RipTen Videogame Blog » Team-Ninja

Ninja Gaiden 3 and Sigma Plus PSVita Hands-On, Team Studio Head Interview

Michael Futter — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:30:18 +0000

In a small room in mid-town Manhattan yesterday, I joined up with several journalists to sample the best of what Tecmo Koei had to offer in the coming months. After getting comfortable on the couch with a Playstation Vita in my hand, I was introduced to Yosuke Hayashi, head of Team Ninja. He was generous enough to answer a few questions about the Vita launch title, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus and the much-anticipated Ninja Gaiden 3.

The Vita update of the original Ninja Gaiden looks gorgeous. The controls are still as fluid as I remember, and with the power of the hardware and button configuration, it felt exactly like playing with a gamepad. The touchscreen is used for entering first-person mode quickly, which makes it useful but not intrusive into the experience.

Michael Futter: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. It’s great to be able to see both of these titles, Hayabusa’s beginning and his latest adventure, side-by-side. Can you tell me what prompted you to bring back the original Ninja Gaiden story for the Vita’s launch?

Yosuke Hayashi: BrinGing Ninja Gaiden to the Vita in the form of Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus was a great fit. First, we had a very limited time frame to prepare a game for the Vita, so it made sense to bring Ninja Gaiden to a new audience. Also, this will help get people excited about the franchise with the release of Ninja Gaiden 3 coming so soon.

MF: What were some of the challenges and some of the joys in adapting the original Ninja Gaiden to the new hardware?

YH: For the development team, it is always fun to work on new hardware. The tight time frame made it challenging, but Team Ninja sees the challenge as part of the fun.

MF: Given how difficult the Ninja Gaiden series is, I can tell you take that to heart. Speaking of which, what can we expect in terms of challenge for both Sigma Plus and Ninja Gaiden 3?

YH: Handheld systems aren’t exactly like cell phones, but people now expect to be able to pick up a game and play for a short amount of time. Because of that, we wanted Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus to be accessible to casual players. We’ve added a “Hero Mode” for this audience. While the Normal and Hard modes will still provide the challenge that the series is known for, Hero mode gives a helping hand with auto-blocking and auto-evading when you are wounded. You can always switch down to this difficulty level, too, if you want to try the game out on the normal difficulty.

MF: Finally, what did you learn from working with the Vita hardware? What will you take with you to your next project on the system?

YH: Adapting the game for a broader audience was a challenge. We didn’t want to take anything away from the challenge that fans love, but we wanted as many people to feel comfortable experiencing it as possible. Hero mode solves both problems. We brought that sensibility to Ninja Gaiden 3, also. You can switch to Hero Mode at any time in that game.

I’m excited to give the full version a go when it arrives. I loved the original Ninja Gaiden, but hit a brick wall with the difficulty. I’m thrilled to finally be able to go back and finish it, with Hero Mode if necessary. It sounds and looks as good as you remember it, which is an impressive feat given the fog of nostalgia.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus Dated for PS Vita Launch, Stunning New Screens

Garrett Hartman — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:44:58 +0000

Tecmo Koei has announced today that Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus will release on February 22nd – the PS Vita launch day. Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus will be much more than a simple remake of its PS3 brother as it will make use of Vita features such as the touchscreen, gyro sensor and rear touch pad. Players will also have the ability to toggle through first and third-person view.

As you can see from the screens below, it’s quite a good looking portable game.

Ninja Gaiden 3 Release Date and Collector’s Edition Details

Dave Oshry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:00:15 +0000

Those of you eagerly awaiting Ryu Hayabusa’s next adventure need only wait a few more months as Tecmo Koei has announced that Ninja Gaiden 3 will ship in March 2012 and will have a sweet collector’s edition to go with it. There are also exclusives if you order at GameStop or Amazon, which I’m sure you expected…

NINJA GAIDEN 3 spotlights the series’ beloved Japanese dark hero, Ryu Hayabusa, with an original story developed by famed writer Masato Kato bringing new depth to the game’s intense swordsmanship and hardcore action combat.Led by studio leader Yosuke Hayashi, Team NINJA has crafted the game to immerse players in a new experience as the man, the human being, behind the ultimate ninja’s mask. As well as adding dimension to this mysterious and complex character, the game delivers a heightened intensity during close combat fighting while featuring new competitive and co-op online multiplayer that brings a new experience to the NINJA GAIDEN series. At launch, it will be time for players to pick up the famed Dragon Sword once more to sharpen its blade and hone their skills.

