• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

10 years ago, NINJA GAIDEN released on the original XBOX

Imported it from Japan at that time, way before some bad scores from some magazines here because it was "unfair".
One of the best games ever. Played it to death, again and again. Loved some bosses, hated the tanks but I think there is nothing that tops this game :D I would pick Bayonetta as my No 2 franchise in this, NG Xbox at No1 (no, I don't like the 2D games).

But not that Hayashi-Sigma sh**. Original/Black all the way!
 
pswii60 said:
Such an incredible game, and the reason I've always struggled to truly enjoy the God of War series, because the combat is so lame compared to NG.

The environments, atmosphere, and super-tight gameplay perfection make NG one of my favourite games of all time. We need Itagaki back.
Click to expand...

Yup. GOW pales in comparison.
 
Great memories, Black is the best game on the genre for me. The combat system is so perfect, so clean, no need for BS weapons or sparkles like other games in the genre.

I pray to god that Devil's Third is half as good as this game.
 
It was the arrival of action greatness.

I remember there was a huge video of some of the first long uninterrupted gameplay of it way back in the TeamXbox forum days that someone uploaded. Even before Youtube. It was the only copy of it, and back then I already had a super-fast internet connection and while everyone was trying to download it, it got taken down for good, but not before I got it completed. So apparently I was the only one that got it. BlimBlim's site was also on the rise for Xbox videos back then so we arranged for him to give me a login to upload it to his FTP server.

I think somehow to this day, no one else had that video till it was uploaded.

Another fond thing about Ninja Gaiden that's not tied directly to playing it is that I still have the Famitsu magazine and Japanese demo that I imported from either Lik-Sang before it got shut down by Sony or Play-Asia, can't remember. It was the first and only way for the public to play the game, and I just had to have it asap.

Ninja Gaiden still blows my mind how it just came out so amazing like that. Like, there was no competition, no real reason for it to have to be so amazing, it just was. Itagaki and OG Team Ninja were just insane to put it together like that.

It might be a small part of why I loved their games so much and why they were so good, but their attitude of "we'll release it when it's done" is what I wish more publishers would take note of, so that their games wouldn't just be good possibilities with half-assed polish.
 
Winterfang said:
Will Ninja Gaiden Yaiba had the same combat? I saw a trailer but they just focused on the humor of the zombie enemies.
Click to expand...

I don't think so, just go into Yaiba expecting a fun action romp but nothing that's too hair ripping tough like NG or NG Black.
 
That is some mad AA in those bullshots. Almost made me believe that there's a functioning emulator for Xbox.
 
a Master Ninja said:
Share your NINJA GAIDEN memories!
Click to expand...

I was writing articles for a gaming website back then and had gone into Microsoft to see some upcoming games. The last game I was allowed to play was Ninja Gaiden and at the end of the meeting I was offered a debug Xbox and NG to take home for the week. The game was around 80% completed and from memory, compared to the retail release, was a lot harder. It took me quite a few attempts to complete the first stage and the horsey boss on stage two felt nigh impossible.

When the final game was released I found it a little easier, but not much, the game was still challenging. I still had trouble with the horse on stage two but persevered and the rest is history.

I have played a lot of highly acclaimed games since the original Ninja Gaiden such as MGS3, The Last of Us etc etc but to me, Ninja Gaiden is the greatest game I have ever played. It was balanced to perfection and was a thoroughly satisfying experience right from the start to the end.

I really hope Black get a HD remaster one day. (I have never played Black, I don't think it got a PAL release?)

And for the record, when I reviewed the game I gave it 5/5. =)
 
I recently bought Sigma on my PS3. I had forgotten how stylish and sharp the control was... Also how tough it is

I had the original Xbox version back when I was a teen, but It was the censored UK version that had no beheading.
 
bigboss370 said:
edit: this reminds me...i actually never finished NG2. fuck >_<
Click to expand...

