Sega Nerds

Interview With a Sega Star: Joe Musashi

Posted by Gill Figno. Filed under Uncategorized. Tagged with Exclusive, Interview With a Sega Star.

Each week here at Sega Nerds, we bring you an exclusive face-to-pixel chat with a Sega Character. Today’s interview is with the heroic Ninja in white, Joe Mushashi.

Joe is the original ninja from Shinobi and has gone on to star in almost every Shinobi game since. The Shinobi series has been a staple in Sega’s line-up since 1987, the most recent game in the series being Nightshade (or Kunoichi in Japan) (2004, PS2)

Seganerds: You’re a product of the big ‘Ninja Craze’ of the late 80’s. Along with the Ninja Turtles, Every Marvel character written by Frank Miller and that one guy on Nightmare on Elm Street 4 with the headband. How do you feel about this?

Joe Musashi: A true ninja is not a product of the times, but a reflection of the way his clan suffers. I merely became a Ninja because I was fated to be so.

Seganerds: And your master was assassinated! That’s always one of the cliches, too.

Joe Musashi: Yeah, that happened, but I’m not a cliche, I’m a fearless warrior who trained his whole life to protect the Oboro clan from certain eventual doom … plus they kidnapped my woman.

Seganerds: Yeah, that’s classic 80’s Ninja! Oh, Oh! Did you swear revenge?

Joe Musashi: Yes. Yes, I swore revenge.

Seganerds: Told ya.

Joe Musashi: I’m not a cliche.

Seganerds: How do you feel about being replaced in the 2002 remake by a young upstart named Hotsuma, who frankly, looks way cooler then you do?

Joe Musashi: Hey, I look cool too. White Ninja suit, that’s pretty sweet. I got the headband and hood going on too.

Seganerds: But, Hotsuma has a 15-foot scarf and leather pants.

Joe Musashi: Sounds like a fruitcake to me, true Ninja’s do not wear scarfs, they stab people from behind with daggers!

Seganerds: Believe me, any guy wearing leather pants and a scarf is doing some kind of stabbing from behind. Now that the obligatory gay joke is behind us, any plans to make a return to gaming?

Joe Musashi: I was an unlockable character in 2002’s Shinobi and starred in six other Shinobi’s. To be honest, that’s enough for me. You can only cut a goon in half so many times before it gets old, you know?

Seganerds: I don’t know, Joe, it might be a good time to make a come back. The Ninja Turtles are back and 80’s nostalgia is pretty big too.

Joe Musashi: Ninja’s don’t make comebacks! They die with honor!…..How much money do you think I could make selling this Shinobi shirt at Hot Topic?

Seganerds: 20 bucks- HEY, wait! What happened to dying with honor?

Joe Musashi: NINJA VANISH! *vanishes in a puff of smoke*

Seganerds: What the? These interviews never go anywhere. Oh, cool a Shinobi T-Shirt.

Joe Musashi: *drops down from the ceiling*……I need that back. NINJA CASH-IN!

Seganerds: Hey, that’s another cliche! All 80’s Ninja’s say what attack they’re going to do before they do it.

Joe Musashi: NINJA FACE KICK!

Seganerds: Ok, here’s your shirt!

Joe Musashi: NINJA GLOATING! That’s what I thought.