Those who preorder NINJA GAIDEN 3 at GameStop and Amazon will get a special downloadable two-character demo stage from Team NINJA’s upcoming DEAD OR ALIVE 5 fighting game, giving fans an exclusive chance to experience the game’s high quality, high energy action fighting before it arrives in stores in 2012. Meanwhile, the premium NINJA GAIDEN 3 Collector’s Edition offers a truly deluxe package that gives players a chance to play all four characters in the DEAD OR ALIVE 5 demo stage, an exclusive NINJA GAIDEN 3 “Unmask” game art book, soundtrack CD, and a unique “Duel of the Masked” figure not available elsewhere. Collector’s Edition only available at GameStop and EB Games.

We’re still trying to find pictures of this “Duel of the Masked” figure. Hopefully it will be as bad ass as it sounds.

Stay tuned to RipTen for continued coverage of Ninja Gaiden 3.

TGS 2011: Devil May Cry (DmC) Gameplay Trailer

Garrett Hartman — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:53:50 +0000

Who cares about his hair? The action looks fast and furious in the new Devil May Cry Trailer from the 2011 Tokyo Game Show. The new Dante seems to have his fighting moves down to look slick, deadly, yet different than those of his predecessor.

Check out the new trailer below:

TGS 2011: Ninja Gaiden 3 ‘Consequences’ Trailer & Screenshots

Garrett Hartman — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:25:12 +0000

The latest Tokyo Game Show trailer by Team Ninja for Ninja Gaiden 3 titled “Consequences” shows that players will be forced to confront the consequences of their actions. In the video, you can clearly see that Ryu is feeling the consequences.

Watch the video below and check out the killer screenshots.

Ninja Gaiden 3 Will Use PS Move

Dave Oshry — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:15:14 +0000

It’s been quite some time since you’ve had a reason to dust off your PSMove, but with today’s release of No More Heroes HD and the upcoming release of Ninja Gaiden 3, you’ll be putting holes in your TV in no time!

Check the press release:

BURLINGAME, Calif. August 15^th, 2011 – Today at Gamescom Team NINJA and Tecmo Koei are proud to announce full PlayStation Move compatibility for its upcoming killer action hit NINJA GAIDEN 3.

This will be the first time the popular NINJA GAIDEN series hosts motion control and it will give players a new visceral edge when battling and slicing through their enemy’s flesh and bone.

“We are really excited to announce this fantastic news at one of Europe’s most prestigious game events that is Gamescom”, stated the leader of Team NINJA Yosuke Hayashi. “NINJA GAIDEN 3 is all about slicing and chopping through flesh and bone and PlayStation Move bring players even closer to the game’s protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. The game will be compatible with all Move peripherals and it will feature full compatibility with this exciting new hardware.”

Stay tuned to RipTen for continued coverage of Ninja Gaiden 3 and all things Team Ninja.

RipTen Review: Dead or Alive Dimensions (3DS)

Brandon Fenty — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:27:24 +0000

Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a game of firsts for the series. It is the first DOA title on a Nintendo platform. More notably, it is also the first handheld game in the series. While it would have been easy to sacrifice quality to get Dimensions onto the portable platform, Team Ninja has kept this game true to its predecessors and made an all-around impressive game.

Dimensions is, quite simply, the prettiest game I’ve seen on the DS to date. The levels are huge and each part shows attention to detail. The attention to detail continues with the character models, which show no polygons whatsoever. The resolution is fantastic, with no jagged edges showing, and the whole thing runs at a solid 30fps in 3D mode or 60fps with 3D turned off. To be honest, the graphics feel like they belong on a console more than a handheld, and have more in common with DOA4 on the Xbox 360 than any of the 3DS’ other titles.

Dimensions looks great in 3D, but the effect really isn’t necessary to the game. The reason I mention this is that with the fast pace the fighting maintains, sometimes the extra fps is worth more than the cool 3D effect. Still, both 2D and 3D maintain a solid framerate throughout and are completely playable; the difference in fps is a matter of preference more than anything else.

Dimensions’ controls are completely solid. Dimensions uses the same counters system that the series is known for. Unlike many other fighting games (such as Street Fighter), DOA doesn’t use complex button combinations to pull off moves. Instead, it’s all about the timing. Getting the timing right with different attacks is the key to pulling off successful combos and counters, and it allows for a fluid, free-flow style combat. You’ll either love or hate the system, but for series veterans you’ll feel right at home.

