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Ninja Gaiden 2 Official Thread

bobbytkc

ADD New Gen Gamer
Kai Ozu said:

It is more than powerful enough if you only care about having fun playing a game.

Jeez guys, lighten up, NG2 was fun even with the performance issues( which I frankly didn't care about). I only part I hated were the projectiles, Ryu's or otherwise.
 

methos75

Banned
I was hoping the lost of blood wouldn't be detrimental to the game, but it seems so far every reviewer is decrying it for killing the tone of the game, and truth be told i missed it also in the demo.
 

Fun Factor

Formerly FTWer
-viper- said:
After playing the demo for a while I really think the game needs some blood. Misty purple haze looks crap.

Lot of trolls here if they actually played NG2, the blood in Ninja Gaiden 2 was horrible. So bad it was a distraction to the game. The purple haze is a big upgrade compared to that.
I found a thread that illustrates the weak blood effects of NG2 here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=943273&topic=48820221

Blood on walls & floors, hovering 3 feet away from them. Looked absolutely ridiculous.
 

methos75

Banned
FTWer said:
Lot of trolls here if they actually played NG2, the blood in Ninja Gaiden 2 was horrible. So bad it was a distraction to the game. The purple haze is a big upgrade compared to that.
I found a thread that illustrates the weak blood effects of NG2 here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=943273&topic=48820221

Blood on walls & floors, hovering 3 feet away from them. Looked absolutely ridiculous.


i thought it looked awesome, all fist of northstar like. opinions opinions
 

Fun Factor

Formerly FTWer
methos75 said:
i thought it looked awesome, all fist of northstar like. opinions opinions

It looked good up until it lands on something & then it just looked really bad.
All that flat blood splatter floating in mid-air, really cheap & hastily made.
 

DR2K

Banned
Angelus Errare said:
Fixed, then again it's to be expected the DOA2 engine can only do so much.

They're not using the engine from DOA2, lol.

DOAX2 is one of the best looking games this gen. TN knows their shit.

d0038637_4a6cbf8b043f5.jpg


d0038637_4a6cbf9e88d79.jpg


f0000746_485e2cb8ba342.png


These pictures don't do the game any justice.
 

ultim8p00

Banned
FTWer said:
Lot of trolls here if they actually played NG2, the blood in Ninja Gaiden 2 was horrible. So bad it was a distraction to the game. The purple haze is a big upgrade compared to that.
I found a thread that illustrates the weak blood effects of NG2 here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=943273&topic=48820221

Blood on walls & floors, hovering 3 feet away from them. Looked absolutely ridiculous.

:lol :lol so simply removing the blood and replacing it with purple haze rather than actually fixing it is a "big upgrade" now? Wow.


Btw this video at the 2:13 mark proves how completely WRONG you are. I mean yeah the floating blood which sometimes happens on non-flat surfaces sucks, but don't try to act like the blood just looks dumb.
 
DR2K said:
They're not using the engine from DOA2, lol.

Yes they are, obviously it's not DOA2 engine in the sense they just took the DOA2 engine shoved some ninjas on the screen and called it a day. But at it's core....it's the DOA2 engine....which used for DOA3.....which was used for DOAX......which was used for NG. Then DOA3 engine was again used for DOA4......then DOAX2, then NG2 used DOAX2's modified engine. Team Sigma branched off and took NG1's modified engine and tailored it for PS3.

So yeah at it's core it's still that same engine from 1997-1998 (When they started working on DOA2).

And sorry I don't share your opinion on DOAXBV2 at all.
 
Angelus Errare said:
Yes they are, obviously it's not DOA2 engine in the sense they just took the DOA2 engine shoved some ninjas on the screen and called it a day. But at it's core....it's the DOA2 engine....which used for DOA3.....which was used for DOAX......which was used for NG. Then DOA3 engine was again used for DOA4......then DOAX2, then NG2. Team Sigma branched off and took NG1's modified engine and tailored it for PS3.

And sorry I don't share your opinion on DOAXBV2 at all.
Actually they used DOA2U as the basis for 4.
 