Same. I finished that level that ends in an arena where you have to fight a shitload of monsters and never really went back to it. I just wasn't 'feeling' it.
 
Still the best game in the genre (well... NGB is but since it's improved from NG1 so it count). the combat system is still unmatched by anything for 10 years now. Itakagi must be really proud of his team and work.
 
Ninja Gaiden: Black is my favourite character action game ever so far. The combat is lightning fast and both you and your enemies die quickly, which avoids the "sword sponge" issue that most other games in the genre suffer from on higher settings. Despite that, it manages to have a massive variety of enemies that all feel distinctly different, and even many of the pallete swap equivalents require different tactics. The only thing about the combat I'm not such a fan of is the emphasis on UT spamming at higher level play. The adventure elements add a ton as well, and despite being occasionally frustrating the feel of slowly unravelling the world easily makes up for those weaker moments, and is another thing few other games in the genre do. I also think the soundtrack is among the best in the genre, and manages to perfectly capture the juxtaposition between slower-paced atmospheric adventure and lightning fast and deadly combat sequences (and get you pumped-up for the latter).

NG2 is good but it's really obvious it needed a "Black" equivalent to polish it's rough edges, and it's sad it never got that.
 
I didn't know this game was coming out until I saw a commercial for it. I was so excited because NG was my favorite NES game. Every time the commercial came on I had to tell my roommates how great it was going to be, but when it came out they didn't even play it. I however played it nonstop. I've put more time into NG/NGB than any other games.

I played a lot of games when i was a kid, but at the time NG came out I was casual in my gaming habits. This game changed that. It was such a challenging game, but the feeling I got from improving and then mastering the game was very satisfying. I started posting on the IGN forums and chose this username back then because that is how I felt playing NG; kill your enemies quickly or you are dead. I then started paying attention to gaming news and upcoming releases because I wanted to find an experience that could match this game; NGB did not disappoint.

I love this game.
 
One of the best games ever for me, without a doubt. In fact this thread made me buy Sigma. I know hardcore fans have bad opinions about it but I want my NG fix and I'm too lazy to boot up my Xbox.

Too bad the sequels aren't nearly as good. The combat in 2 feels godly but the game lacks the exploration & platforming from 1, and 3 is just shit. I'm not interested about Yaiba since it's 30fps.
 
I grew up on the NES NG's and was skeptical at first of the new title. My mind was blown when I played the demo. I have played the original and subsequent re-releases many times over the last ten years. It will go down as one of my favorite games of all time.
 
Here's some definitive game play from the Iberian crew, I had to find the site once I saw a HG thread happening. They had this game on lock.
I learned the no-ninpo perfect run technique from them. The ability to soul suck in the enxt area to never have a none special charge available. Simple genius group of gamers. Enjoy

http://sabier.50webs.com/html/home.html
 
I remember farming a bunch of yellow orbs(I think they're called essence) on the sewers to fully upgrade the wooden sword, the combat system is so good that I had fun while grinding.
 
I remember when I went to get my NG Black day one preorder. I guess the store didn't order alot of them because everyone was like "wtf!?". On a sidenote I almost traded in my OG edition for cred to NG Black but decided it wasn't worth it, glad I didn't too.
 
This is one of the few games I loved playing over and over, mastering every move and weapon and relishing every difficulty setting and new playthrough.

I'm so salty that the Sigma version adds a bunch of bullshit that breaks the flow of the game, so I have to settle for replaying the emulated 360 digital version instead.

A true masterpiece of the genre that has yet to be equaled, let alone surpassed. /Salute
 
Awesome game. I got Black first, but I eventually bought NG2004 as well.

I have Sigma too, but the less said about that, the better.
 
Crunchy20XX said:
Loved this game, although I never finished it. I remember attempting to beat Alma every day for a month. A month! And then finally beating her. Still the hardest boss in any game I've ever played. Like I said, even though I've never finished this game, beating Alma is maybe my most satisfying gaming moment.
Click to expand...