Not many people will be playing Dimensions for the story, which is a good thing. Trying to make sense of the story is nearly impossible. Story mode is known as Chronicle, and it’s a combination of in-game and pre-rendered cutscenes, interspersed by fights. The pre-rendered cutscenes are really cool, and for those who are familiar with the DOA story, they’re fun to watch (though not really breaking any new ground). However, if you don’t know much about the DOA backstory, prepare to be confused. The problem is compounded by the fact that many of the in-game cutscenes consist of the character model frozen, playing sound effects, more like a motion comic than full video. It’s kind of annoying to watch, and gives a general feeling of being unfinished to the cutscenes. Still, it’s a minor gripe.

There’s really no end of modes to Dimensions. In addition to Chronicle, there’s a classic arcade mode where you face off against opponents in a time-trial to beat the clock. There’s also a survival mode where the object is to survive against ever-increasingly difficult enemies. Tag Battle puts you and a CPU player against opponents of varying difficulties. The idea of Tag Battle is fun, but considering that the CPU can tag themselves into the battle at any time, sometimes it can get annoying. The AI tries to hop in whenever your health gets low, but sometimes you just want to finish the fight instead of constantly swapping out players. It would have been a lot better if they’d included a way to manually swap with your AI partner. There’s also a free play mode, which is basically just endless battles against a single CPU opponent. These can be fun for practicing your skills are just having some good battles without worrying about completing a challenge.

Multiplayer is always a big focus in a fighting game, and Dimensions has several modes to offer in this area. Local wireless is great for challenging a friend, but there’s no download play so you’ll both need your own copy. While I can see why this is necessary, it’s annoying to need 2 copies of the game to play with a friend. Online multiplayer is fairly simple; you choose whether you want to play in your region or anywhere in the world, and then choose a character. Then you face off, and once the battle is over, you’re brought back to the matchmaking screen. There’s really no reward for playing online (besides the joy of kicking another player’s ass). Lag is a serious problem in online multiplayer. Even on a high-speed connection playing against someone from my local region, the game slowed to a crawl. Playing online almost feels more like luck than skill, at least in the matches that I’ve played so far. Eventually I got fed up with it and just quit trying altogether. Online lag seems to have been a problem in DOA4 to a lesser degree as well, so this might actually have something to do with the game engine and not the speed of the connection or the platform. Whatever the problem, it’s annoying and is a major flaw in the game.

In the end, Dimensions is a solid entry into the fighting genre on the 3DS. The game honestly feels more like a full-fledged console title rather than a handheld. The graphics are gorgeous, the controls solid, and the fighting intense. While there are some issues with the online play, there’s plenty to keep you going in offline and hopefully Team Ninja will be able to update the game and fix the online issues. In the meantime, Dimensions is one of the best games available for the 3DS at this point, and a must-buy for any fan of the DOA series.

Here’s The Rundown:

+Awesome graphics

+Great overall fighting game experience

-Online Multiplayer is almost unplayable

-Story mode is somewhat confusing

New Dead Or Alive Dimensions (3DS) Metroid: Other M Stage Screens

Justin Berube — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:04:17 +0000

Last week RipTen reported on a new Dead Or Alive Dimensions (3DS) trailer that revealed a stage from Metroid: Other M. Today Tecmo Koei America and Team NINJA have just revealed several new screens of the exciting new stage. This game is now a must buy for any hardcore Nintendo and/or Metroid fan! Enjoy!

Want to stay up to date on the latest Nintendo news, information, and more? Follow me on Twitter @KingNintendoFan or Like Me on Facebook. Be sure to tell me what you think about the Metroid: Other M stage in Dead Or Alive Dimensions!

Metroid: Other M Stage In Dead Or Alive Dimensions (3DS)

Justin Berube — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:35:20 +0000

A new Dead Or Alive Dimensions trailer shows off a stage modeled after an area from Metroid: Other M. This stage also features Ridely, the famous Space Pirate from the Metroid series, and Samus Aran. Check out the video below to see this stage in action! This game is now a must buy for me!

Source

Ninja Gaiden 3 Announced With a Gritty and Bloodied Ryu

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 21:49:24 +0000

Ryu Hayabusa has come back…albeit a little bloodier than usual.

At a private dinner press event, Tecmo Koei revealed that Ninja Gaiden 3 is currently being developed. Although not very much of a surprise, they announced Team Ninja and Ninja Gaiden are going in a “new direction” and promised to display a more “human side” of hero Ryu Hayabusa. To further illustrate their intention, attending journalists were given a piece of Concept art.

This ‘new direction’ could mean more realistic take. In the artist’s drawing of Ryu, we see a much grittier and bloodied protagonist. One who seems a departure from the well kept, perfect Ninja we’ve grown accustomed to. This could be what the series has needed.

Not much else was discussed of the game, not even which platforms it’s in development for. No further announcements are planned for Tokyo Game Show. It’s probably safe to assume you’ll see it on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

The full concept picture below:

Glitch Ruining Metroid: Other M For Some Players (Updated with Video)

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:53:28 +0000

A glitch involving a locked red door in Metroid: Other M is apparently ruining the game for many players.

The glitch appears in Sector 3 after a boss battle. Reportedly after the battle, players are to progress north through a red door which some have found permanently closed.

Gameplay is effected because players can’t progress and are forced to restart the game with a new save file. There has been no word on a possible solution.

Let’s hope Nintendo can fix this soon.

Source

Here’s Video of it:

Tecmo’s Team Ninja Working On Three Titles

Kev Lochun — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:58:59 +0000

Speaking at Tecmo’s Autumn Conference, new president Yasuharu Kakihara has revealed that Team Ninja are not only still together following Itagaki’s departure, but that they’re very busy indeed.

Three new titles are being worked on, but there’s no word on what they are. It’s a bit too soon for Ninja Gaiden 3, but it’s about time for Dead or Alive 5, isn’t it? He did however bring up Team Tachyon’s Rygar: The Battle of Argus– more details about it will be revealed at TGS 2008.

President Kakihara also engaged in a formal bit of corporate back-slapping, affirming that Tecmo is a world class developer and would be aiming to expand in the future. Though I’m not sure dreams of expansion are going to sit with Square Enix.

Source: Inside Games (translated by Google)

Ninja Gaiden II Probably NOT Coming to PS3… Or Is It?

Dan Landis — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:27:22 +0000

I’m sure this is not what you were hoping for.

According to the February issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, it’s a definite “maybe”. Of course that could just be a typo.

Towards the end of EGM’s Game Over section, they always give a little sneak peek at the next month’s issue. This time, they happen to have Ninja Gaiden II listed in the previews section, but they have it listed for both the 360 and the PS3.

Now, I’m not one to start rumors, so let me just tell you now that I find this extremely hard to believe. I’ve been a reader of EGM for over 15 years, and I’ve seen mistakes like this before. Yes, I’m saying it’s a mistake — a typographical error.

Image courtesy of myself because it’s my magazine and I paid for it. The content, of course, is the property of EGM and Ziff Davis Media.

While it’s entirely possible that EGM knows something we don’t and inadvertently let the ninja out of the bag, I dismiss this idea for one main reason: Microsoft is publishing the game. Unless Tecmo and Team Ninja decided to let Sony or someone else (maybe themselves) publish Ninja Gaiden II for the PS3, I doubt the game is coming to the PS3 by way of Microsoft.

Then again, maybe EGM does know something, but they aren’t allowed to say, in which case they “accidentally” listed the game for both consoles. Again, I find this very hard to believe. They would all be killed!

EGM’s final page is all about the PS3 and how it’s going to have a big year. If EGM really did know that Ninja Gaiden II was coming to the PS3, I don’t think they would have excluded it from the conversation. You know, that would actually be some news worth talking about, wouldn’t it?

Unless you think this is how Ninja Gaiden II for PS3 would be announced, and it’s not just a three-letter mistake in the back of a magazine, I would just put this one in the “wishful thinking” department. Although the shockwaves could be significant, consider this just a simple error on EGM’s part. Great job, guys!

Ninja Gaiden 2 – Preview

James Fleming — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:50:11 +0000

“The forecasted title for – Ninja Gaiden II: Electric Boogaloo”

When the original Ninja Gaiden was released in the U.S. in March of 1989 on the NES console it was an instant classic. The mix of side scrolling action, shuriken power-ups, insane difficulty and memorable boss battles left a lasting impression on young gamers across America. It also set the record straight concerning the misconceptions surrounding that most mysterious of ancient Japanese arts: Ninjutsu. The game’s developer, Tecmo, encouraged us to look past the rants of so called “historians” who claim that the Shinobi were assassins who incorporated the use of avoidance, non-detection, information gathering and stealth to achieve their goals.

