Has the adoration of ninjas and ninja culture become a cliché yet? There's a tingling part of our writers' sense that says "Yes, absolutely." But how are we supposed to stifle the national boner we have for ninjas when new clips of Ninja Gaiden 2 are being released? Especially ones like the above video that show Ryu Hayabusa (again, pardon the cliché) flipping out and killing people with Wolverine claws?
The answer: We can't. We might as well revel in videos like this, especially the parts where Ryu faces off against a six-armed demon and the only thing scarier than a six-armed demon: Other ninjas.
I'm curious, how old were your 360s? I'd eventually like to get one, but I don't dare as long as they keep dying. I've heard that the newer ones are better, is there any truth to that?
That's what I'm referring to as well. I didn't think it was overly difficult. I even stuck around long enough to unlock the unlabored flawlessness (which actually kinda sucked.)
Agreed, I was never quite sure why people thought NG xbox was so hard. It was a cakewalk compared to the NES originals! Also, unlabored flawlessness was AWESOME it was just extremely difficult to master. I appreciated it, rewarding players hardcore enough to get it with a weapon that was awesome but didn't ruin the game with easiness.
Some nice moves there especially the one with his shadows slicing the enemy in the air. I like when he runs on the wall then jumps off and slice the guy's head off. Very sick.
I can't wait for this game. The first one was amazing. Yes, it was difficult, but I think many people gave up too easily. One friend gave up during the second boss battle with the red samurai on the horse. I think that one was relatively easy if you just kept a pattern going. Another friend gave up when he had to fight the three worms in the tunnel... which is perfectly understandable. That battle drove me insane until I finally figured it out. The Alma battle was quite difficult too, but most of them came down to figuring out a simple pattern of dodging and attacking. I never did beat any of the Hurricane Pack stuff, which I thought was much harder.
Maybe I should go pick up KotoR and finish that. I got through the first planet and was on Kashyyk when my Xbox died. I didn't feel like playing that first planet again when I got my replacement, so I never finished it.
The worms are really easy if you have the level 3 Dialboro (or however it's spelt, the giant gold sword). That thing is by far the best weapon against any not-super-fast enemies (which are best with the Kiketsu thing) until you get the True Dragon Sword. Only hard part is getting the timing right for jumping when they swing around at you.
Something that folks might not notice about the vid:
Dismemberment does not equal death! Aside from head-chopping, you notice quite a few ninjas missing an arm or a leg (or both legs) still crawling around and fighting. At about 2:40 into the vid, a 1-legged ninja grabs Ryu, stabs him and then explodes.
This whole 'they ain't dead till they're dead' thing seems to be the primary idea with the gameplay additions over NG1. I read (in EGM I think) that even if you decapitate one, there's a chance they'll drop a grenade or otherwise explode. That brings about the various "obliteration techniques" that are peppered throughout the video (different from the blue tinted Essence attacks)--to make sure you kill 'em dead. That's probably the most exciting addition for me, seeing what multiple techniques you can do with each weapon and different kinds of enemies.
i'm still trying to figure out how this works. I think it's: take an action game that came out around 3 years ago, add lots and lots of blood, put some new shine on it, stir for 5 minutes and presto a new game??
worth a rental for sure even though it's pretty much exactly like the last NG
I agree. Eventually I might get this at the bargain bin price (after I buy my 360, of course) but DMC4 is where it's at. They are introducing way more play mechanics as well as a new main character. This just looks like Ninja Gaiden Omega.
Countless and unlimited spawning of enemies at the same spot.. Yawnnnnn.. Do they ever stop coming? Or is this one of those checkpoint games where you have to move forward to stop the spawning. Looks like a button masher. I don't remember the first one on the xbox being like this, I enjoyed that one. I am guessing a lot of things have changed gameplay wise.
Personally, the fighting engine within NG is the best. The thing I like the most is the fast fluid action. On the harder difficulty, you basically had to take every advantage the AI gave you and never stop moving. NG2 seems to keep the same fast pace and add a few additional elements to keep the action Visceral. I love the way Team Ninja has not only added the gore but a very tangible feel to the combat. No more slicing someone for 5 hits and you barely get a smattering of blood, instead you get pieces going all over the place with a much more stylistic display of the koolaid.
The environments do not look better than Sigma but to be honest, who cares. The action is where it's at in a game like this. Even DMC4 did not look polished until much later in it's development. I believe Team Ninja is concentrating on the most important piece first which is the gameplay. They can later go back and add more detailed textures and post processing effects.
