Ninja Gaiden
Encyclopedia
is a series of video games by Tecmo featuring the ninja
Ryu Hayabusa
as its protagonist. The series was originally known as in Japan
. The word "gaiden
" in the North America
n Ninja Gaiden title means "side-story" in Japanese
, even though the Ninja Gaiden series is not a spinoff of a previous series. The original arcade version and first two NES games were released as Shadow Warriors in PAL region
s.
The series gained popularity on the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System
for its tight action-platform gameplay, catchy music and, according to G4's X-Play
, for being the first console game to have the story presented in cinematic cutscene
s. The 8-bit trilogy was enhanced
for the 16-bit Super NES
in 1995. Sega
also released two Ninja Gaiden games for the Game Gear and Master System
, the latter only for PAL regions. A new game, titled Ninja Gaiden, was released in 2004 as a 3D
action game
on the Xbox
, developed by Team Ninja, the makers of Dead or Alive
. The Ninja Gaiden franchise is well-known for its high degree of difficulty, particularly the original NES version and the Xbox revival.
The arcade
version of Ninja Gaiden (released in 1988 in North America
and Europe
, and 1989 in Japan
) was a Double Dragon
-style beat 'em up, in which the player controls a nameless blue ninja as he travels to various regions of the United States
(such as San Francisco
, New Jersey
and Las Vegas
) to defeat an evil cult led by a fictional descendant of Nostradamus
, who is trying to personally fulfill his ancestor's prophecy of the rise of an evil king in 1999. The player has a variety of techniques, such as a flying neck throw and a back-flip. The player can obtain power-up
s by throwing enemies into background objects, such as street lights and dumpsters. The player fights primarily with his bare hands, although a sword can also be used for a limited time as a power-up; he can also use environmental objects as a prop from which he can deliver more powerful kicking attacks. Although the game takes place in different environments, there are primarily only five kinds of enemies, all of which appear in every level (although some levels have extra enemy types). The game is mostly remembered for its infamous continue screen (where the player character is tied to the ground underneath a descending circular saw
).
While the game itself bears little or no connection to the later NES
trilogy or Xbox
revival (although the Xbox version does feature the same flying neck throw from the arcade game), certain aspects of it were carried over to the first NES title. The first stage in the NES game is a loose adaptation of the first stage in the arcade game and the opening cutscene
in the NES game vaguely resembles the intro in the arcade version. Both games also feature Jason Voorhees
look-alikes and the final boss
in the arcade game vaguely resembles Bloody Malth from the NES game.
An emulated version of the arcade game exists in the Xbox version's update, Ninja Gaiden Black, as a bonus feature.
was released in Japan on December 9, 1988, in the United States in March 1989, and in Europe on August 15, 1991. A ninja named Ryu Hayabusa finds a letter by his recently missing father, Ken, telling him to go to America and meet with an archaeologist Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith tells Ryu that two statues hidden by Ryu's father and the doctor have the power to end the world - if united. Ryu ends up in South America
and battles Jaquio, an evil cult leader bent on reviving the ancient demon called "Jashin" and responsible for the attack on Ken Hayabusa.
The game introduced many of the series' staples, including the cinematic cutscenes, the boomerang-like Windmill Shuriken
and the magical techniques called Ninja Arts (or Ninpo). Like all games in the series, it is noted for its difficulty, particularly the infamous Stage 6-2. To use the ninja arts, users had to collect power-ups. Each art used up a certain number of power-ups.
, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, Ryu learns of a new villain named Ashtar, Emperor of Chaos and master to Jaquio. Ryu must rescue Irene Lew, a former CIA
agent, from Ashtar and destroy the Dark Sword, a weapon of great power, forged from a bone of the demon, as the Dragon Sword is forged from a fang of a dragon. In the end, Ryu learns that Jaquio has been reborn to fulfill the destiny of Ashtar and the Dark Sword.
