Xbox Ninja Gaiden To Include ALL 3 NES Ninja Gaidens!!!

[IntvGene]

Well, it's not that big of a deal, but the trend continues for releasing previous retro games in their newer counterparts. Tecmo producer Tomonobu Itagaki mentioned that Ninja Gaiden for Xbox will include the Famicom/NES version of Ninja Gaiden as a mini-game. The Xbox game is scheduled for release in November.

source: http://www.the-magicbox.com/gaming.htm

[Raccoon Lad]

Why not include the PC Engine version instead? It's got better graphics.

[petewhitley]

They should include the arcade version. That was sick.

[NE146]

Cool. Xbox Ninja Gaiden is a title I'm DEFINITELY picking up :D

[Dire 51]

So Tecmo's including the NES Ninja Gaiden with the XBox game, but couldn't squeeze the NES or arcade versions of Rygar into the PS2 game? What's the deal with that? After all, people still know Ninja Gaiden after all this time, but who the hell (besides us) remembers Rygar? :angry:

[Duncan]

Well, it's not that big of a deal, but the trend continues for releasing previous retro games in their newer counterparts. Tecmo producer Tomonobu Itagaki mentioned that Ninja Gaiden for Xbox will include the Famicom/NES version of Ninja Gaiden as a mini-game. The Xbox game is scheduled for release in November.

source: http://www.the-magicbox.com/gaming.htm

Y'know, I'm kinda tired of this "bonus" approach to the classics. They're all good games -- why not put the whole trilogy out as a special limited-edition item? Call it "Ninja Gaiden: The Original Trilogy" or something. Maybe do the Mario All-Stars treatment and update the visuals and music in modern style, with full-motion cutscenes to build up the story. Or maybe string all three games together as one gigantic action platformer saga...

...and then do the new Ninja Gaiden with the original as a "bonus". Whatever.

And yeah, why couldn't they have stuffed the NES Rygar on that new disc? Cheap bastards...

Duncan :D

[lendelin]

Great that the original is on there too, can't hurt. It bothered me that I couldn't look at the old Metroid on the MP disc becasue I don't have a GBA.


We have already the Ninja Gaiden compilation on the SNES, without graphical enhancements, however. Would be awesome if the three Gaidens would get a treatment like mario All stars, I'm a sucker for enhanced older games.

I'm very curious how the XBox Gaiden will turn out, God help Tecmo to make a good game. :)

[Duncan]

I'm very curious how the XBox Gaiden will turn out, God help Tecmo to make a good game. :)

Yeah, this is one of the growing list of games that -- if it's good -- will probably force me to buy an Xbox one of these days. That and the upcoming remake of Out Run. @_@

Duncan :D

[Dire 51]

I'm very curious how the XBox Gaiden will turn out, God help Tecmo to make a good game. :)

Yeah, this is one of the growing list of games that -- if it's good -- will probably force me to buy an Xbox one of these days. That and the upcoming remake of Out Run. @_@

Duncan :D

Yeah, me too - damn it.

[SoulBlazer]

Make me a third. I LOVE Ninja Gaiden and I'm pissed this game is XBox only. Oh well, maybe by next year there will be a price cut. :D

[Ed Oscuro]

Why not include the PC Engine version instead? It's got better graphics.

Heh, is that some kind of commentary on the status of XBOX gaming? :P

Well, your comment made me decide to fire up 'ol Magic Engine and try out that Ninja Gaiden ROM I've been keeping for a while. Hmm, don't care for that scrolling in the background, but hey, this doesn't look too bad! Must've had some pretty bad screenshots whereever I saw it before.

[Duncan]

Make me a third. I LOVE Ninja Gaiden and I'm pissed this game is XBox only. Oh well, maybe by next year there will be a price cut. :D

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for. Anyone up for a $149.99 Xbox? I know I am...and maybe Halo will finally get a price drop by that time, too (the sequel should be out by next spring).

Duncan :D

[digitpress Jim]

YESSSS!!!!!!! This is so fantastic. I can't wait, this is such a treat. Thank You So Much Tecmo and Itagaki-San for all your awesome games plus for putting the Orignal Nes Ninja Gaiden in the new Xbox verison.