@Mark, Evidently you do not remember anything about the first one because NG2 from the videos follow the same formula. Also anyone that has played the previous game would know that NG is far from a button masher if you do not want to find yourself getting owned.
As for DMC4, it's interesting Akamaru that you would say that DMC4 is doing something new because from all of the previews I have read they pretty much say the game plays the same as the previous titles but with the HD uplift. New moves are expect for a new game but the gameplay really does not change that much. I also feel new characters can actually hurt a game not enhance it if the new characters turn out not to be as fun as the main character.
In other words, changing the gameplay to much from a successful formula is sure to piss off your immediate fans but probably hamper instead of grow your userbase. Yes NG2 looks like it's Sigma with more gore but then again we have only seen probably a small example of the gameplay.
You pick up a bunch of health bar upgrades throughout the game, that size of the health bar and amount of Ninpo (the 5 things under it) are pretty much the maximum you can get, the health might have a little more to go though.
I don't know how people can say NG was so hard though, I can finish it on the hardest difficulty yet I couldn't even finish the last couple of Events in SSBM to unlock that Final Destination stage ahahah. Once you get past that horse samurai guy on the bridge and know how to beat those black spider ninja guys the game really isn't that hard. Hardest thing for me in the game is still that damn jumping puzzle after you beat Doku the first time, it's harder than going back there to fight the 60-100 red dinosaur dudes.
I'd enjoy the series a lot more if they removed all the weird magical creatures you have to fight. Cuz in the original, it was more fun fighting other ninjas, soldiers, and samurai instead of the slow, stupid, monsters that deal big damage. Fighting robots would be cool though.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
daedalus @ Dec 19th 2007 10:34AM
Damnit, why does my xbox have to be broken... National Boner is so totally my new Rock Band name
Speddy @ Dec 19th 2007 10:42AM
You too? I got my RRoD on Friday...
Anyway, that dark video gave me tendonitis just watching it.
Nate @ Dec 19th 2007 11:33AM
I'm curious, how old were your 360s? I'd eventually like to get one, but I don't dare as long as they keep dying. I've heard that the newer ones are better, is there any truth to that?
Speddy @ Dec 19th 2007 12:23PM
@Nate: Bought mine 12/06...4 days to the date and shucks! :(
BTW, I'd rather play Soul Calibur IV ... boobies FTW!
DarthDavid @ Dec 19th 2007 10:44AM
Holy flying bloody limbs Batman!!!!
FOXHOUND @ Dec 19th 2007 10:48AM
It's nice to know that demons are also blood balloons too. I thought it was just MK'ers.
...Gib'ilicious.
pete @ Dec 19th 2007 10:51AM
Damn, I was getting frustrated just *WATCHING* the battle with the insect-thing. It's gonna be hard :-/
virelis @ Dec 19th 2007 10:55AM
I love ninja gaiden and all that... but i can't even play ninja gaiden 1, it was difficult as hell.
Gangsta Smurf @ Dec 19th 2007 10:58AM
Definitely a rental. I can't commit if it's going to be as difficult as its predecessor.
mr nimblewick @ Dec 19th 2007 10:58AM
I'm sick of videos asking me to input my age. All I ever do is flip the year to somewhere between 1965 and 1980. I assume kids would do the same.
And the video... looks like an above-average brawler with a bunch of blood.
Nate @ Dec 19th 2007 11:36AM
Hear hear! On both accounts. If I hadn't seen the original or Heavenly Sword or God of War or or or.... yeah, cool moves. Woo. Yay. Next.
ThornedVenom @ Dec 19th 2007 2:04PM
If they had a type-in option, then I wouldn't really mind. But yes, I'm from the 1980s club.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Dec 19th 2007 11:04AM
NG wasn't THAT hard- it was fair. You just had to think on your feet. Once you got the hang of it the fighting was really rewarding.
This looks pretty incredible.
Gangsta Smurf @ Dec 19th 2007 11:10AM
I don't know what NG you played but the one we're referring to is Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Dec 19th 2007 11:13AM
That's what I'm referring to as well. I didn't think it was overly difficult. I even stuck around long enough to unlock the unlabored flawlessness (which actually kinda sucked.)
rdj75 @ Dec 19th 2007 11:55AM
Hey Kilgore, is that the giant wooden paddle? I thought it was pretty cool actually.
rom @ Dec 19th 2007 12:03PM
"...the unlabored flawlessness (which actually kinda sucked.)"