This game was the first to feature Spirit Clones, invincible copies of Ryu which would mimic his movements and fight by his side. Also introduced was the ability to scale walls without the need to constantly jump upwards.
New innovations in the third installment included a sword extension power-up that increased the range of the player's attack until the end of the level or until death, new types of surfaces from which the player could hang, and automatically scrolling areas.
collection featuring all three games. Few improvements were made, but passwords were included and the cinematic sequences were improved. The graphics were retouched and the soundtrack was updated. The third game was also made more playable by reverting the difficulty level to that of the Japanese version, with infinite continues and more reasonable damage from enemy attacks. Unfortunately, the ports suffered from slowdown, unresponsive controls and no closing credits. Some graphical changes were made that removed parallax scrolling
from the backgrounds of the levels. Other graphical changes were made to comply with Nintendo's "Family Friendly" censorship policy at the time (i.e. a pool of blood changed from red to green, and the removal of pentagrams). Fans also complained about the omission of some music tracks (including removing two pieces of music from Ninja Gaiden III and replacing the use of the stage 1-1 music in the Ninja Gaiden II pursuit cutscenes with a repeating footstep sound). Conversely, a degree of censorship was actually removed from certain parts of the script (for example, Jaquio's "Argh! He's awake" is replaced with "Damn, he's awake."), though the retooled scripts also featured new typographical errors not found in the original translations. Despite these shortcomings, Ninja Gaiden Trilogy is a bit of a collector's item and sells for nearly $200 if still sealed. Ninja Gaiden Trilogy was included as a bonus unlockable in Ninja Gaiden for Xbox
.
version called Ninja Gaiden Shadow. It was actually a licensed edit of a proposed Shadow of the Ninja
(Natsume
) port. Because of this, it differs slightly from the console
versions, but is still fairly faithful. Although it was released following the NES trilogy, the game is actually a prequel to the original game.
, under license from Tecmo, developed three games but ultimately released only two: one for the Master System
and another for the Game Gear
, both bearing the Ninja Gaiden title worldwide, marking the first time a game in the series was released with the Ninja Gaiden name in Japan and Europe.
, this game has similar gameplay mechanics to the NES games, though it had much better graphics, faster gameplay and a few changes were made such as Ryu bouncing off walls instead of clinging to them, like the later 3D games. The game featured a new storyline, characters and scenarios, not connected to any of the other Ninja Gaiden games. This version is the only 8 bit version to receive a perfect 5 out of 5 on Ottozro's Game Rating scale.
, this game was not very close to any of the other Ninja Gaiden games. It featured a smaller screen size, bigger character sprites, slower game speed, and unlike the NES and Master System games which were more oriented to platforming action, this was more a linear side-scrolling game in the likes of the Shinobi series.
version of Ninja Gaiden was in development by Sega sometime in 1992. It was planned to be a belt scroll
-style beat-'em-up similar to the arcade version of Ninja Gaiden, instead of following the side-scrolling platform game
format from the NES trilogy. The plot would have involved Ryu traveling to the United States in order to track down a pair of sibling ninjas named Jin and Rika who have gone rogue by stealing the Secret Scrolls of the Huma (an alternate romanization of the name "Fūma"). The Mega Drive version is not a port of the arcade game, but some of the stages (such as a casino) and enemy characters (like the hockey mask-wearing punks) are similar, though the play mechanics are very different.
The game was never released commercially, but a beta build was leaked through the internet as a ROM image
. The beta features seven stages, including cut-scenes and bosses, but has several programming bugs such as odd moving controls, unfinished levels, and cut-scenes which are skipped before finishing. Although the opening and stage names are in Japanese, the rest of the cut-scenes were translated into English. The techniques available in the beta consists of a standard punch combo, a jump kick, a rolling move, and a special somersault kick.