Saying they're using the DOA2 engine still is like saying Capcom was still using the CPS1 engine for Street Fighter 3. At the base, yeah, you could say it was just based on and beefed up form the previous engine or two, but when you get down to it it's not the same.

DOAX used a new engine after DOA3 and DOA2U was based on the DOAX engine. They extended this engine to DOA4 and then rewrote a good amount of it for DOAX2 and then we get to NG2.
 

DR2K

Banned
Angelus Errare said:
Yes they are, obviously it's not DOA2 engine in the sense they just took the DOA2 engine shoved some ninjas on the screen and called it a day. But at it's core....it's the DOA2 engine....which used for DOA3.....which was used for DOAX......which was used for NG. Then DOA3 engine was again used for DOA4......then DOAX2, then NG2. Team Sigma branched off and took NG1's modified engine and tailored it for PS3.

And sorry I don't share your opinion on DOAXBV2 at all.

Do you have any source that back this up. Because that's an butt load of BS you're pulling out of your ass.

IGN: Is the game running on the Dead Or Alive 4 engine? Is it being altered or improved or changed from that engine?

Itagaki: It's not running on the DOA4 engine. It's not a brand new engine but it's a heavily modified engine, with many new parts to it. Among other things, this game has self-shadowing, whereas DOA4 didn't.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/707/707859p1.html

GGPO.
 

Fun Factor

Formerly FTWer
ultim8p00 said:
:lol :lol so simply removing the blood and replacing it with purple haze rather than actually fixing it is a "big upgrade" now? Wow.


Btw this video at the 2:13 mark proves how completely WRONG you are. I mean yeah the floating blood which sometimes happens on non-flat surfaces sucks, but don't try to act like the blood just looks dumb.

Didn't happen sometimes, happened all the time. The game just didn't have full collision detection for all objects. I swear, when the game came out a lot of people were complaining about it & how shoddy & unfinished it was. Now NG2 Sigma removed it for a different type of effect, a lot of people are making a big deal out of it.
 

DR2K

Banned
Jack Random said:
Picked it up today, looks like they're right and the whole rod of trials thing just doesnt happen... kind of saddening.

How and where did you pick it up?
 

Mileena

Banned
FTWer said:
Lot of trolls here if they actually played NG2, the blood in Ninja Gaiden 2 was horrible. So bad it was a distraction to the game. The purple haze is a big upgrade compared to that.
No.
 
DR2K said:
How and where did you pick it up?
I posted this info earlier in the thread, there are places in NYC who do not always abide release dates.

Other notes:

The loading pause after you read a scroll seems a bit higher then it was in the demo, very odd.

I can't remember where you get the other shirkens in the original, but I'm halfway though the Manhattan stage now and all i have is the regular.

The game is much easier then the original at certain points. In particular, a lot of dog encounters seem to have been nerfed, additionally the bowmen are much less aggressive.
 

Replicant

Member
ultim8p00 said:
Btw this video at the 2:13 mark proves how completely WRONG you are. I mean yeah the floating blood which sometimes happens on non-flat surfaces sucks, but don't try to act like the blood just looks dumb.

I have forgotten how awful the textures and the slowdowns in NG2 can be. The blood looks nice but the floating blood looks ridiculous.
 

DR2K

Banned
acevans2 said:
I don't mind the blood being gone, I just don't know why they took it out COMPLETELY. Why not leave it as an option?

They didn't take it out completely. Unless all that red stuff in just Kool-aid. There's still a lot of blood shed to be had in NGS2.
 

Draft

Member
Replicant said:
I have forgotten how awful the textures and the slowdowns in NG2 can be. The blood looks nice but the floating blood looks ridiculous.
:lol

Amazing eye for detail you have, to pick up on the ugly textures in a youtube video.

That slowdown is 50% intentional and 50% bad capture equipment. NG2 had framerate hiccups. It didn't drop to 30fps with one enemy on the screen.

Anyway, the blood is so fucking cool looking. No one can disagree.

