After having such a good time with the recent reboot of Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden II, I was sort of looking forward to Ninja Gaiden III. Tomonobu Itagaki was cast out, Metroid: Other M fell flat on its face, yet Team Ninja soldiered on with the latest Ninja Gaiden entry. The odds were stacked against this title before development even begun. Whereas past games in the series focused on gore, difficulty, and obscenely large boobs, the third put an increased focus on Hayabusa's thoughts and feelings. I don't mind games that expose a character's psyche, however if not well done, the story becomes as appetizing as raw chicken. The same mistake made by Metroid: Other M, but no one learns, do they? Even after IGN's infamous 3/10 rating on release day, I held on to a shred of hope and purchased the game the following week. What a mistake.
I'm on the fence about Ninja Gaiden III. I loved the first two series entries, but a lot has changed since then. Most notably, Team Ninja parting ways with head ninja, badass, and possible Yakuza boss Tomonobu Itagaki. The team's first game without Itagaki fell flat on its face, as it attempted to introduce players to a Samus Aran as a human being with feelings, instead of a ice-cold interstellar bounty hunter. Failure. So, how does Team Ninja follow that? By introducing players to Ryu Hayabusa as a human being with feelings. Hurk.
Though I'm torn due to Team Ninja's sudden fascination with human feelings, I will probably purchase Ninja Gaiden 3 anyway. Even if it doesn't live up to standards - with its casual difficulty and exposing of Ryu's conscience - first run copies of the game come packaged with a two-fighter demo of the highly anticipated Dead or Alive 5. It doesn't quite make up for the entry price, but it sure helps to cushion the blow, much like a pair of breasts.
C'mon, did you think I'd be able to write a note about Dead or Alive without mentioning female anatomy? You overestimate my maturity, friend.
I thought Ninja Gaiden 3 was supposed to show more of Ryu Hayabusa's feelings, to give the player more insight to the remorse the character feels after killing an enemy? If the video is worth anything, that ain't the case at all. Ryu clearly gives a flying ninja fuck as his cold blade pierces enemy after enemy.
The teaser images we've seen up to now haven't really done anything for me, aside from getting my hopes up for another Ninja Gaiden game. With E3 comes some gameplay videos, which in turn gets me kind of excited. Though Itagaki may no longer be with Team Ninja, Ninja Gaiden 3 looks like more of the same, which is good. Of course, Team Ninja has found ways to enrich the experience, such as 'Steel on Bone' sequences, which are sort of quick time finishers, meant to give the player true feeling of disemboweling an enemy. Ninja Gaiden 3 aims to immerse the player, and give a true feeling of being in Hayabusa's super ninja shoes. So far so good, but where are the huge breasted females at?
Life after Tomonobu Itagaki (reknowned pimp, gangster, and former Team Ninja lead) has been business as usual for Team Ninja, as they continue to develop the titles the team has already become known for, such as Ninja Gaiden. We last heard of the ultra-violent series in the form of a teaser trailer, showing head-ninja-in-charge Ryu Hayabusa condemning the viewer to a slow, painful death, before teasing his own unmasking. It didn't make much sense because we've all seen Hayabusa sans mask, so what's the big deal this time?
Games Thirst is reporting some new info, out of the most recent PlayStation: The Official Magazine, straight from project lead Yosuke Hayashi. Apparently unmasking is a metaphor for learning more about Ryu Hayabusa the man, as opposed to Ryu Hayabusa the emotionless killer. Uh oh, they better not give Ninja Gaiden the Metroid: Other M treatment!
“We are focusing Ryu as a dark Japanese hero,” says Hayashi. “There won’t be new playable characters, but we’ll focus more deeply on Ryu Hyabusa’s life and lifestyle and feelings and thoughts.” Dead or Alive always stated Hayabusa as the owner of a Curio shop. Will we be able to control him as he attempts to sell strange and exotic items to drunken tourists?
“We are trying to take the violent concepts even deeper and make people realize how it feels to actually kill someone and what it is to actually gut someone,” he continued. “It’s very important to us that people realize that violence is not only about blood and gore.” True that, but at the same time, a ninja is supposed to be an emotionless killer. Hayabusa has been cold as ice through most of his adventures as he's cut through legions of humans, beasts, and big breasted women. Why show his emotion now?
At least the incredible level of difficulty will feel familiar to series vets right? Maybe not. “We know that many fans feel good about the difficulty level, but we are taking a slightly different approach. It’s not that the game’s going to be easier – nothing like that." Hayashi stated. "It’s just that we are trying to make a whole game, a more exciting game that can be enjoyed by anyone. But at the same time, hardcore gamers will be able to feel and appreciate what the series is about.”
Hayashi also mentions a "complex multiplayer mode" and gets all defensive about PS3 Move support.
So there you have it gals and gangstas. With Itagaki's departure comes a huge departure from what the Ninja Gaiden series has been in it's past few installments. Hayabusa's feelings, newb accessibility, and multiplayer. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but it definitely sounds like Ninja Gaiden 3 is going to get Other M'd.
Disclaimer: This review will make no mention of anyone being already dead. As one of my earliest memories of pure gangsta, and one of my favorite quotes to this day, Ken's "you're already dead" line is being done a disservice with it's laugh-inducing overuse in every damn Ken's Rage article written since it's first mention.
One of my fondest memories as a doe-eyed tween in the early 90's was being lent a VHS of Fist of the North Star from my much older friend and neighbor. The movie's exploding heads and bleak outlook was a huge departure from the cartoons I was used to watching, and I loved every minute of it. So forgive me if there is a special place in my heart for my first experience with anime, and what was a great influence in laying the Otaku But Gangsta groundwork. Twenty years removed, would Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage have the same effect on me as it's source material?
Monday, May 7, 2012 at 5:36PM 
