The first must-buy of 2004. For those that will have the patience to learn the nuances of the game, a rewarding experience awaits.

2003 will go down in video gaming history as one of the most productive and exciting years since the release of the original Famicom (NES for those outside of Japan). More than one game brought a smile to my face throughout the winter, and as each day brings us closer and closer to the next generation, the current crop of systems are really hitting their stride.

Of all the titles that I looked forward to in 2003, the one that seemed to constantly elude my grasp was the next generation debut of Ninja Gaiden.

Now, for those of you who are too young to remember the original NES offerings, let me state that the XBOX version in your hot little hands is not the first to come down the pike. This series debuted back in the dark ages of 1989. Two others games followed, and the one thing about the series that I will always remember is the controller crushing difficulty.

Funny how even after 15 years and a slew of next generation consoles, some things never change. After all the painful delays, Tecmo has released what will undoubtedly be christened the action game of 2004.

Even though the title has received a substantial face lift from those early days, game play seems to have been simply transferred from the 2D side scrolling action into a 3D environment. Ninja Gaiden has never been really big on a story line, and newest iteration follows that same formula.

This game is an action junkie’s dream. It has been a LONG time since I have had this kind of reflex tester, so for those of you who don’t have the patience for a difficult experience, you will need to live vicariously through friends and video game journalists.

Ninja Gaiden casts you in the role of the lone Ninja Ryu Hayabusa. The story is sad and simple. A rival clan has murdered the warrior’s entire family and stolen the Dark Blade. A dark and mysterious figure called Lord Doku seems to be involved and thus, the adventure begins.

The first place to begin this review is with the Michelangelo-like graphics. I know we always seem to fawn over the Splinter Cells and Prince of Persia’s, but at least for the moment, Ninja Gaiden trumps them all.

The environments are simply spectacular. The water, the trees, the cliffs, the fortresses and caves are all the most beautiful and well crafted I have seen on any platform. It doesn’t stop there either. The characters themselves, from Ryu to the bosses and beasts, are animated and designed with the utmost in detail and originality.

The bottom line is that there are only a handful of games coming out in 2004 that have a chance to come close to the beauty of this title.

The sound effects are equally impressive and in most every instance seem to fit the stage you’re playing. 5.1 Dolby anyone? Some of the same tracks play a bit too often, but this is nothing new as all games have that knock against them. Fortunately, Ryu’s war cries, the sound of your blade slashing through the enemy and the option of voice-over in Japanese or English make this a superb treat for the ears.

Games don’t become classics with only great sound and graphics. To complete the formula, you have to have fun, exciting and varied game play. As great as this game looks and sounds, the game play is pure genius.

The first thing worth mentioning is that everything in this game is as fluid as a Rocky Mountain stream. Characters move and animate as smoothly as any you’ll ever see, and there is not even the slightest hint of slowdown in the heaviest of combat situations.

The best complement that I can give this game is that you actually feel like you’re experiencing and visiting real-world locations. There are very few titles that can make that claim, and of those that can, all pale in comparison to Ninja Gaiden.

Although you can see the tried true and true formula of “fight, find the key and defeat the boss”, the style with which Team Ninja has executed this makes the experience fresh and exciting.

The basic outline is that you’ll begin a stage and have some platform elements to be navigated. Fortunately, Ryu has been gifted with moves to get you past even the most difficult obstacles. Ryu can run, flip, triangle jump and swing from horizontal tree limbs ala Prince of Persia. Since we’re on POP, Ryu also can run along walls to navigate over chasms that are too long to jump.

Ryu has multiple weapons at his disposal, and constantly learns new and effective combos from defeated foes. These are essential, as each boss you meet increase in difficulty level.

Speaking of bosses, Team Ninja has assembled some of the most awesome and motley looking enemies you will ever encounter. Each boss has multiple attack patterns, so those of you who think that you can lose a couple of rounds and memorize the boss’s moves are in for a shock.

This game is designed to force you into truly becoming a virtual ninja. You will need to learn how to use every weapon, every move and jump technique, including the combos, to see the credits roll at the end.

If the game is this hard, it has to be about 8 to 10 hours long right? Nope, expect your first run through to be in excess of 20 hours. Suffice to say, if you are not willing to put the time into this game, you need to go back and play something easier like….I don’t know…Pokemon.

Tecmo has also been kind enough to throw in some extras that make this the first definitive purchase of 2004. Playing through the entire adventure and collecting the necessary artifacts will net you goodies such as extra costumes and the original NES versions of Ninja Gaiden.

Include with that package, XBOX live downloadable content, a future Ninja Gaiden high score world wide tournament, extra difficulty levels and you have a complete package. This is a text book example of how a quality video game is conceived, designed and executed.

Ninja Gaiden is hands down the first great action title of 2004. The game will punish you with difficulty, but will keep you hooked with gorgeous eye candy, stellar and smooth game play. The originality that is programmed on this disc is far less common than what we, as mature gamers, have come to expect.

If you are a video game fan, Ninja Gaiden will keep you plenty occupied until the next crop of great games is released at the end of March.


Review by Michael Harris.