I am so very grateful, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I love the Ninja Gaiden series so very much. Thanks a Million. YESSSSS!!!! :D :D :D

[lendelin]

@Duncan and Soulblazer:

yep, the XBox is really worthwhile to get in the meantime. I bought it because of Panzer Dragoon Orta, damn, what a great game!! Gameplay is fanatstic, and the visuals are one of the best I've seen on a console game. Don't miss out on this one! (I also wanted Project Gotham Racing because I liked Meteropolis Street Racer so much)

...and now Star wars Knight of the Old Republic is out there, soon Ninja Gaiden, and there will be Jade Empire, I also bought Morrowind (haven't played it yet)...the XBox is coming along. :)

...and if you have all three systems, you can always go for the cehapest game if it is on more than one and the ports are done well, that's another way to save money. (why does this remind me of a sign in the Kwik E Mart of the Simpsons?: "The more you buy, the more you save.") :)

Why do I have the feeling that the post by videogame master is sarcastic? ;)

[Duncan]

Dunno...but VG Master is apparently located here in Colorado. Maybe I'll have to go slap him around a bit. :)

Anyway, I'll probably end up getting an Xbox eventually. Maybe if they do a combo pack for the holiday season...

Duncan :D

[Predatorxs]

Hey lendelin,

The Snes version of Ninja Gaiden did / does have graphical improvements? it's alot smoother looking as well!, just dropping that in, i love both the Nes and the Snes versions!! great games and trilogy..

It's funny all this talk about Ninja Gaiden, i got a sealed snes (US) copy for $25 a few months back!

Also i didn't think nintendo would let the nes version go on other (newer systems) i know tecmo have the rights for NG, but surely Nintendo have some kind of rights over the nes and snes versions, unless they have Ok'd it all??

Not to go off topic but it would have been greeeeat to have the megaman nes collection on the snes (1 throu 6) sort out a few of the bugs nice shiney new graphics, shame it didn't happen really!..... That would have been nice!

[Ed Oscuro]

I'd say if you got a sealed SNES Ninja Gaiden then YOU are a very LUCKY/GODLY person. Sorry bout the caps, but this is an amazing feat.

I can't say it has any graphical improvements, looked pretty much the same to me. Same small sprites. Maybe the palette's a bit different, but the main game select screen looks like a hack job.

Whoever was getting Morrowind for the XBOX--the game should work fine unless you start stealing stuff from people's homes. Don't do that since it plays hell with RAM and so on.

Morrowind is the only game where I have to take excess/cheap weapons and put them on the corpse of a monster to make them disappear so the game won't lag or crash! Argh!

[The Manimal]

The SNES Ninja Gaiden Trilogy DID have graphical enhancements ala 'Mario All-Stars'! It's obvious as day and night :)

However, they FUCKED UP on level 3 in Ninja Gaiden 2. Still pissed about that. You know, the level where it's totally dark, and you can only see when the lightning strikes? Well, in the SNES version, it's light ALL THE TIME. For that reason alone, the NES version is better.

[Ed Oscuro]

Ah, been a while since I played that and I should've checked as I normally do. :{

[digitpress Jim]

Dunno...but VG Master is apparently located here in Colorado. Maybe I'll have to go slap him around a bit. :)

Anyway, I'll probably end up getting an Xbox eventually. Maybe if they do a combo pack for the holiday season...

Duncan :D

I think not, because I am very serious about my post, there was nothing funny about it.

[GaijinPunch]

Anyone know of the Japanese release date? Even Japnaese-developed games seem to come out in the states first when it comes to Xbox. Ninja Gaiden is one I'm looking forward to.

For the reason they're not releasing the PC-Engine version, it might be b/c of a different name (Ninja Ryukenden) but that would only be for purists I'd say.

I wonder if they'll ever come out with Ninja Gaiden Gaiden.

[IntvGene]

Anyone know of the Japanese release date? Even Japnaese-developed games seem to come out in the states first when it comes to Xbox. Ninja Gaiden is one I'm looking forward to.


Tecmo's own webpage still says TBA.
http://www.tecmo.co.jp/product/index.htm

So, I don't think they've given a date yet.

[GaijinPunch]

That's just wrong, but I guess since it's on the Xbox, there's not much room to complain.

