Ninja Gaiden is a masterpiece, a title that truly composes mayhem and beauty.
The Bad: Can be very frustrating; sound can be a little repetitive; story lacks information on setting and can get a little confusing for the dull-minded
The fighting and action-adventure genres are the pinnacle of game society within the past few years. But can both be mixed into something that can truly be something unique and entertaining? Team Ninja and Tecmo decide to take this role on in a new version of their classic game Ninja Gaiden, a game that fulfills it’s birthright in being a mad twist of both action-adventure and the fighting genres in something that can be called nothing other than superb.
The game uses one of the most easy to use free-form fighting systems that results in quite the bloodbath and something to really look at. The game also uses the action-adventure “dungeon wandering” that you’d find in something such as Zelda. When both of these key elements are combined into Ninja Gaiden, you truly play a game that can make you feel like you ARE a ninja.
Everyone talks about being a ninja. They want to be the ones that flip around walls, chop people up, and possibly be Asian (not sure but you never know). Well, Ninja Gaiden is the game for those people. Everything listed above is done in this game (yes, you’re Asian!), and it is one hell of a good time. The game’s difficulty alone makes for one challenging game. That, getting used to the fighting style of yourself, your weapons, and your enemies, are some of the great things about this game. Although the difficulty is very frustrating, this version of Ninja Gaiden (Black) lets you unlock an easier difficulty that can be helpful for those who have never played the game before. But just because the game is now set to an easier difficulty doesn’t mean it won’t be hard.
This game is a great challenge from its story mode to its mission mode. The story mode takes you through a story as the main character Ryu Hayabusa, who is seeking the path of a ninja and later wants revenge of the burning of his village. The story may wander off in weird directions, from a 12th century village to a 21st century military base, the time period is not really portrayed, but it will keep you entertained and it is still something that has never been seen.
The whole time that you are going through this story mode you are hacking and slashing your way to glory. But this is no hack-and-slash game; the fighting strictly consists of hard-hitting combo moves that are a lightshow. From blood sprayed walls to the rolling of heads, this game can sooth the bloodiest of fantasies. The graphics engine is a great spectacle. Although not perfect, it still is one of the best looking games today. The sound is also something magnificent. Although the music is something to be ignored, the roaring of Ryu as he smashes down upon foe is something that can make you smile. You will hear the same noises over and over again, but they are still great. Within the story mode you will also find a assortment of weaponry from your starting Dragon Sword to a great battle axe, all with different styles and techniques. You will find a 100+-year-old man who has the profession of a blacksmith and will sell you potions and such. But his most treasured gift is his ability to make your weapons stronger. For a fee, he can upgrade your weapon to its next level, making it stronger and will grant it more combos. You will also have ranged weapons from throwing stars to your basic bow and arrow.
The story mode can last you about 10-20 hours depending on the difficulty and how fast you go, but after that’s all complete you can take on the 50 missions that the game has to offer. The mission mode is exclusive to the Black version. The missions consist of different scenarios, which have you do certain things, and you are scored based on how well you did. The difficulty may be fierce in the later missions, but it’s a lot of fun in the end. The lasting value of this game is incredible and can truly appeal to many.
The content also goes into depth with the addition of the Hurricane Packs, which were available for download for the original game. But this Black edition includes these packs and adds more value to this wonderful game.
So for those of you Ninja fans and wannabes, this game really kicks the competition in the teeth and has enough challenge and lasting value to satisfy even the most casual gamer. Although it may have some quirks here and there, the game rightly makes up for it’s flaws in some of the most brutal and spectacular fighting ever seen in a game. The value is amazing and this is a budget game running at $30 so there isn’t too much to lose by giving Ninja Gaiden Black a try. It will be worth it.