• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry?

Best Action Game Franchise?

  • Ninja Gaiden

    Votes: 104 46.8%
  • Devil May Cry

    Votes: 69 31.1%
  • Bayonetta

    Votes: 17 7.7%
  • Other (Please specify)

    Votes: 8 3.6%
  • God of War

    Votes: 24 10.8%

  • Total voters
    222
Devil May Cry 3 is peak hack and slash.

I'd take DMC only for the original one, though. The most special game (a mix of genres) in the bunch.
 

TNT Sheep

Member
I should really pick up where I left off in Ninja Gaiden (OG Xbox), but damn the game is hard as nails. For now it's definitely DMC. I prefer the characters, setting/story and the insane and flashy combos that can be achieved in those games.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
God of War ?

5c8ef565e702858ce3a59b4d5deee585.jpg
Don’t worry it’s in dead last in the poll.

The first 3 games feel like they belong to compete, but someone’s gotta take last place right?
 

stn

Member
NGB is the single best game in the bunch, but DMC has more good games (3, 4, and 5 all bang). NG2 vanilla is excellent, but NG3: Razor's Edge is soooo average. I picked NG overall but maybe I should have picked DMC or God of War.
 

dave_d

Member
Before we get into this discussion:
-Franchise. Calm down MGR army. It’s one game and not a franchise. You too Vanquish enthusiasts.
-We are talking about fast paced combo kind of action games like the 3 franchises mentioned. Not Souls games.
Well then, maybe there should be a separate thread for the best one off action combo game. You know for fans of Vanquish, MGR, God Hand, and Shinobi PS2. (I know I would have loved to see a sequel to Vanquish.)
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
Well then, maybe there should be a separate thread for the best one off action combo game. You know for fans of Vanquish, MGR, God Hand, and Shinobi PS2. (I know I would have loved to see a sequel to Vanquish.)
Go ahead and make it! :)
 

Buggy Loop

Member
I think a month ago I would have answered DMC

But I replayed Ninja Gaiden Black recently when it was the 20th anniversary and my god, the game was way ahead of its time. We have regressed gaming wise. It's a god tier action game with sprinkles of exploration with an intertwined map, Metroidvania'esque unlocks and a dash of Resident evil puzzles (although simple) with statues. The enemies are not fucking messing around in that game. I looked at Master ninja videos on how peoples are playing it and it blows me mind.
 
Ninja Gaiden Black is the best of the choices, but as a series DMC is overall better. NG2 was....ok. But it didn't have that "je ne sais quoi" that the original had and then it kind of lost the plot with NG3. DMC was ok as an initial offering and then DMC 3 and 4 were both pretty great. Never played the reboot and only touched DMC5 for a few hours and put it down as I didn't have a controller at the time to play it with and was just not enjoying it, should get back to it one day.

 

Generic

Member
Ironically they portrayed DMC world better than Capcom. Overall, Ninja Gaiden Black takes the cake for me. DMC3 for variety and soundtrack.
Ironically DmC is the DMC game with the best controls and camera.

Edit: and platforming
 
Last edited:

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
The industry needed this man in charge.

Imagine what he would’ve cooked up when souls fever hit. His version of a “nioh” would’ve been so much more brutal in all the best ways.
 

Hudo

Member
The industry needed this man in charge.

Imagine what he would’ve cooked up when souls fever hit. His version of a “nioh” would’ve been so much more brutal in all the best ways.
Man, I'd love to see Itagaki's take on a Souls-game.
 

mansoor1980

Gold Member
1-god of war, AAA million seller

2-DMC, solid franchise

3-ninja gaiden , dead franchise

and bayonetta?...................
who-dat.gif
 

Hudo

Member
I've said it once I'll say it again. I didn't think NGB was that hard on normal. The game let you farm essence and you could farm bats for health.(Admittedly it took me a long time to beat some levels.)
Well, according to Itagaki, you're a winner.
 
Ninja Gaiden and it's not even close when it comes to the combat system and relentless enemy AI.

Ninja Gaiden black is still one of the best - if not the best - character action game and it was released almost 20 years ago.
Ninja Gaiden 2, while more linear, perfected the already stellar combat of the 1st game.

NG3 doesn't exist.

The reason I'll always pick NG over DMC is the fact that in NG, you're actually fighting enemies and trying to survive the on-screen onslaught - a stark contrast to DMC where...you're there (mostly) to look cool and try to do SSS combos and rack up those points, they're games with a different philosophy behind them but I prefer the NG one (the 1hit thing in HaH mode doesn't count).