[Duncan]

Dunno...but VG Master is apparently located here in Colorado. Maybe I'll have to go slap him around a bit. :)

I think not, because I am very serious about my post, there was nothing funny about it.

I hereby retract my offer to slap you. Truce? :cheers:

Don't worry, I feel the same way about anything involving Sonic the Hedgehog...

Duncan :D

[Ed Oscuro]

For the reason they're not releasing the PC-Engine version, it might be b/c of a different name (Ninja Ryukenden) but that would only be for purists I'd say.

It seems obvious to me: In the US we got simple old Famicom Ninja Ryukenden, just under this silly "Ninja Side Story" name. That said, people would probably look at the PC-Engine version and say "WTF?" That PC-Engine version really has sharp visuals, especially in the cutscenes, but somehow it feels different, and not as sharp and...GOOD...as the original FC/NES version. Dunno why, but that's one of those games that I feel makes out like a bandit on the NES even over other systems.

As for the name, well, that wouldn't be a big issue to change, unless it's hacked up into pieces in a way that would be impossible to change (or maybe they just don't know about hack programs?). I suppose they could leave the name the same, that would keep the little 'uns in America whipsering rumors in the lunchroom for months!

[NE146]

'Course, the dirtly little secret is the PC-Engine version IS playable on the xbox via that Hugo-X emu (so are the NES/Arcade/Genesis/SNES versions for that matter) if you're into that sort of thing..

Nonetheless, I saw the 3D Ninja Gaiden on G4tv last night and it is looking schaweeet. For me, it's a definite must buy :D

[IntvGene]

Just to bump this and update...
source: http://come.to/magicbox

The Good:
Magicbox is now saying that the game will include ALL 3 Ninja Gaidens, rather than just the one.

The Bad:
The game has been pushed back to a 2004 release date in the US. Just out of curiousity, are ANY Xbox games coming out for Christmas 2003 now? :hmm:

[kainemaxwell]

All 3?! Kickass!!!

Only issues I ever had with NG trilogy was the annoying screetching of the dings in the game selection screens.

[YoshiM]

and now Star wars Knight of the Old Republic is out there, soon Ninja Gaiden, and there will be Jade Empire, I also bought Morrowind (haven't played it yet)...the XBox is coming along. :)

Haven't played Morrowind yet? Be prepared for fun frustration (and I mean that in a good way) and to kiss your free gaming time away as it's addictive. Unless you got KOTOR of course, then that just takes takes priority. :-D

[lionforce]

Yeah I agree with Pete, why not the original arcade version as well as all 3 NES Games? Now is the time to release all those great arcade hits that could not be perfect ports at that time because of console limitations, but now there is no excuse 8-)

[BHvrd]

Unless you got KOTOR of course, then that just takes takes priority. :-D

Ain't that the truth. Man that game just kicks so much arse. Morrowind is ok imo, nowhere near as good as KOTOR though.

Back on topic:

This is cool news if true. Is this site even reliable? If so then wow, I was already gonna buy it anyway, but wow. Ninja Gaiden Arcade would be cool too, but I ain't complaining.

[jaydubnb]

I'm soooo happy to see a new Ninja Gaiden. I've been waiting for one for , what, a decade? NG 1 -- and especially 2-- are action classics.

Unless there's gonna be some audio visual updates, I'm not excited by the inclusion of the original trilogy.

[The Manimal]

What about the NG pre-quel, NINJA GAIDEN SHADOW?

[DDCecil]

They better not screw up NG2 like they did on the SNES Trilogy (Making 3-1 stay light ALL THE TIME, where's the fun in that?!)

[Kid Fenris]

What about the NG pre-quel, NINJA GAIDEN SHADOW?

Wasn't that a Shadow of the Ninja game that Tecmo bought from Natsume? If so, Tecmo might not have the rights to it anymore.

While we're on the subject of packed-in NES games, I was actually disappointed that Tecmo didn't put any of its 8-bit or arcade games in Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball. It'd be great if you could buy or unlock stuff like Rygar and Solomon's Club, or if you could just explore a virtual arcade of Tecmo stuff. That way, the game would have every kind of fan service covered.

