Customer Reviews

Ninja Gaiden

5 star:		(150)
4 star:		(51)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

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.

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

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.

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.

Okay, before I say anything else it's this: This game is not for kids. Not only will it give their young innecent minds nightmares of demonic blood craving creatures, but they could also not last more than 2 seconds playing the thing.

In fact, at first I could hardly last 2 seconds playing the thing. I died very easily.

To tell the truth this game is maddingly hard. You truely have to have fast reactions and actual skill in this game. You die, you try agian, you die, you try again...eventually if you try hard enough, you get past a chapter and beat the impossible boss by a hair...you jump out of your chair do a little victory dance to releave a little tention, relax your friction burnt thumbs, sit down, start the next level and start dieing another houndred times. It's frustarating behond belief and yet I loved the challenge.

To be honest, we need more games like this. It been years since I've actually struggled at a game and I still haven't finished it, but you always feel like you deserve it when you win. Until I played that game I didn't even relieze how much I missed that feeling.

Anyway, the action is awsome, the graphics are unbelievable, the characters are ruthless. The story doesn't make much sence, but I didn't care. I am actually usually very critical of storylines, yet for Ninja Gaiden I really didn't care (probably because after all the time and effort it took to move on in the game made you somewhat carefree when you finally saw any of the story).

One of my top favorite Xbox games. I'd recomend it to anyone over 16.

I like to think of myself as a patient man. I read the reviews of this game and I'll admit it,I dismissed the reviewers that complained about this title's difficulty as whiners without the patience and/or tenacity to appreciate a challenge. How wrong I was. This game is an exercise in futility and frustration that would send even a zen monk on a red-faced, seething tyrade of hatred against the cruel developers. Yes, it is beautifully rendered (though I think previous reviewers might have overstated it's beauty; the cutscenes are amazing, but the in-game graphics are simply avarage), the storyline is intriguing and when a stretch of gameplay lasts more than five or so minutes (rare; repeated deaths followed by endless repeating of the same stretch of game is more the norm) one can almost appreciate the game's intent. I've given up somewhere in the 5th level, however, as rival ninjas repeatedly hurl seemingly inescapable bombs at me. I have a headache. This is not what I call amusement; it's torturous and I give up.

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.

Picture this: you're a ninja, who rocks, and was recently sent on a mission to pick up some Chinese takeout. But when you return to your village, you find it has been ravaged by your arch-nemesis, Ronny the Samurai! After a quick bout, he smites you. This leaves you one choice: using only the hottest ninja chicks as your allies, you must seek VENGEANCE! Not because it's the right thing to do mind you, but because you're really ticked off.

Well, that's not quite how it happens. But anyone who has sort of glanced at the back cover of this game might find the description somewhat mildly similar. But that's beside the point. And the point is that this game rocks. It's just that simple.

Don't get me wrong: this game is not perfect. Many people found some flaws in it. They said it was difficult, and the camera sucked. Well first, difficulty is not a flaw. That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Secondly, yes the camera does suck, but in the long run I'd rather have a camera that centers on your back than one that slowly moves around the room.

My two problems were thus: there was no out of game content. Boy did I get this one wrong. After you beat the game, you can get a movie viewer to see all the graphically flawless cinematics. You can, depending on what internet cheat guide you read, get the original Ninja Gaiden arcade games. I didn't even know those existed! But the best unlocked thingy ever is the soundtrack under "sound test." Why doesn't every game have one of these new-fangled playable soundtracks? Just a suggestion...

My second complaint was a lack of level select, and there's nothing I can do about that. It wouldn't have fit the game design anyway. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. But this a small price to pay.

As I mentioned before, this game is not "awsometastic." It merely rocks, which is saying a lot considering how much ninja video gaming garbage there is out there. So I strongly urge you to go out there, strap a bow, some arrows and nunchaku to your back, and flip out and buy this game. Seriously dude, it rocks. And, oh yeah, did I mention it rocks?

This game is extremely frustrating and will drive you crazy but you can't stop playing it. This game is easily one of the most difficult and addicting games at the same time. The graphics are the best I've seen on a console and the gameplay is terrific. I don't understand what the complaints are with the camera, sure it can at times go haywire put all you have to do it pull on the right trigger to recenter it. The camera really isn't a problem as long as you recenter. As I said it is difficult and doesn't get easier. The boss fights are intense but once you figure out their weaknesses they are really not that bad. This is not a game for the casual gamer but if you like a challenge this one is for you.

