gameplay elements, but his "stealth dash" move was a new addition consistent with the overall fast-paced nature of the game. Although Overworks had worked mainly on simulation and role-playing video games, experience with the Streets of Rage series helped with the creation of an action-based game. Ohba decided to tailor the game to the needs of the relatively small action market amidst the emergence of stealth-oriented ninja-focused games. Uriu was discontent with the state of contemporary action-adventure games. Hotsuma's character, as well as the game's setting and plot, resulted from a desire to create a "darker hero" for the game. Hotsuma's "stealth dash" move hatched from Uriu's knowledge of real life ninja's ability to "divide themselves into different bodies". Shinobi was showcased at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2002 together with other prominent Sega titles such as Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, and Panzer Dragoon Orta. The game was later exhibited at Tokyo Game Show 2002. Upon completion of development, the game received a rating of "M" (Mature) from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which cited "Blood and Gore" and "Violence". Related media Comic book adaptation A single-issue comic book adaptation of Shinobi was created by Scott Allie, published by Dark Horse Comics, and released in 2002. The plot follows Hotsuma and other characters from the game. Soundtrack is a video game soundtrack album recorded by Sega's music division Sega Digital Studio. It was released on December 21, 2002 under the Sten och Flod record label. All twenty-one tracks are taken from the game, except for the last which is a bonus track. The soundtrack consists of traditional Japanese music with elements of techno and rock. Hopper noted a "nice old-school flair". Weigand stated that "[a]lthough some of the techno-pop music pieces don't fit the sword-and-sorcery theme, the atmospheric sound effects vibrantly ring true throughout". Reception Shinobis initial release fell on November 10, 2002 in North America; December 5 in Japan; and May 15, 2003 in Europe. It was generally well received by critics, with respective scores of 71 out of 100 and 71.67% from review aggregators Metacritic and GameRankings. Shinobis basic gameplay was largely praised. GamePros Mike Weigand highlighted the TATE attack as "cool" and "hyper-violent", and praised the game's overall emphasis on "head-on deception" rather than stealth. GameZone staff writer Steven Hopper stated that "[w]hile some would want a bit more