Also, Jesus Christ, when NG2 is firing on all cylinders, look the hell out, best action gaming of all time. I weep for what could have been.
 

neojubei

Will drop pants for Sony.
Jack Random said:
I posted this info earlier in the thread, there are places in NYC who do not always abide release dates.

Other notes:

The loading pause after you read a scroll seems a bit higher then it was in the demo, very odd.

I can't remember where you get the other shirkens in the original, but I'm halfway though the Manhattan stage now and all i have is the regular.

The game is much easier then the original at certain points. In particular, a lot of dog encounters seem to have been nerfed, additionally the bowmen are much less aggressive.


I think I know where. Wish I lived in NYC
 

WilyRook

Member
Jack Random said:
Picked it up today, looks like they're right and the whole rod of trials thing just doesnt happen... kind of saddening.

Hurry up and beat it so you can tell us what the "Hayashi treat to Ninja Gaiden fans" is. Please.
 

neojubei

Will drop pants for Sony.
If someone told me I would be playing ninja gaiden 2 on the ps3 I would not believe them, this gen has been soo weird but I am thankful I will have the chance to play not only this game but Ayane as well. Its been a long time coming for her to be a playable character in the ninja gaiden world. Too bad Sonja isn't a playable character and probably the most unlikable character in the game.
 

Risette

A Good Citizen
Was there any official reason to tone down the blood? I haven't payed attention to the game until the demo.

The only things/reasons that come to my mind would be that it was taxing on performance (that video that was posted a few posts made the blood in NG2 360 look pretty stylized.. not your typical game blood) or that they wanted to lower the Japanese rating (which doesn't really make sense, since it's out of the US release too)

Could it be both?

I hate to bring this up since it's probably been beaten to death several times in several threads, but I've just been wondering. The game isn't ruined by the blood being toned down, but the NG2 360 blood looked cooler. I've put like 8 hours into the (awesome) PS3 demo. Just pre-ordered it too. :D
 

Replicant

Member
Draft said:
:lol

Amazing eye for detail you have, to pick up on the ugly textures in a youtube video.

:lol butthurt much?

No one needs 1080p HD vid to tell that a game has drab color palette and unimpressive texture. But hey, if it helps u sleep better at night.....

That slowdown is 50% intentional

snicker.gif
 

kuYuri

Member
Fyrus said:
Was there any official reason to tone down the blood? I haven't payed attention to the game until the demo.

The only things/reasons that come to my mind would be that it was taxing on performance (that video that was posted a few posts made the blood in NG2 360 look pretty stylized.. not your typical game blood) or that they wanted to lower the Japanese rating (which doesn't really make sense, since it's out of the US release too)

Could it be both?

I hate to bring this up since it's probably been beaten to death several times in several threads, but I've just been wondering. The game isn't ruined by the blood being toned down, but the NG2 360 blood looked cooler. I've put like 8 hours into the (awesome) PS3 demo. Just pre-ordered it too. :D

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009...-walkthrough-with-team-ninjas-yosuke-hayashi/

Watch this interview with Hayashi and he explains why.
 

Replicant

Member
Victrix said:
He uses slowdown in the video you extremely smart poster you

Oh, so when it comes to man-made video slowdown you guys can tell from YouTube video. But you can't tell textures or color or the actual framerate slowdown. Right, I got the memo now. :lol

And please fill this form while you're at it:

dzb2hc.jpg
 
Victrix said:
He uses slowdown in the video you extremely smart poster you
So the game doesn't sporadically drop to 5 frames a second? Are you sure? I think the slowdown was real, and the fact that the reviewers only breezily mention it is proof of the xbox tinted bias in the media.
 

Fun Factor

Formerly FTWer
Draft said:
:lol

Amazing eye for detail you have, to pick up on the ugly textures in a youtube video.

That slowdown is 50% intentional and 50% bad capture equipment. NG2 had framerate hiccups. It didn't drop to 30fps with one enemy on the screen.

