D.]

UPDATE:

Less than £1,000 away from unlocking: 2-player co-operative gameplay.

Join the party:

 

[Marcio D.]

2-player co-op gameplay has been unlocked. Thanks to all backers for making this happen!

Late Pledges are being accepted for a bit longer, so make sure you join the club while you still can.

The next stretch goal is £120K, which unlocks six mini-bosses: ED Walker, Military Tank, Dragon, Military Helicopter, CannonWall, and Heavily Armed Van.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero

 

[vbt]

well done for the 120k!

 

[Marcio D.]

ShadowTeam has posted an update for the upcoming Shinobi-inspired game Shadow Gangs Zero. The first bit of news is that the graphics development is coming along very nicely. The second major takeaway is that porting from the lead system Neo Geo to the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive has now begun!


Catch up on the exciting details here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero/posts/4310516


Enjoy the latest music tracks from the game:

https://soundcloud.com/user-723778647/shadow-gangs-zero

https://soundcloud.com/user-723778647/boss-level


If you haven't made a pledge to the campaign yet, what are you waiting for?

 

[vbt]

ShadowTeam has posted an update for the upcoming Shinobi-inspired game Shadow Gangs Zero. The first bit of news is that the graphics development is coming along very nicely. The second major takeaway is that porting from the lead system Neo Geo to the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive has now begun!


Catch up on the exciting details here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero/posts/4310516


Enjoy the latest music tracks from the game:

https://soundcloud.com/user-723778647/shadow-gangs-zero

https://soundcloud.com/user-723778647/boss-level


If you haven't made a pledge to the campaign yet, what are you waiting for?

we wait to see how a neogeo game could look on megadrive ^^

 

[Marcio D.]

we wait to see how a neogeo game could look on megadrive ^^

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous... But I have faith in the Genesis / Mega Drive.

The Genesis / MD version won't display as many onscreen colours and layers of parallax scrolling as the Neo Geo version. But if the Genesis / MD version uses the hardware to the max without compromising on the gameplay, I'm happy!

 

[Marcio D.]

Last month (April 2025), the developer posted exciting news about the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive version of this highly anticipated Shinobi-style ninja game:

• Development of the game engine has been completed, including support for music and sound effects.
• Game is now running at a full 60 frames per second.
• Bankswitching is implemented, allowing the use of 16 MB (128 megabits) of cartridge space. So all the high-quality art and animation frames will be fully supported.
• The Genesis / Mega Drive version is being built using SGDK.

The latest news for this month (May 2025) is that the game's core artwork is now almost fully complete, with just special effects and background animations left to add - these will bring extra life and energy to the levels.


For the few of you who haven't yet pledged, you're invited to join the ninja revolution at this page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero


When you make a pledge to the campaign, here are some cool personalized rewards available:

Custom Backer Image - Later levels:
Add a small image (up to 64 x 64 pixels) of your choice - whether it’s your portrait or any design - within a game level.

Graffiti Text / Image - Level 1:
Be the sole backer to have your custom text or graffiti design featured in the very first level of the game - up to 80 x 64 pixels in size.

Graffiti Text / Image - Later levels:
Add your custom text or graffiti design within a game level - up to 80 x 64 pixels in size.

Name the Ninja Girl:
Name the fierce, playable ninja girl - choose her name!

 

[Marcio D.]

The pixel art for all 18 levels was completed last month (June), as was the majority of the music tracks. Now in July, level design is well underway and things are progressing very nicely. The Neo Geo version is on schedule to be completed by December 2025 as planned, with the Genesis / Mega Drive version very soon afterwards for March 2026.

The campaign is currently at £109K in pledges. It needs to reach £120K to unlock the six mini bosses. Please make a pledge so that you can join in the fun. In addition to the Genesis / MD and Neo Geo, you can also back the versions for these other platforms: Dreamcast, PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox, and Switch.

It was confirmed a couple of months ago that the Neo Geo digital version is compatible with NeoSD PRO, as the developer is personally testing the game with it throughout development.

Visit the campaign page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero

Reminder: All backers will have their names displayed on the credits screen accessible from the main menu, as well as on the end-game screens.

Also: Backers of the physical versions for Neo Geo, Genesis / MD, and Dreamcast will receive the corresponding digital versions for free!

 

[Marcio D.]

Level Design:
Last month (August 2025), the developer reported that level design was in high gear. Now in September 2025, the developer tells us that he's finished the first pass in creating these game levels: City, Bridge, Airport, Bunker, Forest, Beach, Cyber Punk, Castle. The current level being designed is: China. He estimates that he'll have finished the first pass of designing all levels by mid-to-late October 2025. Designing levels for Shadow Gangs Zero is a multi-pass process involving three primary passes plus a polishing phase. Lots of work, but the developer is making great progress.


Mini Bosses:
The final campaign stretch goal is the inclusion of six mini bosses: Fire-breathing dragon, Military helicopter, Cannon wall with heavy firepower, Van with armed fighters, etc. To achieve that stretch goal, the pledge total needs to reach £120K. We are so very close to reaching this goal, as the pledge total is currently at £113K.


Beta Testing:
You already know that backers will have access to the Neo Geo beta digital release. I've received confirmation from the developer that ALL backers will have access to this Neo Geo beta release. In other words, even backers of the Genesis / Mega Drive version will be granted access to the Neo Geo beta. Granting broad beta access will help the developer iron out all bugs, while giving backers early access as a loyalty perk. A win-win for everyone!


Ongoing Pledges:
So far, 41 backers have pledged for the Genesis / MD digital version. That's awesome! We're hoping the campaign can reach 100 backers for that digital version by year's end. Could you help make that happen? If you haven't yet pledged, please take another look at the campaign page to see if you'd like to add Shadow Gangs Zero to your Genesis / MD digital collection. If you've already pledged, please tell your circle of friends about the game and invite them to join the SGZ community.

As for the Genesis / MD physical cartridge, there are 272 of you who have backed it. Wow! If you've got friends with similar great taste in Genesis / MD carts, please tell them about the campaign. A reminder that all backers of the Genesis / MD physical cartridge will also receive the Genesis / MD digital version for free. Perfect for playing SGZ on your portable devices when you're away from home!


New Music Track for Genesis / Mega Drive:
From the developer:

We also have a great new Mega Drive track to enjoy. Listen closely at 0:30 seconds — those toms are actually FM drums, not samples, showcasing the MD’s unique sound!

https://soundcloud.com/user-723778647/wip-mp3-10

Shadow Gangs Zero - Campaign Page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero