Ninja Gaiden

NINJA GAIDEN:

Console: XBOX Publisher: Tecmo Developer: Team Ninja Genre: Action Platformer Price: £10 Rating: 15

"Ninja who?" you may be asking yourself confused as to why I have labelled this a classic and you've never even heard of it (I wrote this as a review for my school paper, I know all you lot have intentionally searched for Ninja Gaiden and are fully aware of what it is). This never really made it into the mainstream. Perhaps it was the total lack of an advertising campaign or, more possibly, perhaps it was because this game was so fiendishly difficult that people just didn't get what is was about. You see, this game wasn't made for the majority of the gaming community. It was made for a very small collection of hardcore gamers who truly appreciated video games. This was gaming at its fullest. Only true gamers could understand what made Ninja Gaiden such an addictive, pure and rewarding cult classic.

I, for one, am glad that this didn't catch on to the general public. You see, this game separates the men from the boys and will get you taken seriously by fellow seasoned gamers. I call this a game for the hardcore for a reason. This has got to be one of the most demanding games ever spawned. To get past the first level you have to have lightning quick reflexes, the patience of a saint and a logical mind about you. The first boss who you encounter around fifteen minutes into the game seems like he should be saved for the end of the game as he is so damn hard to kill. Don't think it gets any easier either. Most of the time you have to take a deep breath and plunge into the line of fire hoping for the best, it isn't determined by luck whether you come out in one piece though.

Any button bashers who attempt this game will either need to fix their act up a bit or look for the receipt as there's only one way forwards, the tough way. The button layout seems simple enough, two attack buttons, one for throwing shuriken and jump but the combat system has a mind boggling level of depth. The combat works so smoothly with such fluency that it soon becomes intuitive, just don't forget to block with the left trigger. It's at this point, when you finally take understand the combat system that the game picks up. You have to at least make it to level 4, in the city, where you are released from the narrow corridors of the Hayabusa Village and the gigantic airship into the wide open streets that you can truly start to appreciate the game. If you give up before that point you cannot say that you tried and you're not a serious or passionate gamer.

The level design and outstanding graphics remain consistent throughout the game, each environment looking fresh and inviting, backed up by authentic sounding oriental background music which quickly switches to a pumping techno soundtrack whenever you get into a scrap. The enemies are well designed, each different type of enemy having a different attack pattern and requiring a new technique to kill. The story's pretty decent as well, told through gorgeously detailed pre rendered movie sequences.

Although it might not sound like it from what I've told you, this game is good to pick up and play. Rather than having to save progress one level at a time each level has a small scattering of save points, each about ten minutes away from each other. This means rather than having to devote hours at a time you can just see whether you can get to the next checkpoint which makes this such an addictive experience. You will get stuck though, many times. I gave up on the game for half a week at one point after I defeated this giant, electric eel worm which was so far the toughest boss I had come up against. I was frustrated to behold that half an hour onwards I came up against another boss. It was the same as beforehand but this time there were two of them. After about fifteen continues I killed them though and I was instantly hooked again.

This game is almost flawless and one of the best games ever made, ever. Pick this up as soon as possible as it goes pretty cheap these days and if you don't pick up this fantastic title then it's your loss.

Gameplay: ***** Sound: **** Graphics: ***** Lifespan: **** Overall Rating: *****

Ninja Gaiden follows the story of Ryu Hayabusa. Ryu's clan has been slaughtered and now he is out for revenge. Ninja Gaiden is a excellent remake of the classic. Ninja Gaiden's graphics are mouth watering and it feels like you are watching a movie. The villains are no pushovers so it will take a while to finish it and the bosses just get bigger and harder each level. there are a huge variety of weapons and costumes.the villains are cool, the bosses are amazing and the combos are fascinating. Ninja Gaiden 1, Ninja Gaiden 2 and Ninja Gaiden 3 for nes can be unlocked. Plus with being online enable you can vs people, you can get more costumes and weapons . What more could you want. Ninja Gaiden is a Great game and should not be missed!

I played this game as a kid on the original Xbox and I got very far along. However, I don't believe I beat it. The action was face paced and intense. The villains ruthless and the bosses were unforgiving. 17 years later I found and purchased a used copy of the Ninja Gaiden Black version. It plays full screen (16:9) at 4K UHD on Xbox Series X. No jagged edges. It's crisp clear with clear cut lines. Aside from the dated textures and CGI cut scenes this game looks better than ever before. To my surprise it had Dolby Digital audio too.

It's an amazing game. If you're up for a challenge you'll enjoy the gameplay. The key is to upgrade your weapons and to know which enemies and bosses to use them against. No boss is impossible. If it feels that way, it's because you haven't not identified the bosses fighting style or attack pattern. Once you crack the code and develop your strategy you really level the playing field. That's when you get to enjoy the game. You can button smash to an extent but it's best to be strategic with your actions.

Ninja Gaiden Black (2005) is the best version per the creator of the game. The 2021 Remaster collection contains the different and, often described as, inferior Sigma games. Buyer beware and choose wisely.

I love this game! I have never played a more action packed game on the XBOX.

The acting is very good. I can't actually believe these are the same people who made Dead or Alive: Beach Volleyball. The only way I can tell is because of the amazing graphics.

The voice acting very good, from the little bit they talk, and the enemies are very smart. Enemies even know when you block, so they know how to break through your block.

This is definitely one of the best games for XBOX for these reasons.

A very strong 10/10 on my review.

Ninja Gaiden was originally an arcade beat-em up, then became a side-scrolling action title, and after sequels and spinoffs, simply disappeared after 1994's Ninja Gaiden trilogy, which was a collection of the three NES games. Afterwards, the main character, Ryu Hayabusa, became one of the fighters in the Dead or Alive games. Now, a decade after his last solo title, we finally see Ryu in another game of his own. Is it worth the wait? Somewhat, but not really.

First the good. It's obvious that the graphics are winners here. After all, Tecmo's Dead or Alive games are are quite graphically impressive. The story is also quite good, those who expect stuff on par with the NES trilogy's cutscenes will not be disappointed. It's just that when it boils down to the actual gameplay, the game falls apart. It seems simple enough, as it's similar to games like Devil May Cry and Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, with exploring huge areas in 3D, as well as gigantic bosses, but in the end, things fall apart for the reasons that can plague many action games: 1., the controls, especially the faulty XBOX ones. They're just screwed up, for example, the main attack button also happens to be the same as the action button. Not only that, but the controls themselves can screw up. You may try to make Ryu run across a wall, but instead he'll try to run up the building. Second, the one thing that haunts about 99% of all 3rd-person games: The camera. It's just AWFUL. It will often screw you up in the direction you don't want to go in, or make it impossible to tell what enemy is hitting you at what time until half your lifebar is depleted.

So in the end, we have a decent, at best, action game, but far better than the horrid NES original. But it's not perfect. People wanting something to rival Ninja Gaiden 2: Dark Sword of Chaos will be disappointed. Proceed with caution.