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Ninja Gaiden (2004 video game)

January 01, 1970

Ninja Gaiden[b] is an action adventure hack and slash video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo for the Xbox. It was released in March 2004. Set in the futuristic version of the 21st century, players control Ryu Hayabusa, a master ninja, in his quest to recover a stolen sword and avenge the slaughter of his clan. It was inspired by Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden series, and is set in the same continuity as Team Ninja's Dead or Alive fighting games.

Ninja Gaiden
European cover art
Developer(s)Team Ninja
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Tomonobu Itagaki
Producer(s)Tomonobu Itagaki
Designer(s)
  • Masanori Sato
  • Noriaki Kazama
  • Katsunori Ehara
Programmer(s)Takeshi Kawaguchi
Artist(s)Kenichiro Nakajo
Writer(s)
  • Masato Onishi
  • Daisuke Suzuki
Composer(s)
  • Ryo Koike
  • Wakana Hara
  • Makoto Hosoi
SeriesNinja Gaiden
Platform(s)
Release
March 2, 2004
  • Xbox
    • NA: March 2, 2004
    • JP: March 11, 2004
    • EU: May 14, 2004
    Black
    Xbox
    • NA: September 20, 2005
    • JP: September 29, 2005
    • EU: October 21, 2005
    Sigma
    PlayStation 3
    • JP: June 14, 2007
    • NA: July 3, 2007
    • EU: July 6, 2007
    • AU: July 13, 2007
    Sigma Plus
    PlayStation Vita
    • WW: February 22, 2012
    • JP: February 23, 2012
    Sigma (Master Collection)
    Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows, Xbox One
    • WW: June 10, 2021
Genre(s)Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Tecmo developed Ninja Gaiden for five years, targeting a western audience. The game's violence created difficulties obtaining content ratings, and it was censored in some regions. Making use of the Xbox's internet connectivity, Tecmo promoted Ninja Gaiden with a series of international online contests; record-breaking numbers of players competed for places in the live final held at the 2004 Tokyo Game Show.

Ninja Gaiden was critically acclaimed and sold 362,441 copies in North America in the first month of release; however, Japanese sales were poor. Team Ninja released two packs of downloadable content, which were also incorporated into a reworked version, Ninja Gaiden Black (2005). In 2007, Ninja Gaiden was ported to PlayStation 3 as Ninja Gaiden Sigma, with extra content and graphical improvements; this was released on the portable PlayStation Vita as Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus. Ninja Gaiden was followed by Ninja Gaiden II (2008) and Ninja Gaiden 3 (2012).

Ninja Gaiden Sigma was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One as part of the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection on June 10, 2021.[1]

Gameplay edit

 
Ninja Gaiden gameplay screenshot, showing the game's protagonist Ryu Hayabusa fighting against enemies

Ninja Gaiden develops its narrative thread through the actions of its player-controlled protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa. Viewed from a third person over-the-shoulder perspective, in typical action-adventure fashion Ryu starts the game with basic, low-level abilities and weapons that can be upgraded as he progresses, by discovering or buying items. In keeping with his ninja persona, his character can interact with the game environment to perform acrobatic feats, such as running along and jumping off walls, swinging from pole to pole, or running across water.[2] The game world is made up of several distinct regions,[3] most of which are connected via the city of Tairon, which functions as a hub.[4] Access to these regions are obtained by fighting enemies, finding keys, or solving puzzles, inspired by the mechanics of The Legend of Zelda video games.[2][5] Dragon busts scattered throughout the regions provide the means to save player progress, permitting gameplay to be resumed at a later time.

Ryu's movements are directed using the console gamepad. The game's control system, which comprises the left thumbstick, two attack buttons, and a block button, was described as fluid and responsive,[6][7] and Ninja Gaiden was regarded as having one of the deeper combat engines among Xbox games at the time, comparing well to the PlayStation 2 action-adventures God of War and Devil May Cry.[8][9][10] Eric Williams, the designer of the God of War combat engine, explained that Ninja Gaiden prohibits players from stopping or changing attacks in mid-stroke. In contrast, God of War allows players to do so, and Devil May Cry grants this freedom to certain attacks. Williams said that, compared to those two games, the combat system in Ninja Gaiden was harder to master; however, it lets players fight their computer controlled foes on equal terms.[8]

Ninja Gaiden features a large selection of weapons for Ryu to wield, each with advantages and disadvantages that affect the way the player approaches combat. These include one-handed swords, such as the Dragon Sword and Kitetsu, which grant quick attacks, and a move called the "Flying Swallow", which allows Ryu to leap and slash through enemies. In addition these light weapons allow Ryu to smash foes into the ground and perform his signature Izuna Drop—a spinning piledriver. Heavy weapons, such as the Dabilahro and the Unlabored Flawlessness, are slow but cause more damage to opponents. With flails and staves, the player can string together long sequences of attacks. To engage distant foes Ryu can throw shuriken and shoot arrows.[2][11] In addition to using standard melee techniques, Ryu can employ essences—colored globes of energy that are released on the death of enemies and absorbed into Ryu's body when he comes into proximity with them. Essences have an important role in general gameplay, acting to heal Ryu, restore his magic, or increase his cash. However, in combat the player can cause Ryu to deliberately draw in essences, which can then be used to unleash powerful attacks known as Ultimate Techniques that allow Ryu to damage enemies without taking damage himself.[12] These techniques deal heavy damage and make Ryu immune to injury for a short time.[13]

Ninja Gaiden also provides Ryu with magical spells in the form of ninpo spells. When activated by the player, these make Ryu cast fireballs, ice storms, or bolts of lightning. Functioning in a similar manner to the bombs or grenades of shooter action games, these spells allow Ryu to inflict heavy damage on enemies while potentially avoiding damage himself.[14] But, dissatisfied with their programmed visual effects, the game's director Tomonobu Itagaki wanted to deter players from using ninpo. He therefore tweaked the game to award bonus points when players cleared stages without employing magic.[15] For Ryu's defense, the player has two options. First, Ryu can stand still and attempt to block attacks. However, certain enemies can break his guard—either through particularly strong attacks or by grappling him. The second option is to make Ryu dodge, by rolling away from the attack in a maneuver called "reverse wind".[16]

Plot edit

Inspired by the 1980s Ninja Gaiden series for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the 2004 version was originally set in a re-imagined game world based on another Team Ninja creation, the Dead or Alive (DOA) series of fighting games. However, interviews with Tomonobu Itagaki indicate that the Xbox games are prequels to the NES series and that both possibly share a single continuity.[17][18][19]

Ninja Gaiden is set in the game world of the Dead or Alive series.[20] Located mainly in Japan and the fictional Western Asian nation of the Vigoor Empire, the game draws on Heian period structures for its Japanese locales—a ninja fortress and village set in the mountains. In contrast the Vigoor Empire, with its capital city of Tairon, is a blend of architectural types from around the world.[13] European-style buildings and the monastery in Tairon exhibits Gothic influences with a vaulted hall, pointed arches, and large stained glass windows. A hidden underground level features statues with the heads of cats, walls covered with carvings, hieroglyphics, Aztec pyramid and a labyrinth.[21] This mix of styles was the result of Itagaki's refusal to constrain the game's creative process.[20]Ninja Gaiden's story spans 16 chapters, each beginning and ending with a cutscene.

Characters edit

Ryu Hayabusa, the "super ninja", is the protagonist of Ninja Gaiden,[22][23] and the primary player-controllable character in the game. Itagaki believed that creating extra player characters might distract his team from focusing on Ryu's development, despite this, Rachel is a playable character in the Sigma version of the game.[24][25] Ryu has a long history with Tecmo; he was the star of the 1990s Ninja Gaiden series and has been part of the DOA roster since 1996. His roles in these games played a part in his popularity among fans and the video game industry.[26][27] Ninja Gaiden provides a backstory to Ryu's appearance and character as seen in the Dead or Alive series, being set two years before the first DOA game.[20][26]

Rachel is the leading female character, and tragic heroine of the game. She and her twin sister, Alma, are afflicted with a blood curse that turns humans into fiends.[28] Believing that there is no cure for their condition, Rachel seeks to kill Alma to redeem her sister's soul. The relationship between the sisters and the Greater Fiend Doku, who cursed them, serves as a plot device to drive the game forward,[29] with Rachel occasionally needing to be rescued by Ryu. Although not a player-controlled character in Ninja Gaiden, in a few sections of the Ninja Gaiden Sigma remake she is controllable.[30] Two other characters assist the player in the game. Ayane, a young female ninja and one of the DOA regular cast members, acts as a guide throughout Ninja Gaiden by supplying advice and objectives to the player. Muramasa, a bladesmith, has shops scattered throughout the game world where players can purchase useful items and upgrades for Ryu's weapons. Muramasa also gives quests and relates back-stories and other crucial information; for example, he tells Ryu how he can obtain the item required to upgrade his Dragon Sword to its full potential. Players have the option to customize the appearance of player characters, with selectable costumes for Ryu and hairstyles for Rachel.[30]

Most of the enemies are fiends—humans changed into monsters by their blood curse. Three Greater Fiends lead their lesser brethren against Ryu, playing major roles in the game's plot: Alma, Rachel's sister, whose story forms a significant part of the game; Doku, Ryu's main antagonist, whose raid on Hayabusa village and theft of the Dark Dragon Blade comprise the main plot thread; and Marbus, lord of the fiend underworld who is responsible for the final set of challenges Ryu faces in the realm of the fiends before encountering the Vigoor Emperor.[31]

Backstory edit

Centuries ago, the Dark Dragon Blade was forged from what was believed to be the bones of a dark dragon. It carried an immense power of evil that whoever wielded it would become the devil incarnate. It brought plague and death to the world during the age of ancient myth until it was sealed by those of the Dragon lineage. Its sister blade, the Dragon Sword, which had been used to slay the dark dragons, was handed down from generation to generation in the Hayabusa Ninja Clan, the modern descendants of the Dragon lineage. Its current successor is Ryu Hayabusa.