The original Ninja Gaiden arcade game received several ports for the Amstrad CPC
, Commodore 64
, Commodore Amiga and ZX Spectrum
computers. The Amiga version in particular, retained almost all of the graphics and functionality of the original game, including the two-player cooperative gameplay
and the introduction. All these versions, developed by Ocean Software
, were only released in Europe as Shadow Warriors.
A PC
(MS-DOS
format) port of the original Ninja Gaiden was also developed by Hi Tech Expressions
, this time for its release in North America as Ninja Gaiden, as opposed to the other computer versions. However, it featured stripped down play mechanics and a low 16 colour palette.
There is port of the first NES Ninja Gaiden
developed by Hudson
for the PC Engine and released only in Japan, although the game features an unlockable English mode (with a different translation than the NES game). Other differences include enhanced graphics, reworked music and rebalanced difficulty.
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
received computer ports developed by GameTek
for the PC
(MS-DOS
format) and the Commodore Amiga, both for their release in North America. They featured a 256 colour palette (32 on Amiga) and were translated faithfully (though animation and movement were choppier) and also offered a save-and-load function, where your exact position in the game could be saved at any given moment.
Lastly, the arcade game Ninja Gaiden and the NES game Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
, were both ported to the Atari Lynx handheld system. The original title was a solid port of the arcade title and is a more sought-after title for the Lynx. Part III was a very-faithful port of the NES game and is virtually identical from beginning to end, albeit with a more distorted-sounding soundtrack and slightly-jumbled visuals due to the lower in-game video resolution.
. The title was developed over five years by developer Tomonobu Itagaki
and his Team Ninja, and eventually released to high sales and critical acclaim. An upgraded edition with new content, modes and features came out the following year under the name Ninja Gaiden Black. Later, a remake directed by Yosuke Hayashi was made on the PlayStation 3
as Ninja Gaiden Sigma
on July 3, 2007. The latter version has its graphics reworked to high definition
standards, and Rachel as a playable character.
The story along with its sequels Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Ninja Gaiden 2 have been established as a retcon, taking place before the NES Ninja Gaiden Series. The main story of the game involves Ryu Hayabusa setting out on a quest to retrieve the Dark Dragon Blade from the hands of evil after most of his clan was wiped out.
announced Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
was released only for the Nintendo DS
. The game is played in a diagonal top-down view with 3D graphics, and the player needs to hold the Nintendo DS sideways, like a book, as in Hotel Dusk: Room 215
and Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is played using full potential of the stylus. This is the reason why Team Ninja chose to make the game for the Nintendo DS, instead of the PSP. The story is set six months after the event of 2004's Ninja Gaiden. There is also a new playable female ninja character, Momiji. Both the Japanese release and the US release dates were March, 2008.
for the Xbox 360
. The new features in the game were four difficulty levels, a regenerating health bar, and upgraded graphics and enemy AI.
An enhanced version of Ninja Gaiden II was released for the PlayStation 3
and titled Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
.
and Tecmo announced the development of Ninja Gaiden 3D for Nintendo 3DS
at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2010. No further details were given at that time.
. Footage was shown at the Nintendo keynote at E3 2011 as an upcoming game for the Wii U console.
Ryu, voiced by Keiichi Nanba
, is the main character in the 1991 OVA
film Ninja Ryūkenden, released in Japan only. Ryu Hayabusa has a unique look in the animation.
Ninja Gaiden's characters, as well as other references to the series, can be found in cameos and additional items in various titles from games by Tecmo, Koei, & Microsoft/Xbox.
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
Ryu Hayabusa
Ryu Hayabusa
is the protagonist of the Ninja Gaiden video game series as well as a player character in the Dead or Alive series, both published by Tecmo. According to the game canon, Ryu Hayabusa is a ninja and the leader of the that has spiritual, physical and magical ties to ancient dragons...
as its protagonist. The series was originally known as in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The word "gaiden
Gaiden
is a Japanese-language word meaning "side story" or "tale", used to refer to an anecdote or supplementary biography of a person. This use of gaiden is commonly used in popular Japanese fiction to refer to a spin-off of a previously published work that is neither officially considered a sequel nor...