According to the Tokyo based game company that was all a lot of baloney. Ninjas actually cared very little for subtleties – favoring the slaughter of everything from birds, leopards, dogs and spiders to fellow ninjas, grenade hurling hulks, axe lobbing hockey masked maniacs and even women…all in broad daylight. Yes, Ryu Hyabusa definitely utilized extermination over espionage and little has changed in the almost two decades since the series’ inception.

Now with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden II (the highly anticipated sequel to the platinum selling original XBOX title) fans are excited to know where young Ryu’s adventures will be whisking him off to next. All that we can say for sure is that whatever road Hyabusa heads down would benefit from a crew of diligent street sweepers, because getting all that dried blood off the pavement ain’t gonna be easy.

When Tobonobu Itagaki and Team Ninja brought the Ninja Gaiden series back to life on the XBOX console after roughly 10 years of hibernation, fans were understandably hyped. And it delivered. It stayed true to the spirit of the original NES trilogy by including all the fast paced action that those 3 games introduced. The game continued to grow in subsequent months with the release of the highly popular Hurricane Packs made available over XBOX live, and the re-release of the improved Ninja Gaiden: Black. XBOX 360 owners were dealt a tough blow, however, when news was released that Team Ninja had no intentions of releasing Ninja Gaiden: Sigma – the 2007 next gen port, and Playstation 3 exclusive, of Ninja Gaiden – to the Microsoft console. Hardcore XBOX gamers felt betrayed and alone. But the clouds were lifted on September 12th when Microsoft announced that an entirely new and original Hyabusa adventure would be released exclusively on the XBOX 360, rather than yet another remake of its 2004 counterpart. Hallelujah!

Ninja Gaiden II is slated for a 2008 release. Itagaki and the rest of Team Ninja will once again helm the game’s development. But this time around there’ll be a little twist. Unlike the 3 previous entries, Ninja Gaiden II will not be published by Tecmo but directly by Microsoft Game Studios (Halo, Gears of War, Mass Effect). While this move pleases a lot of 360 owners who’re anxious to steer young Ryu through another acrobatic slash fest, the PS3 faithful will never get that chance. Ninja Gaiden II will be a 360 exclusive.

Little is known about the sequel’s story at this time, but it is known that you will once again be fighting to prevent the annihilation of the human race, using an assortment of authentic (and not so authentic) ninja weaponry while avenging your clan in the process. Like Ninja Gaiden before it, this addition to the series will be taking place before the circumstances of the original NES games. That means that a guest appearance by Ruy’s father (Ken), or some of the other characters that graced the earlier story arcs, is still a possibility. Who knows?

The gameplay and difficulty level are things that have always shined in the Ninja Gaiden series. Gameplay mechanics are expected to remain faithful to the original XBOX game with some welcomed additions. One of these additions has been titled “Obliteration Techniques” which have been described as moves that can be engaged to stylishly end an opponent’s existence. It hasn’t been made clear if essence collecting will play into these new techniques (pretty likely), or if a blocking mechanic might be the catalyst.

Itagaki said during a presentation of Ninja Gaiden II that this game would be used to implement a lot of the features that had to be left out of the first game due to the original XBOX console’s restrictions power wise. That same presentation also left hints of a variety of environments for our hero to wreak havoc in, both urban and rural. You’ll travel from quiet Buddhist temples to the gritty streets of New York and Tokyo, while visiting the Netherworld in an attempt to learn its secrets. Real life locations also seem like a possibility, with footage showing places that seem to resemble Kiyomizudera in Japan and the obvious inclusion of The Statue of Liberty in the Big Apple.

In an effort to make the game a little more accessible to the average gamer there has been a new auto healing health system incorporated into the gameplay. Operating similar to Halo in the way that you will gradually heal yourself as long as you avoid taking hits, with semi permanent damage being healable at save points to revive your health bar’s full potential. Although the gaming industry seems to have made a lean towards the more casual gamer with the success of Nintendo’s Wii and Bungie’s decision to lower the default difficulty setting for Halo 3, Itagaki assures us that this next Ninja Gaiden won’t alienate any of its masochistic fans. And if the early videos circling the Internet are anything to go on, those who are gluttons for punishment can expect a good hearty spanking come next year.

