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Cue the well-deserved hyperbole: this is a truly stellar game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: July 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Allow me to descend to the level of a fanboy for a moment: "Ninja Gaiden is the best game on the Xbox." Okay, I know, statements like those just make you role your eyes and move on to the next review, looking for someone with more objectivity who recognizes that any game has faults (and also trying to avoid the barely literate reviews that proclaim "Dis game suckzors its the worst game ever play halo w00t"). But before you leave, give me a few minutes to explain how Ninja Gaiden can possibly be better than Halo, Halo 2, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, or Splinter Cell (all of which I have played and, except for the last, beaten).
First, a brief description of what exactly this game is. Essentially, Ninja Gaiden is a 3d-person action adventure game (with more emphasis on action) that features a lengthy single player component with a story revolving around finding and destroying the Dark Dragon Blade, a sword of great power that is being sought by very bad men. In addition, if you have a Live connection you have access to various additions (the Hurricane Packs) and the Master Ninja Tournament (I don't so I can't comment on those).
So what makes Ninja Gaiden so good?
For starters, the graphics are, as usual for Team Ninja (the creators of Dead or Alive 3), phenomenal, and really take the Xbox to the very limit. The textures are detailed, the environments are varied and, when necessary, realistic (and, when appropriate, very fantastic). All told, they are the best graphics I've seen on the big black box, surpassing even the normal mapped uniforms in NFL 2k5, at least in my opinion.
The audio is also excellent, although I have to admit it could stand to be more boisterous and explosive, especially when compared with Halo 2 and when listening on a 5.1 system. So, that's one point at least in Halo 2's favor.
The story and characters are serviceable and are well done for what they are meant to do. What I mean be that is: this is an action game primarily, with less emphasis on character development than, say, KOTOR. Ryu, the main character, is stolid and consistently bad ass, and the main antagonist is well done, but otherwise the other human characters are mainly there for eye-candy (those of you who have played the game know what I'm talking about).
So far, I know, I'm probably not overwhelming you with reasons why this is the greatest Xbox game ever. In a word: gameplay. Ninja Gaiden features the deepest, most satisfying, and one of the most challenging combat engines ever devised. Imagine a sophisticated fighting mechanic along the lines of Soul Caliber placed into a free roaming action game and you have some idea of how this engine works. But the mechanic goes far beyond simple button mashing, and actually requires you to use strategy and to develop a sense of timing for blocking/rolling/jumping off of walls and slicing and dicing. If you like the idea of running on the wall, throwing three shurkins in a flash at an evil ninja, then rolling up out of a crouch, slashing upward and launching another ninja up into the air, slicing him several times, then grabbing him (still in the air) and driving him head first into the ground...then this game is for you. And that just scratches the surface of the plethora of moves you can do with the various weapons in the game. Add in the ninja-magic, the charge up moves you do by collecting souls of fallen enemies, and you have a degree of replayability that is simply through the roof.
Now, this game is hard. Really hard, especially when you first pick up the controller. In fact, before you get used to blocking and rolling and using the walls for advantage, the very first boss will simply waste you, and later bosses will having you screaming--and there are a lot of bosses in this game, all requiring different strategies and nimble reflexes. But fear not: you will, if you stick with it, reach a point in playing this game where everything will start to click, and very soon you'll be breezing through areas that had earlier given you headaches. This happened to me (for example, the first time I played it took me 20 hours to beat the game and I must have died 50 times; the second time I went through in 12 hours and died twice; the third time, all on the same difficulty, I beat it without dying once), and I watched it happen to both of my roommates. At first they couldn't believe the difficulty, and almost gave up, but then they got the hang of it, and one even went back and beat it on hard and then very hard mode.
In short, this game is simply a sublime and stellar example of an action game done right. I rarely replay games once I've beaten them, and certainly don't go back and replay them three or more times; this game is the first time I have ever repeatedly beaten a game, simply because I've gotten better and found more and done more every time, from unlocking the Unlabored Flawlessness (a sword) to using the special outfit you get after beating the game to simply learning more moves for each weapon.
I heartily recommend this game for any Xbox owner. If the difficulty frightens you or if you don't have Live, you may consider waiting until Sept 2005 when Ninja Gaiden: Black is released. It will include the original game, plus both an easier and even harder difficulty setting, along with both Hurricane Packs and "even more" extra maps/goodies, all for $30 (apparently). Otherwise, find this game immediately, play it, and don't give up! Stick with it and you will experience one of the greatest games on any system.