" in the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Ninja Gaiden title means "side-story" in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, even though the Ninja Gaiden series is not a spinoff of a previous series. The original arcade version and first two NES games were released as Shadow Warriors in PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s.
The series gained popularity on the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
for its tight action-platform gameplay, catchy music and, according to G4's X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
, for being the first console game to have the story presented in cinematic cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s. The 8-bit trilogy was enhanced
Enhanced remake
A video game remake is a game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game for newer hardware and contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and story elements of the original game...
for the 16-bit Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
in 1995. Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
also released two Ninja Gaiden games for the Game Gear and Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, the latter only for PAL regions. A new game, titled Ninja Gaiden, was released in 2004 as a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
on the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, developed by Team Ninja, the makers of Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive (video game series)
is a video game series that is primarily composed of fast-paced 3D fighting games for arcades and home systems. The series is produced by Tecmo and developed by Team Ninja. Its story and characters are the creation of Tomonobu Itagaki, who has since left the company and is no longer working on the...
. The Ninja Gaiden franchise is well-known for its high degree of difficulty, particularly the original NES version and the Xbox revival.
Arcade game
| 1988 – | – Ninja Gaiden (arcade) Ninja Gaiden (arcade) Ninja Gaiden, known in Japan as and in Europe as Shadow Warriors, is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up originally released by Tecmo as a coin-operated video game. It was first released in North America in and in Japan and Europe in... |
|
| 1988 – | – Ninja Gaiden (NES) | |
| 1989 – | ||
| 1990 – | – Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, known in Japan as and as Shadow Warriors 2 in Europe, is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was released in Japan on , in North America in May 1990, and in Europe on... |
|
| 1991 – | – Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, known in Japan as is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed and published by Tecmo. It was released in Japan on for the Famicom and in North America in August 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System... |
|
| 1991 – | – Ninja Gaiden (Game Gear) Ninja Gaiden (Game Gear) Ninja Gaiden is an action video game released for the Game Gear in 1991 by Sega with license from Tecmo.-Summary:It stars Ryu Hayabusa and is part of the Ninja Gaiden series, although it features a plot not connected to any of the other Ninja Gaiden games... |
|
| 1991 – | – Ninja Gaiden Shadow Ninja Gaiden Shadow Ninja Gaiden Shadow, released in Japan as and in Europe and Australia as Shadow Warriors, is a side-scrolling action game released for the Game Boy in 1991 by Tecmo... |
|
| 1992 – | – Ninja Gaiden (Master System) Ninja Gaiden (Master System) Ninja Gaiden is an action video game released for the Master System in 1992 by Sega with license from Tecmo.-Summary:This video game stars Ryu Hayabusa and is part of the Ninja Gaiden series, although it features a plot not connected to any of the other Ninja Gaiden games... |
|
| 1993 – | ||
| 1994 – | ||
| 1995 – | – Ninja Gaiden Trilogy | |
| 1996 – | ||
| 1997 – | ||
| 1998 – | ||
| 1999 – | ||
| 2000 – | ||
| 2001 – | ||
| 2002 – | ||
| 2003 – | ||
| 2004 – | – Ninja Gaiden | |
| 2005 – | – Ninja Gaiden Black | |
| 2006 – | ||
| 2007 – | – Ninja Gaiden Sigma Ninja Gaiden Sigma Ninja Gaiden Sigma, also known as Ninja Gaiden Σ, is an action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 3 video game console. Originally released on Xbox in 2004, it is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden and a continuation of a 1988 video game originally released for the Nintendo... |
|
| 2008 – | – Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword has received generally positive reviews. On the review aggregator Game Rankings, the game received an average score of 85% based on 14 reviews. On Metacritic, the game received an average score of 84 out of 100, based on 17 reviews... |
|
| 2008 – | – Ninja Gaiden II | |
| 2009 – | – Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, also known as Ninja Gaiden Σ 2, is an action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 3. It is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden II.-Plot:... |
|
| 2010 – | ||
