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Let's Talk About Ninjas In Video Games

I like this thread. If I play a game with multiple choice of characters, and a ninja is among them, I almost always pick that one. If they are optional party members in RPGs, they are permanently in my party if they can be. Because awesomely dressed badass agile warriors with Japanese weapons > everything. It is known. Also, ninjas > pirates. (Sorry, I had to. xD)

YES. Shinobi III is the single best ninja game I've ever played. Though my favourite individual ninja has to be Shadow, he's just too damn cool and badass (I don't think this particular pic has been posted yet :) ) :

FF6_shadow.jpg


Boomerang from Wild ARMs is sorta a cyber-ninja, he's got his pet wolf too similarly to Shadow:
Boomerang_2.jpg


Shining Force ninjas!

Hanzou (ShF1)
SF1_hanzou.jpg


Slade (ShF2, couldn't find a better pic of him as a ninja :( )
SF2_sladepromotedface_large.jpg


Hagane (ShF3)
hagane_pic.gif


Rodi (ShF3, Holy Ark)
rodi.jpg


Murasame (ShF3)
murasame.jpg


Akane (Shining the Holy Ark)
Akane_image.png


How about the Suikoden ninjas?

Kasumi (Suikoden I and II)
Kasumi04.gif


Kage (Suikoden I)
Kage01.gif


Fuma (Suikoden I)
Fuma05.gif


Sasuke (Suikoden II)
Sasuke01.gif


Hanzo (Suikoden I and II)
Hanzo03.gif


Ayame (Suikoden III)
Ayame01.jpg


Watari (Suikoden III)
Watari01.jpg
 
For me there can be only one.
the-last-ninja-20090226083805387-2766725.jpg


Been a hardcore Ninja fan since I was a kid in the mid-eighties and I feel most video game ninjas stray too far with their crazy costumes or lack thereof. Do like Ryu Hayabusa quite a bit tho because of the bad-ass games.

16j4jyx.jpg1.gif


DAT MUSIC!! One of the best in videogame history. The music that came out of that SID chip was magic.

I never quite understood that game at the time but I was in love. I wanted to be a ninja so bad :)
 
It doesn't require stealth and assassination it's not a ninja or a ninja game. No matter what the marketing or the title says it is.
 
BTW, when was it that flying piledrivers entered into the ninja's wheelhouse? I've seen a lot of video game ninja do that, especially in fighting games.
 
In terms of design uniqueness, the Ryu Hayabusa from NGB/S do a good job but the current generation of battle suits aka warframes also stand out.

NGS:

iyCRx30pE5WFP.gif


Warframe:

iLRngnOWN3GKi.gif
 
OP stole my post. I like Hibana and Hotsuma the best for pretty similar reasons. (Modernized. sleek and functional looking ninja outfits)

I like Ryu Hayabusa in Ninja Gaiden on Xbox also for those reasons, but I feel his design isn't nearly as interesting or memorable as the former two.

風魔 小太郎 Fūma Kotarō from Onimusha 2

and Fūma Kotarō from Sengoku Basara


and I think Kagusa is pretty cool/ridiculous


Makoto Tsuchibayashi did the character design and concept art for both the Shinobi PS2 series and Sengoku Basara series. My favorite Capcom artist because of it. Such amazing designs even outside of Ninjas in both games.

(I believe he also did the artwork for the original DMC and Vanquish as well)
 
shit yeah, was just picking up shinobi & nightshade on PS2. i literally can't own a system with a port of classic shinobi & not get it.

next gen begins when we get a proper Strider 3
 
Soul Calibur Yoshimitsu. Interesting since the Yoshimitsu in 5 is a completely different person from previous Soul Caliburs (he still fights mostly the same though).


Also Yasha from Asura's Wrath isn't technically one but the way his attacking and movement is just like a ninja (well, a space-cyborg-buddha-cowboy-ninja). He's even got a kickass scarf:


Also from the Luminous Arc series:

Saki, Luminous Arc 1

NSFW:
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110304054247/luminousarc/images/2/28/Ayano001.png
"The Silver Witch" Luminous Arc 2 (she's a pretty spoilerific + NSFW character)
 
Why is there distinct lack of Frank the Brazilian ninja a.k.a. best ninja?

3D-Frank.jpg

What game is he from?

Did Capcom forget this character exists or what? No VS games, not even any guest appearences in a fighting game background( that i know of)

She cameo-ed in a stage in SF3 NG and 2I.
There's a character in Canon Spike that is a 'Captain Esteraz' of her. Maybe her being in a licensed game is preventing her inclusion in any Capcom crossover?

AND FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

HOW COULD I FORGET SENGOKU BASARA'S FUMA KOTARO! HE'S MY FAV. (NINJA) VIDEO GAME CHARACTER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ioa3_KNKsHA
 
BTW, when was it that flying piledrivers entered into the ninja's wheelhouse? I've seen a lot of video game ninja do that, especially in fighting games.

It's called the Izuna Drop.

First seen in Ninja manga in Japan around 1969

http://www.giantbomb.com/izuna-drop/3015-4616/

I personally first saw it in Samurai Shodown back in 1993. Hattori Hanzo uses the move and its devastating. It's now been adopted as a signature move for Ninja's in fighting and action games.
 
YNEvhAf.jpg


No one has mentioned Bang Shishigami, ninja of love and justice from Blazblue yet. This greatly disappoints me.

Somehow, despite being a joke character, he still manages to be one of the most awesome characters in the series.

Sure, he may not be a good ninja since he's as loud as an elephant with a megaphone and is hot blooded and caring rather than stoic and cold as ninjas are supposed to be (traditionally), but he has a big red scarf, teleportation abilities and shurikens. That at least qualifies him as a super ninja.

Oh, and he has the best/most stupid theme music ever
 
Do space ninjas count?
warframe_ps4_3.jpg

Of course. The more the merrier.
What is that game btw?

YNEvhAf.jpg


No one has mentioned Bang Shishigami, ninja of love and justice from Blazblue yet. This greatly disappoints me.

Somehow, despite being a joke character, he still manages to be one of the most awesome characters in the series.

Sure, he may not be a good ninja since he's as loud as an elephant with a megaphone and is hot blooded and caring rather than stoic and cold as ninjas are supposed to be (traditionally), but he has a big red scarf, teleportation abilities and shurikens. That at least qualifies him as a super ninja.

Oh, and he has the best/most stupid theme music ever

I immediately fell in love with Bang and everything he stands for. Such a great example.
 
Easily one of the funnest ninjas to play!

3174335-zed.jpg

Accualy is a train.

gooby pls.


But yeah, Zed looks badass, though not that ninja-ish for me. Maybe its the overburdance of blades on him that makes me think so.

The cyborgninja from MGS looks/looked so badass when I was a kid playing through MGS. Didn't even care about the games that much but got that ninja immediately stuck in my mind.
 
The Only True Ninja in any Videogame ever that i recall is the original noob saibot

image.jpg


Ninjas are meant to blend into the darkness all the others here are too fancy/bright coloured/have shiny objects like belts etc or you can see their skintone
 
She cameo-ed in a stage in SF3 NG and 2I.
There's a character in Canon Spike that is a 'Captain Esteraz' of her. Maybe her being in a licensed game is preventing her inclusion in any Capcom crossover?

She's also chilling in the pool on Ken's stage in Alpha 2.
 
Ninjas are meant to blend into the darkness all the others here are too fancy/bright coloured/have shiny objects like belts etc or you can see their skintone

They were actually supposed to blend into their surroundings, not just the darkness. A lot of them were farmers and unassuming peasant folk. The ninja you speak of is the western interpretation of a ninja.
 
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