Ninja Gaiden Trilogy

[Luke]

There's not much I can say about Ninja Gaiden that hasn't already been said. It's almost always included in every top 10 NES action games, and for me, it's always been at #1. As a kid, I enjoyed the challenge, and when the game got too difficult, the thought of seeing another theatrical cut scene gave me the determination to beat the game. Now as an adult, it still remains as one of my favorite games ever made. It usually takes me around 30 minutes to beat (not including the cut scenes), but I still watch every cut scene, from the beginning intro, to the end credits.
I went through the entire trilogy last weekend, beating all three games in a day, which is a pedestrian accomplishment, but fun nonetheless. I might be on the minority on this, but I still think the first installment is the best. Dark sword of chaos is great, don't get me wrong, but the first Ninja Gaiden seems to flow smoother than it's successors. Ancient ship of doom plays like Shadow of the Ninja, but with brighter colors and easier bosses. To me, Ancient ship of doom is a great game, but doesn't have the same feel to it as the first two installments. There is too much grappling, climbing, and unnecessary platforms that get in the way of the rush and attack style that made the first Ninja Gaiden such a great game. The first Ninja Gaiden is played in a sense of urgency. Run, slash, jump, and get to the next boss as soon as you can. That sense of urgency seems to lessen with each installment. The stories also seem to dull a little with each sequel. Could be just me, but the opening to the first Ninja Gaiden set the tone for the entire game:

NG opening

Straight and to the point, go kick some ass and get revenge.

Compared to the third game's opening:

NG3 opening

It's the same old tired Irene story line, again, and it's fairly long and drawn out.

I think the first sequel is somewhere in the middle:

NG 2

To wrap it up, 3 great games that are still an incredible amount of fun to play, and I'm glad I revisited them. Actually, I might just play them all again tonight.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Not to get totally off topic but I always felt the Shinobi games were better.

[Luke]

Not to get totally off topic but I always felt the Shinobi games were better.

Apples and oranges.

I love the Shinobi games too, but they're totally different as far as gameplay goes.

[weasels]

Not to get totally off topic but I always felt the Shinobi games were better.

Apples and oranges.

I love the Shinobi games too, but they're totally different as far as gameplay goes.

agreed.........but ninja gaiden have always been my favorite out of the two series.

[Luke]

Not to get totally off topic but I always felt the Shinobi games were better.

Apples and oranges.

I love the Shinobi games too, but they're totally different as far as gameplay goes.

agreed.........but ninja gaiden have always been my favorite out of the two series.

It kind of depends on what mood I'm in. If I want a hack and slash, I'll play Gaiden on the NES or XBOX, and maybe shadow of the ninja. If I'm going for a more in depth ninja game (and I know I'm stretching that phrase for the Genesis) I'll pick up Shinobi or Tenchu (PS).

Now I'm getting off topic, but Shinobi and Strider seem to share so many characteristics, gameplay wise.

[Dylan]

Wow, these games were serious ball breakers. There are few other games (with reasonable difficulty, like no glitches and whatnot) that can compare to the challenge they delivered.

[weasels]

i have to say i enjoy the strider series the most in the 2D ninja game genra. tenchu is cool to but i dont like the first two. i do like one of the ps2 games though (i forget the back title)

[Jrecee]

Haven't played any ninja gaiden games in a while. Heard they're hard as hell. Are the NES versions worth it or is it better to get the compilation that came out for the SNES. What about the master system version, which I believe is completely different?

And on the topic of Strider, does anyone have it for NES? I just bought it the other day and it seems really. . . buggy? It has a pretty good score on mobygames but I was having trouble getting it to work at first so that could be the problem. Example: sometimes when jumping off slopes he jumps normally but then starts falling extremely fast.

[corn619]

Ninja Gaiden is a game one really needs to master in order to conquer it. It was also one of the originators of the cut scene. Not to mention the over the top badass villians.

[J T]

I was obsessed with Ninja Gaiden when I was a kid. I've beaten all three, and I was crazy for Ninja Gaiden I & II. I used to be able to get through part I without losing a life in under 30 minutes.