| 2011 – | ||
| 2012 – | – Ninja Gaiden 3 Ninja Gaiden 3 Ninja Gaiden 3 is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei. It is the sequel to Ninja Gaiden II and will be released in early 2012. It will be the first title in the series not to be directed by franchise mainstay, Tomonobu Itagaki... |
|
| TBA – | – Ninja Gaiden 3D |
The arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
version of Ninja Gaiden (released in 1988 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and 1989 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) was a Double Dragon
Double Dragon
is a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
-style beat 'em up, in which the player controls a nameless blue ninja as he travels to various regions of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(such as San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
) to defeat an evil cult led by a fictional descendant of Nostradamus
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
, who is trying to personally fulfill his ancestor's prophecy of the rise of an evil king in 1999. The player has a variety of techniques, such as a flying neck throw and a back-flip. The player can obtain power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s by throwing enemies into background objects, such as street lights and dumpsters. The player fights primarily with his bare hands, although a sword can also be used for a limited time as a power-up; he can also use environmental objects as a prop from which he can deliver more powerful kicking attacks. Although the game takes place in different environments, there are primarily only five kinds of enemies, all of which appear in every level (although some levels have extra enemy types). The game is mostly remembered for its infamous continue screen (where the player character is tied to the ground underneath a descending circular saw
Circular saw
The circular saw is a machine using a toothed metal cutting disc or blade. The term is also loosely used for the blade itself. The blade is a tool for cutting wood or other materials and may be hand-held or table-mounted. It can also be used to make narrow slots...
).
While the game itself bears little or no connection to the later NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
trilogy or Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
revival (although the Xbox version does feature the same flying neck throw from the arcade game), certain aspects of it were carried over to the first NES title. The first stage in the NES game is a loose adaptation of the first stage in the arcade game and the opening cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
in the NES game vaguely resembles the intro in the arcade version. Both games also feature Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
look-alikes and the final boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
in the arcade game vaguely resembles Bloody Malth from the NES game.
An emulated version of the arcade game exists in the Xbox version's update, Ninja Gaiden Black, as a bonus feature.
NES trilogy
Ninja Gaiden (NES)
The first Ninja Gaiden for Famicom/NESNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
was released in Japan on December 9, 1988, in the United States in March 1989, and in Europe on August 15, 1991. A ninja named Ryu Hayabusa finds a letter by his recently missing father, Ken, telling him to go to America and meet with an archaeologist Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith tells Ryu that two statues hidden by Ryu's father and the doctor have the power to end the world - if united. Ryu ends up in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and battles Jaquio, an evil cult leader bent on reviving the ancient demon called "Jashin" and responsible for the attack on Ken Hayabusa.
The game introduced many of the series' staples, including the cinematic cutscenes, the boomerang-like Windmill Shuriken
Shuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
and the magical techniques called Ninja Arts (or Ninpo). Like all games in the series, it is noted for its difficulty, particularly the infamous Stage 6-2. To use the ninja arts, users had to collect power-ups. Each art used up a certain number of power-ups.
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
In the sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, Ryu learns of a new villain named Ashtar, Emperor of Chaos and master to Jaquio. Ryu must rescue Irene Lew, a former CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
agent, from Ashtar and destroy the Dark Sword, a weapon of great power, forged from a bone of the demon, as the Dragon Sword is forged from a fang of a dragon. In the end, Ryu learns that Jaquio has been reborn to fulfill the destiny of Ashtar and the Dark Sword.
This game was the first to feature Spirit Clones, invincible copies of Ryu which would mimic his movements and fight by his side. Also introduced was the ability to scale walls without the need to constantly jump upwards.