Story edit

Ryu infiltrates the Shadow Clan fortress to visit his uncle, clan leader Murai. During their chat, Ayane delivers news of a raid on the Hayabusa village. Fighting his way back to his village, Ryu encounters Doku, who has killed the Hayabusa shrine maiden Kureha and has taken the Dark Dragon Blade. Ryu is cut down by Doku with the stolen Blade, but he is brought back to life as a "soldier of revenge" by a falcon, the spiritual animal of the Hayabusa clan.

Seeking vengeance for the death of his childhood friend, Ryu learns from Murai that the raiders are from the Vigoor Empire, a mysterious clan that takes refuge in the city of Tairon. Due to its exclusionist foreign policy, Ryu stows away on an airship to reach his destination.[24] In Tairon, Ryu not only battles the Vigoor Empire clan but also monstrous enemies called Fiends and a rival clan called the Black Spider Clan that also seek the Dark Dragon Blade. Eventually, he meets Rachel, a Fiend Hunter who too seeks vengeance on Doku for turning her twin sister Alma into a Greater Fiend. In the background, Ryu is shadowed by Gamov and the Dark Disciple, two mysterious figures with an unknown motive.

Ryu eventually encounters Alma and defeats her in a battle that wrecks the city but leaves her to Rachel's mercy. Conversely, Rachel cannot bring herself to kill her sister,[32] and instead is taken by Doku, who prepares to sacrifice her in a ritual to enhance Alma's power. However, in a strange turn of events, Alma sacrifices herself and rescues Rachel, destroying Doku's spirit in the process. With his dying breath, Doku casts the blood curse on Ryu, which turns his skin blue and eyes red.[33] The only way to lift the curse is to kill the clan's leader, the Holy Vigoor Emperor. While Rachel mourns the death of Alma, Ryu storms the Imperial Palace and faces the Holy Vigoor Emperor in a fiery volcanic pit. Once the Emperor is destroyed, Ryu's curse is lifted and the realm begins to collapse. Ryu seizes the Dark Dragon Blade and ascends to the surface with the help of Rachel but in the process, he loses his grip on the evil Blade.

Outside the Imperial Palace, the Dark Dragon Blade lands at the feet of the Dark Disciple, who takes it and kills Gamov. The Disciple reveals himself to be Murai and admits that the raid on Hayabusa village was part of his plan to restore the Blade's evil power, using souls harvested by Ryu.[34][35] Drawing on the Blade, Murai transforms into a devil incarnate and attempts to kill his nephew. Ryu defeats Murai and shatters the Blade with the True Dragon Sword. Victorious, Ryu turns himself into a falcon and flies to the Hayabusa village. In the final scene, he places the Dragon Eye, used to enhance his sword, on Kureha's tombstone and disappears into the night.

Development edit

In 1999, Team Ninja started work on the "Next-Generation Ninja Gaiden Project".[26] The first stage of development was to create the game on the Sega NAOMI arcade system board. They then planned to move the project to the Dreamcast console for further development and release, but this was abandoned when Sega announced the end of Dreamcast product line in 2001.[3] At this point, Tecmo decided to release Ninja Gaiden as a launch game for the Sony PlayStation 2 in the United States.[36] Itagaki, however, had other plans; impressed with the software development kits for the Xbox, he pushed for Team Ninja to develop for the Microsoft console.[26] The company kept silent on this change in direction, and surprised both the games industry and fans when they announced at E3 2002 that Ninja Gaiden would be released exclusively on the Xbox gaming console. Most fans who voted on Tecmo's poll wanted the game on the Nintendo GameCube.[37]

Ninja Gaiden was Team Ninja's first action game. Its initial concept had nothing in common with the original Ninja Gaiden series that was released for the NES.[38] However, for retail reasons Tecmo wanted to retain a link with the previous games, which had many adherents in the West,[26] so Itagaki was asked to rethink his ideas to target the foreign market.[3][38] Analyzing the earlier games, he concluded that their violence appealed to players, and included gory content, such as beheadings, in the Xbox game to retain that spirit.[3] He also aimed to make his new game hard but alluring;[20] it would challenge players on their reflexes rather than on their memories of layouts and timings.[7] His team made a point of designing smoothly-flowing gameplay with high-quality animations that reacted quickly to the player's input.[20] Itagaki paid homage to the earlier Ninja Gaiden series by including updated versions of foes and special attacks.[2][14] Team Ninja based their 3D computer models, from the pistols of the henchman upwards, on real world material. Character models were taken from studies of human anatomy, and the team hired martial artists in order to digitally capture their movement. Rather than import the motion captures directly into the game, however, the animators used them as templates to give a sense of realism to the game characters' exaggerated movements. Itagaki found it more interesting to design nonhuman creatures than human enemies.[39]

Release edit

In 2004, Tecmo released a demo disc of Ninja Gaiden in Japan, bundled with the February 26 issue of Famitsu Xbox magazine.[40] The demo let players try the first chapter of the game on two difficulty settings with a few fully upgraded weapons and ninpos.[41] On March 2, 2004, a year later than originally planned, Tecmo released Ninja Gaiden in the United States.[42][43][44]

Regional censorship edit

As released, Ninja Gaiden contained bloody acts of violence, decapitations and grotesque monsters. The North American games rating body, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), rated it as a "Mature" game, which prohibits sale to anyone under the age of 17 in several states.[45] The depiction of beheadings, though, attracts stricter ratings in other parts of the world.[46] In Germany, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) deemed these excessive, and refused to rate the game at all. Since this had the potential to place Ninja Gaiden in Germany's "List of Media Harmful to Young People", which would have meant that shops could neither advertise the game nor sell it unless by request to customers of 18 years or older,[47] Tecmo censored the European PAL version to obtain a USK rating.[48] A year later, Tecmo managed to obtain a USK 18+ rating for the uncensored release of Ninja Gaiden Black.

Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) rated Ninja Gaiden and Black, on their release, as 18+ games.[49] At the time, CERO ratings acted as guidelines for consumers. However, on March 1, 2006, the Japanese rating system changed. A scale from A to D was introduced, with an additional Z rating for games with large amounts of gore, violence and crime. The Z rating is legally enforced, it being illegal to sell such games to anyone under the age of 18.[50] As a result, Tecmo removed the human beheadings in Sigma to obtain a D rating for the East Asian market. However, CERO reclassified the two previous games as D, despite them also depicting human decapitations.[49]

Post-release edit

Team Ninja kept working on the Ninja Gaiden project after its release, with the aim of pushing the action genre and their first such game as far as they could.[39] To this end, they released downloadable expansions, known as Hurricane Packs, free of charge. Itagaki said that since the packs were born out of his team's interest, they did not care to charge players for their efforts.[51] The two packs were available over Xbox Live in the third quarter of 2004.

  • Hurricane Pack 1 was a revamped version of Story Mode; Team Ninja tweaked the encounters and artificial intelligence (AI) of Ryu's foes to increase the difficulty of the game. The pack introduced additional foes such as humanoid cats, giants wearing dinosaur skulls, and cyborgs, and Team Ninja made a key change to the camera system by which the on-screen action is displayed; players could now control the camera and change its viewing angle.[52] Another feature of the pack was to enhance the combat engine; the new "Intercept" skill let players counter any enemy attack with the proper timing.[53]
  • Hurricane Pack 2 kept the enhancements of the first but took place in an alternative world comprising only two regions, where players have to fight through several encounters to rescue Rachel from two new bosses (Nicchae and Ishtaros). This expansion introduced fiends who wield giant swords and cast fireballs.[54]

Team Ninja later compiled both expansion packs, and added new features, to create Ninja Gaiden Black. This game, which Itagaki viewed as the final version of Ninja Gaiden,[55] went on sale on September 20, 2005.[56] A few years later, Team Ninja upgraded the graphics of the game and ported it to the PlayStation 3 (PS3). This version was released as Ninja Gaiden Sigma on June 14, 2007. Black became an Xbox Original game on February 11, 2008.[57]

Online competition edit

 
The contest's World Championship at the TGS 2004. Finalists played on walkways above the crowd while commentators talked about their actions on the big screen.