[SoulBlazer]

I believe he's talking about Ninja Gaiden Shadow, a Game Boy game. It's set before any of the NES NG games. Five stages, some original music and also music from all three NG games, a nice fun romp. Not a bad game. :)

[Kid Fenris]

I believe he's talking about Ninja Gaiden Shadow, a Game Boy game. It's set before any of the NES NG games. Five stages, some original music and also music from all three NG games, a nice fun romp. Not a bad game. :)

Yes, and I was under the impression that Ninja Gaiden Shadow was actually a Shadow of the Ninja title that Tecmo acquired and reprogrammed slightly. Nintendo Power actually ran a preview of Shadow of the Ninja for the GameBoy, and it looked a lot like Ninja Gaiden Shadow. Shadow of the Ninja was never released, but several months after it was spotlighted, Ninja Gaiden Shadow was.

[lendelin]

and now Star wars Knight of the Old Republic is out there, soon Ninja Gaiden, and there will be Jade Empire, I also bought Morrowind (haven't played it yet)...the XBox is coming along. :)

Haven't played Morrowind yet? Be prepared for fun frustration (and I mean that in a good way) and to kiss your free gaming time away as it's addictive. Unless you got KOTOR of course, then that just takes takes priority. :-D

...I haven't played Shinobi yet, Spiderman, Baldur's Gate, Rygar, Xenosaga which are on my shelves..the list goes on...:) First I wanna tackle Baldur's gate, then I will deal with Morrowind and prolly get mad when I discover the often reported bugs. :)

I'll get Star Wars KOTOR when it drops to $20. The XBox is truly coming along, the new preview of Jade Empire in GI is impressive. Maybe the XBox manages a historical task, namely to bridge the two different genres of PC RPGs and console RPGs. I'm convinced that Microsoft will put up a big bad battle with Sony for the next gen systems, where will that leave Nintendo?

[lendelin]

All three Ninja gaidens on the new disc is great, what a better way to get those teenagers introduced to older games.

Let's hope that Tecmo captures the spirit of the 2D games as well as Metroid Prime did by focusing on the atmosphere of the games and translating fast and furious action into 3D.

[YoshiM]

Back on topic for me:

Great. I was never good at the original Ninja Gaidens. Hopefully there will be saves at each level (ala Super Mario All Stars) so I can actually complete these games.

[lendelin]

Back on topic for me:

Great. I was never good at the original Ninja Gaidens. Hopefully there will be saves at each level (ala Super Mario All Stars) so I can actually complete these games.

There is only one way to finsih those games: try, die, try, die, try, die, rinse and repeat.

The older Ninja Gaidens are beatable, it's still one my favorite things to get out the first NG and go through the game, it just amazes me that I still remember enemy patterns from years ago, it's almost it's copied in your head. :) Now, Level 6 is a diffrent story, this level will always be hard....a save feature will be a blessing. :)

[Mr Mort]

The SNES Ninja Gaiden Trilogy DID have graphical enhancements ala 'Mario All-Stars'! It's obvious as day and night :)

However, they FUCKED UP on level 3 in Ninja Gaiden 2. Still pissed about that. You know, the level where it's totally dark, and you can only see when the lightning strikes? Well, in the SNES version, it's light ALL THE TIME. For that reason alone, the NES version is better.

Don't get me started on that. I actually got rid of Ninja Gaiden Trilogy after I bore witness to that atrocity. Not only that, the buttons were fixed to B for slash, and A for Jump. On a SNES game, I'm used to Y being slash, and B being jump. Don't ask why (It's probably because of all that Contra III and Castlevania IV), but not being able to remap the buttons is a big issue for me. I'll play my NES versions, thank you very much.

As for Ninja Gaiden Shadow, it was in fact a Natsume game that Tecmo baught, changed a few of the sprites around here and there, and slapped the Ninja Gaiden name on it. It's a great platformer though. Lots of fun.

As for the Xbox NG having the original trilogy, that's good news indeed, but I'm more worried about the storyline. I was hoping that it had SOME kind of connection to the original trilogy, but at this point, if they at least refer to it, I'll be somewhat satisfied, if not, I'll probably be a little grumpy about it, but one way or the other, I WILL get it.