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
The third game, titled Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, has what some considered to be a rather convoluted and, at times, contradictory story featuring rogue secret agents, genetic engineering and the eponymous warship. The gameplay is largely unchanged and more is revealed about Foster, the CIA agent who sent Ryu after Jaquio in the first game and his true intentions towards the ninja. This game is often considered to be the most difficult of the original trilogy, as continues are limited this time. Additionally, most attacks deal 2 damage units to the player (rather than 1 in the previous games), who still has only 16 health units.New innovations in the third installment included a sword extension power-up that increased the range of the player's attack until the end of the level or until death, new types of surfaces from which the player could hang, and automatically scrolling areas.
Ninja Gaiden Trilogy
is a 1995 SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
collection featuring all three games. Few improvements were made, but passwords were included and the cinematic sequences were improved. The graphics were retouched and the soundtrack was updated. The third game was also made more playable by reverting the difficulty level to that of the Japanese version, with infinite continues and more reasonable damage from enemy attacks. Unfortunately, the ports suffered from slowdown, unresponsive controls and no closing credits. Some graphical changes were made that removed parallax scrolling
Parallax scrolling
Parallax scrolling is a special scrolling technique in computer graphics, popularized in the 1982 arcade game Moon Patrol. In this pseudo-3D technique, background images move by the camera slower than foreground images, creating an illusion of depth in a 2D video game and adding to the immersion...
from the backgrounds of the levels. Other graphical changes were made to comply with Nintendo's "Family Friendly" censorship policy at the time (i.e. a pool of blood changed from red to green, and the removal of pentagrams). Fans also complained about the omission of some music tracks (including removing two pieces of music from Ninja Gaiden III and replacing the use of the stage 1-1 music in the Ninja Gaiden II pursuit cutscenes with a repeating footstep sound). Conversely, a degree of censorship was actually removed from certain parts of the script (for example, Jaquio's "Argh! He's awake" is replaced with "Damn, he's awake."), though the retooled scripts also featured new typographical errors not found in the original translations. Despite these shortcomings, Ninja Gaiden Trilogy is a bit of a collector's item and sells for nearly $200 if still sealed. Ninja Gaiden Trilogy was included as a bonus unlockable in Ninja Gaiden for Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
.
Ninja Gaiden Shadow
Tecmo released a Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
version called Ninja Gaiden Shadow. It was actually a licensed edit of a proposed Shadow of the Ninja
Shadow of the Ninja
is a futuristic ninja-themed side-scrolling action game by Natsume for the Nintendo Entertainment System originally released in Japan in and in North America and Europe in...
(Natsume
Natsume Co., Ltd
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan founded on October 20, 1987. Its American branch, Natsume Inc., is located in Burlingame, California...
) port. Because of this, it differs slightly from the console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
versions, but is still fairly faithful. Although it was released following the NES trilogy, the game is actually a prequel to the original game.
Sega games
SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, under license from Tecmo, developed three games but ultimately released only two: one for the Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
and another for the Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
, both bearing the Ninja Gaiden title worldwide, marking the first time a game in the series was released with the Ninja Gaiden name in Japan and Europe.
Ninja Gaiden (Master System)
Released in Australia, Brazil, and Europe in 1992 for the Master SystemSega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, this game has similar gameplay mechanics to the NES games, though it had much better graphics, faster gameplay and a few changes were made such as Ryu bouncing off walls instead of clinging to them, like the later 3D games. The game featured a new storyline, characters and scenarios, not connected to any of the other Ninja Gaiden games. This version is the only 8 bit version to receive a perfect 5 out of 5 on Ottozro's Game Rating scale.
Ninja Gaiden (Game Gear)
Released in Japan, North America and Europe in 1991 for the Game GearSega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
, this game was not very close to any of the other Ninja Gaiden games. It featured a smaller screen size, bigger character sprites, slower game speed, and unlike the NES and Master System games which were more oriented to platforming action, this was more a linear side-scrolling game in the likes of the Shinobi series.