Yeah, it didn't dropped to 30 with one enemy on screen, it dropped with no enemies on screen.
Re-play the amazon level on NG2, it runs at 30fps for a majority of the first half of the level, even with no enemies on-screen.
 

ultim8p00

Banned
BamYouHaveAids said:
So the game doesn't sporadically drop to 5 frames a second? Are you sure? I think the slowdown was real, and the fact that the reviewers only breezily mention it is proof of the xbox tinted bias in the media.

EDIT: Oh shit, well played :lol
 

ultim8p00

Banned
FTWer said:
Yeah, it didn't dropped to 30 with one enemy on screen, it dropped with no enemies on screen.
Re-play the amazon level on NG2, it runs at 30fps for a majority of the first half of the level, even with no enemies on-screen.

You mean this amazon level? 30fps my ass. Stfu and stop pulling shit out of your ass man :lol

EDIT: bolded to point out epic levels of bullshit
 

Pachinko

Member
The team ninja engine hiearchy goes as follows-
team ninja engine 1
1)buys the VF2 engine from sega
2)modifies the hell out of it and releases the first DOA
3)DOA gets ported from arcades to saturn
4)DOA gets ported from saturn to psone, engine needs to be rebuilt mostly , runs at a higher resolution and higher framerate but has 2d backgrounds
5)DOA psone is tinkered into an arcade re-release called DOA++ so it has the best aspects of all the version in 1 package
team ninja engine 2
6)using middleware as a base, time team ninja codes up a new engine mostly from scratch to make doa2 on the naomi arcade hardware
7)DOA2 naomi is ported the the dreamcast with minimal losses
8)doa2 gets ported to the japanese ps2 , rushed out the door to make launch and is a bit sloppy
9)doa2 hardcore released in international markets , this version is much more polished with 90% of the graphical problems of the japenese version cleaned out. Still uses a ps2 modified naomi engine
10)the ultimate version of doa2 arrives- japan only and on dreamcast in the form of DOA2 Limited edition
11)tecmo is handed a few xbox dev kits to entice them into making games for this new platform, team ninja , as a test takes DOA2 hardcore and simply ports the code to the xbox, it runs at 180 fps and they fall in love
team ninja engine 3
12) the same engine from the naomi is practically rebuilt from the ground up to run in the xbox directx8 based environment, it now supports much more detailed models, far better textures and better physics.
13) The doa3 engine was still somewhat hacked togethor based on prelaunch devkits , further development occurs and the engine is split and retuned for use in 2 different games, doax and ninja gaiden
14) DOAX is completed and if you ask me heralds the launch of version 3.5 of their engine, brighter colors, sharper images and more effective use of the xbox platform
15) ninja gaiden is finally released, having tweaked the engine in different ways, it's probably best to call this version the "ninja gaiden engine" rather then a doa engine. It started as the same tech but it's far enough removed from how the doa engine works as to be it's own thing- made for rendering more particle effects, more objects/characters and AI and a full in game cutscene featureset.
16) Dead or alive 2 ultimate- TN engine 3.5 is further tweaked to enough of a degree that it's easier to just consider this version 4.0. The visuals put out at this point are some of the best seen on the original xbox console, it now supports full lighting , more particles, more colors at the same time as having better physics and animation....
17)ninja gaiden black - no engine tweaks really made, just the same game with additional content
18)The xbox 360 launches, having only months to move from doa ultimate to the new hardware , the doau / 4.0 engine is simply ported to the 360. It doesn't recieve the typical polish and time needed to properly integrate it onto the new hardware. In fact, doa4 in particular, outside of some character models and a couple of stages is better summed up as utilizing engine 4.0HD. It runs at 1280X720p @ 60fps with rare tiny dips below. It uses higher resolution textures and throws around perhaps 10 times as many triangles but without the finesse spent on pushing the xbox 1 to it's limits the payoff is lower. The physics engine recieves an overhaul allowing for hair/clothing/arena objects to be mathematically affected but again... it doesn't seem to be obviously pushing the hardware.
19) and so, you'd think with the second game released they'd tune that engine up a little bit but not as much as the first xbox got.... if doax bumped the team ninja engine from 3.0 to 3.5 then it's safe to say doax2 bumped the engine from 4.0hd to 4.2hd. They added even more physics, built in their own water /wave simulation table and self shadowing but at the same time the lighting model was still the same one used on xbox and because doax2 was even more rushed then doa4 it had to knock the framerate down to 30fps. Still atleast it kept 1280X720p...
20) Around this same time, the team responsible for polishing off doax/ninja gaiden black is handed a goal of getting ninja gaiden onto the ps3. The ninja gaiden engine is way out of date compared to the standard engine so this second team has alot of catching up to do. Using the NG engine as a base they simply build upon it slowly adding and tweaking things to test the ps3's abilities. Bumping the resolution up to the nexgen 720p standard prooves effortless, adding in better textures still doesn't falter the hardware much, so they redo the lighting model with some of the techniques present in doa2ultimate along with new code and finally they have an engine that uses light sources as they should work. Alas, like team ninja in general these guys are a bit rushed so around 30 % of the way through this rebuild they are overbudget and rush the rest of the games ps3 port out the door , hastilly add a new playable character and hope for the best.
21) Finally , ninja gaiden 2. The same engine developed for doax2 is tinkered with and morphed into a new engine, the first upgrade worthy of calling it 4.5hd. Unfortunatly with the internal workings of the company falling apart, the 24 months likley needed to properly finish this engine and polish off the game are cut down to 15 months and at month 12 a big dispute arises that forces most of the team to force the game out the door at month 13 in a barely finished state. And so the legacy of the engine started years back on the dreamcast comes to a sad finale, stuck at below 720p, running at 30fps most of the time, placeholder textures left in the game all over, placeholder backdrops left in the game all over and even place holder unplaytested levels left intact. Had it recieved that final few months of time it might have been a fantastic looking game in all areas, alas the best description one can really give out is "inconsistent"
22) now, more then a year after team ninjas breakup the remnants have taken the ninja gaiden 2 engine and slapped it's assets into the ps3 "sigma" engine. Tweaks to both the gameplay and the engine itself have meant that finally, after a 4 year absence the team ninja visual wizards appear to be on their way back.