There's an old adage regarding hype that states, essentially, the more you hear about something before you actually see it, the more disappointing it will turn out to be when you do. The end result of this is that even a very good end product can feel flat, so ridiculously high were the expectations.

I'm not sure why sometimes this applies and sometimes it doesn't. When Panzer Dragoon Orta was announced for the Xbox, I remember a massive cheer of joy coming from both the hardcore gamers and mainstream fans alike. When it was finally released, I was shocked and a little dismayed to read reviews that were more along the lines of "Mmm, it's pretty good" than the unchecked gushing that had accompanied previous coverage of the game. What confused me even more was that, when I picked it up, it turned out to be even better than I had hoped for, both as a massive fan of the Panzer series and just as a fan of action games in general. What gives?

My guess is people had already projected all their own personal expectations on the game, so much so that there was no way it was going to make everyone happy. Had people been given a more clear-cut picture of just what to expect, I think opinions may have untangled themselves a bit more. At the least, there'd be a lot less used copies of the game for sale a week after its release.

So, when the extremely-hyped Ninja Gaiden was released, I was all set to view the game in an unadulterated light. I'd set aside a Sunday and gone back to play the original NES title through to completion (not easy!) and bone up on my Ninja Gaiden history. In short, I wanted to know what I'd be getting into with this game. Would it be the modern-day equivalent of the innovative original, as Team Ninja's head Tomonobu Itagaki was loudly promising? Would it turn out to be a pretty-but-shallow cash-in on a beloved franchise? Somewhere in between, maybe? I felt prepared to make an accurate judgment on what was supposedly going to be a landmark title, so I headed out on its release date and picked it up.

After finishing the game a week later, I've come to the conclusion that this is one of the best action games I've ever played in my life. Period.

I'm going to basically eschew any discussion on game mechanics or basics regarding the game itself, because those are readily available all over the place for this title. A good summary; the graphics will knock you flat, the music isn't irritating, the voice acting is fine, the game controls like a dream, and yeah, the camera can be a pain until you get used to it. A zoom-out feature would have been nice. It's also not going to win any plot awards, so don't expect to become particularly attached to the characters.

When all is said and done, unless you're a fan of honest-to-God, straight up Action titles, then this game isn't going to do it for you. It doesn't matter if you were a fan of the original - I've already read one review on a high profile website sniffing about how the game style was too different the NES version, which the reviewer claimed to have been very good at - you've got to be a willing fan of action games right now, in the modern day, playing by modern day rules. More importantly, you've got to be willing to prove it if you want any enjoyment from this game beyond the menu screen. If you can't get over the fact that there's a third dimension in your Ninja Gaiden, however well implemented, then save yourself the cash and just play the original. There's nothing wrong with that.

This game isn't geared towards the mass market any more than Panzer Dragoon was, and if anything it makes far fewer concessions in terms of the commitment it requires from the player in order to enjoy it. Ninja Gaiden is difficult, make no mistake, but not in the "I have to memorize this level to get through it easily" sense (a la Contra on the PS2). Had that been the case, then perseverance is a simple matter of trial-and-error, and eventually, anyone could finish the game if they were patient enough.

Not here. Simply stated, you can't get through the levels easily, regardless of foreknowledge of enemy placement or anything like that. This is a game that expects the player to be able to keep up with the solid but rapid learning curve, and if they can't, the game will gleefully slap them around - usually really hard - until they either "get it" or toss the controller through the screen. In Ninja Gaiden, there isn't what is usually referred to as a "suck factor", that is, the game doesn't get any easier depending on how many times the player has died attempting a certain stage.

Provided you see all of this as a good thing, then welcome to the best action title in many years. Ninja Gaiden is one of the few games that can genuinely challenge a player without seeming frustrating. If you're stuck somewhere, it's almost always a matter of either taking a different approach, or learning to become better in order to get past. The game is hardly ever "cheap", and the few times that it is, it's a purposeful swipe at the player, as if to say "Yeah, we'll throw three boss battles in a row at you with no save point. If you want to save, start trekking back to the beginning of the level. We'll wait here. Wuss." You can't help but grin at that.

In addition, the entire Ninja Gaiden NES trilogy is on the disk as a bonus...But expect to work for them. Like everything else here, it's something to strive for, not something they give you.

Isn't it better that way?