I remember having a blast with this game. Then I met Alma. For the life of me I could not beat her :(
 
I think I played through like 60% of this game before I realized I could upgrade the weapons. Never felt so much satisfaction as a result of being really dumb. My OG Xbox's DVD drive is dying, and my Ninja Gaiden disc is a little scratched so every time I try to play this game it's an ordeal of restarting the console over and over, only to have my session end abruptly with a cannot-read-disk error.

Great fucking game though, watching that speed run now. Need more action games of this caliber.
 
Love both original and Black. Although the camera was often a pain, every other bit of them, from level design to sound to graphics to the controls, worked beautifully together. They are the benchmark of action games for me.

Never got to grips with NG2 though.
 
What I want to know is....

1 - what happened to the 2 guys here on this thread from a small town in Tennessee ? Are they from the same town? Did you guys became friends?

2 - what other games would you say are up there in quality with Ninja Gaiden Black? Other than DevilMayCry and Bayonetta.
 
One of the reasons I got an Xbox. I remember playing this game when it was just released. It was a revolutionary experience that only few games have lived up to since.
 
Wow, ten years old already? Feels like just yesterday I was screaming at my TV during the first boss fight. Blew my mind the game had such a difficulty spike so early in the game and it only got harder from there...

This game was also the first to make me break a controller out of frustration. Those fucking ghost fish.
 
I still have my original copy. Should I replay it on the original Xbox or on 360? I know the 360 will upres the game, but are there any glitches?
 
I honestly had no idea the original 8-bit trilogy was included in the first Xbox release. How's the emulation? Any difference on the emulated emulation (the old trilogy when played via 360 emu)?
 
I never played this game but you make me want to buy it (and a original Xbox.)

Did it look that good or are the screenshots from some PC emulator thingy?
 
Frosted said:
What I want to know is....
2 - what other games would you say are up there in quality with Ninja Gaiden Black? Other than DevilMayCry and Bayonetta.
Click to expand...
Metal Gear Rising (play on hard from the get go), I'd argue that it's better than Bayonetta.
 
Rekki-Maru said:
god of war, kamiya said it was god of war that inspired him to make bayo.
Click to expand...
Link? I've never heard this. At any rate, that doesn't mean God of War is up to par with masterpieces like Ninja Gaiden and Bayo.

2San said:
Metal Gear Rising (play on hard from the get go), I'd argue that it's better than Bayonetta.
Click to expand...
What are your reasons for this? I love MGR but I can't see it topping Bayonetta when it has less polish, a shallower combat system and less content. The very short development cycle shows.
 
nailbombxx said:
What are your reasons for this? I love MGR but I can't see it topping Bayonetta when it has less polish, a shallower combat system and less content. The very short development cycle shows.
Click to expand...
The dodge move in Bayonetta is way too good, it pretty much counters everything. Witch time allowed for essentially safe combo's. Even without witch, time all you really needed was 1 good combo and the dodge button. While I think the whole idea that enemies can't attack you off camera is great, this in combination with the other things made for a very safe experience. It lacks tension and pressure, which MGR does have. With MGR you needed to commit when attacking, parrying and dodging. It also forced you to learn and master the various offensive and defensive options.

Sure you could do cooler looking things in Bayonetta, but MGR made you learn the game. The bosses are also inferior in Bayonetta imo. I only really liked the Jeanne battle in Bayonetta.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Ninja Gaiden 4: The Two Masters released on 4 March 2026
23
633
Celcius replied
  • Poll
GT3 A-Spec released 25 years ago today
2
68
333
Victhemic replied
Fire Emblem Awakening released 14 years ago today (tomorrow in the west)
12
217
Sleepwalker replied
The first GPU with programable shaders was released 25 years ago
26
825
nkarafo replied
The original Xbox One was hacked after 12 years
Analysis Trailer Hardware 
2
321
IbizaPocholo replied
Top Bottom