Is Ninja Gaiden for you?
I wrote this for my Xbox Email Club and thought I'd share it with you guys. It's a little rough around the edges, but I think it's got a lot of useful information.
Man, my fingers are hurting this morning. Ninja Gaiden is a wicked wicked game. Is it for you? Read my 2 hour impression below to find out.
First, did you ever really want to be a Ninja? It's very important, and if the answer is no, just skip down to the pictures.
Next, have you ever played a fighting game and wished you could go around and do things besides just fighting? I never really get into a fighting games single player because I never feel like I'm getting any where.
Okay, if your still reading, this could be the game for you, but really, you must expect to get your ass kicked. I think two of the biggest words I could use to describe Ninja Gaiden's uniqueness is
No Patterns.
None. Nope. Haven't found any yet, and let me tell you, I've been looking. The enemies in Ninja Gaiden are what's impressing me the most. It's basically a fighting game where you get to flip around doing things and fight multitudes of enemies along the way. You have a stream lined fighting engine of stuff you can do at any given moment, but the catch is, so do your enemies. It's not unfair, it's just really good. It's almost as if a ninja where sitting next to you with the controller in his hand kicking your ass at a fighting game.
It's hard, it's razor fast, and it's exhilarating. My thumbs are hurting.
The music, graphics, and animation are top notch, and pull you through the game, and from what I've read of reviews tells me it continually changes. A great variety of stuff awaits me, which helps me keep pushing through.
Have you ever wanted to be a ninja? You will need to pull that part of you out to play this game. You will have to be really into it and focused to succeed. Button mashing is pointless, you'll have to learn what your doing, and also work to unlock more and more of the moves that will make you really feel like a ninja.
I'm planning to beat this game. It's like some crazy proclamation. Like I've told everyone I've decided to go parachuting on a weekly basis, or take up skatboarding and 33, but I can do it. Because I'm one bad muthor fufer.
Facts:
1. Ninjas are mammals.
2. Ninjas fight ALL the time.
3. The purpose of the ninja is to flip out and kill people.
So sorry, I couldn''t resist
I generated a virtual world in the toilet bowl this morning.
-- Podunk on the PS3's mystical, magical abilities
NINJA!
I just can''t stop saying that every now then. It''s starting to freak my family out.
My copy still hasnt arrived....stupid FedEx!
grr...
Aint nothing new about the world order..it's been playing since the day they put George Washington on a quarter
Down in the Park with a friend called Five.
http://wumusicgroup.com/
You forgot the most dangerous Ninja of all, the one who controls the camera and makes it hard to track enemies when you''re busy running for your life and trying to avoid projectiles. I mean really, the first horse boss was stupid with that damn camera. I felt like I was fighting to control the damn thing as hard as I was trying to take the man and his cronies down.
Right now I''m stuck on the silver boss in level three. He really pisses me off! It''s a good game and when it works, it really works well but between the difficulty, occasional long stretch without a save and the so-far very difficult boss fights it''s driving me nuts.
Yeah, it's scary. I'm staring into the abyss right now, and it's staring into me, which I think is kind of a dick move on the abyss's part. - Nyles
I have very minor thing with the camera, though I like the way it is right now... I would have liked to have camera-lock on the boss fights but only optional. No auto-lock like in Drakengard. The saves, I would prefer to save when ever I feel like it.
The final horseman is actually kind of easy... every time he would charge I would roll and the quick attack.... that put him on the ground. The 3 other horse man were some of a pain because I went after all of them at once... then it became more fun after I went killing them off one by one...
Xbox Live: Nei HD | Playstation ID: Nei_GWJ | Too Human
I like the game.. It is truly a difficult game and i too feel quite frustrated with it at times. But it makes up for it by doing one thing well. Instant gratification. Any time you fight somebody really tough there''s either an extremely cool item or an awesome cut scene waiting for you afterwards.