The only thing I dislike about the NG games is the atrocious, gaudy, kitsch art-direction, my fookin' Lord it's bad - Pink Demon's, big titted hammer -wielding pornstars, worms, cockroaches, TMNT Krang-like enemies, general boss design etc etc, a problem which DMC never had since it was always the more aesthetically pleasing franchise due to the better art-direction, music etc.

Basically :
Ninja Gaiden : combat
DMC : everything else
 
Last edited:

Xellos

Member
Ninja Gaiden on original Xbox is one of the best games I have ever played and it is good enough to win this poll on its own.

Not a knock against DMC, I just think NG is that good.
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
DMC has two great games (3,5) and two good games (1,4).

But I voted for Ninja Gaiden just because of NG1.
 

Majukun

Member
bayonetta, but only the first one.

it and dmc5 are the pinnacle of the genre, one does better crowd control, the other better 1v1

never managed to get into ninja gaiden too much, but i admit i dedicated to it a fraction of the time dedicated to the other two.

god of war..pff, it was a distant competitor when it still was part of the genre
 
DMC overall though it could be argued Ninja Gaiden Black is better then any individual DMC game or at least as good as the best ones.
 

RaduN

Member
The reason I'll always pick NG over DMC is the fact that in NG, you're actually fighting enemies and trying to survive the on-screen onslaught - a stark contrast to DMC where...you're there (mostly) to look cool and try to do SSS combos and rack up those points, they're games with a different philosophy behind them but I prefer the NG one (the 1hit thing in HaH mode doesn't count).
Lol friend, your post made me chuckle.

You must have not played DMC on anything other than normal difficulty. Trust me when i say that, on higher (not to mention the infamous Dante Must Die) difficulties it is an onslaught every bit as hard as Master Ninja in Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2.
I played all these games on their highest and i'd rank Ninja Gaiden 1 and DMC3 pretty equal in terms of highest difficulties, followed by DMC1 DMD and the easiest (if i can call it that lol) of them all, Ninja Gaiden 2 on MN.
 
Lol friend, your post made me chuckle.

You must have not played DMC on anything other than normal difficulty. Trust me when i say that, on higher (not to mention the infamous Dante Must Die) difficulties it is an onslaught every bit as hard as Master Ninja in Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2.
I played all these games on their highest and i'd rank Ninja Gaiden 1 and DMC3 pretty equal in terms of highest difficulties, followed by DMC1 DMD and the easiest (if i can call it that lol) of them all, Ninja Gaiden 2 on MN.
I mentioned DMC's HaH mode, "you must not have played them on anything other than normal", c'mon man...

Also, while DMC can get indeed difficult on higher difficulties , it's a still a game based on being "stylish", hence the whole grade system.
Both can get tough but NG demands a different level of awareness due to it being a more...how shall i put it, "attack and defend" type of game ? What I mean is that it's more visceral and "simple" in that you basically have to survive the encounters while in DMC, as soon as I lose that SSS rank combo by being hit off-screen by some invisible off-screen projectile/enemy attack I lose the will to continue (find it infuriating).
Yeah, NG2 has that bullshit also with the fookin' IS ninjas but personally I find it an easier pill to swallow compared to DMC.
It's the OCD type of gameplay that gets on my nerves, on NG I only have to worry about the (bullshit) difficulty.

Opinions and all that, you don't have to chuckle, just accept a different opinion than yours.

Cheers
 

violence

Member
Do people that play Ninja Gaiden Sigma before Black feel that Black is still superior?
 
Last edited:
Do people that play Ninja Gaiden Sigma before Black feel that Black is still superior?
I played the two back to back. I need the Sigma jump shot, good camera control, and auto water running/jump out of water in my life. Everything else is just a bonus. Adventure elements elevated some areas in Black, but those are small potatoes compared to these mechanics.
 
Last edited:
Ninja Gaiden Black has a very unique feel to the gameplay that has not been replicated (even Ninja Gaiden 2 loses that gameplay feel) since. The wall-running and how the movement comes together with the precision that the combat demands from you is nothing short of exceptional.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
Just beat Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 a moment ago.

I love every single stich of this game top to bottom.

Doing NG1 sigma as the last game then later I’ll get NG black and OG NG2.

NG2 in general for me outright trumped everything DMC has done. It’s a brilliant game. I’ll have to redo my own top 10 games of all time because it’s so fucking excellent.
 
NGB is the best. Top tier gaming and combat.

After that DMC3 and DMC1. I don't like any other DMC games. DMC5 especially was like good combat with absolute shit everything else imo.
 

NT80

Member
The industry needed this man in charge.

