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X BOX Ninja Gaiden Preview Tokyo Game Show

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 63 / 87
Date: October 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Upon reading others reviews it is impossible to rate this game because it is still in development. There isn't even a possible demo yet. I saw the game at Tokyo Game Show 2003 on Sept 27 Sunday a week ago ( I live in Japan). It really erks me when people rate a game that isn't done yet. I have seen about a 4 to 7 minute demo which is what I based this reveiw off of. In this game, which includes the main character running up walls and utilizing a variety of weapons including nun chucks, bow and arrows, and a sword there is smooth transition and interaction. The enemies are well developed characters also which includes a white haired buff guy that sports nun chucks, a dinosaur skeleton and zombie like creatures. I have to tell you that out of all of the games at the game show this game was the most impressive action game there. It was the only fast paced (unlike the stealthy Metal Gear Solid 3) action game that wasn't a devil may cry rip off, unlike cy girls which is a devil may cry slash metal gear rip off that I somehow managed to like anyway. This is the breakdown of the 10 best games at the show:

1. Half Life 2 (PC)
3. Ninja Gaiden (X Box)
2. Metal Gear Solid 3/Twin Snakes (PS2/ Gamecube)
3. Gran Turismo 4 ( PS2 sorry not a big racer fan)
4. Berserk (New PS2 game)
5. Shadow Hearts 2 (PS2)
5. True Fantasy Online (X Box)
6. Dinosaur Hunter (PS2)
7. Resident Evil Online (PS2)
8. Otogi 2 (X Box)
9. Suikoden 4 (PS2)
10. Eye Toy (PS2)

There will be a lot of Devil May cry clones coming out, so be on the look out. I never take time to write review but when I saw the rating for this game at a three star and it isn't even out yet I was upset because I know a lot of people buy games on Amazon and other online marketplaces, and they use the star review to buy their games, so trust me when I say this, this game is hot. But maybe you should wait for a professional review, but I aint, because this game along with other Tecmo titles convinced me to buy an X Box. nuff said.

Best action/adventure game ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 38 / 46
Date: March 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Before this game was released I was somewhat looking forward to it, but not with a great interest. Well thats until I actually played it. The first thing to blow me away were the graphics. They are absolutely breathtaking. The CG movies, the in game graphics, special effects, just amazing. But the game isn't all graphics and no gameplay. Believe it or not, the gameplay is actually better than the graphics. You can do everything you've seen ninjas do in movies. Swinging, climbing, wall running and of course slashing peoples limbs off. And it all just looks so real. The moves and weapons are also fantastic. Some of the coolest moves I've seen in any game for awhile. They are also easy for beginners, but hardcore gamers can spend alot of time on perfecting them. The stages are very varied and very large, the sound is nice and the enemies and weapons are also very varied. One problem that many people may have is the game's difficulty. It is very hard. The first boss, for example, is exceptionally difficult. If you persist, however, you will be greatly rewarded.

The Legend Returns

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 23
Date: March 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

To start Tecmo & Team Ninja have really out done themselves with this one as the graphics in this game are simply a wonder to behold.
The game is hard, but not unfairly as it rewards intelligent playing as the better you make use of the combo system the more essence you receive from defeating enemies which helps to unlock more features.
The camera can be a little annoying, but its never much of a problem if you remember to use the right thumbstick especially when coming through new doorways. There are only really two spots when the camera is a bit more of a problem when facing multiple enemies usually more than three it tends to have a difficult time keeping a good focus on the action. It seems to be a bit lessened though if you can keep moving around. The second is when going through narrow passageways, but this can usually be resolved by using the right thumbstick.
The different moves look great and handle extremely well and are fairly simple to learn, but some are bit more difficult to master. The story is good though not to original, but fits the game well. The voice acting is good and fits the respective characters well, but some of the dialogue seems a bit dry probably just something lost in translation. The varied environments are simply stunning and the music fits each level well. The cutscenes are superb and simply the best around. The character designs are amazing as they are the best out there.
In all Ninja Gaiden is one of best games ever as it raises the bar for action/adventure games. If you play videogames and just want to mash buttons this is probably not the game for you, but if you like games that are good challenge which reward intelligent creative gameplay then you should love this. The game is not perfect, but is probably as close as a action/adventure game will come until the next wave of game systems come out.
Graphics 10
Sound 10
Gameplay 10
Fun 10
Overall 10

Not for the causal gamer.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 21 / 30
Date: April 24, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I have mixed feelings about this game. On one hand, Ninja Gaiden is one of the best action games ever made--for any console. The fighting system is extremely well designed with numerous combos which when learned, set Ninja Gaiden far apart from the pack. (The game deserves its "M" rating with plenty of blood, decapitation, not to mention occult elements.) The graphics are incredible and define "next generation." They really show off the Xbox graphics power with high production values such as beautifully mapped indoor and outdoor environments, a smooth frame rate and superbly rendered character models.

