Ninja Gaiden has always been one of those series that only the most hardcore of gamers have endeavoured to finish. From its origins on the NES to the recent remakes on the Xbox, Ninja Gaiden has always been about giving the player some "serious ninja...
Ninja Gaiden has always been one of those series that only the most hardcore of gamers have endeavoured to finish. From its origins on the NES to the recent remakes on the Xbox, Ninja Gaiden has always been about giving the player some “serious ninja action”. From famed Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden designer, Tomonobu Itagaki, comes Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword – a sequel to the Xbox game and the first Ninja Gaiden game designed and developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS. With the series move to the DS, many fans were sceptical about how the fast paced, controller breaking gameplay of the Xbox version could be translated to a handheld featuring such unconventional controls, however, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword doesn’t just meet the fans expectations – it exceeds them…well mostly.
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword once again places the player in the shoes of Ryu Hayabusa, star ninja from the Dead or Alive series and previous Ninja Gaiden games. Taking place a short time after the events of the original (and its countless remakes on the Xbox and Playstation 3), Ryu must uphold his allegiance to his clan and protect them from several dangers, including the greater fiend encountered in the first game (albeit briefly), Obaba. To add to the fray is Obaba’s kidnapping of Ryu’s apprentice, Momnji, a female shrine maiden who holds the key to unlocking the full potential of Ryu’s legendary sword, the Dragon Blade. Sure, the storyline isn’t all that fantastic, but it does add to the Ninja Gaiden mythos and creates a nice bridge to the second title, Ninja Gaiden II (surprise) being released later this year for the Xbox 360.
Graphically speaking, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is a brilliant example of how to do three-dimensional graphics on the DS. Employing a mix of beautifully drawn pre-rendered backgrounds and high-quality three-dimensional models, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword runs at a smooth 60fps with no slowdown in even the fastest of situations. Developer Team Ninjas use of pre-rendered backgrounds allows for much more detail on screen and faster moving models for the characters in the game. Cut scenes are rendered in a comic book format that is somewhat less cinematic than the Xbox game but which still manages to bring the characters and story to life. As for the characters themselves, they fit nicely into the typical stereotypes you’d expect to find in a Japanese game about ninja. From the wise old man to the annoying kid who always informs the player of ensuing trouble, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword has everything covered. That being said, Ryu does exhibit a much less bad-ass personality than in the Xbox game, though it wouldn’t be wise to spend too much time with complaints about the characters, as it’s an action game through and through.
The gameplay in the Ninja Gaiden series has always been fast paced and no-holds-barred and Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is no exception. The game is played by holding the DS in a book-like fashion, similar to the Brain Training series. On the left screen is the map of the level Ryu is navigating through and on the right side is the gameplay itself. Nearly all controls are handled with the stylus, and although they may seem extremely awkward at first, the player will find themselves easing into the niche quite comfortably. The only use of the face buttons is to engage Ryus guard against attacks. This control set up allows the game to accommodate left handed players as easily as right handers. Moving Ryu is handled similarly to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, where the player simply holds the stylus in the direction they want the character to move. Tapping the stylus fires Ryu’s projectile weapon, whether it be a shuriken or an arrow. Jumping is handled by simply sliding the stylus up.
When attacking enemies, however, things get a bit more complicated. Although the combat system isnt as deep as Ninja Gaiden Black or Sigma, there is still quite a bit packed away in Dragon Sword’s gameplay department. Slashing over the top of an enemy will simply slash the enemy. Slashing them down and then up will fling them into the air, with another upwards slash allowing Ryu to perform his signature Izuna Drop move. On top of that, all the moves from the original such as the Flying Swallow and Cicada Slash return in their own form as well. Ryu isn’t without magic either, and has access to a number of “Ninpo Essences”. Activating the Ninpo by touching its icon in the top left hand corner of the screen allows the player to trace a “sanskrit” (ancient indian lettering for the uninformed) in order to perform the magic. These Ninpo range from creating a fireball or a tornado to recovering health, and use the touchscreen to allow the player to tap where lightning is to strike or to drag a fireball around the screen, obliterating Ryus enemies. Overall it’s a pretty solid system, although players will sometimes find that slashing about aimlessly gets more work done than co-ordinating complicated and flashy combos. Accompanying the combat are a range of simple puzzles which involve the DS’s microphone, but which are nothing worth writing home about.
Aurally this game is a delight. The soundtrack feels as if it has been lifted from the previous Ninja Gaiden games, as well as from typical, traditional ninja-style music. All the music in the game is dynamic, and isn’t simple, typical MIDI fare found in some of the more recently released DS games. Those players expecting a full voice track, however, will find themselves disappointed. There is no vocal performance from any of the characters except for a line or two from Ryu. It’s not a huge disappointing considering the medium, but it still would have been a nice addition, especially with titles like Professor Layton and Crystal Chronicles showing it could be done.
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is a great example of how a spin-off in a franchise should be done. Although it doesn’t quite match up to the previous iteration’s standards, is modest in its implementation of features and doesn’t try anything too ambitious, it still maximises the hardware it was designed for and provides a decent challenge. That being said, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is more of a short-and-sweet game than an epic adventure title. Don’t buy the game thinking it will provide a lasting challenge as it most probably won’t, with this reviewer dying only two times throughout the whole game. There arent many extras to unlock either. It does makes sense to make this game more accessible to a larger demographic however, and as such it is hard to say anything negative against the developers for making that decision.
Overall, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is a worthy title for anyone looking for a fun, action-packed game or something to tide them over until the release of the next console Ninja Gaiden title. Although it doesn’t provide as much depth and difficulty as it’s predecessor, and nor does it have to, Team Ninja should be praised for being bold enough to move in such an unconventional direction. Although it’s not a typical Ninja Gaiden title, its still a pretty decent game that any fan should consider.
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