I am with many others though... hayashi seems to be on the right path, he was mentored heavily by itagaki afterall.. but I'd like to see a "from the ground up" team ninja game to see what he's truly capable of. So far he hasn't made a game completly on his own yet.
He came aboard the ship with doax, was in charge of repackaging the hurricane packs into black and also rebuilt black into sigma for the ps3. The closest he came to making his own thing was dragonsword for the DS but even there, itagaki was like a sith lord behind his dark apprentice. So bring on a ninja gaiden 3 or a DOA5.
 
ultim8p00 said:
Do people really take this approach to playing? Wow.



Draft said:
Also, Jesus Christ, when NG2 is firing on all cylinders, look the hell out, best action gaming of all time. I weep for what could have been.
Pachinko said:
21) Finally , ninja gaiden 2. The same engine developed for doax2 is tinkered with and morphed into a new engine, the first upgrade worthy of calling it 4.5hd. Unfortunatly with the internal workings of the company falling apart, the 24 months likley needed to properly finish this engine and polish off the game are cut down to 15 months and at month 12 a big dispute arises that forces most of the team to force the game out the door at month 13 in a barely finished state. And so the legacy of the engine started years back on the dreamcast comes to a sad finale, stuck at below 720p, running at 30fps most of the time, placeholder textures left in the game all over, placeholder backdrops left in the game all over and even place holder unplaytested levels left intact. Had it recieved that final few months of time it might have been a fantastic looking game in all areas, alas the best description one can really give out is "inconsistent"
We all know the story by now and yet, it still doesn't sit well. So much unrealized potential...
 

rvy

Banned
Draft said:
Also, Jesus Christ, when NG2 is firing on all cylinders, look the hell out, best action gaming of all time. I weep for what could have been.
sad-face.jpg


I share your pain.
 