For some reason I really like this reward system, it''s alot like the reward system for the Final fantasy games but I actually get to kill stuff instead of just issuing ""Attack"" commands to people.
Anyhow, I really hope I get to have a couple 3-4 hours sessions with it this weekend. My fiance and I have been hitting the dance classes really hard and I''m hoping that our 3 dance classes in 4 days will get me off the hook for doing much else this weekend.
It isn''t for me, I know that much.
It is hard, brutaly hard, unforgivingly hard.
I hate hard games. I don''t feel a sense of accomplishment I just feel pissed I wasted so much time - when I have so little time to game as it is - on one fustrating section of one game.
Maybe I am just too old for this kind of thing but since I gave up playing very, very hard games I have enjoyed gaming much more.
There are some things to like about this game (over all I like it). BUt the camera system is ass, and so is the save system (I hate having to repeat large chunks just to get back to where I croaked the time before). Action is great when you get a good camera shot of it, taking 3 heads in one move is very satisfying no doubt about it. Having to use multiple buttons to trigger some moves is not so good, I don''t find the xbox controller lends it''s self to that very well, I wish they had allowed more flexibility in the controller set and as in sc2 allowed one of the off buttons to act as a double button press.
Is it too hard? I don''t know yet, I just made it to the two Samurai on horse back at my village... when you beat the guy in the inner sanctum it is satisfying... but after the 3rd try I almost walked away from the game... I do not enjoy mindlessly repeating things (in fact I hate it with a Passion) so if your like me you might think twice about this one, unless you also are like me and love anything with Ninja mayhem (dam waring instincts).
-Griffon
"White is the new black"
I normally don''t go for hard games, but occasionally one will come along that has something about it that just keeps me trying.
Splinter Cell was the last one. That CIA building is freaking hard. About 15 people in my Xbox club got the game and I was the only one who beat it. Bragging rights!
I think this one like SC just has so many different techniques you can use to try and make it through the tough parts. So I keep going back and trying things until something works.
Maybe it''s just bragging rights.
Or to show my son I''m not so old.
Or maybe it''s that $20 bet I have going on with this guy in my club
Not to get too far off track here but I never got the complaints with the CIA building, I got through it about as easily as the rest of the game. Maybe my paranoid and methodical way of playing pays off in Splinter Cell and hurts my chances with Ninja Gaiden.
Hey look, back on topic after all!
Yeah, it's scary. I'm staring into the abyss right now, and it's staring into me, which I think is kind of a dick move on the abyss's part. - Nyles
That''s because SC was developed in Canada!!!!
streatching fingers ..........
Why do I admire videogames so much?
There's nothing else on earth that entwines art and science so closely.
Another decent game f*cked up with moronic save points. Oooooooh, my tension is all heightened by the peril and arbitrarily extended gameplay, I must be hard-fuggin-core!
This would be much better worded if I didn''t have to go through ten minutes of boring to get back to the fight that killed me .... AGAIN!
I try to trend away from blatant vulgarity, so consider the frustration that leads me to say: the guy who came up with save points can now officially blow me!
(wow, that wasn''t very angelic)
- Elysium
Yeah that first boss can really get on your nerves.
But remember, you can GO BACK and save. So if you do really well with a group of baddies, take a little trek back to the statue and make sure you don''t have to face them again.
Why do I admire videogames so much?
There's nothing else on earth that entwines art and science so closely.
Actually, I''m on chapter 4.
- Elysium
The city mission is pissing me off. I just quit for the night, the Ninja''s in the clock tower got me again... I guess I should make the long jog back to the save point after a get the chuks next time *sigh*. Some time the place the save points in good spots and others it is just this long f*cked up waltz with death and replay. I don''t understand why they have to screw an otherwise groovy game with this needless tedium.
