So, you've played "Shinobi" and went crawling home to Mommy with your nunchucka between your legs. You've taken on the stealth-based missions of "Tenchu" and discovered that the life of a ninja isn't exactly a jubilee. What then, exactly, are aspiring ninjas to do? Fear not, young stealth master. As you'll see on this episode of "X-Play," "Ninja Gaiden" puts the kick back into kick-ass.
Big swords and big...
Ryu Hayabusa is one pissed-off ninja. After watching his entire village burn down and a massive samurai slaughter its people, he sets off on a quest to bring justice to his clan and to reclaim a powerful sword. Expect plenty of posturing in this one, and brushes with Team Ninja's patented preoccupation with inflated female assets. (Hey, we're not complaining.) Exposition isn't this game's high point, but it won't leave you dumb-founded, either.
One ninja to rule them all
You have to wonder: exactly who was it that decided ninja games should be slow and calculated? "Ninja Gaiden" takes this unnamed person out to the schoolyard for a good, old-fashioned, lunchtime butt wupping. Forget about hiding in the shadows or creeping around like a girl trying to hide a bad perm job. The beauty of "Ninja Gaiden" is that Ryu is out in the open for every thug this side of the Sunset Strip to see. If they want something, they can come and get it. And get it, they do. Instead of focusing on ways to remain undetected, "Ninja Gaiden" concentrates on ways to handle the situation once you are detected. This setup is exactly what ninja fans have been waiting for. Why try to avoid confrontation when you can take it head-on, slice it in half, and toss a few shurikens into its still-quivering remains?
Rhythm of doom
Ryu can take on handfuls of enemies at once without the need to manually select targets, while running along the walls and tossing ninja stars with reckless abandon and surgeon-like precision. The striking and blocking has a rhythm, and once you discover it, you'll be pulling off counterattacks that'll give you heart palpitations. When enemies are 60 deep, and you mop them up without breaking a sweat, you'll have found the feeling of Zen that this game facilitates.
The depth of the combat is truly staggering. Most every weapon in the game, and there are tons, can be upgraded. With each upgrade comes a new list of combos and maneuvers until, by the end, you have a compendium of tricks up your sleeve that will send David Copperfield to the loony bin. The list of possible maneuvers is difficult to comprehend and even harder to memorize.
Pincushions of distinction
But what would this scrapping ability be without some worthless, flea-ridden lackey to use it on? Certain enemies become repeat offenders throughout each level, but there are so many bosses to take on that they become mere segues from one epic confrontation to another. The boss fights are some of the best of this generation of consoles. Even when you figure out how to defeat them, it still takes skill to do so. Much in an old-school vein, you memorize the pattern and execute, or you die. Oh yes, you'll die... a lot. No matter how good you are, Ryu will perish over and over again. Those prone to throwing controllers might want to play this one in a padded room. Otherwise, they might end up in one for good. In fact, less patient players might want to rent this one first before plunging their sword full-on into its torso. With well over 20 hours of gameplay, you won't be cheating yourself by spending the extra five bucks.
The eye of every beholder
As great as the gameplay is, it's trumped by the technical prowess this game exudes from its every pore. Fast, smooth, stylish, and polished, you won't find a better looking console game. Ryu's fluid animation and his inertia look so lifelike that watching him run along a wall almost makes it seem possible. All the technical jargon a hard-core gamer can musterfrom his maw is in full effect here. You've probably heard a million times by 100 different people that a certain game's graphics are "amazing" or "sick." Well, this is one time you're not getting fed a line of BS. If there's one real knock on this game, it's that the camera sometimes has a mind of its own. It's not such a big deal when enemies are attacking you off-screen, as the block function will keep you safe. But when attempting to navigate some of the trickier jumps, you'll find that centering the camera behind Ryu (the only control over the camera you have) just isn't good enough. Even so, these instances are rare and only deter slightly from what is ultimately the industry's definitive action game.
Perfectly difficult
As difficult as it can be, "Ninja Gaiden" does an excellent job of taking you to the edge of toleration and yanking you back by the shirt collar at the very last second. The sense of accomplishment is strong with this one, as if the frenetic gameplay, incredible bosses, and awe-inspiring graphics aren't enough already.