Totobeni

An blind dancing ho
Pachinko said:
19) and so, you'd think with the second game released they'd tune that engine up a little bit but not as much as the first xbox got.... if doax bumped the team ninja engine from 3.0 to 3.5 then it's safe to say doax2 bumped the engine from 4.0hd to 4.2hd. They added even more physics, built in their own water /wave simulation table and self shadowing but at the same time the lighting model was still the same one used on xbox and because doax2 was even more rushed then doa4 it had to knock the framerate down to 30fps. Still atleast it kept 1280X720p...

20) Around this same time, the team responsible for polishing off doax/ninja gaiden black is handed a goal of getting ninja gaiden onto the ps3. The ninja gaiden engine is way out of date compared to the standard engine so this second team has alot of catching up to do. Using the NG engine as a base they simply build upon it slowly adding and tweaking things to test the ps3's abilities. Bumping the resolution up to the nexgen 720p standard prooves effortless, adding in better textures still doesn't falter the hardware much, so they redo the lighting model with some of the techniques present in doa2ultimate along with new code and finally they have an engine that uses light sources as they should work. Alas, like team ninja in general these guys are a bit rushed so around 30 % of the way through this rebuild they are overbudget and rush the rest of the games ps3 port out the door , hastilly add a new playable character and hope for the best.

21) Finally , ninja gaiden 2. The same engine developed for doax2 is tinkered with and morphed into a new engine, the first upgrade worthy of calling it 4.5hd. Unfortunatly with the internal workings of the company falling apart, the 24 months likley needed to properly finish this engine and polish off the game are cut down to 15 months and at month 12 a big dispute arises that forces most of the team to force the game out the door at month 13 in a barely finished state. And so the legacy of the engine started years back on the dreamcast comes to a sad finale, stuck at below 720p, running at 30fps most of the time, placeholder textures left in the game all over, placeholder backdrops left in the game all over and even place holder unplaytested levels left intact. Had it recieved that final few months of time it might have been a fantastic looking game in all areas, alas the best description one can really give out is "inconsistent"

22) now, more then a year after team ninjas breakup the remnants have taken the ninja gaiden 2 engine and slapped it's assets into the ps3 "sigma" engine. Tweaks to both the gameplay and the engine itself have meant that finally, after a 4 year absence the team ninja visual wizards appear to be on their way back.

I am with many others though... hayashi seems to be on the right path, he was mentored heavily by itagaki afterall.. but I'd like to see a "from the ground up" team ninja game to see what he's truly capable of. So far he hasn't made a game completly on his own yet.
He came aboard the ship with doax, was in charge of repackaging the hurricane packs into black and also rebuilt black into sigma for the ps3. The closest he came to making his own thing was dragonsword for the DS but even there, itagaki was like a sith lord behind his dark apprentice. So bring on a ninja gaiden 3 or a DOA5.

wooha thanks a lot Pachinko sama

doax engine is just not good for this gen/HD , don't know why Itagaki didn't use Sigma engine for NG2 , the engine was ready for them , is it because it's for PS3 hardware only ?
 

slider

Member
I know some smart-ass will tell me to read the thread... but what's going on in here? Played the PS3 demo and the camera's put me off. Cancel pre-order? There seems to be an awful lot of bitching, as opposed to gushing, so I'm wondering if this isn't up to scratch?

If you see this and you think "that lazy bum slider, why doesn't he read the thread" just ignore it please.

EDIT: Thinks better of it and goes to read the thread...
 

Victrix

*beard*
I'll save you the trouble - 8 pages of bitching about the blood, 3 or 4 pages of discussion about how much the ps3 version is improved via textures/framerate/whatever, and a few pages of enthusiasm over jiggly boob character additions and some actual in-game changes.
 

slider

Member
Victrix said:
I'll save you the trouble - 8 pages of bitching about the blood, 3 or 4 pages of discussion about how much the ps3 version is improved via textures/framerate/whatever, and a few pages of enthusiasm over jiggly boob character additions and some actual in-game changes.

Cheers. I was just at page 13 on a whim and people seemed keen based on the demo. Lack of blood doesn't bother me (always strikes me as a little bit childish - largely based on a poster on B3D). I noticed a little bit of tearing in the PS3 demo but, again, that doesn't bother me. Thanks again.
 
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