Ninja Gaiden

""Amalgamation " Gaiden Perhaps"

*Disclaimer: Those expecting to find an unbiased, contemporary review need look elsewhere. While I have done my best to try and address the game with a modern attitude, and fairly at that, at 21 years old I am indeed familiar with the history of the Ninja Gaiden series and thus can not and will not escape referring to it as necessary. For that you, the reader, have my apologies.*

It may be difficult for a non Xbox gamer to comprehend the significance of Ninja Gaiden, and for a number of reasons at that. For one thing, gamers who flock to either Sony or Nintendo’s offerings have a number of quality first or third party exclusives which seek to further entrench said console’s user bases; Microsoft arguably does not. Secondly, publisher Tecmo represents perhaps the only well established game company in Japan to actually give a damn about the big green one. Thirdly, the actual release of the game signifies an ‘end’ to one of the most anticipated yet delayed games in history, especially for the Xbox. Finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, the game itself marks the end of a 13 year long hiatus-similar to that of Nintendo’s Metroid series-during which the Ninja Gaiden series was notable absent from the gaming community.

Tecmo and its internal Team Ninja studio actually deserve a big pat on the back for their work on the Xbox; past, present, and future. In a country where Xbox consoles line store shelves for the sole reason that *no one* purchases it, Tecmo stands tall as the lone Japanese developer willing to program a high quality, high appeal videogame on a platform which seemingly less than 1% of the population owns. Whether that dedication stem from a morbid obsession with Microsoft, a burning love for the American videogame industry, or perhaps just a desire to utilize the most powerful console specs, all gamers should stand up an applaud this pioneering company, never mind their opinion on the ‘box. There really is something admirable when a business stakes its reputation and financial future on a product that’s only guaranteed success is in an overseas market.

To give a brief overview of the Ninja Gaiden series, it began as a Final Fight-esque brawler in the Arcade circuit back in the mid/late 1980’s. Though remakes and ports of this game would surface on various gaming consoles in the next 10 years, it is probably the Famicom (NES) trilogy of games which most fans remember, and it is arguably the Famicom trilogy of games which most fans treasure. Mixing gameplay from seemingly every action platformer of the day, the original Famicom Ninja Gaiden provided a revolutionary experience, with its substantial emphasis on story, fast paced action, and over the top bosses. The Famicom follow ups provided even more improvements and hence by the time the final installment in the trilogy arrived, the series had evolved to a near-perfect state. Though many imitations would surface in the years to come, both in the form of direct clones and in “borrowed” ideas, the world would not see another official sequel for over a decade.

In order to best understand this review, one must “learn” that there are two Great Ironies to Ninja Gaiden Xbox:

1. For a game series which spun off countless clones and gameplay emulation, the latest installment seemingly exists using ideas ‘on lease’ from every other 3-D action game worth remembering.

2. Despite also the inclusion of series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa in Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive series, Tomonobu Itagaki, head of said development studio, actually admits to not only being unfamiliar with the series, but having not played it at all. In his quest to make “the best action game ever”, Itagaki chose the character of Ryu simply because of the fan interest from the ‘Alive series.

While the first irony may vex gamers weaned on the very titles which Ninja Gaiden “steals” from, the second is by far that which will infuriate the “old school” fans who’ve desperately pined for a follow up to their most cherished gaming commodity. And indeed such a reaction does indeed have merit; a more “relatable” situation for new gamers to understand would be a politician admitting “I know nothing about your country’s laws but will use those of where I come from to do my best” just minutes before making an acceptance speech. The obvious reply is, of course, “If you don’t know anything about the history you’re entering into, how dare you do so in the first place.” Just how blasphemous is the Xbox installment of Ninja Gaiden?

Though it is really a more ignorant gamer who places graphics of a higher priority than anything else, given that Ninja Gaiden (hereafter referred to as NG) is on the Xbox, and that more people cite graphical superiority as a defense of said console more than any other reason, such is the first topic to begin a review most formal. Much as how the Famicom games made use of graphics which were at the top of their game (given the context of the time period), so too does the Xbox NG follow suit. The visuals are simply mind-blowing, better than anything and everything seen on not only competitor platforms, but on Microsoft’s as well. Team Ninja definitely set a new benchmark in graphics to say the least. Should the lucky gamer have an HDTV set and the required hookups, it is a safe bet that NG will be the most impressive looking videogame they have ever seen.