I HAVE PLAYED THE DEMO

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: February 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I have been playing the demo that i got from the march issue of xbox magazine.....this game surpasses ALL of my expectations...graphics are beautiful, the controlls are perfect, and pulling off a 60 hit combo doesnt get old. i've only had the demo for 3 days..and i have spend nearly 20 hours just playing that ONE level, its a short one. but JESUS. ACTION, Puzzle, and MORE ACTION....A MUST buy for the xbox when it comes out...even tho i have read that it has been pushed back ONCE AGAIN...probably to march 1st..or feburary 28th...even heard they will put the whole versions of the past 3 in there. AWESOME.

Very difficult, but ultimately rewarding gaming experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

"Ninja Gaiden" was one of the very first NES games I had ever played, quickly becoming one of my favorites. Years later, Team Ninja has finally released an update with superior graphics and gameplay. This is definitely going to be the game to beat for 2004 in terms of quality and fun factor.

That said, this game is extremely hard. At normal, it is much like being dropped into a battle without any training or skills. You must fend for yourself. This is not a game where button-smashing will get you through fights. In fact, this is one of the few games where combos actually have a purpose instead of simply adding to your score. The combos help with getting through some tough enemies, particularly when you find yourself surrounded with nowhere to go.

It can be extremely frustrating, yet also ultimately rewarding once you beat the area you have been stuck on for so long. It may seem at first that the first encounter with a boss is also the most aggravating simply because you have not acquired many of the skills needed to play. It's a rarity, but when you receive upgraded weapons and skills, they actually benefit your performance. Instead of being allowed to counter-attack your enemies after a successful block, you must find and learn the skill. Upgrading weapons makes them more powerful and more destructive, which gives added incentive to kill as many enemies as you can.

"Ninja Gaiden" has once again become one of my favorite games. While it is certainly a challenge (you may throw your controller more than once), there is method to the madness. This is a rarity among fighting games, where graphics and gameplay are successfully unionized to provide an addictive and satisfying gaming experience.

*A word of advice: Do not overwrite your saves until you have filled all 10 save locations. It can become necessary to load a previous save in case you find yourself low on potions. One minor caveat I have with the game is that you can not load during the game itself--you must die first. There is no way to get to the Main Menu during gameplay. While this is not a big problem, it does become irritating when you realize you aren't going to live through the boss and have to watch yourself get shredded just so you can reload a save.

PROs: Hard, but rewarding; fluid graphics which never lag no matter how many enemies are on screen; nice camerawork during battles; skill and knowledge fare better than mindlessly pushing X and Y; excellent combo and fighting system--superior to most action games; good use of sound; button smashing will only get you so far; brilliant enemy AI and design--some of the best-looking enemies I've ever seen in a video game.

CONs: No 'Easy' setting; camera control is irritating during platform jumping

Graphics: 10
Sound: 9
Control: 9
Fun Factor: 10
Difficulty: Hard to Very Hard

Its Not Hard, But...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ninja Gaiden is not exactly "hard". Its more the fact that you must develop a strategy for every creature you encounter, including bosses. For example, if you were to play the game on normal, then beat very hard afterwards, and return and play another game on normal, it would be a walk in the park. I've done it myself, trust me. Once you have the strategy, its not hard at all. IF you consider developing strategy to be hard, then this game is not for you. In fact, if that is so, most games are not for you. The only thing that sets Ninja Gaiden apart from most games' strategy is the fact that you CANNOT BUTTON MASH and the strategy is more complex.

HAVING SAID THAT, Ninja Gaiden is flawless. Truly. Only Halo can even rival with its beauty, adventure, action, and performance. It truly is the one action game that sets apart from all the others. Splinter Cell comes close, but it just isnt the same, and has too little action, and too much stealth. Of course, its a bit of a let down for many because its only for the XBOX. But, the XBOX is probably the best system choice for Tecmo. Since it has a better processor and graphics system, along with a no-need-to-get-memory-cartridges system, making it for more than just the XBOX would downgrade its graphics and all other perfomances. I believe Tecmo's decision was for the better. Infact, I like this game so much that if I didn't have a XBOX, I would go out and buy one just for this game.