All in all, Ninja Gaiden II looks like it will be a promising ride. Team Ninja seems to have taken a lot of steps over the past 3 years towards giving us the perfect numchuku swinging, wall scaling, head decapitating thrill ride that we’ve been longing for. With improvements in camera control, interface design, weapon variety and item selection over the course of the last 3 installments – this game will most likely expand an already amazing upcoming lineup of XBOX 360 must haves.

RipTen Review: Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Xbox 360)

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 04:13:29 +0000

One of the finest experiences in gaming just got better. Team Ninja has hit it out of the park with their latest installment of blade swinging action. Our beloved Ryu Hayabusa is back, in black, and better than ever. Playstation 3 owners, you now have a response to the insults regarding your system’s line up of games. Yes, Metal Gear Solid 4 is still a ways away, but Ninja Gaiden Sigma is here now, and you can only find it on the PS3!

Who can forget the cinematic intro for the original Ninja Gaiden side scroller. Two ninjas running towards each other as they spring into mid air and metal meets metal … only one would be left standing as they hit the ground. If you saw it, you remember it, if you didn’t then you are probably too young to have played it. Either way we have it for you below and are going to request that you please watch it before reading any further.

[flv width="440" height="330"]http://www.ripten.com/ninja_gaiden_89.flv[/flv]

That was a trip down memory lane for some of us and a history lesson for the rest … alright, on with the review of Ninja Gaiden Sigma.

Back from Black, not only does Sigma not disappoint, it delivers on all cylinders. Game play is not only the best of any game in this genre, but hands down the most in depth and challenging game play experience on the market today.

The action is intense and make no mistake, it will take some getting used to for gamers new to the series, but the learning curve is well worth it. Once engaged you will find it hard to put the controller down.

Graphics and sound are superb, and the animation is fluid and believable. With the awesome power of a highly trained ninja you will scale walls, glide across water, unleash magic, and wield your blade in ways that would make the iron chef himself green with envy.

The advanced enemy AI, well thought out combat environments, and seamless in game camera movement create unique real time visuals that do away with the need for constant cut scenes, which oddly enough used to be a trademark of the original NES and SNES games.

In terms of game play enhancements, you will now be able to access potions without having to visit the game’s menu system via the use of your controller’s directional pad. Walking on water this time around is as simple as maintaining motion in the desired direction and fighting fanatics will be glad to know that a few new combos have been added to the mix as well.

Don’t expect too much in the way of new content though. There are a handful of new battles along with extended versions of some of the old ones revamped with enhanced special effects and added detail. Overall though the main focus of the title is the adventure at hand, and it is a dandy.

“Demon Hunter Rachel” is a new playable character that we have all probably seen at one point or another, and yes, her and her whip are everything we all hoped they would “crack” up to be. Decked out in her skin tight leather suit, Rachel will battle through a few new chapters in the game.

Just like in a movie, how a game is edited effects the overall experience, and while we did notice that certain scenes had been either modified or completely removed, we felt that the changes made for a much smoother game play experience.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma is not without its share of bugs. The camera can be a bit of a pain when fighting in close quarters and we noticed that the lighting within the game seemed a bit off at times. The movie player is gone but being that most of the cinematics were replaced with real time action, this didn’t bother us as much as finding out that we were no longer able to play the old school NES versions of the game like we could in Black. We thought Blu-ray discs could hold more content!

Overall the game has a lot of positives and is one of the best games on the market, certainly the best game available for the PS3. We give it a 9.4 overall and think that gamers and ninjas alike will enjoy it very much.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Demo – Recharged With Yellow Essence!!

Chad Lakkis — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:11:50 +0000

What the heck are you looking at?!?

PlayStation 3 owners rejoice, for you and you alone have Team Ninja!

Eager fans of the Ninja Gaiden series have likely already hit the PlayStation Store, downloaded the Ninja Gaiden Sigma demo, and played it non stop until their hands started bleeding, but now there is a reason to go back and play it some more!

Team Ninja and Tecmo have once again sprung from the shadows to smack us upside the head, this time in the form of an update! If you thought you had exhausted the current demo think again, because Team Ninja is watching and waiting to reward you for your efforts.

The final release of the game which is slated for early July will be able to detect the amount of hours you played the game, difficulty level, etc and reward you accordingly with “Yellow Essence”. For those of us that don’t speak Ninja, that means you will get in game currency that can be used to power up weapons and purchase other cool stuff.

So stop breaking bricks with your head and go download the demo if you haven’t already.

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