Ninja Gaiden (Beta) (Mega Drive/Genesis)
A Mega Drive/GenesisSega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
version of Ninja Gaiden was in development by Sega sometime in 1992. It was planned to be a belt scroll
Belt scroll
Belt scroll is a video game genre that is side-scrolling action with downward camera angle. The character is able to move not only sideways but also vertical to depth within limited area.This term is mainly used in Japan...
-style beat-'em-up similar to the arcade version of Ninja Gaiden, instead of following the side-scrolling platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
format from the NES trilogy. The plot would have involved Ryu traveling to the United States in order to track down a pair of sibling ninjas named Jin and Rika who have gone rogue by stealing the Secret Scrolls of the Huma (an alternate romanization of the name "Fūma"). The Mega Drive version is not a port of the arcade game, but some of the stages (such as a casino) and enemy characters (like the hockey mask-wearing punks) are similar, though the play mechanics are very different.
The game was never released commercially, but a beta build was leaked through the internet as a ROM image
ROM image
A ROM image, or ROM file, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a video game cartridge, a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's main board...
. The beta features seven stages, including cut-scenes and bosses, but has several programming bugs such as odd moving controls, unfinished levels, and cut-scenes which are skipped before finishing. Although the opening and stage names are in Japanese, the rest of the cut-scenes were translated into English. The techniques available in the beta consists of a standard punch combo, a jump kick, a rolling move, and a special somersault kick.
Other versions
There are also several other versions of the Ninja Gaiden games on other platforms.The original Ninja Gaiden arcade game received several ports for the Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Commodore Amiga and ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
computers. The Amiga version in particular, retained almost all of the graphics and functionality of the original game, including the two-player cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
and the introduction. All these versions, developed by Ocean Software
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
, were only released in Europe as Shadow Warriors.
A PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
(MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
format) port of the original Ninja Gaiden was also developed by Hi Tech Expressions
Hi Tech Expressions
Hi Tech Expressions was an American console game company headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City.Hi Tech existed during the early 1990s. During the course of its existence, the company made primarily juvenile-oriented games for young boys and girls...
, this time for its release in North America as Ninja Gaiden, as opposed to the other computer versions. However, it featured stripped down play mechanics and a low 16 colour palette.
There is port of the first NES Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden (NES)
, known in Japan as and as Shadow Warriors in Europe, is a side-scrolling platforming video game. It was developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System ; its development and release coincided with the beat 'em up arcade version of the same name. It was released in in...
developed by Hudson
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
for the PC Engine and released only in Japan, although the game features an unlockable English mode (with a different translation than the NES game). Other differences include enhanced graphics, reworked music and rebalanced difficulty.
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, known in Japan as and as Shadow Warriors 2 in Europe, is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was released in Japan on , in North America in May 1990, and in Europe on...
received computer ports developed by GameTek
GameTek
GameTek was a video game publisher based in North Miami Beach, Florida well known for publishing video game adaptations of game shows in the early 1990s. GameTek was a trade name for IJE, the owner of electronic publishing rights to Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune...
for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
(MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
format) and the Commodore Amiga, both for their release in North America. They featured a 256 colour palette (32 on Amiga) and were translated faithfully (though animation and movement were choppier) and also offered a save-and-load function, where your exact position in the game could be saved at any given moment.
Lastly, the arcade game Ninja Gaiden and the NES game Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, known in Japan as is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed and published by Tecmo. It was released in Japan on for the Famicom and in North America in August 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System...
, were both ported to the Atari Lynx handheld system. The original title was a solid port of the arcade title and is a more sought-after title for the Lynx. Part III was a very-faithful port of the NES game and is virtually identical from beginning to end, albeit with a more distorted-sounding soundtrack and slightly-jumbled visuals due to the lower in-game video resolution.
