Ninja Gaiden II demo coming soon
GDC08: Microsoft's Keynote in pictures

It's one thing to read the news that positively poured forth from Microsoft's GDC08 keynote this year, but it's nothing without a few pictures to help flesh out the experience. It is with this in mind that Joystiq presents Microsoft's keynote in purely pictorial format, handily divvied into cohesive chunks for easier digestion (always chew your images, kids). Click the images in this post -- including the image of John Schappert's best Tony Soprano impression above -- for more. Enjoy.
GDC08: Ninja Gaiden II demon-stration
Protip: We find that thinking about the awful June 2008 release date has an immediate calming effect.
X3F talks difficulty concerns with Ninja Gaiden II's Itagaki
Gamerscore Blog recently afforded our buddies over at X3F the opportunity to ask Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki one question about the upcoming Ninja Gaiden II on the 360. They chose to ask about the sequel's adjustments to the original's infamous difficulty, specifically the addition of a automatically-regenerating health system, seemingly added to widen the game's appeal to less-hardcore players.
Not to disappoint the fans, Itagaki coolly (oh so coolly) explains that the health regenerating system was added to keep players immersed in the game, rather than having to constantly access the game's menus to use potions.
Of course, Itagaki assures the hardcore audience that the game will still appeal to their masochistic sides, but that they hope to increase the audience in the sequel with more adjustability in the difficulty levels. Good news for everyone?
New Ninja Gaiden 2 footage scores A-, B+ and O+
Sexual harassment charges against Itagaki dismissed
And so the scalding sake saga comes to an end, with the sexual harassment charges against Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki having been dismissed in the Tokyo District Court. The outspoken game designer was accused last year of behaving inappropriately in the presence of a former female Tecmo employee, allegedly displaying his fondness a bit too forcibly for her liking. With the suit settled and the charges vanquished, Itagaki has been declared an innocent man."I have held my head high and have fought the good fight for the past year in order to clear my name and to uphold the reputations of Team NINJA and of Tecmo," Itagaki told 1UP. "The former employee's arguments were judged to have been false, and all claims that she has brought against me have been dismissed." We expect he'll be celebrating the occasion by lopping off limbs and hoping this courtroom business remains nothing more than a mammary.
Itagaki expects Ninja Gaiden 2 demo 'at some point'
In a video interview with IGN (embedded after the break), the outspoken designer notes that non-believers can look forward to a demo of Ninja Gaiden II at "some point," though we suspect it might be after the game's Spring 2008 release if the tardy Dead or Alive 4 demo is any indication. Not that we need much convincing, mind you -- the interview's talk of mutilated enemies exclaiming "It's only a flesh wound!" before wrapping themselves around your legs and committing C4 seppuku has us convinced.
Continue reading Itagaki expects Ninja Gaiden 2 demo 'at some point'
New details on Ninja Gaiden 2's violent tendencies
Additionally, there will be "obliteration techniques" that the player can activate by pressing Y after removing a limb. The details are unknown except that the camera zooms in, but we can only assume that entails protagonist Ryu totally flipping out and killing people in some stylish fashion. The techniques vary based on what weapon you're using and what body part you just removed.
Some of the stages are modeled after -- and possibly named after -- real world locations, including Tokyo, Times Square and Venice. (The Statue of Liberty was previously spotted in the TGS demo.) Expect cooperative attacks from enemies and unfortunately (but unsurprisingly) no multiplayer in the final game.
Ninja Gaiden 2, being published by Microsoft, is due out Spring 2008.
[Via X3F]
TGS impressions: Ninja Gaiden 2

Team Ninja's long-awaited, not-a-remake sequel to Ninja Gaiden has already garnered attention for its gratuitous and unyielding violence, with early screenshots depicting massive arterial blood sprays, decapitations and all manner of lopped and lobbed limbs. It's further exacerbated when seen in motion, as enemies clutch bloody stumps and roll about in agony when separated from their legs. If you didn't consider series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa to be a murdering machine before, Ninja Gaiden 2 should provide enough visual evidence to convince you otherwise.
Itagaki shows off Ninja Gaiden II aqua city level
Leaked screenshots are one thing, but to truly experience the power of a ninja you need to see him in action. Fortunately, GameTrailers has footage from Tomonobu Itagaki's live demo of Ninja Gaiden II at Microsoft's pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference.
Itagaki says the "world's best action game" is "pretty far in development," as evidenced by the eight stages available on the demo's stage select screen (including one that intriguingly shows the Statue of Liberty). Only one level gets played in the live demo, though -- a Venice-style aqua city. Our favorite ninja is shown using a scythe-like sword, a pair of longswords and a set Wolverine-style claws against ninjas, military types and some green-blooded dragons. The action will be familiar to anyone who has played a modern Ninja Gaiden game, with plenty of bloody severed enemies and dramatic zooms for particularly vicious kills.
Unfortunately, the demo ends just before a battle with the towering red-eyed spider-beast shown above. Here's hoping we'll get some hands on time with the game when the Tokyo Game Show starts this Thursday.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Continue reading Itagaki shows off Ninja Gaiden II aqua city level
Watch video of Ninja Gaiden 2 teaser
We don't, of course, wonder if it's too early if you yourself are a ninja, as we all know that you'll rise at any hour for killing. What we want to know is if it's too early for you to watch a video of Ryu Hayabusa after he just killed a bunch of people in Ninja Gaiden 2. Is pure ninja action like cheeseburgers? Delicious, but not necessarily at 8 a.m.? Or is it like bacon, a perfect addition to any meal? Regardless, we're putting this teaser up for your consumption now. If you get your faced rocked off by watching it too early, don't come crying to us.
Ninja Gaiden 2 to flip out and kill people on 360 in 2008

According to a brief 1UP preview, the title will be published by Microsoft instead of Tecmo, so this one seems locked into a 360 exclusive. Look for the game in 2008.
Read - Live at the Microsoft Pre-TGS press briefing
Read - Previews: Ninja Gaiden 2
[Thanks, Jonah]
Live at the Microsoft Pre-TGS press briefing

1:10PM – The show begins with a CGI trailer, after which Takashi Sensui, Microsoft Japan's Xbox division manager takes the stage. He introduces Hironobu Sakaguchi who says that his Unreal Engine 3-powered RPG Lost Odyssey is 95% completed.
Continue reading Live at the Microsoft Pre-TGS press briefing
Rumor: Ninja Gaiden 2 for 360 to be at Tokyo Game Show
A Japanese insider also reportedly said that a PS3 version is not yet detailed. Our Korean is a little rusty, so until we hear a confirmation in another language (Japanese, Spanish, German, Swahili, English or French, of course) and can translate in-house, consider this just a juicy rumor to sink your katana into.
[Via X3F]





