-Griffon
"White is the new black"
*City mission save point info - technically a very small spoiler*
Avoid the clock tower for now. Push on through the next gate, stay to your left and go up a small flight of stairs. You''ll be ambushed by a couple ninjas. One of them jumps out of a nook between two buildings. After you kill them off wall jump up that nook and follow the roof path to unlock a door that will take you to the next save point.
- Elysium
That was more angelic.
Ooo helpful, you just saved me a very expensive bay window since the next death surly would have resulted in a controller flying out of it
-Griffon
"White is the new black"
Jebus saves!
I fear for my own sanity when this one comes in. I am not necessarily known as a ""quiet, patient man"" when it comes to frustrating stuff. I don''t become apoplectic, but I will very soundly shut the damned machine off and sulk convincingly.
Rock Band Name Generator!... too funny to merely be coincidence.
"Truly, this mishap has set back the swamp sciences several years." - H.P. Lovesauce, lamenting a tragedy.
I fear I will become as agitated playing Ninja Gaiden as I did during certain portions of the console Return of the King game (escape from the City of the Dead, to be precise...).
But, I like to be reminded of a game''s superiority from time to time anyway.
This game demands near inhuman patience and zen like emotional control. Not for the weak willed or those on illegal anabolic steroids.
- Elysium
I think before I attempt this game, I''ll go find a copy of the original and finally beat that. The last time I tried to beat it, I was able to get to the final boss, only to be utterly destroyed. That was probably 3 or 4 years ago, and I''ve been afraid to touch it ever since.
Worst signature ever.
Gamertag: Tex Red
www.mumfordland.com
The Original 3 are included in the Xbox version for your unlocking pleasure.
My days of not taking you seriously have certainly come to a middle.
Nicholas Cage is my hero
My Gamercard
So is this the first true ninja simulator?
From the reviews I have read this game is not nearly as hard as the original Ninja Gaiden games.
From what I saw of the demo at the store this game reminded me alot of Onimusha which was a cool game. Also Splinter Cell was far from hard.
PSN ID: Stric9
No, I think you''re the type of gamer who would probably find the game fairly easy and wonder what the hell everyone is complaining about. Which means we all hate you!
- Elysium
Actually I got to chapter 6 last night, and the game gets easier... I was able to tackle 6 Spider Ninjas (the same as clock tower) with ease! One thing I was able to preformed 56 hit combos that was so cool, unfortunately I got killed before I would know if it did anything for me! ...but from what I saw it may a big fuss about me doing the combo, because after 50 it made a sound as if I got some thing extra! ...arh! If only save point was there! I hate the save system!
Xbox Live: Nei HD | Playstation ID: Nei_GWJ | Too Human
I rented this game, and borrowed a friend''s Xbox.
DAMN.
This game is freakin hard. I have inordinate amounts of trouble fighing enemies. The stage 2 boss kicked my ass from here to Moscow like 20 times. And now the enemies on the 3rd stage like to block a lot. Ouch.
However, I have to say that they really captured the ^$#@&^%@$%#-ness of the old NES games. NG 1 and 2 were both really freakin hard, if I remember correctly. I remember Stage 6-2 giving me absolute FITS. Controller throwing fits, even!
Ah well. It''s kinda fun, but I doubt I''ll get far before returning it.
Tyrial: lvl 70 undead mage - Baelgun
Kyrator: lvl 63 night elf rogue - Blackhand
Thadryn: lvl 65 draenei mage - Blackhand
Chapter 4, Elysium?
I underestimated your Ninja Powers!!
Wow your way past me. My son just flew past me as well in about half the time it took me.
DAMN IT! I''M NOT TOO OLD FOR THIS!!
Hey! Wait for me guys!!!
Why do I admire videogames so much?
There's nothing else on earth that entwines art and science so closely.
Obligatory Penny Arcade link
The world must know the awesome power of our gainfully employed fist! - Lord Xan
The unattainable is unknown at zombo.com!
On to Chapter 6 now. I think I''m actually getting the hang of it.
- Elysium