Note that this is the 3rd time I have bought Ninja Gaiden: bought Ninja Gaiden when it was first released, and then again for Ninja Gaiden Black (Still have not beaten it, I got to a rolling rock puzzle in Black and then lost interest for some reason, I think it was We Love Katamari). Anywho, this is actually a very interesting port/remake, to say the least. Some areas feel like straight ports of the Xbox version, while others feel like they have been completely retextured and had the shaders modified quite a bit. Currently, I am on the airship. Anywho, the game feels a lot like a "directors cut" sort of feel, more so then Ninja Gaiden Black. One example is near the end of the Hayabusa Village chapter, where the black samurai on the horse is now on fire. Not only that, but you now have a small new area in the burning village section where you actually fight Doku instead of see it in a cutscene (Also, they changed the CGI sequence to a real time cutscene). Thats was very awesome, and something they should do more with ports of older games. The bad part is the cut content...Not everything from Ninja Gaiden or NGB is in this version (The older Ninja Gaiden games, apperantly some enemies and costumes are also gone). I also noticed that the rod you get in NGB is no longer in the village, or at least I didn't find it. Also, the draw distance is sort of odd sometimes: some areas are much darker on purpose (Such as where you fight the black Samurai, but that may have been since he was on fire) and you cannot see as much in the distance sometimes. Also, the FMV sequences that are still in the game are pretty ugly in widescreen. Reguardless, there are small other changes they have made as well. While it isn't quite "complete", it does feel like the true version of Ninja Gaiden. Even though the price is a bit steep for a game that can be bought from anywhere from $9-20 bucks, PS3 owners may want to check it out (Since, lets face it, there is nothing else coming out anytime soon....)
Can I just ask, is the framerate solid? I saw some work in process vids that looked quite choppy as well as jumpy animation on rachael when she was doing her throws. Other than that, this game is already on my "must buy - when I get a PS3" list.
Oh yeah! One nice feature the PS3 version has is the ability to load the game on the PS3 itself. I'm not sure how the game plays if it isn't on the hard drive, but the framerate is very good. In fact, I can't tell the difference from the Xbox version, if there is any. As for the animations, I have not seen anything jerky on Ryu. I'm not up to rachael's chapters, but I have played the demo and she seems fairly fluid as well.
I was thinking of picking this up but after playing the demo a little it just seems like a rehashed Devil May Cry with new skins and models . Tell me if I'm missing anything out here lol.
AimBob, you re missing alot. Devil may cry doesn't hold a candle in front of what is Ninja Gaiden. I have the original XBOX title, and it's a fantastic game, more akin Prince of Persia:Sands of time, with more ninja swordplay and gadgets, and of course tons of blood and a decent story. The game is quite challenging as well. Having tried the PS3 version yesterday however, I can confirm that the game is worth purchasing. It's got so much detail going on that I felt really immersed in it - a feeling i haven't had since N64 days perhaps. The controls are spot-on, although I genuinely dislike the Playstation pad (beats the original Duke and controller S though). Overall, barring any ridiculous price , I think the game is worth it, and should keep you busy until Lair comes out. If i had a PS3, Ninja Gaiden Sigma would be the only game I would buy thus far.
The fact you go on about detail then talk about the N64 in the same breath. I liked the machine, but fine detail wasn't a strong point of that hardware. "Chunkoblur" was trademarked when they named the chipset, I assume
fair enough, but let's speak in context. Before the N64 , 3D was a barren and lonely place. It was the introduction of Super Mario 64 that brought 3d gaming to more detailed levels. Games like Zelda, Banjo, and Conker, are all very detailed for their time of release - compared to stellar games on the PC such as MDK1 for example. My point being, i haven't been this impressed for a long long time
Tomb Raider was easily compareable IMO. Granted SMB64 beat it by 2 months, but that's not long between the two.
whoa there! Super mario 64 had decent filtering, tomb raider was a color-box of mess , just like most PS1 titles =) (lack of perpsective correction and bilinear filtering speaking)
This is the one with that blonde chick with huge oiled boobs right? Yeah, I only remember it for the boobs......
