Shinobi fans continue to eat good as SEGA announced via Twitter that Sonic villain Dr. Eggman will be one of the antagonists in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance’s DLC level. Included in the Digital Deluxe Edition of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, the DLC level “SEGA Villains” will have you facing off against iconic Sega villains such as Dr. Eggman from Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as two other villains based on iconic antagonists from Sega’s rich history.
The Digital Deluxe Edition costs $4o and features a bunch of goodies including the aforementioned DLC stage (set to launch early 2026), a new outfit, some in-game currency plus the game’s soundtrack and digital art book.
“Who’s that lurking in the shadows? Prepare to unleash the power of the Shinobi and face off against legendary bosses in SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance’s SEGA Villains Stage! First up, Joe Musashi confronts the evil genius from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Dr. Eggman”
For the uninitiated, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an upcoming 2D action game being made by Sega alongside Streets of Rage 4 developers Lizardcube. From what I’ve experienced of the game’s demo, it is looking to be a bold revival of one of Sega’s most iconic franchises from the early 90s with deep, combo-heavy combat, brutal platforming and some breathtaking 2D backgrounds. The game is also following the launch of Ninja Gaiden Ragebound last month, forming a very interesting parallel launch of two classic games being revived in their own unique ways.
I’ve previously written in-depth about how both games choose to modernize their arcade lineage through their own spin on classic mechanics. Where Ninja Gaiden leans into the past to create an experience that feels very of-its-time, Shinobi feels modern and classy with an extremely smooth and free-form combat system that’s all about player expression. It almost plays like a modern DMC game with its air juggles and varied combos that’s all about keeping enemies suspended in a fight (also the banging soundtrack).
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is set to launch in a little over a week on August 29 for the PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and the Nintendo Switch.
