pretty done
Member
Ninja Gaiden 2 was really good, so 2 hit wonder
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Tomonobu Itagaki stepping down as head of Valhalla, will become game consultant
- Thread starter Jaded Alyx
- Start date
Ninja Gaiden 2 was really good, so 2 hit wonder
Jetboxx
Member
Well, Ninja Gaiden II had a better battle system but its development was rushed. That's why the game had some flaws (but it's still a masterpiece). As for Devil's Third, it was in development hell.
http://kyoto-report.wikidot.com/forum/t-2132864/momotaro-dentetsu-2017
He's doesn't seem to appear in the credits.
James Scott
Banned
I never got to play the good NG games. My first and last was Razor's Edge which he didn't make.
D3 isn't the worst but it doesn't take much advantage of its combat being a mediocre hack and slash mixed with a mediocre shooter.
D3 isn't the worst but it doesn't take much advantage of its combat being a mediocre hack and slash mixed with a mediocre shooter.
Like, it's better than Korra and TMNT but I wouldn't call it better than 75% of their output.
eyeball_kid
Member
I hope he's given the latitude somewhere to make a great game at one of his consulting gigs, but this is kind of disheartening.
giancarlo123x
Banned
His last great game was NGB, it's been a long time but thanks for that at least, screaming at my friends Xbox many years ago was fun.
It's sad but after I suffered through NG2 on Master Ninja and seeing what Itagaki did afterward, I do sometimes wonder if NG/B was actually just a bit of a fluke. It actually saddened me how much I hated NG2.
Like, NG2 was ok on the two initial difficulties, but was hampered by dodgy controls such as there being too big a deadzone on the dodge which becomes practically unresponsive if the frame rate tanks, which it does in a number of encounters, a lack of enemy variety and too many crappy archery sections and so on. It just lacks the tightness of the NG, even if the weapons were satisfying.
But where NG/B gets even better when you turn the difficulty up, NG2 just shits the bed completely and turns hard left into bad game territory. The game is an utter mess on Mentor and Master Ninja. It misses the point of the original game's difficulty entirely and just fills every single fight with a metric shitload of projectile spam from both enemies near you and additional ones positioned 50 meters in the background firing explosive arrows at you. Where the first game introduces new enemies or forces you to face fights tactically, NG2 just throws more and more projectiles at you from off screen.
It completely removed the depth of the combat system by forcing you to chain together moves with invincibility frames (since unlike the first games, enemies which are off screen don't become less aggressive with ranged attacks to compensate for the fact you can't see them), and spam moves which quickly remove limbs so you can get quick kills. It actively prevents you from using the combat system. Then you chuck in some flat out awful encounters (IIRC Chapter 13 has one bit where you have to fight explosive projectile throwing ninjas who will respawn infinitely until you kill 9 powered up versions of the first boss who you fight 3 at a time and it's just atrocious). And enemies who the game counts as having hit you when their wind up animation starts rather than when they actually hit you (for example, the machinegun ninjas in the jungle/airship have a move where they jump over your head then kick you to the floor, the game counts you have being hit by it the moment they jump over your head, while the undead ninjas can do the suicide bomb attacks without being dismembered, and it counts you as having been hit by it as soon as they pull their arm back, not when they hit you), essentially giving many enemies undodgeable attacks.
Meanwhile, most of the bosses were incredibly forgettable since they all fought the same way, which was be stupidly fast and do tons of damage, but also take tons of damage, and most of their attacks either have tiny windup animations nearly impossible to see or they go off camera then hit you from there, turning them into boring wars of attrition on higher settings where you just throw yourself at them until you win.
God, I hated Ninja Gaiden 2. Sigma 2 actually fixed/removed most of the worst problems, but didn't really add anything so in the end you just get a really easy version of NG2. Which was already a much easier game than the first one in spite of the cheapness, because it forces you to cheese the fuck out of it anyway. It said a lot that the hardest chapters were the first 2 in the game because once you got a few moves available you could just spam them (claws + flying swallow -> Izuna drop / forward+YYYY combos will beat the whole game, basically).
It was glitchy as hell too, presumably due to it being rushed out. I remember twice in a row on Master Ninja the subway boss just left the arena half way through the fight, while in the final chapter they patched the game and broke the cutscene before fighting Dagra Dai meaning I had to uninstall the patch in order to finish the game on MN.
This is something I didn't expect to see. I wonder on what level he'll consult on games. Industry stuff, indies or both?
Nah.
Nah.
TheJollyCorner
Member
May your afterlife flow as gently and serendipitously as cherry blossom pedals in the wind, beautiful Itagaki-San.
RIP.
RIP.
giancarlo123x
Banned
In what way shape or form? Get off his Kool aid.
Ban Puncher
Member
Ninja Gaiden DS was the shit.
tauroxd
Member
I'm actually starting to believe that you are Itagaki which is all sorts of awesome and funny!
I wish him the best. He has sadly been wasting away for years. Maybe his consulting work will make melee combat in western titles feel decent. 
what
what
The Cartographer
Member
Itagaki going globa! I'm looking forwared to his future international collaborations.
Also, that picture is lovely.
Also, that picture is lovely.
Host Samurai
Member
Wish he would go on KS to create another NG style action game. NG2 was amazing.
Harsh but true.
Sumio Mondo
Member
So is Valhalla Studios carrying on without him or...?
Sounds like he'll get around and do other stuff. I personally liked Devil's Third so I hope the studio comes up with something else fun.
Sounds like he'll get around and do other stuff. I personally liked Devil's Third so I hope the studio comes up with something else fun.
sixteen-bit
Member
You think he'd ever consult on Ninja Gaiden?
Barrel Cannon
Member
Sigh, MP of devils third was great. Unfortunate that he had to end his career on a lower note, but I wish him the best of luck in the future as a consultant. I will always remember him for creating my fav ninja games(NG2 nes, NG(B) xbox and NG2 360).
Barrel Cannon
Member
DMC is arguable, platinums output nah. Devils Third was way too rough around the edges. I'd put it alongside Anarchy Reigns in terms of quality
The Cartographer
Member
No way and Koei Tecmo/Team Ninja would never ask him anyway.
Jetboxx
Member
What a pity.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
So is Devil's Third good or bad or it depends?
I guess that's the way the oatmeal cookie crumbles. Shame he couldn't go out on a higher note.
The single player is a monstrous trash fire. The multi was decent, but they closed downed the servers, so all you've got left is the trash fire.
The single player is a monstrous trash fire. The multi was decent, but they closed downed the servers, so all you've got left is the trash fire.
Jetboxx
Member
It always depends. As for me, it's good.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
Platinum is way too crazy for him. Itagaki's style of action isn't like theirs.
ShinMaruku
Member
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
It would be funny as fuck if he ended up at Namco working on Tekken.
Jetboxx
Member
Yeah, that's my point.
Banana Aeon
Member
A roasting isn't enough for that piece of trash.After DOA4 a roasting would be apt.
Jetboxx
Member
DoA4 is a masterpiece.After DOA4 a roasting would be apt.
Jetboxx
Member
The latter.
rockman zx
Member
Is not considered a good game from the competitive players point of view.
DevilWillcry
Member
I wonder what developers from across the world he will be working with...
sixteen-bit
Member
Dear jetboxx, please consult on Ninja Gaiden 4
His tag needs to be changed to "Itagaki Member."
Nah. The single player is fine. It's just that Ivan isn't a very likeable protagonist, the Ninja's don't show up until you get to the Japan level (Part 8) and are only in it for that level. And the enemy AI is a bit crap. And the graphics could be better. And there's no combo counter.