I'm looking for this old 2D ms-dos game that featured a ninja or a samurai hero, really cool game, where you were supposed to go from area to area, going up and down, at times climbing trees, shooting other ninjas etc (you had a sort of magic way of shooting energy at others), the first level being you going near a house or something.
It was pretty cool but it was also old, as I remember it didn't have an ingame save option.

Any suggestion would be more than appreciated

First samurai? http://www.mobygames.com/game/first-samurai

close, but no, mine had a samurai warrior that was dressed in a kimono or something, and he appeared really little on the screen. He wasn't a cool, full-of-muscles kind of hero, but rather discrete and quick

yes, it's shadow knights. ty very much