You sir, haven't used it properly.
xyz @ Dec 19th 2007 12:10PM
Agreed, I was never quite sure why people thought NG xbox was so hard. It was a cakewalk compared to the NES originals! Also, unlabored flawlessness was AWESOME it was just extremely difficult to master. I appreciated it, rewarding players hardcore enough to get it with a weapon that was awesome but didn't ruin the game with easiness.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Dec 19th 2007 12:27PM
Apparently not. I thought it was far too slow- especially for the grey ninja guys that began to show up later in the game.
xvertigenx @ Dec 19th 2007 11:05AM
Honestly, it looks pretty bland. I thought this was going to put (PS3) Sigma to shame. I am not impressed at all.
Trev @ Dec 19th 2007 11:32AM
Berserker Barrage?
pwnetheus @ Dec 19th 2007 11:46AM
I couldn't help but hear Wolverine yelling that in my head while watching the video. Glad I'm not the only one.
Phi Nguyen @ Dec 19th 2007 11:36AM
Gee, that's bloodly splat-tacular. Can't wait!
VampireHunter Z @ Dec 19th 2007 11:42AM
Some nice moves there especially the one with his shadows slicing the enemy in the air. I like when he runs on the wall then jumps off and slice the guy's head off. Very sick.
christmasfish @ Dec 19th 2007 11:47AM
This game is going to be a big ol' Bucket of Awesome.
brandon_r87 @ Dec 19th 2007 11:54AM
I can't wait for this game. The first one was amazing. Yes, it was difficult, but I think many people gave up too easily. One friend gave up during the second boss battle with the red samurai on the horse. I think that one was relatively easy if you just kept a pattern going. Another friend gave up when he had to fight the three worms in the tunnel... which is perfectly understandable. That battle drove me insane until I finally figured it out. The Alma battle was quite difficult too, but most of them came down to figuring out a simple pattern of dodging and attacking. I never did beat any of the Hurricane Pack stuff, which I thought was much harder.
Gangsta Smurf @ Dec 19th 2007 12:05PM
I gave up too easy. I think I was switching between NG and KoTOR so the latter won.
My cousin played through the game and thought it was the best game ever. I think I'll pick it up and retry.
brandon_r87 @ Dec 19th 2007 12:16PM
Maybe I should go pick up KotoR and finish that. I got through the first planet and was on Kashyyk when my Xbox died. I didn't feel like playing that first planet again when I got my replacement, so I never finished it.
chris @ Dec 19th 2007 4:58PM
The worms are really easy if you have the level 3 Dialboro (or however it's spelt, the giant gold sword). That thing is by far the best weapon against any not-super-fast enemies (which are best with the Kiketsu thing) until you get the True Dragon Sword. Only hard part is getting the timing right for jumping when they swing around at you.
JKTrix @ Dec 19th 2007 12:09PM
Something that folks might not notice about the vid:
Dismemberment does not equal death! Aside from head-chopping, you notice quite a few ninjas missing an arm or a leg (or both legs) still crawling around and fighting. At about 2:40 into the vid, a 1-legged ninja grabs Ryu, stabs him and then explodes.
This whole 'they ain't dead till they're dead' thing seems to be the primary idea with the gameplay additions over NG1. I read (in EGM I think) that even if you decapitate one, there's a chance they'll drop a grenade or otherwise explode. That brings about the various "obliteration techniques" that are peppered throughout the video (different from the blue tinted Essence attacks)--to make sure you kill 'em dead. That's probably the most exciting addition for me, seeing what multiple techniques you can do with each weapon and different kinds of enemies.
Rob Accomando @ Dec 19th 2007 12:21PM
day 1 purchase for me. NG was fun as hell. Challenging? Bah! Bring it on!
themikey @ Dec 19th 2007 12:23PM
I do believe this resolves the ongoing debate about which is better: a pirate or a ninja.
tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 19th 2007 12:42PM
i'm still trying to figure out how this works. I think it's: take an action game that came out around 3 years ago, add lots and lots of blood, put some new shine on it, stir for 5 minutes and presto a new game??
worth a rental for sure even though it's pretty much exactly like the last NG
SonicTHP @ Dec 19th 2007 1:14PM
I see they didn't fix the camera...
Still looks interesting, but no where near the awesomeness of DMC4.