The Master Ninja Tournaments were a series of three online contests held by Microsoft and Tecmo in 2004. They took place over Xbox Live, and were open to participants in Europe, Japan, and North America. Winner selection was based on the scores achieved through playing Ninja Gaiden or its Hurricane Packs. Players had 14 to 24 days to complete the required games and submit their scores to an online scoreboard.[58][59][60]

The first two tournaments formed regional qualification stages for a live Ninja Gaiden Master Tournament World Championship, held on September 25 at the TGS 2004. Competition for places was intense, with both tournaments breaking records for online participation in Xbox Live events.[61][62] Six of the highest scoring players from Europe and North America won bokkens bearing Itagaki's signature,[61][63] and five regional winners were selected to proceed to the final. Here, the finalists simultaneously played a custom game drawn from Hurricane Pack 2 while commentators called out the action. They had 15 minutes to complete the game and post the highest score; the winner emerged only in the last 20 seconds, when Yasunori Otsuka cleared the game and outscored his rivals. At the award ceremony, the finalists received their prize plaques from Itagaki.[64][65]

The tournaments were not without controversy. Players complained about Microsoft's tardiness in posting the official rules for the first playoff, and it was believed that the top posted score was not achievable by fair means.[66] Officials, however, stated that the score was possible, and allowed the results to stand.[67] In the second playoff, Microsoft initially named the runner up as the North American finalist,[68] after disqualifying the winner for no publicly stated reason, but eventually had to send the second runner up to Tokyo when the first was unable to produce a passport in time.[69]

Master Ninja Tournament 3 started on September 27 and lasted 26 days. Rankings were decided by scores obtained while playing Hurricane Pack 2, and the prizes were Tecmo apparel and Team Ninja games.[70] This marked the end of official tournaments for Ninja Gaiden, although Microsoft have retained the ranking boards for players to upload their scores.

Merchandise edit

Tecmo has built up a line of merchandise around the Ninja Gaiden name. Its online shop carries apparel and accessories such as caps, wristbands, T-shirts, key holders, and mugs. Most of the merchandise is based on that associated with the various Ninja Gaiden game launches or given as prizes in the Master Ninja Tournaments.[71][72][73] Tecmo also published the original soundtrack of the game under their record label Wake Up on March 20, 2004. Kotobukiya, a figurine maker, includes 1/6 scale plastic figurines of Ninja Gaiden characters in their range of products. As of 2007, they have produced figures of Ryu, Ayane, Kureha and Rachel.[74]

Other versions edit

Tecmo published two additional versions of Ninja Gaiden: Ninja Gaiden Black for Xbox and Ninja Gaiden Sigma for PlayStation 3. Essentially the same game as the original, they tell the same story of Ryu and the Dark Dragon Blade but include additional content and updated game mechanics. Although Itagaki deemed Black to be the final version of Ninja Gaiden,[55] Tecmo subsequently ported the game to the PlayStation 3 as Sigma.

In addition to the narrative Story Mode, Black and Sigma introduced a gameplay variation called Mission Mode. Focused on action rather than character development, this provides combat-based missions set mainly in small areas, where the player's goal is to "destroy all enemies".[75] In both Story and Mission modes, game scoring is based on the player's speed in clearing encounters, the number of kills achieved, the number of unused ninpo spells remaining at the end, and the amount of cash collected. Players can compare their scores on online ranking boards.[76]

Ninja Gaiden Black edit

Tecmo announced at E3 2005 that Team Ninja was working on Ninja Gaiden Black,[77] and later exhibited a working version of the game at the TGS 2005.[78] Black is a reworked compilation of the original Ninja Gaiden and the two Hurricane Packs.[55] The game features new foes, such as exploding bats and doppelgänger fiends who can imitate Ryu.[79] It contains more costumes than the original, and swaps Ninja Gaiden's unlockable NES games for an arcade version.[80]

One key feature of this version is its two new difficulty settings—the easy Ninja Dog and the very hard Master Ninja.[75] Itagaki added Ninja Dog after receiving complaints of Ninja Gaiden being too hard in its default incarnation,[81] although he believed that, with persistence, any player was capable of completing the game.[82] Hence he ensured that those players selecting Ninja Dog would be subjected to gentle mockery by the game—players on this difficulty setting receive colored ribbons as accessories, and Ayane treats Ryu as an inferior. In compensation, Itagaki made the other difficulty settings harder than in Ninja Gaiden. Another feature of Black is its Mission Mode, which comprises 50 combat missions, one of which is adapted from the custom game designed for the Ninja Gaiden Master Tournament World Championship final. The last five missions are based on those in Hurricane Pack 2 and form a linked series known as "Eternal Legend".[80] While most of the improvements made in the Hurricane Packs carried forward through this game, including the camera system tweaks and new boss battles, the Intercept maneuver, introduced in Hurricane Pack 1, was not included in Black, adding to its increased challenge.

Ninja Gaiden Black was also available through Xbox's Game Pass for Xbox One S and Xbox One X, but was removed in September 2019. Ninja Gaiden Black is also enhanced for the Xbox One X console, which improves the game's resolution to 4K UHD-levels.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma edit

In 2006, Tecmo and Sony announced the development of Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PlayStation 3.[83][84] Eidos obtained the European publishing rights for this game.[85] Itagaki had no direct role in Sigma and judged it a flawed game,[86] although he acknowledged that Sigma gave PlayStation owners a taste of Ninja Gaiden.[87]

The gameplay for Sigma is very similar to the original version, albeit with some modifications made to the game. Like the original version, the player's movements and combat system are directed using the console gamepad, which comprises the left thumbstick, two attack buttons, and a block button. The game features a large selection of weapons for Ryu to wield each with advantages and disadvantages that affect the way the player approaches combat. A new addition to Ryu's arsenal is a pair of dual-wield swords, Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang. It also provides Ryu with magical spells in the form of ninpo, which allows him to inflict heavy damage on enemies while potentially avoiding damage himself. By shaking the Sixaxis controller, players are able to increase the power of their ninpo spells.[88][89] Rachel, a non-playable character in the 2004 game, became playable in three new chapters, featuring the new bosses, Gamov and Alterator. Some of the design elements of the old levels was also changed and several new enemy types were introduced.[30][90]

In addition to the narrative Story Mode, Sigma included a gameplay variation called Mission Mode. Focused on action rather than character development, this provides combat-based missions set mainly in small areas. In both Story and Mission modes, game scoring is based on the player's speed in clearing encounters, the number of kills achieved, the number of unused ninpos remaining at the end, and the amount of cash collected. Players can compare their scores on online ranking boards.[91] In addition, players have the option to customize the appearance of player characters, with selectable costumes for Ryu and hairstyles for Rachel.[30]

The more powerful hardware of the PlayStation 3 gave Team Ninja the opportunity to overhaul the game graphics to use larger and more detailed textures. Changes were made to the game world, with a few new areas and several additional save points and shops,[90] and alterations to the game engine let players shoot arrows in mid-air, fight on water surfaces, and play as Rachel in some chapters and missions.[30][92]

In July 2007, Tecmo released a demo and a new game mode, Survival Mode, for Sigma over the PlayStation Network.[93] The demo limits players to the first chapter of the game, but lets them play as Rachel in a separate mission.[94] Survival Mode comprises missions in which players keep fighting until they have either killed all their opponents, or their character has been defeated.[95]

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus edit

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus is a port of Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PlayStation Vita released in North America and Europe on February 22, 2012.[96] Like Ninja Gaiden Black's "Ninja Dog" mode, Sigma Plus features an easier difficulty called "Hero" mode, making it more accessible to casual gamers. It also takes advantage of the additional features that the Vita offers, including gyroscopic first-person aiming (by tilting the PlayStation Vita, the player can adjust the camera angle in first-person viewing modes), back touchpad controls (tapping symbols using the rear touchpad will allow Ryu to boost the power of his Ninpo), touch screen controls (players can go into first-person mode by tapping the touch screen). In addition, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus offers new sets of accessories that Ryu and Rachel can equip.

