Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS3)

Technically, Sigma is a remake of remake. The classic Nintendo franchise was first recreated for the Xbox back in 2004, utilizing the Xbox LIVE service to supply two additional packages for download. Ninja Gaiden Black was the first remake which incorporated elements from the previously downloadable content, but Tecmo didn’t stop there with the re-released content.

Although it’s possible to complain that Sigma is essentially the same game you would have gotten a few years back—essentially negating any points for originality or replayability—it remains an intense experience that requires actual skill to complete.

If you played through either the first game, or Black, you know the story, and there’s not much difference in Sigma. You play as Ryu Hayabusa, of the Dragon Lineage, and after your village is attacked, the Dark Dragon Blade stolen, and shrine-maiden killed, your quest is one of revenge and retrieval. Through the Empire of Vigoor, your mission is to track down Doku who has stolen the Dark Dragon Blade for evil purposes.

The story is really nothing engaging, but plays well off of lore and mysticism, combined with a case of honor—not to mention you play as perhaps the most revered ninja in all of video game history.

Although the story is nothing special, it serves its purpose. However, the story isn’t the main draw of the Ninja Gaiden experience: it’s the gameplay. Not much is different from the first time the game was introduced to gamers in 2004, save for the playable sections of Rachel the Fiend Hunter.

Rachel’s playability this time around offers a different dynamic, but ultimately feels like a means to lengthen playtime, and to differentiate Sigma from the previous iterations. Her levels are spliced between Ryu’s adventures, as she quests to free her sister from the control of the fiends. Rachel’s slower play style, at least, allows for a break from Ryu’s frenetic pace and fills holes that were once only included as cutscenes.

Other than providing for as a respite however, Rachel’s busty inclusion into the game ultimately just doesn’t meld all that well; the real the draw of the game—the fighting engine which makes the game unique—is Ryu’s versatility with speed and an array of classical weaponry. Although powerful and offering a more complete story, her sections break up the intense action that make the game a classic. Her moves are just as visceral as Ryu’s, but ultimately feel a bit less variable and fluid.

Rachel’s inclusion aside, the overall gameplay remains superb, and along with being optimized for the console, Sigma looks great. Ninja Gaiden’s fighting engine is one of the most compelling out there since moves cannot be interrupted midway through their execution. Ultimately, the learning curve is quite high for the game, even on normal, and you will either love it or hate it.

With that said, the game gives you the ultimate reward upon completion; you actually feel as if you have accomplished something. Fights take part in different settings adding to the dynamic: corridors, open arenas, small rooms and multilevel areas keep things interesting as you have to compensate for the room you have.

For all of its praise however, the game is still not perfect. The main issue here is the camera. Although you’re able to swing the camera around Ryu, the design still makes it less than perfect when traversing smaller corridors, leaving you open to unsuspecting attacks. Also, the SIXAXIS function of powering up your Ninpo (Ryu’s magical, elemental attacks) is a weak add-on which seems fully obligatory to the hardware.

It can be argued that paying full price (now more expensive than its previous generation retail listing) for a couple-of-years-old game is a bit outrageous, but the extra missions, various play modes and expanded spectrum of difficulty settings ensure the game is well worth its value. Granted, if you still have an older copy of the game accessible there isn’t much reason to splurge, but if you haven’t played it in awhile, or never got around to it the first time around, Sigma is a must-own. Its action may look like another button-masher, but rest assured, the gameplay is much deeper and far more rewarding.


Gameplay: 9.0
Graphics: 9.0
Audio: 8.0
Lasting Appeal: 8.5
Overall: 9.0

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS) 

     

Six months after the Dark Dragon Blade Incident in Sigma, Ryu has rebuilt his village and peace has once again been restored. However, the tranquility doesn’t last for long as a new evil attacks the village in search of the Eye of the Dragon.

The game opens as Ryu is sparring with the new shrine-maiden, Momiji. Eventually she is kidnapped and the story turns to one of rescue, gathering Dragonstones and warding off the Greater Fiend Ishtaros and a greater dark power.

Along with opening up the game as Momiji—providing for an introduction to the game and an overall different feel—there’s plenty of novel things that have been implemented for Dragon Sword to make it an unique, exciting experience for the handheld device.

Right from the start you’ll notice the game plays as if you were holding a book, similar to Brain Age. This setup allows for the top screen to display a full sized map, while the touch screen handles all of the action. Gameplay also tries new things by using the stylus for everything. Except for using any of the buttons to block, and either the Start or Select buttons to access an inventory menu, everything from jumping to talking is handled via the stylus.

Dragon Sword tries new things for a handheld action game, and it wholly delivers. It takes a second to fully pick up its style, but once you have acclimated to the control scheme, everything becomes intuitive. By making it a stylus only game, Team Ninja has turned a potentially repetitive button-masher into a novel experience.

However, a few problems do arise with the setup. Picking up the stylus and then touching the screen again produces a ranged attack, and in a game that has the same split-second moments as it’s console forbearers, being left open for an attack at a crucial moment can mean the difference between finishing off a boss and having to retry the whole battle over. Also, while defending, it’s possible to dodge oncoming attacks, but for some reason Ryu won’t always roll in the direction intended without extremely exaggerated efforts.

Although a few issues arise in the stylus-only setup, the majority of time spent is nearly flawless and extremely fun to play. Unfortunately, the story is a bit on the shorter side and there’s not much else to do but hack and slash enemies. The game is broken up into 13 chapters with a majority of them acting as dungeons holding a Dragonstone. There’s really little variance between levels, with only a few easy puzzle elements and different enemies, so replaying the game depends on your determination to play again on extremely challenging difficulty settings to find all of the wooden amulets which award you with character details and other extras. Ultimately, however, a few platforming elements, utilizing Ryu’s abilities, would have been welcomed to break up the game a bit more.

A short story shouldn’t drive any away from such exhilarating gameplay. Even in such a small presentation, the developers have been able to harness the essence of the franchise in fast, brutal action. The game looks superb using fully polygonal characters against pre-rendered backdrops, and combined with intense swordplay, it presents a full package that doesn’t ever drop in framerate. Also, ambient sounds and strong music mask a lack of voiced dialogue that it’s easily overlooked from the stellar gameplay. Ultimately, if you’re a fan of Ninja Gaiden, and are looking for a Ryu booster before the next console game, Dragon Sword delivers a fresh take on handheld gameplay and is a strong addition to the franchise.


Gameplay: 8.5
Graphics: 9.0
Audio: 8.5
Lasting Appeal: 7.0
Overall: 8.5
 

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