On the other hand the game is very hard to play, even on its "Normal" setting so I wouldn't recommend it for causal gamers. And then there is the much talked about camera/viewing system, which is poorly implemented. It's not big problem till you get to the boss fights, which can lead to a lot of cheap deaths. Enough time has passed for developers to get this right and it's an aggravating issue to deal with.

So for a potentially great game, marred by a faulty camera and an over the top difficulty, I give it three out of five stars.

Ninjas need loving too

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: February 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I was really, really impressed with this game. Team Ninja has done a great job on this old school remake. With gorgous environments that you can flip around, walk on, and do amazing things with, this game gives a really innovative and refreshing take on an action game. This is a very versitle action game as well, with a slew of weapons and items. Really bloody too, with some of the weapons you can even decaputate enemies. Even has some flavor from the NES series, you can flip and run on the walls. The boss' in this game are really challenging and the matches have a great feel. The action is really intense and I was really suprised at how much you can do with an action title. The visuals were top-notch, the backgrounds were outstanding and the models were very sharp. Definately the most impressive action/adventure title i've seen in a really long time. Well worth the wait.

Definitely A Great Game, but the Drawbacks Are Massive

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 15
Date: March 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ninja Gaiden is a game that I've anticipated for quite some time. I've been ogling this game's pictures and previews since last year, and I must say I'm throughly disappointed with this game. There are definitely good aspects of the game, but spraying a lump of crap with perfume doesn't exactly make a good product.

PROS:

The game has great graphics. It's safe to say that, if the game had dynamic lighting like Splinter Cell, the graphics would be the best that Xbox could achieve with a steady framerate. The game is extremely fun and satisfying to play..... when you're not dying. The story is a classic ninja story of vengeance, and whatever else it is that ninjas do, and a very enjoyable one at that. The combat system is fun when you're able to use it effectively and the combo system adds quite a bit to the game. The whole weapon-upgrade aspect is also a good way to keep players very interested in the game until completion, as well as certain items that allow you to upgrade the main character's strength and defense.

CONS:

Here is the biggie part of the game. The first and most mentioned con is the game's excessive and completely unnecessary difficulty. During the first hour of this game, you'll die more times than you can actually count. After that, I'm not even sure there's quite a way to describe the deathcount without the figure sounding like an extreme hyperbole. At first, it will seem as though the reason the game is so difficult is because you have to learn how to utilize the blocking system effectively. Once you utilize that and begin playing the game as a game should be played, the enemies that you thought would be fought throughout the game dissappear. The new enemies are ones that come in large groups and are much quicker than your fingers could ever be. In the group, you have to concentrate on killing one at a time(which takes countless hits) while the other enemies stay at a distance and fire their guns/grenades/rockets/exploding shurikens at you. Add to your amazing and uncountable amount of deaths the fact that the save points are extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely scarce, and you have yourself a game that is one of the most frustrating and repetitive games of all time. The combat system is fun for the first few hours of play, but you then realize that all of the once ... moves you were dishing out are the only moves that you are going to dish out for the rest of the game. Only a handful of the combos actually work, and they all become extremely repetitive. The combos remind of someone that I knew that was a moron. A complete and utter moron. However, this one person knew one good joke, and he used it over and over again on everyone he met to make them think he was funny. At first, his little deception worked.... until he told you the joke again.... and again.... until you realize he's nothing but a vile waste of life. That's the best example I can give of the brilliant combat system. The doors in this game are very ingeniously done as well. Apparently, every door in this game leads to an alternate universe in which you travel back in time to see that the enemies you just killed less than 20 seconds ago are all alive again. If there was one way that I could choose to die, it would be the hands of some ... ninja. That way I could come back to life 10 seconds later to tell everyone how I got killed by an awesome ninja. Amazing stuff there. Another creative aspect of the game is the fact that the same button for attacking is the button that opens doors. So, whenever you're fighting near a door, the door will open and you'll have to come back and start the fight all over again. You see, ninjas sometimes become confused as to what bodily movement is required to kill an opponent versus the movement required to twist a door handle. Hey, it happens. A great trick that Tecmo uses here to really keep its customers happy is to send its player through the entire layour of the level about 30-50 times for each level so the player has to fight the exact same enemies over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. I would've kept on using the "...over and over..." phrase of the last sentence until I felt satisfied, but then I would be no better than Tecmo, and I'm better than that.