Reception edit

Ninja Gaiden was released to critical acclaim. Greg Kasavin of GameSpot called it "one of the best most challenging action adventure games ever made",[2] and his publication named it the best Xbox game of February 2004.[120] IGN's Erik Brudvig said that it "sets a new standard for third-person action games in terms of length, depth, speed, and gore",[14] while Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) called it "an unmissable instant classic", and declared that "no Xbox should go without [Ninja] Gaiden."[121] Critics also regarded it to be one of the most difficult games released prior to 2007.[122][123] The game received a runner-up position in GameSpot's 2004 "Best Action Adventure Game" category across all platforms.[124]

Its enhanced version, Ninja Gaiden Black, also impressed reviewers. GameSpot noted that it had the best visual and audio presentation on the Xbox and praised its new Mission Mode for "[distilling] the game down to its purest essentials."[75] IGN called its release "a rare and welcome day", which brought their "excitement levels back to the first time [they] played the game."[112]

From a technical point of view, critics regarded Ninja Gaiden and Black as the best of the available Xbox software at the time; the console hardware had been pushed to its limits without showing significant drops in performance. Game Spot's Kasavin was impressed with their "first-rate presentation" and said that no other games at that time came close in visuals and audio.[75] According to IGN, the games could "make [them] momentarily forget about the next generation of consoles".[112] Both Ninja Gaiden and Black were top-sellers, which led to them being compatible with the Xbox 360 for all regions on the new platform's release.[125][126][127] Ninja Gaiden attracted criticism for the way on-screen action is framed by the game's camera. The default camera system centers the action on Ryu and his surroundings, but reviewers were frustrated by occasions when the camera locked on to part of the scenery, thus losing track of Ryu.[112][128] Tecmo attempted to address this with the introduction of manual camera controls in the Hurricane Packs,[52][75] and most critics judged that either the camera frame was usually acceptable, or that Ninja Gaiden was a good enough game that its flaws could be overlooked.[75][121]

Consumers purchased 1.5 million copies of Ninja Gaiden and Black by August 2007,[129] with the bulk of these sales going to North America and Europe. According to the NPD Group, in its first month Ninja Gaiden sold 362,441 copies in the United States.[130][131] By August 2006, Ninja Gaiden had sold 550,000 copies and earned $27 million in that country. Between January 2000 and August 2006, it was the 100th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube consoles in the United States. Combined sales of Ninja Gaiden and Black reached 800,000 units in the United States by August 2006.[132] These sales figures reflect Tecmo's decision to target the non-Japanese market. Japanese gamers were not particularly excited—according to Itagaki, only 60,000 copies of Ninja Gaiden were sold in Japan in the four months following its release.[39] The critical and commercial success of Ninja Gaiden have led CNET and GameSpot Asia to induct the game into their halls of fame.[133][134]

The Ninja Gaiden games gained a reputation throughout the gaming community for their difficulty and attention to detail.[26][135] Although they appealed to gamers who, like Pro-G's Struan Robertson, wanted a "bloody hard, but also bloody good" challenge,[113] it was feared that casual gamers would find the learning curve daunting. IGN warned that gamers with lesser skills might not "get as much out of this game as others due to [its] incredible difficulty",[112] and Edge commented that "Tecmo's refusal to extend any kind of handhold to less dedicated players is simply a failure of design, not a badge of hardcore honour", and "it's impossible to believe they couldn't have found a way to increase the accessibility of the game without undermining the gloriously intractable nature of the challenges it contains."[128] EGM found the challenge to be "rewarding" as it "motivates you to actually get better at the game."[121] Clive Thompson focused on Ninja Gaiden in his Slate article examining the motivation for playing difficult games. He contends that extreme levels of challenge can be initially very frustrating and may cause a game to be abandoned in disgust. However, where a game also rewards a player's perseverance by teaching the skills required to overcome its challenges, that player will have the motivation to finish the game. Ninja Gaiden, in his opinion, strikes the correct balance between challenge and reward; completion brings "a sort of exhausted exhilaration, like finally reaching the end of War and Peace."[136] In 2012, CraveOnline included it on their list of five "badass ninja games", calling it "the pinnacle of action gaming at the time, holding onto that crown for an entire year until God of War released in 2005" and "a true video game classic, and maybe the best ninja game of all time."[137] That same year, G4tv ranked it as the 83rd top video game of all time, also calling it "the best ninja game ever made and one of the all-around hardest."[138]

Ninja Gaiden Sigma sold 46,307 units in the first week of its release in Japan, making it the third highest selling game during that period.[139] According to the NPD Group, in its first month Sigma sold 63,637 copies in the United States.[140] Next Generation reported that as of April 2008, 470,000 copies of Sigma have been sold in Europe and North America.[141] Tecmo announced that they have sold 500,000 units worldwide.[142]

Like Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black, Ninja Gaiden Sigma has received positive reviews, currently holding an average score of 87% at GameRankings and 88/100 at Metacritic, based on 58 and 46 reviews respectively.[97][100] Critics varied in their views on the technical aspects of Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Although the gaming site 1UP.com called the updated graphics "a gorgeous reworking of the modern ninja classic,"[104] Pro-G said that they were average by next-generation standards and showed occasional "tearing, jagged edges, and mismatched collision between bloodstains and walls."[91]

Notes edit

  1. ^ PlayStation Vita port released under the Tecmo Koei publishing label. Master Collection port released under the Koei Tecmo publishing label.
  2. ^ Japanese: ニンジャ ガイデン, Hepburn: Ninja Gaiden