Imagine what he would’ve cooked up when souls fever hit. His version of a “nioh” would’ve been so much more brutal in all the best ways.
The original Nioh Alpha was a lot more brutal than the final release. People complained. I can only imagine what Itagaki's response would've been.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
Oh No Reaction GIF by WWE

Oh no. You played the Ninja Dog version!
I’ve read up on the differences between the two.

NG2 has more enemies that are easier to dismember. Sigma 2 has less enemies that don’t lose limbs as easily.

Of course there is a difference with lighting as well and the major censoring of gore.

I plan to play both. Sigma 2 is a fine fucking game.
 
Sigma 2 is a fine fucking game.
That is a stretch...
I played every chapter in Ninja Gaiden II and Ninja Gaiden Sigma II back to back and was pretty taken back by how different the two were.

1. Right off the bat in Sigma, it was very strange to see clouds of purple smoke coming out of human enemies and a Giant Buddha Statue appear out of nowhere and destroy a bunch of skyscrapers before confronting Ryu. Also, the doors/key items not being interactive like in the original took away from immersion. I did, however, appreciate being able to do the Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop right off the bat prior to discovering their scrolls.

2. Hayabusa Village was near identical outside of Rod of Trials removal, but it really highlighted the biggest gameplay difference between the two versions. The projectile weapons. In the original the aiming was manual and could be charged, but the aimbot cursor and uncharged shot in Sigma made it much easier, but less versatile. The number of varied projectile weapons available to Ryu in Sigma was reduced to three that just do different amounts of damage and give infinite ammo.

3. These changes made the city level's Demon Train boss fight trivial. Sigma made very few changes outside of removing enemies from select underground areas and strangely switching the weapon found in the ninja exhibit from dual katanas to a greatsword exclusive to Sigma. But, the Statue of Liberty fight added in Sigma was cinematic and I appreciated early access to the bladed nunchucks.

4. The biggest changes I observed were in the Aqua Capital. Sigma censored the intro with Ryu cutting a Lycan in half and removed the enemies in the water for starters. It also cut enemy numbers and removed some scenic water effects in the fountain and waterfall areas. It even glued Ryu to a small platform for the Ghost Dragon boss fight in the underground caverns and limited him to only using projectiles. It was here Sigma began spamming the limbless floating demons in place of local enemy types. It also did away with the underwater machine gun and gave Ryu an oversized rifle cannon instead.

5. A few other boss fights in Sigma were changed, but not in a way that drastically changed the journey even if a Giant Demon Centipede boss area was erased completely. Though I must admit that the dying detonation of the Giant Lava Amadillo after the airship crash in the original was cheap (required nippo or talisman of rebirth) the availability of explosive shuriken made it relatively easy to replay. I even enjoyed the challenge of the Two Flying Dragons boss fight in the original more than the single Grounded Dragon boss fight in Sigma and found the Two Giant Lava Armadillos were less annoying in the original than Super Bephomet with his erratic invincible flight patterns in Sigma's venture through hell. In later parts of the game, I even slightly appreciated the removal of waves of rocket launcher spam enemies, flying enemies, and the abbrevited passages through tunnels and segments of hell in Sigma but not enough to ignore the reduced enemy variety.

6. The coolest parts of Sigma are in the addition of Rachel, Momji, and Ayane as playable characters (though, Rachel's chapter is the worst of the three) and being able to use everyone in the Ninja Races and varied Tag Missions in addition to replaying any chapter.

TLDR: In the end, my opinion is that Sigma 2 is far from the definitive version of the game, but should I want a taste of Ninja Gaiden's second installment it will likely be the version I revisit as it has so many more features. However, should I want a full course meal, the original has no substitute.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
That is a stretch...
lol even you’re finally comment indicates what I’m saying — play both. There’s differences, and both are worth your time IMO if you like the franchise.

Whenever the day comes I can play NG2 I will without hesitation and that’s the one I plan to do master ninja run of, not sigma 2.
 

kiphalfton

Member
God of War Egypt should have a devil may cry combat system. 🤣

Should... but the likelohood of that happening is very low. Instead they'll probably shoe in shitty ranged combat.

Only played GoW (2018), and Leviathan is fine but not that great. And clearly the game was built around it. It's a novelty weapon and essentially mjolnir; throw it and it boomerangs back. Cool at first, but by the end of the game it wears off (mainly do to the stupid puzzles).

Ninja May Gaiden. The ultimate crossover.
Don't forget the big boobs from Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry 1-4. Devil May Cry 5 was a travesty in that regard.
 
Last edited:

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
I tried Ninja Gaiden Black, game seemed pretty cool but the camera controls completely and utterly filtered me.

Voted other for Metal Gear Rising, I love that game.
 
Top Bottom