Not easy, and not for everyone, but...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 15
Date: March 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

...if you like a videogame that refuses to insult your intelligence and refuses to let you be amazed by its graphics without being immersed in a tense and exciting game experience that truly challenges you to become a better gamer at every turn, you've found it.
THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS SOLELY MY OPINION OF THE GAME, BASED ON THE DEMO AND THE FIRST FOUR LEVELS COMPLETED. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY STATEMENTS MADE IN THIS REVIEW, WRITE ONE OF YOUR OWN.
Ninja Gaiden was made to be hard. It was created specifically to challenge the "true" videogame players of the world. If you don't like a challenge (and, oh, how some of the reviews and message boards on the internet are showing their gamers' colors in that respect), go back to playing your favorite game (mine WAS Halo before NG) and wait for the next big game you'll think you want. It may end up being just as challenging, have you thought about that? OK, antiwimpygamer rant over.
Last year a friend of mine told me Ninja Gaiden was coming out soon. A few weeks later we watched the CG video that OXM included on one of their discs and my friend said, "I will SO own that game." Today, two days after its release, I have the game and am obsessed with it and my friend? He's taking the weekend to visit Canada instead of buying one of the best Xbox games since the system's launch. In the last two weeks I've played the OXM (thanks again) demo from their March issue, striving for a title better than "Greater Ninja."

In short, Ninja Gaiden has saved me from playing Halo on Legendary difficulty for the next four to six months.
Enough raving...on to the review....
The graphics, as it has been repeatedly noted here and elsewhere, are incredible. Our hero, Ryu Hayabusa moves (in game) with a beauty and grace I've never seen in a third person character before.
A note to parents: This game involves blood, and lots of it. Blood when you get hit by a ninja's sword, blood when you lop off an enemy's head, blood when their bodies fall to the floor and explode into a small fountain before disappearing completely (it was the best way to keep the game running at a consistent framerate, so if your kids enjoy seeing piles of bodies lying around in their games, you have my sympathy).
The game engine cutscenes are beautiful and thrilling to watch, let alone the CG between levels, which is beyond compare. Each cutscene is truly a reward for completing the previous area of the game, the way games used to be, remember? You can count the eyelashes on the characters, the hair on their heads, etc. Amazing to think your Xbox is running these images off a cd.
The sound is appropriate for a game that's essentially a ninja revenge story set in a fantastic world that invloves everything from deadly ninjas to Schwarzenneger-sized nunchaku-wielding mentors to commandos and dragons and undead fiends and otherworldy floating samurai mages and more. That goes for the English voice work, by the way. Doesn't a somewhat cheesy game world demand somewhat cheesy character voices? I haven't listened to the Japanese with English subtitles, but I've heard it's even better. All the ambient music and sound effects are wonderful too, and serve to draw you into the game experience.
As with any 3rd-person-action-adventure-ninja-fantasy-game, it's the gameplay that's THE deciding factor for most gamers when they reach for their wallets (if they read reviews at all before buying).
The gameplay in Ninja Gaiden does not disappoint. The button controls are very intuitive. I compare them to Halo's--once you've become comfortable with the way Ryu moves, it's second nature. You could button mash in this game, but it won't get you very far (hence my only reaching the 4th level so far). You'd do well to learn at least a few of the button combos to get by some of the stickier spots (watch out for the Spider Clan Ninjas!).
In closing, Ninja Gaiden is an entertaining game that provides wows, thrills, and plenty of jaw-dropping action, if you're willing to take a chance and play a game that is gauranteed (it was made) to challenge your gaming skills while giving you the ride of at least this, first, quarter of the year.
Imagine what the rest of the year will bring....

Slices and dices and never leaves a dull blade!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ninja Gaiden is simply one of the deepest, most rewarding video games I have ever played. I should explain that it took me a while to realize this depth and appreciate its greatness. I'm also writing this review minus one XBOX controller--smashed into oblivion in a less than Zen-like moment of game play. But in a way, the level of emotion that the game elicited was one of the signs of its greatness. For any other game that had frustrated me in this way, I would have simply quit playing, written a scathing review, then gathered the morning leavings of my dog, put them in a bag, and set them in front of Team Ninja's offices. Ninja Gaiden is good enough to make you want to get past your own frustrations.