Ryu’s attacks are all equally impressive, and in some ways represent a 3-D version of the kind of beauty and style so many praise PSOne’s Castlevania Nocturne in the Moonlight (Symphony of the Night) over. Perhaps even most amazing at all is the attention put into death animations: though the game would arguable benefit from a Shinobi-esque Tate system, what is present still works: knocking off heads, dismembering bodies, hacking off limbs…NG pretty much lets players assault the opponents with any and every attack possible.

The unfortunate part, however, is that despite all the technological achievements made in creating one of the best looking games in existence, NG falls victim to that which many other “lesser” titles do not: frame rate issues. The problem though is not just a minor issue of slowdown once and a while, but rather processing faults so egregious that the game almost looks like it’s a flip book, a problem seen quite frequently in PC games made to run on high end setups but played instead on low to mid level ones. Though this phenomenon does not occur frequently, when it does gamers may be left wondering just what the problem is.

A further problem is the extreme blandness to the environments themselves. While everything looks nice and pretty, the same positive remarks can not be made about the diversity of the game. While each of the game’s 16 chapters essentially takes place in a different environment, all of them have the same “been there, done that” feel and all of them become routine after the first minute or so of exploration. NG thus begs the question of if too much artificial realism can actually be problematic towards the enjoyment of a game. Furthering this issue, and indeed partly responsible for causing it in the first place, is the truly exasperating, pithy lack of traversable areas: For a game which had so much work put into it, the player may often wonder why things are so linear: the game only allows the gamer to go where its creators wanted them to go. Why it is that Ryu passes hundreds of buildings but is unable to enter any of them save for one is truly a mystery.

And perhaps therein lies one of the biggest problems in assessing a game like Ninja Gaiden: dealing with criticism from both worlds, the old and the new. On one hand, the original series is a no-nonsense trilogy which consists of straightforward game play. In this regard, NG does indeed uphold the style and presentation of its predecessors. On the other hand, however, NG is an entirely new game in an entirely new dimension. Times are different now and with new dimensions come new ideas and reinvention of previously established ones. Despite its creator’s comments, Team Ninja in seemingly could not decide if it wanted to make a 3-D version of the Famicom series, or if it wanted to make a modern game using a character from days gone by. The funny thing though, is that in this sense NG fails in both regards: it is so radically changed from the original idea that it is indeed an entirely new game, and despite being such it can not even implement some of the more forward-thinking concepts used in the games of today which many gamers *do* consider to be the top of their genres.

Though some may beg to differ, many of the more ‘well rounded’ gamers out there may find excessive truth in the “First Great Irony of Ninja Gaiden”. Just as Konami’s PS2 Castlevania game excessively borrowed from Capcom’s Devil May Cry series, so too does Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden borrow heavily from Capcom’s Onimusha series. To be fair, games have been around for so long that its really impossible to cite any specific release that any other one borrows from, however occasionally there will come along a game which creates such a stir, it is indeed used for all future references. See Final Fantasy VII and its’ embedment in the RPG genre, or Grand Theft Auto and its’ place in the Action-Crime genre. Though the Onimusha series is hardly the first game of its kind to use a money based “shop”, basic item-specific puzzles, hack and slash game play, or anything else, it did so with such excellence and fine tuning that Capcom’s foray became one of the more heralded action games in the current gaming generation, and likewise with the two follow ups. Thus, perhaps what NG is guilty of should not be stated as copying the Onimusha set up, but rather not adding anything to it: Despite the number of good intentions and game play ideas, Ninja Gaiden fails to provide any kind of material that would justify the over-the-top hype and claims its creator made; unlike Onimusha or Devil May Cry, NG really has nothing new to offer the next wave of gamers the ability to refer to it as many refer to Capcom’s franchises.

At it’s core, Ninja Gaiden is a hack and slash action game. Players control Ryu Hayabusa as he tries to stop an evil empire from gaining control of a sacred sword while at the same time, seeking vengeance for the crass genocide of his ninja clan. In the beginning, Ryu has access to only a single sword and a limited set of moves, but as he progresses, will gain the use of a variety of magic, weapons, abilities, and techniques. In addition to weapons most proper, there are also a number of projectile blades used for long distance attacks and assaults.

Destroying enemies yields either power orbs, magic orbs, or money orbs. While the first two items obviously refill the respective gauges, money orbs however, can be spent in the various shops throughout the game. Players can buy everything from restorative items, weapons, abilities, equipment, and even maps. It’s also possible to upgrade the various weapons in these shops, and hence unlock new power levels and attack abilities. Unlike other games which use a similar collection scenario, NG takes full advantage of the running combo counter that keeps track of each uninterrupted hit dealt to the opposition: the higher the combo reached, the larger the reward that an enemy will generate upon its demise. As if all this was not enough to deal with, players can also keep an eye out for any of the 50 hidden scarab medallions present throughout the game which can be traded in for impressive secrets.