Ninja Gaiden
The series was revived after several years with the 2004 release of Ninja Gaiden for the XboxXbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The title was developed over five years by developer Tomonobu Itagaki
Tomonobu Itagaki
is a Japanese video game designer who created the Dead or Alive fighting game and beach sport simulation series and also revived the Ninja Gaiden franchise in 2004...
and his Team Ninja, and eventually released to high sales and critical acclaim. An upgraded edition with new content, modes and features came out the following year under the name Ninja Gaiden Black. Later, a remake directed by Yosuke Hayashi was made on the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
as Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Ninja Gaiden Sigma, also known as Ninja Gaiden Σ, is an action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 3 video game console. Originally released on Xbox in 2004, it is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden and a continuation of a 1988 video game originally released for the Nintendo...
on July 3, 2007. The latter version has its graphics reworked to high definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
standards, and Rachel as a playable character.
The story along with its sequels Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Ninja Gaiden 2 have been established as a retcon, taking place before the NES Ninja Gaiden Series. The main story of the game involves Ryu Hayabusa setting out on a quest to retrieve the Dark Dragon Blade from the hands of evil after most of his clan was wiped out.
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
announced Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword has received generally positive reviews. On the review aggregator Game Rankings, the game received an average score of 85% based on 14 reviews. On Metacritic, the game received an average score of 84 out of 100, based on 17 reviews...
was released only for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. The game is played in a diagonal top-down view with 3D graphics, and the player needs to hold the Nintendo DS sideways, like a book, as in Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Hotel Dusk: Room 215, released in Japan as , is a graphic adventure game for the Nintendo DS. Originally announced on October 5, 2005 as Wish Room, the game made its first public appearance on May 9, 2006 at that year's E3 convention. It was released in North America on January 22, 2007, before...
and Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is played using full potential of the stylus. This is the reason why Team Ninja chose to make the game for the Nintendo DS, instead of the PSP. The story is set six months after the event of 2004's Ninja Gaiden. There is also a new playable female ninja character, Momiji. Both the Japanese release and the US release dates were March, 2008.
Ninja Gaiden II
Ninja Gaiden II was the next game in the post-2004 series and set one year after the events in Ninja Gaiden (2004). It was published by Microsoft Game StudiosMicrosoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. The new features in the game were four difficulty levels, a regenerating health bar, and upgraded graphics and enemy AI.
An enhanced version of Ninja Gaiden II was released for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and titled Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, also known as Ninja Gaiden Σ 2, is an action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 3. It is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden II.-Plot:...
.
Ninja Gaiden 3D
NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Tecmo announced the development of Ninja Gaiden 3D for Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2010. No further details were given at that time.
Ninja Gaiden 3
Tecmo Koei announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2010 in a closed-door event in September that they were currently developing Ninja Gaiden 3Ninja Gaiden 3
Ninja Gaiden 3 is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei. It is the sequel to Ninja Gaiden II and will be released in early 2012. It will be the first title in the series not to be directed by franchise mainstay, Tomonobu Itagaki...
. Footage was shown at the Nintendo keynote at E3 2011 as an upcoming game for the Wii U console.
Animation & Anime
Ninja Ryūkenden / Ninja GaidenRyu, voiced by Keiichi Nanba
Keiichi Nanba
is a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actress Mayumi Shō.-Anime:* Sailor Moon series as Gurio Umino, Zoisite, Alan* Trigun as Hoppered the Gauntlet-Tokusatsu:...
, is the main character in the 1991 OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
film Ninja Ryūkenden, released in Japan only. Ryu Hayabusa has a unique look in the animation.
Literature
Some of the Ninja Gaiden series has received novelizations, such as the NES version.Crossovers and Cross-promotion
Cameo appearancesNinja Gaiden's characters, as well as other references to the series, can be found in cameos and additional items in various titles from games by Tecmo, Koei, & Microsoft/Xbox.