In terms of game play, it seems to be an amalgam of a few different classics: Onimusha, Devil May Cry and Prince of Persia all come to mind. Third-person combat, minor platforming, boss fights and CG cut scenes drive the game. Each element is incorporated expertly and handled with style. At its core, however, this game is about combat. The fluidity, depth, and excitement in the combat persist as you play. The elevated difficulty of your enemies is partly responsible for this, as is the mood appropriate music, but I think my own satisfaction was also based on recognizing how I was improving as the game progressed. Although I try to incorporate a firm no-learning policy in my life, Ninja Gaiden managed to surreptitiously make me learn certain rhythmic button combinations. Don't let this scare you. It's not English class. You learn how to separate limbs and heads from bodies--not how to separate phrases and clauses. There are probably fifteen to two dozen moves to learn for each melee weapon. In addition, there are numerous projectile weapons and elemental spells that can be used to lay waste to opponents. Enemy grunts that are easily dispatched in other games are skilled opponents in Ninja Gaiden. And the boss fights you engage in are, to put it mildly, punishing.

Ninja Gaiden is also, hands-down, the best-looking console game I've ever played. The environments are spectacular and the character models look great. Not once did I detect a graphical glitch or imperfection of any kind. The collision detection was spot-on and there was no hint of graphical slowdown in this rapidly paced and highly detailed game. The only real complaint I had was with camera angles; in any other action adventure game, minor camera issues would be a simple nuisance. In Ninja Gaiden, with game speed and difficulty so elevated, less than perfect camera angles detract from the game and cause unneeded frustration. It doesn't happen often, but it happens enough to be noticeable.

The audio was another outstanding element. There was tremendous variation to the music and it seemed to fit the mood perfectly. Sound effects were also well done, with both combat and environment audio adding to the player's immersion level. The voice acting in the cut scenes was definitely over the top, but didn't take away from the game.

It should be pointed out that this game definitely deserves its M rating; it is bloody and chock full of decapitations, and Rachel, the most prominent and very memorable female character, looks like she's a porn queen and outfitted by some S&M fetishist. So it goes without saying that the cut scenes held my interest intently. Just keep young children away--unless you let them watch Brittney Spears. Then it's nothing they haven't seen beofre.

If you are able to stomach the punishing difficulty, this is one of the most polished and rewarding games for any system.

Scrumtralescent

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

As Will Ferrel once said, "There is no word to describe the level of perfection this game has bundled up inside of its code, so I am forced to make one up. Which I am going to do right now: Scrumtralescent!" -Actor's Studio skit (NOT)

In truth, it is almost that good, I would say only behind Halo, and Splinter Cell might be better, MIGHT. Its one of those games where you can immediately pick up the controller and think you are god whilst you decapitate, flip, and slash. Yet as levels progress and enemies get harder, you learn all those cool flips and the wall running and stuff aren't just eye-candy (But that candy is still delicious! Scrumtralescent!). They are there to save your life, and to look cool as hell while doin it. Imagine, if you will, running around a small room; but on its walls. You see an enemy jump up to slice you, so quickly you jump and press Y afterwards to decapitate him in mid-air whilst you zip to the ground where more ninjas await. You instinctively roll away from two of their pathetic slashes and jump up, returning with a slashing combo so cool I can't even describe it, and end with a sweet looking flip while your sword chops off heads left and right. If you couldn't imagine that, get the demo, then the game. It will be great.

Not a Cake-walk

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: May 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

"Ninja Gaiden" was in development for many years before it was released, and it shows. Despite its highly-detailed graphics and the incredibly fast pace there are no noticeable snags or glitches in the gameplay. Everything runs smoothly and consistently.
The missions are, for the most part, linear, and combat forces the player into a steep learning curve. However, these things were even more true of the predecessor games on the NES. This sequel pays due homage to its roots while updating gameplay for the modern age. It takes advantage of its 3D platform to offer a wide array of easy-to-execute combos and means of manipulating the environment. "Ninja Gaiden" has an intended 'arcade-y' feel, but it's more comfortable and enjoyable than most other fast-paced games out there.
One thing I would have liked is a local multiplayer option- ie, one that did not require Xbox Live or an internet connection. However, the single-player game is more than entertaining enough to warrant purchase on its own merits.
The only real issue I had was the camera. To be honest, I'm not sure that a game of this pace and style could hope to improve much in this area, but I found it difficult to keep the camera in a workable position. "Ninja Gaiden" (and players' frustation levels) could have benefitted tremendously from camera tracking- to have the ability to keep the camera directly behind the on-screen character, or toggle to the game's current free view, at will. Since enemies are often as fast as the character, keeping them in sight while you plan your next move is more difficult than it needs to be.
In all, I'm happy to own a copy of this game, and I may return to it periodically in the future. It's a smooth action game that is remarkably simple to control once you become accustomed to it.

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