Ninja Gaiden thoughts

[Gamereviewgod]

Just had a chance to play through 2 levels of the final game. I like what I see for the most part. The action is fast and brutal, combos look outstanding, and the enemy wastes no time in ripping you apart. They are by far some of the most aggressive I've ever seen in action game.

However.....

I don't know who in the blue hell designed the camera system, but they need to be hurt...badly. When you have enemies coming at you from all angles, it's utterly impossible to get the camera in a reasonable position to take them all on. I see absolutely no reason why the camera couldn't be put into a fixed position for fight sequences. It's a common occurence to roll away from an attack right into the arms of another. I finally gave up on the second boss who would probably be easily conquered if it wasn't for the inane camera. Grr.... :angry:

[Gnarkill]

I know just what you mean, I got a chance to play it on this months xbox demo. I do think the gameplay and graphics are outstanding but really... how hard can it be to make a camera in a game that DOESNT suck.

lol... Ill never get tired of chopping of ninja heads LOL

[spoon]

I got it, but, I haven't got to play it yet :( I will let you know tomorrow. I watched my Girlfriend play it. It looks awesome.

[BHvrd]

I was really hooked on the demo, but now that I bought the full game i'm not so sure.

They took away the flying slash move that was in the demo "quess you have to earn it now :shameful: ", and the save point makes things much easier than I said before. Also they give you a scroll that wakes you up if you die.

Early in the game you aren't given much to work with. The warrior guy only teaches you 2 moves, and the main one revolves around charging up and using essences "not what I was expecting", and rolling "which is really a bitch".

Ok, so I figure, i'll keep playing, and get to the part where you fight horses, damn! Talk about a frustrating camera! If they just would have provided the player with more moves then this wouldn't be so bad! I mean it's bad enough that the camera is a bitch, but then you have no cool moves to compensate! This is the best Tecmo could do? Dissapointment mounts...

Well I continue to the part where the guy is on what I call the "ugly as hell pig horse". This part is just insane! I got here with like 2 potions, and had to go all the way back to level 1 to do better, and get there with more potions. Come on Tecmo, get real!

This is just not right, this game is turning into too much trial and error.

I will stick with it and see it to the end, and beat all difficulties "if for nothing else, to get the old gaidens", but man, so far I am not nearly as impressed as I thought I would be.

I hope it gets better once I get more moves. I want that flying slash back!

[8-Bit Master]

I just beat this game today. Overrall I would say that it is a really awesome game, but it is very hard in certain places. Some of the bosses are nearly impossible to beat without using 3 or 4 potions to gain your health back. Some other bosses are downright impossible if you've used up all of your "ninpo". The last two levels of the game just throw boss after boss at you, and it is some of the hardest "endurance" gameplay I've ever seen on a modern console. As stated before, the graphics are absolutely amazing, and as a bonus for finishing the game you unlock a movie theater mode which allows you to watch all of the cutscenes from the game. I've heard that you can unlock the original NES games from beating it on very hard, but I think beating it once on normal mode is enough for me. :)

P.S. (The game really throws you a curve at the end, and something pretty unexpected happens. Make sure you keep watching after the credits too. ;) )

[YoshiM]

BHvrd: As for the difficulty (and camera issues aside), did you ever play the original Ninja Gaidens? :P

The demo was awesome so on release day I scooped up the full version. Wow, definitely difficult. Finally a game that doesn't really hold your hand and let you beat easily.

I agree about the camera but for a game that allows you to use your environment as launching points of attack I don't think a locked camera would really work. So with that in mind the camera is servicable. It does get frantic at points (the horse rider boss and his fireball slingin' minions was a pain in the ass) as there is so much going on and so much to focus on you can get overwhelmed quite easily.

The one thing I learned is that you do have to slow down and focus. The fight with the horse rider boss taught me that. I went in all hell bent for leather and got my ass whooped every time. The time I defeated him I concentrated on his minions and listened for the horse. When I heard it getting louder I'd move, usually to the other ninja would was conjuring up a fireball. The minions are there to rejuve your life and magic so you had to coordinate your attacks on a minion, charge-slash the horseman, get out of the way before you piss him off and finish off the other minion (or both if you got lucky) then fry the horseman with your own fireball. Rinse repeat with some slight deviations if a something goes awry.

So far it's a sweet game. It gets frustrating when it throws a lot of cheap shots at you but you keep going back for more. Eventually you learn how to get past the cheapness which a lot of times turns out to be your own fault for not being fast enough to block, move out of harms way or when to stop beating the snot out of a target to get those extra "hit" points.

[BHvrd]

Oh yeah YoshiM, I played the original Gaidens, and yes they were, um, not easy. :eek 2:

Mainly my gripes were with the camera though more than the actual difficulty, though this game can be quite a beast of burden.

With this game I have definetely gone from a love, hate, back to a LOVE type mentality. I stick by my gripes that the game doesn't give you enough moves in the beginning, but once you get to level 4 the game really, REALLY kicks in, and this game is most definetely a classic.

I still haven't beaten the game (on level 9), but what
I have played so far has been something only comparable to the original Metroid in terms of exploration, and action comparable every bit to the original Ninja Gaiden arcade game mixed with some of the original console bits.

Levels are linked in a very smooth linear/non-linear fashion. There is just enough freedom to explore everything and say "um, where the hell was that secret door!", to just enough to keep you on track. This obviously comes from years of research and a game company finally listening to people!