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External links edit

January 01, 1970
ninja, gaiden, 2004, video, game, ninja, gaiden, action, adventure, hack, slash, video, game, developed, team, ninja, published, tecmo, xbox, released, march, 2004, futuristic, version, 21st, century, players, control, hayabusa, master, ninja, quest, recover, . Ninja Gaiden b is an action adventure hack and slash video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo for the Xbox It was released in March 2004 Set in the futuristic version of the 21st century players control Ryu Hayabusa a master ninja in his quest to recover a stolen sword and avenge the slaughter of his clan It was inspired by Tecmo s Ninja Gaiden series and is set in the same continuity as Team Ninja s Dead or Alive fighting games Ninja GaidenEuropean cover artDeveloper s Team NinjaPublisher s WW Tecmo a EU Eidos Interactive PS3 Director s Tomonobu ItagakiProducer s Tomonobu ItagakiDesigner s Masanori SatoNoriaki KazamaKatsunori EharaProgrammer s Takeshi KawaguchiArtist s Kenichiro NakajoWriter s Masato OnishiDaisuke SuzukiComposer s Ryo KoikeWakana HaraMakoto HosoiSeriesNinja GaidenPlatform s XboxPlayStation 3PlayStation VitaNintendo SwitchPlayStation 4WindowsXbox OneReleaseMarch 2 2004 XboxNA March 2 2004JP March 11 2004EU May 14 2004BlackXboxNA September 20 2005JP September 29 2005EU October 21 2005SigmaPlayStation 3JP June 14 2007NA July 3 2007EU July 6 2007AU July 13 2007Sigma PlusPlayStation VitaWW February 22 2012JP February 23 2012Sigma Master Collection Nintendo Switch PS4 Windows Xbox OneWW June 10 2021Genre s Action adventure hack and slashMode s Single player Tecmo developed Ninja Gaiden for five years targeting a western audience The game s violence created difficulties obtaining content ratings and it was censored in some regions Making use of the Xbox s internet connectivity Tecmo promoted Ninja Gaiden with a series of international online contests record breaking numbers of players competed for places in the live final held at the 2004 Tokyo Game Show Ninja Gaiden was critically acclaimed and sold 362 441 copies in North America in the first month of release however Japanese sales were poor Team Ninja released two packs of downloadable content which were also incorporated into a reworked version Ninja Gaiden Black 2005 In 2007 Ninja Gaiden was ported to PlayStation 3 as Ninja Gaiden Sigma with extra content and graphical improvements this was released on the portable PlayStation Vita as Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus Ninja Gaiden was followed by Ninja Gaiden II 2008 and Ninja Gaiden 3 2012 Ninja Gaiden Sigma was released for Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 Windows and Xbox One as part of the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection on June 10 2021 1 Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Plot 2 1 Characters 2 2 Backstory 2 3 Story 3 Development 4 Release 4 1 Regional censorship 4 2 Post release 4 3 Online competition 4 4 Merchandise 5 Other versions 5 1 Ninja Gaiden Black 5 2 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 5 3 Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus 6 Reception 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksGameplay edit nbsp Ninja Gaiden gameplay screenshot showing the game s protagonist Ryu Hayabusa fighting against enemies Ninja Gaiden develops its narrative thread through the actions of its player controlled protagonist Ryu Hayabusa Viewed from a third person over the shoulder perspective in typical action adventure fashion Ryu starts the game with basic low level abilities and weapons that can be upgraded as he progresses by discovering or buying items In keeping with his ninja persona his character can interact with the game environment to perform acrobatic feats such as running along and jumping off walls swinging from pole to pole or running across water 2 The game world is made up of several distinct regions 3 most of which are connected via the city of Tairon which functions as a hub 4 Access to these regions are obtained by fighting enemies finding keys or solving puzzles inspired by the mechanics of The Legend of Zelda video games 2 5 Dragon busts scattered throughout the regions provide the means to save player progress permitting gameplay to be resumed at a later time Ryu s movements are directed using the console gamepad The game s control system which comprises the left thumbstick two attack buttons and a block button was described as fluid and responsive 6 7 and Ninja Gaiden was regarded as having one of the deeper combat engines among Xbox games at the time comparing well to the PlayStation 2 action adventures God of War and Devil May Cry 8 9 10 Eric Williams the designer of the God of War combat engine explained that Ninja Gaiden prohibits players from stopping or changing attacks in mid stroke In contrast God of War allows players to do so and Devil May Cry grants this freedom to certain attacks Williams said that compared to those two games the combat system in Ninja Gaiden was harder to master however it lets players fight their computer controlled foes on equal terms 8 Ninja Gaiden features a large selection of weapons for Ryu to wield each with advantages and disadvantages that affect the way the player approaches combat These include one handed swords such as the Dragon Sword and Kitetsu which grant quick attacks and a move called the Flying Swallow which allows Ryu to leap and slash through enemies In addition these light weapons allow Ryu to smash foes into the ground and perform his signature Izuna Drop a spinning piledriver Heavy weapons such as the Dabilahro and the Unlabored Flawlessness are slow but cause more damage to opponents With flails and staves the player can string together long sequences of attacks To engage distant foes Ryu can throw shuriken and shoot arrows 2 11 In addition to using standard melee techniques Ryu can employ essences colored globes of energy that are released on the death of enemies and absorbed into Ryu s body when he comes into proximity with them Essences have an important role in general gameplay acting to heal Ryu restore his magic or increase his cash However in combat the player can cause Ryu to deliberately draw in essences which can then be used to unleash powerful attacks known as Ultimate Techniques that allow Ryu to damage enemies without taking damage himself 12 These techniques deal heavy damage and make Ryu immune to injury for a short time 13 Ninja Gaiden also provides Ryu with magical spells in the form of ninpo spells When activated by the player these make Ryu cast fireballs ice storms or bolts of lightning Functioning in a similar manner to the bombs or grenades of shooter action games these spells allow Ryu to inflict heavy damage on enemies while potentially avoiding damage himself 14 But dissatisfied with their programmed visual effects the game s director Tomonobu Itagaki wanted to deter players from using ninpo He therefore tweaked the game to award bonus points when players cleared stages without employing magic 15 For Ryu s defense the player has two options First Ryu can stand still and attempt to block attacks However certain enemies can break his guard either through particularly strong attacks or by grappling him The second option is to make Ryu dodge by rolling away from the attack in a maneuver called reverse wind 16 Plot editInspired by the 1980s Ninja Gaiden series for the Nintendo Entertainment System NES the 2004 version was originally set in a re imagined game world based on another Team Ninja creation the Dead or Alive DOA series of fighting games However interviews with Tomonobu Itagaki indicate that the Xbox games are prequels to the NES series and that both possibly share a single continuity 17 18 19 Ninja Gaiden is set in the game world of the Dead or Alive series 20 Located mainly in Japan and the fictional Western Asian nation of the Vigoor Empire the game draws on Heian period structures for its Japanese locales a ninja fortress and village set in the mountains In contrast the Vigoor Empire with its capital city of Tairon is a blend of architectural types from around the world 13 European style buildings and the monastery in Tairon exhibits Gothic influences with a vaulted hall pointed arches and large stained glass windows A hidden underground level features statues with the heads of cats walls covered with carvings hieroglyphics Aztec pyramid and a labyrinth 21 This mix of styles was the result of Itagaki s refusal to constrain the game s creative process 20 Ninja Gaiden s story spans 16 chapters each beginning and ending with a cutscene Characters edit Ryu Hayabusa the super ninja is the protagonist of Ninja Gaiden 22 23 and the primary player controllable character in the game Itagaki believed that creating extra player characters might distract his team from focusing on Ryu s development despite this Rachel is a playable character in the Sigma version of the game 24 25 Ryu has a long history with Tecmo he was the star of the 1990s Ninja Gaiden series and has been part of the DOA roster since 1996 His roles in these games played a part in his popularity among fans and the video game industry 26 27 Ninja Gaiden provides a backstory to Ryu s appearance and character as seen in the Dead or Alive series being set two years before the first DOA game 20 26 Rachel is the leading female character and tragic heroine of the game She and her twin sister Alma are afflicted with a blood curse that turns humans into fiends 28 Believing that there is no cure for their condition Rachel seeks to kill Alma to redeem her sister s soul The relationship between the sisters and the Greater Fiend Doku who cursed them serves as a plot device to drive the game forward 29 with Rachel occasionally needing to be rescued by Ryu Although not a player controlled character in Ninja Gaiden in a few sections of the Ninja Gaiden Sigma remake she is controllable 30 Two other characters assist the player in the game Ayane a young female ninja and one of the DOA regular cast members acts as a guide throughout Ninja Gaiden by supplying advice and objectives to the player Muramasa a bladesmith has shops scattered throughout the game world where players can purchase useful items and upgrades for Ryu s weapons Muramasa also gives quests and relates back stories and other crucial information for example he tells Ryu how he can obtain the item required to upgrade his Dragon Sword to its full potential Players have the option to customize the appearance of player characters with selectable costumes for Ryu and hairstyles for Rachel 30 Most of the enemies are fiends humans changed into monsters by their blood curse Three Greater Fiends lead their lesser brethren against Ryu playing major roles in the game s plot Alma Rachel s sister whose story forms a significant part of the game Doku Ryu s main antagonist whose raid on Hayabusa village and theft of the Dark Dragon Blade comprise the main plot thread and Marbus lord of the fiend underworld who is responsible for the final set of challenges Ryu faces in the realm of the fiends before encountering the Vigoor Emperor 31 Backstory edit Centuries ago the Dark Dragon Blade was forged from what was believed to be the bones of a dark dragon It carried an immense power of evil that whoever wielded it would become the devil incarnate It brought plague and death to the world during the age of ancient myth until it was sealed by those of the Dragon lineage Its sister blade the Dragon Sword which had been used to slay the dark dragons was