The Pinnacle of Programming

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

It took me exactly 32hrs 28mins and 234 deaths to finish this game the first time.
Yes, it was that hard for me. (Probably it reflects my standing as a Ninja, eh?). But I managed to pull through convincingly at the end (with a lot of thought put into it) and the experience was just rewarding. To finish what I believe to be the Game of the Year on such a high was a deeply satisfying experience.
The next time, I played the game on successive mode, and to my shock, I was able to finish it in less than 12hrs!.
No it was not because Ninja Gaiden became easier (it gets tougher actually!), but I found certain subtleties in Ryu's combat I didn't know existed and learnt to use them intuitively. In short, Ninja Gaiden teaches a willing student a lot more than what the student perceived the first time. It isn't unfair, it just rewards a gamer whose adept and skillful at play. Ultimately, the more you learn, the more u'll come to appreciate this fantastic work of art.
Story:
Simple and straightforward. For centuries, the Clan of the Dragon Lineage has protected the Dark Dragon Blade, a legendary sword of unimaginable evil, that when wielded in the wrong hands, would unleash unspeakable horror upon the world. When the blade is stolen and the village is massacred, you, as Ryu Hayabusa, the last man standing, seeks to avenge the death of your fellow clan members by pursuing your mysterious and sinister enemy. You carry with you, the Dragon Blade, another legendary sword that is the counter part of the Dark Dragon Blade. The one who wields this to perfection will have nothing to fear, not even its twin-sister.
Yes, to many (including me sometimes), the story starts on a strong note, but becomes second nature. The plot as the game progresses is trivial. However, a game of this quality needs only a few strings attached together to bring forth a conclusion. Because the beauty of the game lies somewhere else.
Graphics:
I said somewhere else....the beauty starts here. I have played Halo and had the opinion it was the most impressive looking game on any platform. I am sure most of you would feel the same with fond memories. But NG is THE defining game for graphics. It is cutting edge. Everthing, from character modelling to environment rendering is beyond compare. Mesmerising.Ryu himself is perfectly rendered, and fluidity of combat is something to be seen. Everthing looks 'shiny' that adds to the overall feel of awe. Each object has been rendered in great detail and texture rendering is pitch perfect. Astonishingly the game doesn't slow one bit even though it could choke most high end computers. Till now, I had a limited opinion of the XBOX (maybe coz' I don't use it too often).I had no idea of its power, until now. I am proud to own it. Trust me, this is a system seller and consoles other than XBOX cannot run this game. They just cannot. It is too taxing on the hardware. I feel sorry for you is you don't have this console.
Gameplay:
If graphics is the cream, then the gameplay is the icing on the cake. This is my first Ninja game,so my opinion is not derived out of comparing with other similar titles. From what I have seen, the gameplay is unrivalled. You don't wield guns and bombs (though your foes do!) ; it is all melee combat with a dose of shuriken and bow shooting. The fighting is intense and fast. It involves extremely intelligent play and rewards players who use brain than brawn. More than anything, Ryu is successful when he understands his foes. Everthing you do involves instinct and adriotness. This along with graphics is alone enough to make NG a killer. But no, there is more...
Replay:
NG is long. It spreads across 16 Chapters and each level, let alone a chapter, is massive and different. When you finish the game the first time, you unlock more difficult modes and in successive play mode, you carry with you certain precious items from the first play, to trade for some important stuff earlier than usual. Also you would want to experiment with the weapons you have and perfect urself in all combos. You will discover that some work better than others at certain situations u didn't know the first time. U'll also learn to play with a greater sense of speed to achieve higher Ninja rankings. Along with that, u get to unlock the original NG classics, the cinematics and the soundtrack. Hence all this adds tremendous replay value. It goes without saying you gotta be a Ninja by now or die in the first level itself!.
Sound:
The minute you listen to a track called 'Vanished memories' that plays when Ryu first enters his massacred village, you'd be baying for more. It is simply inspiring. A little bit of Japanese, a little bit of percussion. The end effect is just an uplifting piece of orchestra. U'll feel the same throughout the game with different set pieces and each level has distinctive music that characterizes the setting and the tension.
The ambient sounds are also terrific and offer great variety of effects like when u smash u'r sword on different surface or foes. Top notch.
Cinematics:
Watch them to come to the conclusion that they are unmatched! Warcraft 3:Reign of Chaos (PC) was stupendous, but this is of a different league. 15 high quality movies that can numb your senses. They don't really push forward the story. But thatz besides the point isn't it?. They are there to reward you for a job well done. And add to this, the engine rendered cutscenes of such fluidity that u'd believe they were pre-animated. Phew!.

Overall:
If you are an FPS player, then NG may not be for you coz itz combat can either be glorious or totally frustrating. The camera also makes life difficult sometimes and you'd end up dying, which can be a total let down. But then, such minor flaws cannot overshadow a game of such quality. Ninja Gaiden's presentation has been detailed to perfection, even the end credits. You cant help but admire its authority over all other games, even if you aren't a fan of this genre. More importantly, you'll come to appreciate the sheer programming skill required to execute this game and believe me, it is ingenious. This game is now the benchmark, the pinnacle of programming. Buy it. Happy slashing.

one word...hard

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: March 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Wow.