The gameplay is just addictive. Just hard enough to beat your ass if you are too slow, and also enough to make a challenge for skilled players to keep them on their toes, and make the game look gorgeous in action.

This game is just incredible. It fixes many areas of gaming that people have been bitching about for years, and fine tunes many things. Just be ready for a stubborn camera at first "especially the 2nd level", and remember. If it seems like the game is "cheap", or you think it just sucks, or is too hard, just realize it isn't the game it's you.

Ninja Gaiden for Xbox is the best game I have played in quite a while. It's worth the effort.

[Garry Silljo]

I love this game. Next Gen systems havent offered anything this good in a LONG time in my opinion. It is DEFINATELY hard to beat though and the unlockables are even tougher, ugh, and I want those games. Has Anyone found the original arcade game yet? Theres a cabinet in the bar that says it has no game in it. I've read in many places that you can find the board of the original arcade game and play it there.... I REALLY want to know where that board is if anyone has found it.

[Gnarkill]

My local gamestop got NG in the other but it says its live enabled. Is there a multiplayer feature or can you download new levels?

[8-Bit Master]

Has Anyone found the original arcade game yet? Theres a cabinet in the bar that says it has no game in it. I've read in many places that you can find the board of the original arcade game and play it there.... I REALLY want to know where that board is if anyone has found it.

I played through the whole game and I never found it. It might only be accessible in hard or very hard mode though.

As for all the people that have trouble on the second boss, I have a strategy that makes it very easy to beat him. Just back yourself into the corner of the bridge (either side), at the end with the big gate where the boss comes from. Just hold block with your sword equipped, and when he comes to hit you he'll rear up exposing his horse's stomach. Slash away at him until he retreats. Repeat this about 10 times and you should finish the fight without having to use potions. You'll also have to lure the floating guys that shoot at you into the middle of the bridge, and they usually stop bothering you. :)

[BHvrd]

My local gamestop got NG in the other but it says its live enabled. Is there a multiplayer feature or can you download new levels?

It's some kind of ranking score system from what i've read. Just post scores against other players. I think they are going to have prizes eventually, not sure though.

As far as the Ninja Gaiden Arcade game being in the game, i've never read that anywhere. I've only read that Ninja Gaiden 1,2,& 3 from nes are unlockable, and well, i'm working on that. :P

[crashdummycow01]

my thoughts:

i always thought it was pronounced like... Ninja Gay-Den....
i was watching a commercial for it and they said it like Ninja Guy-Den.. i was like... WOAH... crazy stuff.... also i think it sounds cooler pronounced Ninja Gay-Den, but anywayz from the previews the game looked real coo... i plan on getting it sometime

[WiseSalesman]

my thoughts:

i always thought it was pronounced like... Ninja Gay-Den....
i was watching a commercial for it and they said it like Ninja Guy-Den.. i was like... WOAH... crazy stuff.... also i think it sounds cooler pronounced Ninja Gay-Den, but anywayz from the previews the game looked real coo... i plan on getting it sometime

Yes, well, that would be the Japanese language for you. Damn Japanese, always making things sound less cool. :roll:

[lendelin]

I'm so glad to hear that the new NG is NOT easy, an easy NG would be a big disappointment.

One of the main reasons why we play games is CHALLENGE, we want to master a game which challenges you in different ways.

The 8bit Ninja Gaidens were all about quick reflexes, knowing enemy patterns, and the feeling of reward when you figured out how to go through a difficult passage and defeat a boss. I'm glad that the new Ninja Gaiden has all these elements maybe even on the edge of frustration, and to a minor degree some traditional exporation elements; btw, figuring out how to defeat enemies is also exploration.

The new Ninja Gaiden sounds very good to me, I'll buy it for sure. Seems like the new one is on the same quality level like the old classics.

[GaijinPunch]

Yes, well, that would be the Japanese language for you. Damn Japanese, always making things sound less cool. :roll:

Well, for the record, Japanese phonetics are far easier than English. One sound that doesn't change. Englsih pronunciation can be anything.

Yeah, the whole kanji thing is a different beast, but...

[WiseSalesman]

Yes, well, that would be the Japanese language for you. Damn Japanese, always making things sound less cool. :roll:

Well, for the record, Japanese phonetics are far easier than English. One sound that doesn't change. Englsih pronunciation can be anything.

Yeah, the whole kanji thing is a different beast, but...

Um....I was being sarcastic. I've had five semesters of college Japanese, and am planning to visit Japan quite soon. Of course, I'm sure your knowledge of the Japanese language beats the hell out of mine, being that you live there, but I wanted to clarify I wasn't serious.

[dunny668]

The first thing that came to mind when I started playing this game was Devil May Cry 1 for PS2. The camera angles definetely take a bit to get used to. Overall I love this game even though it reminds me a lot of Devil May Cry.

[lendelin]

The first thing that came to mind when I started playing this game was Devil May Cry 1 for PS2. The camera angles definetely take a bit to get used to. Overall I love this game even though it reminds me a lot of Devil May Cry.

You're right, a lot of games were influenced by Devil May Cry. It's a successful receipe :the camera angles, acquiring moves, fierce hack-n-slash with minor puzzle solving, stylish combos.

Devil May cry set the tone for this generation of action adventure games. Onimusha, Rygar, Castlevania LoI, and to a lesser extent Shinobi and Prince of persia look and feel a lot like Devil May Cry. Even the vioce actor of Belmont was the same as Dante.

Devil may cry is a classic already, and rightfully so because of it's atmosphere.