handed down from generation to generation in the Hayabusa Ninja Clan the modern descendants of the Dragon lineage Its current successor is Ryu Hayabusa Story edit Ryu infiltrates the Shadow Clan fortress to visit his uncle clan leader Murai During their chat Ayane delivers news of a raid on the Hayabusa village Fighting his way back to his village Ryu encounters Doku who has killed the Hayabusa shrine maiden Kureha and has taken the Dark Dragon Blade Ryu is cut down by Doku with the stolen Blade but he is brought back to life as a soldier of revenge by a falcon the spiritual animal of the Hayabusa clan Seeking vengeance for the death of his childhood friend Ryu learns from Murai that the raiders are from the Vigoor Empire a mysterious clan that takes refuge in the city of Tairon Due to its exclusionist foreign policy Ryu stows away on an airship to reach his destination 24 In Tairon Ryu not only battles the Vigoor Empire clan but also monstrous enemies called Fiends and a rival clan called the Black Spider Clan that also seek the Dark Dragon Blade Eventually he meets Rachel a Fiend Hunter who too seeks vengeance on Doku for turning her twin sister Alma into a Greater Fiend In the background Ryu is shadowed by Gamov and the Dark Disciple two mysterious figures with an unknown motive Ryu eventually encounters Alma and defeats her in a battle that wrecks the city but leaves her to Rachel s mercy Conversely Rachel cannot bring herself to kill her sister 32 and instead is taken by Doku who prepares to sacrifice her in a ritual to enhance Alma s power However in a strange turn of events Alma sacrifices herself and rescues Rachel destroying Doku s spirit in the process With his dying breath Doku casts the blood curse on Ryu which turns his skin blue and eyes red 33 The only way to lift the curse is to kill the clan s leader the Holy Vigoor Emperor While Rachel mourns the death of Alma Ryu storms the Imperial Palace and faces the Holy Vigoor Emperor in a fiery volcanic pit Once the Emperor is destroyed Ryu s curse is lifted and the realm begins to collapse Ryu seizes the Dark Dragon Blade and ascends to the surface with the help of Rachel but in the process he loses his grip on the evil Blade Outside the Imperial Palace the Dark Dragon Blade lands at the feet of the Dark Disciple who takes it and kills Gamov The Disciple reveals himself to be Murai and admits that the raid on Hayabusa village was part of his plan to restore the Blade s evil power using souls harvested by Ryu 34 35 Drawing on the Blade Murai transforms into a devil incarnate and attempts to kill his nephew Ryu defeats Murai and shatters the Blade with the True Dragon Sword Victorious Ryu turns himself into a falcon and flies to the Hayabusa village In the final scene he places the Dragon Eye used to enhance his sword on Kureha s tombstone and disappears into the night Development editIn 1999 Team Ninja started work on the Next Generation Ninja Gaiden Project 26 The first stage of development was to create the game on the Sega NAOMI arcade system board They then planned to move the project to the Dreamcast console for further development and release but this was abandoned when Sega announced the end of Dreamcast product line in 2001 3 At this point Tecmo decided to release Ninja Gaiden as a launch game for the Sony PlayStation 2 in the United States 36 Itagaki however had other plans impressed with the software development kits for the Xbox he pushed for Team Ninja to develop for the Microsoft console 26 The company kept silent on this change in direction and surprised both the games industry and fans when they announced at E3 2002 that Ninja Gaiden would be released exclusively on the Xbox gaming console Most fans who voted on Tecmo s poll wanted the game on the Nintendo GameCube 37 Ninja Gaiden was Team Ninja s first action game Its initial concept had nothing in common with the original Ninja Gaiden series that was released for the NES 38 However for retail reasons Tecmo wanted to retain a link with the previous games which had many adherents in the West 26 so Itagaki was asked to rethink his ideas to target the foreign market 3 38 Analyzing the earlier games he concluded that their violence appealed to players and included gory content such as beheadings in the Xbox game to retain that spirit 3 He also aimed to make his new game hard but alluring 20 it would challenge players on their reflexes rather than on their memories of layouts and timings 7 His team made a point of designing smoothly flowing gameplay with high quality animations that reacted quickly to the player s input 20 Itagaki paid homage to the earlier Ninja Gaiden series by including updated versions of foes and special attacks 2 14 Team Ninja based their 3D computer models from the pistols of the henchman upwards on real world material Character models were taken from studies of human anatomy and the team hired martial artists in order to digitally capture their movement Rather than import the motion captures directly into the game however the animators used them as templates to give a sense of realism to the game characters exaggerated movements Itagaki found it more interesting to design nonhuman creatures than human enemies 39 Release editIn 2004 Tecmo released a demo disc of Ninja Gaiden in Japan bundled with the February 26 issue of Famitsu Xbox magazine 40 The demo let players try the first chapter of the game on two difficulty settings with a few fully upgraded weapons and ninpos 41 On March 2 2004 a year later than originally planned Tecmo released Ninja Gaiden in the United States 42 43 44 Regional censorship edit As released Ninja Gaiden contained bloody acts of violence decapitations and grotesque monsters The North American games rating body the Entertainment Software Rating Board ESRB rated it as a Mature game which prohibits sale to anyone under the age of 17 in several states 45 The depiction of beheadings though attracts stricter ratings in other parts of the world 46 In Germany the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle USK deemed these excessive and refused to rate the game at all Since this had the potential to place Ninja Gaiden in Germany s List of Media Harmful to Young People which would have meant that shops could neither advertise the game nor sell it unless by request to customers of 18 years or older 47 Tecmo censored the European PAL version to obtain a USK rating 48 A year later Tecmo managed to obtain a USK 18 rating for the uncensored release of Ninja Gaiden Black Japan s Computer Entertainment Rating Organization CERO rated Ninja Gaiden and Black on their release as 18 games 49 At the time CERO ratings acted as guidelines for consumers However on March 1 2006 the Japanese rating system changed A scale from A to D was introduced with an additional Z rating for games with large amounts of gore violence and crime The Z rating is legally enforced it being illegal to sell such games to anyone under the age of 18 50 As a result Tecmo removed the human beheadings in Sigma to obtain a D rating for the East Asian market However CERO reclassified the two previous games as D despite them also depicting human decapitations 49 Post release edit Team Ninja kept working on the Ninja Gaiden project after its release with the aim of pushing the action genre and their first such game as far as they could 39 To this end they released downloadable expansions known as Hurricane Packs free of charge Itagaki said that since the packs were born out of his team s interest they did not care to charge players for their efforts 51 The two packs were available over Xbox Live in the third quarter of 2004 Hurricane Pack 1 was a revamped version of Story Mode Team Ninja tweaked the encounters and artificial intelligence AI of Ryu s foes to increase the difficulty of the game The pack introduced additional foes such as humanoid cats giants wearing dinosaur skulls and cyborgs and Team Ninja made a key change to the camera system by which the on screen action is displayed players could now control the camera and change its viewing angle 52 Another feature of the pack was to enhance the combat engine the new Intercept skill let players counter any enemy attack with the proper timing 53 Hurricane Pack 2 kept the enhancements of the first but took place in an alternative world comprising only two regions where players have to fight through several encounters to rescue Rachel from two new bosses Nicchae and Ishtaros This expansion introduced fiends who wield giant swords and cast fireballs 54 Team Ninja later compiled both expansion packs and added new features to create Ninja Gaiden Black This game which Itagaki viewed as the final version of Ninja Gaiden 55 went on sale on September 20 2005 56 A few years later Team Ninja upgraded the graphics of the game and ported it to the PlayStation 3 PS3 This version was released as Ninja Gaiden Sigma on June 14 2007 Black became an Xbox Original game on February 11 2008 57 Online competition edit nbsp The contest s World Championship at the TGS 2004 Finalists played on walkways above the crowd while commentators talked about their actions on the big screen The Master Ninja Tournaments were a series of three online contests held by Microsoft and Tecmo in 2004 They took place over Xbox Live and were open to participants in Europe Japan and North America Winner selection was based on the scores achieved through playing Ninja Gaiden or its Hurricane Packs Players had 14 to 24 days to complete the required games and submit their scores to an online scoreboard 58 59 60 The first two tournaments formed regional qualification stages for a live Ninja Gaiden Master Tournament World Championship held on September 25 at the TGS 2004 Competition for places was intense with both tournaments breaking records for online participation in Xbox Live events 61 62 Six of the highest scoring players from Europe and North America won bokkens bearing Itagaki s signature 61 63 and five regional winners were selected to proceed to the final Here the finalists simultaneously played a custom game drawn from Hurricane Pack 2 while commentators called out the action They had 15 minutes to complete the game and post the highest score the winner emerged only in the last 20 seconds when Yasunori Otsuka cleared the game and outscored his rivals At the award ceremony the finalists received their prize plaques from Itagaki 64 65 The tournaments were not without controversy Players complained about Microsoft s tardiness in posting the official rules for the first playoff and it was believed that the top posted score was not achievable by fair means 66 Officials however stated that the score was possible and allowed the results to stand 67 In the second playoff Microsoft initially named the runner up as the North American finalist 68 after disqualifying the winner for no publicly stated reason but eventually had to send the second runner up to Tokyo when the first was unable to produce a passport in time 69 Master Ninja Tournament 3 started on September 27 and lasted 26 days Rankings were decided by scores obtained while playing Hurricane Pack 2 and the prizes were Tecmo apparel and Team Ninja games 70 This marked the end of official tournaments for Ninja Gaiden although Microsoft have retained the ranking boards for players to upload their scores Merchandise edit Tecmo has built up a line of merchandise around the Ninja Gaiden name Its online shop carries apparel and accessories such as caps wristbands T shirts key holders and mugs Most of the merchandise is based on that associated with the various Ninja