When I read the reviews, I originally thought, "It might be hard for all of those so-called gamers, but it probably won't be that hard for me..."

I've played video games for... well a long time. This is unquestionably the hardest game yet. It's taken me forever to pass the first level. The first boss whipped me quite a few times to beat him, even with all of the cures.

Don't get me wrong, it's fun. Very fun. You'll be too frustrated to appreciate how much fun it could have been if it was a little easier. I haven't tried the "hard" setting; that would kill any self-esteem I have in my gaming skill.

The graphics are crisp and colourful. The gameplay is great, although I do agree with the camera angles. They throw you off at times. The re-center button works, but you enter each room at a specific camera angle, and sometimes you get attacked right away. It takes away from a fluent game play.

If you want a challenge, definitely buy this game; but if you have children around, keep your swear words under your breath and expect to see "Game Over" imprinted on that screen...

Frustration of the Ninja

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: June 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Gorgeous graphics? Check. Incredibly cool ninja moves? Definitely. Game that shows off what your Xbox can do? Heck yeah! Gameplay? Um... well, that's where it gets a bit tricky. You have some cool moves and plenty of chances to use them.. but you get swarmed with enemies that seem to line up to pummel you without giving you a chance to counter them. It seems that "Normal" setting on this game means "Really Hard" and "Hard" means "Freakin' Insane". I can't count how many times I about threw the controller down in frustration of the cheap moves the game seems to hit you with. Now, I'm not a newbie to games. I've been playing games from the time they were only in the arcades. And I really wanted to like this game more than I do. I mean, this is Tecmo and Team Ninja's baby! You gotta love their work. But this game seems to be aimed more towards the hardcore gamers who'll take the cheap shots in stride only to strenghten their resolve to conquer the game. And that's fine. But if you're a casual gamer, this game may be more of a exercise in frustration than fun.

Awesome Game from Team Ninja of Tecmo

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'll just keep this short and simple. This is bar none the best action game of this generation of consoles. Deep combat, great graphics, nice effects, and some of the best gameplay I've ever had with a title. The game carries a mature rating for violence which is mainly due to blood and the ability to chop enemies heads off. The only complaint I have is during the platforming (jumping) sequences the camera is a bit of a pain. Other than that I love it. The boss battles are insane. Especially one of the later ones which I will not spoil. The graphics bar has been raised by this game and only Halo 2 will dethrone it later in the year for consoles.

Great but Ninja Gaiden Black better.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game after purchasing ninja gaiden black only because it has an old NES game that I wanted to check out.

The first thing I want to mention about this game and the black version is that black has more enemies.

2. It has an easy setting for those who cant hack it.

3. The camera angles have been much improved over this version.

3. It has 50 side missions.

4. It has been much improved indeed. So if your looking to to purchase this game maybe you should reconsider and get black.

besides that this is one of best games on any system (including the 36o, and ps3)

A Flawless Update of a True Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

One of the highlights of the 8-bit era was the Ninja Gaiden trilogy. Introducing the then-new concept of cinematic scenes between levels, Ninja Gaiden added a compelling story to a great action game. Many people were worried that any attempt at "modernizing" this franchise would be mediocre at best.

Not only did Tecmo beat expectations, they raised the bar for action gaming in general.

Ninja Gaiden follows the exploits of Ryu Hayabusa, son of his ninja clan's leader, and wielder of the legendary Dragon Sword. He is on a quest to retrieve The Dark Dragon Blade, counterpart of the Dragon Sword. The Dark Dragon Blade was stolen from Ryu's village by a demonic warrior known as a Greater Fiend. The Fiend also burned Ryu's village to the ground.

While previous games, such as the Tenchu series, emphasized stealth, Ninja Gaiden is flat-out, ferocious swordplay from start to finish. Ryu can also find and use a variety of other weapons, including a bow, flails, shurikens, and even a giant warhammer. Amazingly, the game manages to move at a smooth framerate, even when Ryu is engaging multiple enemies in a frantic melee.

The big difference between this game and it's predecessors is the learning curve. This version of Ninja Gaiden QUICKLY gets very difficult. Be prepared to learn most, if not all, of those moves listed in the subscreens. The good news is that the challenge mostly comes from unpredictable enemies. One of the downfalls of many games is that it is far too easy to spot a pattern in the enemies' movement.

Overall, this game is one of the best action titles to come out in a long time. However, due to the steep learning curve, it may not be something for beginners.

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