Akamaru @ Dec 19th 2007 1:45PM
I agree. Eventually I might get this at the bargain bin price (after I buy my 360, of course) but DMC4 is where it's at. They are introducing way more play mechanics as well as a new main character. This just looks like Ninja Gaiden Omega.
Mark @ Dec 19th 2007 1:41PM
Countless and unlimited spawning of enemies at the same spot.. Yawnnnnn.. Do they ever stop coming? Or is this one of those checkpoint games where you have to move forward to stop the spawning. Looks like a button masher. I don't remember the first one on the xbox being like this, I enjoyed that one. I am guessing a lot of things have changed gameplay wise.
rruss79 @ Dec 19th 2007 1:58PM
Personally, the fighting engine within NG is the best. The thing I like the most is the fast fluid action. On the harder difficulty, you basically had to take every advantage the AI gave you and never stop moving. NG2 seems to keep the same fast pace and add a few additional elements to keep the action Visceral. I love the way Team Ninja has not only added the gore but a very tangible feel to the combat. No more slicing someone for 5 hits and you barely get a smattering of blood, instead you get pieces going all over the place with a much more stylistic display of the koolaid.
The environments do not look better than Sigma but to be honest, who cares. The action is where it's at in a game like this. Even DMC4 did not look polished until much later in it's development. I believe Team Ninja is concentrating on the most important piece first which is the gameplay. They can later go back and add more detailed textures and post processing effects.
bigsofty @ Dec 19th 2007 2:00PM
Zzzz.... same old same old....
ThornedVenom @ Dec 19th 2007 2:07PM
Some people may bash it, but I'd be damned if Ninja Gaiden wasn't suited for my demographic.
FUCK YEAH!
rruss79 @ Dec 19th 2007 2:08PM
@Mark,
Evidently you do not remember anything about the first one because NG2 from the videos follow the same formula. Also anyone that has played the previous game would know that NG is far from a button masher if you do not want to find yourself getting owned.
As for DMC4, it's interesting Akamaru that you would say that DMC4 is doing something new because from all of the previews I have read they pretty much say the game plays the same as the previous titles but with the HD uplift. New moves are expect for a new game but the gameplay really does not change that much. I also feel new characters can actually hurt a game not enhance it if the new characters turn out not to be as fun as the main character.
In other words, changing the gameplay to much from a successful formula is sure to piss off your immediate fans but probably hamper instead of grow your userbase. Yes NG2 looks like it's Sigma with more gore but then again we have only seen probably a small example of the gameplay.
Zoesch @ Dec 19th 2007 2:35PM
I like Ninja Gaiden but I'm starting to get a bit worried about their idea of evolved gameplay meaning more enemies and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Same goes for DMC4. I guess God of War spoiled me bad :(
Rob Accomando @ Dec 19th 2007 2:42PM
day 1 purchase for me. NG was fun as hell. Challenging? Bah! Bring it on!
ark_keeper @ Dec 19th 2007 3:19PM
Anyone else think that's the biggest life bar they've ever seen?
chris @ Dec 19th 2007 4:53PM
You pick up a bunch of health bar upgrades throughout the game, that size of the health bar and amount of Ninpo (the 5 things under it) are pretty much the maximum you can get, the health might have a little more to go though.
I don't know how people can say NG was so hard though, I can finish it on the hardest difficulty yet I couldn't even finish the last couple of Events in SSBM to unlock that Final Destination stage ahahah. Once you get past that horse samurai guy on the bridge and know how to beat those black spider ninja guys the game really isn't that hard. Hardest thing for me in the game is still that damn jumping puzzle after you beat Doku the first time, it's harder than going back there to fight the 60-100 red dinosaur dudes.
OTAM @ Dec 19th 2007 3:20PM
I destroyed Ninja Gaiden Black. Went through the game with full health and ninpo items maxed out in my inventory.
This game is like horror movies,just splattering of ridiculous amounts of blood. I can't wait!
John Morgan @ Dec 19th 2007 4:10PM
Control looks a bit... twitchy.
I'd rather be playing Pirates Dodgeball.
frogprince @ Dec 26th 2007 3:36PM
I'd enjoy the series a lot more if they removed all the weird magical creatures you have to fight. Cuz in the original, it was more fun fighting other ninjas, soldiers, and samurai instead of the slow, stupid, monsters that deal big damage. Fighting robots would be cool though.