Gaiden game launches or given as prizes in the Master Ninja Tournaments 71 72 73 Tecmo also published the original soundtrack of the game under their record label Wake Up on March 20 2004 Kotobukiya a figurine maker includes 1 6 scale plastic figurines of Ninja Gaiden characters in their range of products As of 2007 they have produced figures of Ryu Ayane Kureha and Rachel 74 Other versions editTecmo published two additional versions of Ninja Gaiden Ninja Gaiden Black for Xbox and Ninja Gaiden Sigma for PlayStation 3 Essentially the same game as the original they tell the same story of Ryu and the Dark Dragon Blade but include additional content and updated game mechanics Although Itagaki deemed Black to be the final version of Ninja Gaiden 55 Tecmo subsequently ported the game to the PlayStation 3 as Sigma In addition to the narrative Story Mode Black and Sigma introduced a gameplay variation called Mission Mode Focused on action rather than character development this provides combat based missions set mainly in small areas where the player s goal is to destroy all enemies 75 In both Story and Mission modes game scoring is based on the player s speed in clearing encounters the number of kills achieved the number of unused ninpo spells remaining at the end and the amount of cash collected Players can compare their scores on online ranking boards 76 Ninja Gaiden Black edit Tecmo announced at E3 2005 that Team Ninja was working on Ninja Gaiden Black 77 and later exhibited a working version of the game at the TGS 2005 78 Black is a reworked compilation of the original Ninja Gaiden and the two Hurricane Packs 55 The game features new foes such as exploding bats and doppelganger fiends who can imitate Ryu 79 It contains more costumes than the original and swaps Ninja Gaiden s unlockable NES games for an arcade version 80 One key feature of this version is its two new difficulty settings the easy Ninja Dog and the very hard Master Ninja 75 Itagaki added Ninja Dog after receiving complaints of Ninja Gaiden being too hard in its default incarnation 81 although he believed that with persistence any player was capable of completing the game 82 Hence he ensured that those players selecting Ninja Dog would be subjected to gentle mockery by the game players on this difficulty setting receive colored ribbons as accessories and Ayane treats Ryu as an inferior In compensation Itagaki made the other difficulty settings harder than in Ninja Gaiden Another feature of Black is its Mission Mode which comprises 50 combat missions one of which is adapted from the custom game designed for the Ninja Gaiden Master Tournament World Championship final The last five missions are based on those in Hurricane Pack 2 and form a linked series known as Eternal Legend 80 While most of the improvements made in the Hurricane Packs carried forward through this game including the camera system tweaks and new boss battles the Intercept maneuver introduced in Hurricane Pack 1 was not included in Black adding to its increased challenge Ninja Gaiden Black was also available through Xbox s Game Pass for Xbox One S and Xbox One X but was removed in September 2019 Ninja Gaiden Black is also enhanced for the Xbox One X console which improves the game s resolution to 4K UHD levels Ninja Gaiden Sigma edit In 2006 Tecmo and Sony announced the development of Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PlayStation 3 83 84 Eidos obtained the European publishing rights for this game 85 Itagaki had no direct role in Sigma and judged it a flawed game 86 although he acknowledged that Sigma gave PlayStation owners a taste of Ninja Gaiden 87 The gameplay for Sigma is very similar to the original version albeit with some modifications made to the game Like the original version the player s movements and combat system are directed using the console gamepad which comprises the left thumbstick two attack buttons and a block button The game features a large selection of weapons for Ryu to wield each with advantages and disadvantages that affect the way the player approaches combat A new addition to Ryu s arsenal is a pair of dual wield swords Dragon s Claw and Tiger s Fang It also provides Ryu with magical spells in the form of ninpo which allows him to inflict heavy damage on enemies while potentially avoiding damage himself By shaking the Sixaxis controller players are able to increase the power of their ninpo spells 88 89 Rachel a non playable character in the 2004 game became playable in three new chapters featuring the new bosses Gamov and Alterator Some of the design elements of the old levels was also changed and several new enemy types were introduced 30 90 In addition to the narrative Story Mode Sigma included a gameplay variation called Mission Mode Focused on action rather than character development this provides combat based missions set mainly in small areas In both Story and Mission modes game scoring is based on the player s speed in clearing encounters the number of kills achieved the number of unused ninpos remaining at the end and the amount of cash collected Players can compare their scores on online ranking boards 91 In addition players have the option to customize the appearance of player characters with selectable costumes for Ryu and hairstyles for Rachel 30 The more powerful hardware of the PlayStation 3 gave Team Ninja the opportunity to overhaul the game graphics to use larger and more detailed textures Changes were made to the game world with a few new areas and several additional save points and shops 90 and alterations to the game engine let players shoot arrows in mid air fight on water surfaces and play as Rachel in some chapters and missions 30 92 In July 2007 Tecmo released a demo and a new game mode Survival Mode for Sigma over the PlayStation Network 93 The demo limits players to the first chapter of the game but lets them play as Rachel in a separate mission 94 Survival Mode comprises missions in which players keep fighting until they have either killed all their opponents or their character has been defeated 95 Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus edit Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus is a port of Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PlayStation Vita released in North America and Europe on February 22 2012 96 Like Ninja Gaiden Black s Ninja Dog mode Sigma Plus features an easier difficulty called Hero mode making it more accessible to casual gamers It also takes advantage of the additional features that the Vita offers including gyroscopic first person aiming by tilting the PlayStation Vita the player can adjust the camera angle in first person viewing modes back touchpad controls tapping symbols using the rear touchpad will allow Ryu to boost the power of his Ninpo touch screen controls players can go into first person mode by tapping the touch screen In addition Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus offers new sets of accessories that Ryu and Rachel can equip Reception editReceptionAggregate scoresAggregatorScorePS VitaPS3XboxGameRankingsN A87 97 93 98 Black 95 99 Metacritic72 100 101 88 100 100 91 100 102 Black 94 100 103 Review scoresPublicationScorePS VitaPS3Xbox1Up comN AA 104 A 105 Black A 79 EurogamerN A7 10 106 9 10 13 GameProN A4 75 107 5 5 108 Black 5 5 109 GameSpotN A9 0 10 90 9 4 10 2 Black 9 4 10 75 IGNN A9 3 10 US 110 8 8 10 AU 111 9 4 10 14 Black 9 4 10 112 VideoGamer comN A8 10 91 9 10 113 AwardsPublicationAwardIGNBest Xbox Action Game 2004 114 Best Xbox Downloadable Content 2004 114 Black Best Xbox Action game 2005 115 X PlayBest Action Adventure Game 2004 116 EGMXbox Game of the Year 2004 117 GameSpot Black Best Xbox game 2005 118 TeamXbox Black Best Xbox Action Game 2005 119 Ninja Gaiden was released to critical acclaim Greg Kasavin of GameSpot called it one of the best most challenging action adventure games ever made 2 and his publication named it the best Xbox game of February 2004 120 IGN s Erik Brudvig said that it sets a new standard for third person action games in terms of length depth speed and gore 14 while Electronic Gaming Monthly EGM called it an unmissable instant classic and declared that no Xbox should go without Ninja Gaiden 121 Critics also regarded it to be one of the most difficult games released prior to 2007 122 123 The game received a runner up position in GameSpot s 2004 Best Action Adventure Game category across all platforms 124 Its enhanced version Ninja Gaiden Black also impressed reviewers GameSpot noted that it had the best visual and audio presentation on the Xbox and praised its new Mission Mode for distilling the game down to its purest essentials 75 IGN called its release a rare and welcome day which brought their excitement levels back to the first time they played the game 112 From a technical point of view critics regarded Ninja Gaiden and Black as the best of the available Xbox software at the time the console hardware had been pushed to its limits without showing significant drops in performance Game Spot s Kasavin was impressed with their first rate presentation and said that no other games at that time came close in visuals and audio 75 According to IGN the games could make them momentarily forget about the next generation of consoles 112 Both Ninja Gaiden and Black were top sellers which led to them being compatible with the Xbox 360 for all regions on the new platform s release 125 126 127 Ninja Gaiden attracted criticism for the way on screen action is framed by the game s camera The default camera system centers the action on Ryu and his surroundings but reviewers were frustrated by occasions when the camera locked on to part of the scenery thus losing track of Ryu 112 128 Tecmo attempted to address this with the introduction of manual camera controls in the Hurricane Packs 52 75 and most critics judged that either the camera frame was usually acceptable or that Ninja Gaiden was a good enough game that its flaws could be overlooked 75 121 Consumers purchased 1 5 million copies of Ninja Gaiden and Black by August 2007 129 with the bulk of these sales going to North America and Europe According to the NPD Group in its first month Ninja Gaiden sold 362 441 copies in the United States 130 131 By August 2006 Ninja Gaiden had sold 550 000 copies and earned 27 million in that country Between January 2000 and August 2006 it was the 100th highest selling game launched for the PlayStation 2 Xbox or GameCube consoles in the United States Combined sales of Ninja Gaiden and Black reached 800 000 units in the United States by August 2006 132 These sales figures reflect Tecmo s decision to target the non Japanese market Japanese gamers were not particularly excited according to Itagaki only 60 000 copies of Ninja Gaiden were sold in Japan in the four months following its release 39 The critical and commercial success of Ninja Gaiden have led CNET and GameSpot Asia to induct the game into their halls of fame 133 134 The Ninja Gaiden games gained a reputation throughout the gaming community for their difficulty and attention to detail 26 135 Although they appealed to gamers who like Pro G s Struan Robertson wanted a bloody hard but also bloody good challenge 113 it was feared that casual gamers would find the learning curve daunting IGN warned that gamers with lesser skills might not get as much out of this game as others due to its incredible difficulty 112 and Edge commented that Tecmo s refusal to extend any kind of handhold to less dedicated players is simply a failure of design not a badge of hardcore honour and it s impossible to believe