While learning new techniques during the course of a game makes the process itself that much more involving, one may question the manner in which Team Ninja implemented this aspect into NG. Why not take an approach similar to that used in the PS2 Castlevania instead, that of the player learning new abilities over time? The whole idea of finding a scroll lying around and then magically learning its contents is just plain ridiculous, especially in this day and age when games are capable of so much more thanks to the processing power of 128-Bit consoles. So too is the lamentably clichéd idea of upgrading a weapon to unlock new skills. At least Castlevania gave the idea that its protagonist, Leon Belmont, learned new abilities as he went along. NG’s take on this is about as simplistic and hackneyed as it can get, and thus by no means interesting.

One of the more prevalent issues with the combat system, however, is in respect to the use of projectile attacks. Because of the dodgy control interface (and horrendous camera programming), it becomes a true chore to pick off enemies from a distance. Because NG does not implement any facets of the word ‘stealth’, it becomes necessary to dispose of vantage point enemies not to make future exploration that much easier, but instead to facilitate current movement. The opposition begins its onslaught the second Ryu comes into their perimeter, and hence gunshots, arrows, and any number of other projectiles will also begin showering down on the player should they reach specific areas. The most logical move then becomes to take down the snipers as soon as possible. Well, that is something easier said than done. Aiming is downright impossible, despite a first person mode and zoom in feature. The game provides no crosshair for the player to lock on to their target, and thus one is never sure when and if their shot will make its mark. Even worse however, because of the villain’s relentless assaults, Ryu will loose substantial amounts of health throughout the process.

The overall control interface works somewhat better, but not that much. Coupled with a camera system from hell (more on that shortly), movement mistakes will constantly arise, the only difference being their cost: will it mean retracing two minutes worth of progress or will it mean restarting the entire stage over again? Granted Ryu has an impressive number of techniques in his repertoire, but if they are next to impossible to execute without hours of fine-tuning practice, then how does that make life any better? Jumping is another problem, and so too is swimming.

With the recent trend being that of any and all profitable gaming franchises from the 1980’s receiving modern makeovers, many gamers are quick to point out the instances where taking a historic series into the third dimension does not work. Though the verdict is still up in the air as to how Ninja Gaiden fairs in this regard, there is a significant issue with NG that deems it suitable for the “Doesn’t Belong in 3-D” camp: the atrocious camera. At times reaching almost the horrific level of incompetent programming which only the next generation Sonic the Hedgehog games can own up to, NG will prove, time and time again, that despite how solid a game may be a bad camera system can and will ruin the experience. Early on in the game, things are not that bad but as the player gets farther along, they will fight more diverse enemies who naturally utilize more intelligent and aggressive means of attacks. In a number of instances, the camera will be seemingly off the action entirely, thus leaving Ryu open to any number of attacks before the player actually can determine what’s going on. In other cases, the camera works just plain terribly, such as in first person mode/aiming, or in

Though many charge modern videogames with being far too easy (something which is arguably a result of the saving feature), Ninja Gaiden spins the premonition on its head and instead represents perhaps the most difficult game created-perhaps ever. Forgoing an Easy mode entirely, Team Ninja starts things out with the Normal setting and offers two progressively increasing difficulty levels should the standard fare be deemed a breeze. While there is nothing wrong with a challenge, at times NG becomes too much, even getting in the way of the actual fun itself. It is sufficient to claim that anyone seeking to get into gaming with NG need look elsewhere; oddly enough however, even more veteran gamers alike will still find themselves dying repeatedly on even the lowest difficulty level. While NG’s challenge level is indeed commendable-Team Ninja scoffed at the idea of dummying down their product for the masses-the inclusion of an Easy mode would definitely have helped things out. While the process of practice makes perfect can be used in defense of NG, having to redo entire levels because of a limited number of save points can be quite taxing on a gamer’s psyche.

Sound wise, NG provides for a decent experience. The music itself is hit and miss; while some areas have none at all, those that do pretty much feature generic action game music that players will either take along with the action, or else ignore entirely. Some of the tracks, such as that inside the Monastery area, are wonderfully composed and show off some impressive composition ability, however regardless of how good any given track is, the game lacks any kind of interwoven “main theme” to tie the musical score together. At the same time, because the tracks are more complicated orchestrated movements rather than catchy programming (Shinobi or Kunoichi/Nightshade for example), none of them will ever embed themselves into the gamer’s head and thus linger after playing. The voice acting is pretty much generic fodder, both in terms of the English and Japanese talent (of which the game allows the players to choose from either). It’s basically what one comes to expect from an action game, and indeed does not fall too far from the Dead or Alive tree, much like a few of the characters who also hail from said game.