they couldn t have found a way to increase the accessibility of the game without undermining the gloriously intractable nature of the challenges it contains 128 EGM found the challenge to be rewarding as it motivates you to actually get better at the game 121 Clive Thompson focused on Ninja Gaiden in his Slate article examining the motivation for playing difficult games He contends that extreme levels of challenge can be initially very frustrating and may cause a game to be abandoned in disgust However where a game also rewards a player s perseverance by teaching the skills required to overcome its challenges that player will have the motivation to finish the game Ninja Gaiden in his opinion strikes the correct balance between challenge and reward completion brings a sort of exhausted exhilaration like finally reaching the end of War and Peace 136 In 2012 CraveOnline included it on their list of five badass ninja games calling it the pinnacle of action gaming at the time holding onto that crown for an entire year until God of War released in 2005 and a true video game classic and maybe the best ninja game of all time 137 That same year G4tv ranked it as the 83rd top video game of all time also calling it the best ninja game ever made and one of the all around hardest 138 Ninja Gaiden Sigma sold 46 307 units in the first week of its release in Japan making it the third highest selling game during that period 139 According to the NPD Group in its first month Sigma sold 63 637 copies in the United States 140 Next Generation reported that as of April 2008 470 000 copies of Sigma have been sold in Europe and North America 141 Tecmo announced that they have sold 500 000 units worldwide 142 Like Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black Ninja Gaiden Sigma has received positive reviews currently holding an average score of 87 at GameRankings and 88 100 at Metacritic based on 58 and 46 reviews respectively 97 100 Critics varied in their views on the technical aspects of Ninja Gaiden Sigma Although the gaming site 1UP com called the updated graphics a gorgeous reworking of the modern ninja classic 104 Pro G said that they were average by next generation standards and showed occasional tearing jagged edges and mismatched collision between bloodstains and walls 91 Notes edit PlayStation Vita port released under the Tecmo Koei publishing label Master Collection port released under the Koei Tecmo publishing label Japanese ニンジャ ガイデン Hepburn Ninja GaidenReferences edit Ninja Gaiden Master Collection announced for PS4 Xbox One Switch and PC Gematsu February 17 2021 Archived from the original on February 17 2021 Retrieved February 17 2021 a b c d e f Greg Kasavin 2004 02 26 Ninja Gaiden for Xbox Review GameSpot Archived from the original on 2011 06 29 Retrieved 2007 08 21 a b c d Edge staff August 2002 Inside Tecmo Edge No 113 Bath England Future Publishing pp 51 55 ISSN 1350 1593 Erik Brudvig 2005 09 19 Ninja Gaiden Black Guide Walkthrough Chapter 4 Imperial City Infiltration IGN Archived from the original on 2008 09 27 Retrieved 2008 10 13 James Mielke 2007 01 12 Previews Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1UP com Retrieved 2008 01 27 Alex Kidman 2004 08 02 Ninja Gaiden CNET Australia Archived from the original on 2009 11 04 Retrieved 2007 08 23 This gripping feeling is accentuated by the game s controls which are both fluid and responsive whether in the pure platform like sections think Prince of Persia The Sands of Time especially when Ryu s running along walls or flipping himself out of pits or the core of the game s challenge the combat sections a b Aaron Boulding 2003 06 25 Ninja Gaiden The Interview IGN Archived from the original on July 4 2003 Retrieved 2007 08 21 a b Eric Williams 2008 02 15 Combat Canceled God of War amp Action Game Design IGN Archived from the original on 2008 02 18 Retrieved 2008 02 21 Tom Orry 2008 03 28 God of War Chains of Olympus Review Pro G Retrieved 2008 05 31 Christian Nutt 2004 02 27 Ninja Gaiden Xbox GameSpy Archived from the original on 2007 09 05 Retrieved 2007 08 21 Hilary Goldstein 2004 02 25 Ninja Gaiden Blade Love IGN Archived from the original on April 8 2004 Retrieved 2007 08 21 Erik Brudvig 2005 09 19 Ninja Gaiden Black Guide Basics IGN Archived from the original on 2008 10 17 Retrieved 2008 10 13 a b c Tom Bramwell 2004 03 16 Ninja Gaiden Eurogamer Archived from the original on 2009 01 29 Retrieved 2007 08 21 a b c d Hilary Goldstein 2004 02 27 Ninja Gaiden Review IGN Archived from the original on February 27 2004 Retrieved 2007 08 21 James Mielke 2007 11 16 Previews Ninja Gaiden 2 1UP com Retrieved 2007 11 16 Ninja Gaiden Walkthrough Page 2 GameSpot Archived from the original on 2012 01 10 Retrieved 2012 07 18 Mielke James 2007 11 16 Previews Ninja Gaiden 2 1UP com Archived from the original on 2011 05 22 Retrieved 2008 07 04 This is a new story starring Ryu Hayabusa It takes place after Ninja Gaiden for Xbox and before the timeframe of the old Ninja Gaiden games on the NES Yin Poole Wesley 2008 05 22 Ninja Gaiden 2 Interview Video Gamer Archived from the original on 2008 12 01 Retrieved 2008 07 04 Story chronologically as well this takes place after the fist Ninja Gaiden for Xbox then after this the story for this game from a chronological stand point leads into the old Ninja Gaiden for the NES I think we have a nice continuity there Luke Anderson 2008 05 23 Ninja Gaiden II Q amp A with Tomonobu Itagaki GameSpot Archived from the original on 2008 12 05 Retrieved 2008 07 04 In story chronology as well this takes place after the first Ninja Gaiden for Xbox and then after the story of this game it leads into the old NES ones so I think we have a nice continuity there a b c d e Cesar A Berardini 2003 12 05 Ninja Gaiden Tomonobu Itagaki Interview TeamXbox Archived from the original on 2012 03 21 Retrieved 2007 08 21 Ninja Gaiden Walkthrough Page 35 GameSpot Archived from the original on 2012 01 13 Retrieved 2012 07 22 James Mielke 2006 07 24 Itagaki Talks DOA4 Demo on Live 1UP com Retrieved 2007 10 08 Tomonobu Itagaki First of all I have of course included the eternal heroine Kasumi as well as everyone s favorite Super Ninja Ryu Hayabusa GameSpy staff 2005 10 25 Dead or Alive 4 Guys Week 1 X360 GameSpy Archived from the original on 2007 10 07 Retrieved 2007 10 08 a b James Mielke July 2003 Ninja Gaiden GMR California United States Ziff Davis ISSN 1544 6816 Tomonobu Itagaki We re not really that interested in making supporting characters playable Right now we are simply focusing on making the movements and actions of our Super Ninja Ryu Hayabusa the coolest on the planet James Mielke 2005 09 27 Itagaki Hardcore Part 1 The Future of Team Ninja 1UP com Retrieved 2007 10 01 permanent dead link a b c d e f Rus McLaughlin 2008 01 28 IGN Presents The History of Ninja Gaiden IGN Archived from the original on 2011 03 20 Retrieved 2008 01 29 ScrewAttack 2007 08 28 Top Ten Ninjas swf ScrewAttack s Top 10 GameTrailers Event occurs at 05 20 Archived from the original on 2009 05 20 Retrieved 2008 03 30 Team Ninja 2004 03 02 Ninja Gaiden Xbox Tecmo Rachel It s hard to believe they were ever humans isn t it Anyone with susceptibility to the curse whether they are a saint or a sinner can succumb to it and become a Fiend Team Ninja 2007 07 03 Ninja Gaiden Sigma PlayStation 3 Tecmo Rachel I was convinced once that my blood was pure but then I saw what my pure blood was capable of I watched as my twin sister was cursed and twisted into a Greater Fiend Now I know the path I walk is narrow a b c d e James Mielke 2007 01 12 Previews Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1UP com Retrieved 2008 01 27 Team Ninja 2004 03 02 Ninja Gaiden Xbox Tecmo Ryu So the Greater Fiends have a soul don t they Rachel There are only three of them Doku my sister and another who guards the Emperor Team Ninja 2004 03 02 Ninja Gaiden Xbox Tecmo Doku Ah Rachel I should kill you now for the pain you ve inflicted on Alma but instead I shall use you to make her even stronger It will be your blood the cursed blood of a twin sister that shall serve to awaken Alma Team Ninja 2004 03 02 Ninja Gaiden Xbox Tecmo Spirit Doku Receive the curse become a Fiend Team Ninja 2004 03 02 Ninja Gaiden Xbox Tecmo Dark Disciple Gamov so the Dark Dragon grows in power with each killing Team Ninja 2004 03 02 Ninja Gaiden Xbox Tecmo Gamov Don t you see The Dark Dragon is now truly an evil blade His Excellency the Dark Disciple has been waiting for this very moment Sam Kennedy 1999 06 03 Ninja Gaiden Goes PlayStation 2 GameSpot Archived from the original on 2007 09 29 Retrieved 2007 08 21 IGN staff 2001 06 29 Ninja Gaiden on PS2 IGN Archived from the original on 2007 10 12 Retrieved 2007 08 21 a b Xbox Nation staff Winter 2002 Paradise Lost Xbox Nation California United States Ziff Davis ISSN 1538 9723 Archived from the original on 2009 05 03 Retrieved 2007 09 23 a b c Billy Berghammer 2004 07 27 An Interview With Tomonobu Itagaki Game Informer Archived from the original on 2005 11 12 Retrieved 2008 01 05 IGN staff 2004 01 20 Ninja Gaiden Demo Disc IGN Archived from the original on January 23 2004 Retrieved 2007 08 21 Anoop Gantayat 2004 02 13 Ninja Gaiden Demo Busted IGN Archived from the original on February 14 2004 Retrieved 2007 08 21 IGN staff 2003 09 19 Ninja Gaiden Still On Track IGN Archived from the original on September 22 2003 Retrieved 2008 04 21 IGN staff 2003 12 01 More Ninja Gaiden IGN Archived from the original on December 10 2003 Retrieved 2008 04 21 IGN staff 2004 01 29 Ninja Gaiden Delay IGN Archived from the original on February 15 2004 Retrieved 2008 04 21 Tor Thorsen 2004 01 20 Ninja Gaiden Not for kids 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2008 02 03 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Campbell Colin Keiser Joe July 29 2006 The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century Next Generation Archived from the original on October 28 2007 David Rudden 2006 06 16 Gaming hall of fame the Xbox s best game CNet Archived from the original on 2007 05 29 Retrieved 2007 09 05 GameSpot Asia staff 2004 04 23 Editor s Choice Hall of Fame GameSpot Archived from the original on 2005 04 06 Retrieved 2008 02 03 Ray Huling October 2007 Ninja Playground The Brooklyn Rail Archived from the original on 2007 10 14 Retrieved 2007 10 12 Clive Thompson 2004 05 06 Tough Love Can a video game be too hard Slate Archived from the original on 2009 02 10 Retrieved 2007 09 05 Norris Erik 2012 03 19 5 Badass Ninja Games CraveOnline Archived from the original on 2012 04 21 Retrieved 2012 07 23 Top 100 Video Games of All Time 83 Ninja Gaiden G4tv com Archived from the original on 2013 03 10 Retrieved 2012 12 14 Simple 2000 The Japanese Software Chart Kotaku Archived from the original on 2011 01 04 Retrieved 2011 07 31 NPD Group June 2007 NPD US Sales Data New York United States NPD Group Archived from the original on 2011 07 08 Retrieved 2008 02 03 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Next Generation staff 2008 04 09 The Top 100 Selling Games of the Last 12 Months Next Generation Magazine Retrieved 2008 04 10 Vincent 2007 07 07 450 000 Ninja Gaiden dans le monde in French PlayFrance Archived from the original on 2011 07 18 Retrieved 2011 07 31 External links editOfficial website archived Ninja Gaiden at MobyGames Portals nbsp Japan nbsp Speculative fiction nbsp Video games Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ninja Gaiden 2004 video game amp oldid 1219487888 Ninja Gaiden Sigma, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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