As is the current trend with all “mass appeal” games, be them for the Xbox or PS2, online compatibility is in tow. Though high expectations of new areas, more costumes, or even secret downloadable weapons may have once been the intentions of Team Ninja, the final build of NG basically has only multiplayer competition gameplay. To be sure it is quite fun playing gamers from other parts of the world, however at the same time one can’t help but wonder when developers will start taking better advantage of the massive floodgates online support opens up. Though if anything, Tecmo once again deserves a round of applause as if Xbox sales in Japan are not bad enough, Xbox Live subscriptions is even worse.

Oddly enough, one of the biggest draws to NG may be something Team Ninja 2004 did not work on, namely the Famicom trilogy. In a fit of sheer brilliance, all three of the original games are unlockable in NG. Once again comparisons can be made to Sonic Team’s Sonic Adventure/Heroes games however, as obtaining these retro gems takes a superhuman player indeed. In the end however, the ability to play not one, but four games in all surely does justify the insane amount of dedication and perseverance it takes to unlock every secret NG has to offer.

Despite the numerous flaws and nit picking, looked at in a vacuum, NG is indeed a decent game, perhaps even a great one at that. Despite the high difficulty level, once players get the hang of the game things start to get quite fun, and there is definitely a feeling of satisfaction achieved by unleashing a killer move, which not only looks cool but literally kills (the opponent that is). Boss encounters are surprisingly in-depth, often requiring multi-tiered assaults in order to topple the foe. Secrets can only be achieved via the use of precision control, and most always provide ample reward for the hard work. Via the inclusion of a wide variety of weapons (some hidden, some not), the game manages to successful incorporate all of them into the game play by a carefully planned balance system whereby specific weapons are most useful against specific types of enemies.

Ninja Gaiden may be, hands down, the most hyped game ever; perhaps the digital counterpart of the “Matrix” sequels. Between the dozen or so years since the last installment, the numerous delays, the lofty goals, the lack of quality exclusive games on the Xbox, and the constant spotlight on its development, there was no way Ninja Gaiden could ever live up to the massive amount of pre-release anticipation it drew. Though interest was indeed high, even in Japan, as could be expected Ninja Gaiden is not turning out to be the magical panacea which Mircosoft undoubtedly hoped for. It is, however, a lush gaming installment which gives Xbox owners reason to rejoice over their owning said console, and fills a two-folded niche at that; in one respect, existing as a ‘killer ap’ thus *the* game which all others serve as filler to, as well as being an Xbox exclusive which thus lets Microsoft fans have a bit more ammunition with which to state their ‘speculative’ superiority over the gaming masses.

In Japan, where Tecmo, Team Ninja, and Microsoft have touted Ninja Gaiden as *the* product which will instantly bestow salience onto the Xbox, the reaction seemed a cross between the launch of a Nintendo console (post Super Famicom) and any other game release: Indeed many hardcore gamers purchased an Xbox console, but as some of the used game store clerks admitted a few days later, many of the same spend-happy customers then proceeded to sell back the lot after completion of the game. With Microsoft recently bringing over a wave of USA made Xbox games to Japan, perhaps more and more gamers will decide to keep the console however. If anything, NG definitely had a buzz going for it in Japan, something that was actually unprecedented for said console given the two years of horrendously lagging sales. Perhaps, just maybe, the advent of NG will cause other publishers to take note and start programming for the Xbox as well; the end result of which would only serve the console for the better. . In the USA, the reaction to NG could not be more impressive: be it fanboy praising, anti-Xbox bashing, ranting, raving, whatever the case may be, the gaming public *is* discussing this fascinating release, and in the end what more could Mircosoft want.

As a game, Ninja Gaiden is undeniably a solid one: it combines top of the line visuals, tough as nails challenge, a comprehensive story, and a number of secrets to unlock. As the holy messiah of the gaming world which creator Tomonobu Itagaki led followers to believe it is however, Ninja Gaiden is grossly flawed; that which it offers is neither innovative nor inventive; rather, it is merely a stylized alternative take on any number of games which have already been down this road before, many of them doing so with far more polish and panache than this one. Perhaps the real question then, is whether or not this more encompassing view of the game in fact damages the credibility of the isolated one. Ultimately, the answer to that can only be determined by the individual gamer themselves.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/15/04, Updated 03/16/04