Ninja Gaiden Black
Ninja Gaiden Black is a video game that consists of 3 releases
Ninja Gaiden Black is a re-release of Team Ninja's 2004 Xbox game. Its enhanced visuals, tweaked gameplay, and new mission mode make it the "definitive version" in the eyes of game director Tomonobu Itagaki.
Overview
Ninja Gaiden Black is an enhanced remake of the action / adventure game Ninja Gaiden which was originally released on the Xbox in 2004. It is known for its incredibly fluid animations, deep fighting system, and intense difficulty as players guide protagonist Ryu Hayabusa through sixteen chapters worth of brutal combat, environmental exploration, and puzzle solving. In addition to including all of the content and improvements from the free downloadable " Hurricane Packs" released for its predecessor (Except for the Intercept, as it made the game too easy), Black also enjoyed some engine enhancements for improved textures, new in-engine cutscenes to fill out parts of the story, more unlockable costumes, and two additional difficulty levels.The game is on the Xbox 360's backwards compatibility list and has been released for download through the system's Xbox Originals program.
Gameplay
Played from a third-person perspective, Ninja Gaiden specializes in fast, visceral 3D combat against multiple opponents including black ninjas wielding explosive throwing stars, armored soldiers with submachine guns and electrified blades, huge dinosaur-like demons which can breathe fire, and many more. These foes are highly aggressive -- unlike many similar games, they will not hesitate to coordinate their attacks to strike from multiple directions at once, executing continuous combos or devastating grapple moves to exploit any opening in the player's defenses. Every enemy in the game is fast, strong, and capable of dealing out lethal amounts of damage to send the player back to the previous save point.Fortunately, the player-controlled Ryu Hayabusa has a variety of upgradeable weapons at his disposal, superhuman agility which allows him roll safely away from enemy attacks and run several steps straight up most vertical surfaces, and the ability to cast a few different " ninpo" spells which can inflict heavy damage on one or more nearby foes. Fallen enemies also give off yellow essence which can be exchanged at shops for healing items, blue essence to heal up Ryu's wounds, and red essence to recharge his ninpo, and in the thick of battle, nearby essence can be absorbed to unleash immensely powerful "Ultimate Techniques" capable of slaying multiple enemies at a time.
Combat can take place at virtually any point in the game, but between battles, players explore each level to find hidden items and solve puzzles to proceed to the next area. There are many variations on the theme of finding a key to pass through a particular locked door, as well as environmental puzzles where Ryu must use his wall-running ability or ledge-shimmying skills to avoid damage and gain access to a hard-to-reach place. In addition to free hidden healing items, most levels also include Golden Scarab jewels which can be exchanged at shops for unique items which cannot be obtained any other way.
Weapons in the game include the Dragon Sword, a single katana considered the most balanced weapon in the game, nunchucks which sacrifice range for a greater attack speed, a quarterstaff which can easily hit multiple surrounding enemies with every swing, and a couple super-heavy weapons, like the Dabilahro great sword, which are ideal for dishing out heavy damage against some of the slower, more heavily armored opponents. Each weapon can be improved at shops in the game to unlock new and more powerful combos.
Black features several subtle gameplay changes from the original release including the relocation of certain keys, new enemies, and a few brief in-engine cutscenes designed to bridge some of the gaps in the narrative. Players who frequently die will be offered the opportunity to "Abandon the Way of the Ninja", and those who accept will be transfered to Black's new " Ninja Dog" difficulty level which is easier than the normal mode, but brands Ryu with a bright pink ribbon.
Finally, Black also adds a Mission Mode which can be unlocked by completing the game. These fifty levels focus exclusively on the combat, often restricting the player's available weapons and healing items to enhance the difficulty and give veteran players a series of progressively tougher challenges.
Style
Some of the locales in the game include a traditional Japanese village, a futuristic airship, a modern military base, and ancient catacombs stretching deep beneath the evil Vigoor capital, evoking an anachronistic world similar to developer Team Ninja's Dead or Alive fighting game franchise. Enemy types vary in each level, and most chapters end with a particularly challenging boss encounter appropriate to the setting.Full List of Additions to Black
Ninja Gaiden Black changed many things from the original Ninja Gaiden.- A Higher Difficulty Setting, Master Ninja, and a Lower Difficulty Setting, Ninja Dog
- Mission Mode, containing 50 Missions, with Eternal Legend being from the Hurricane Pack
- Extra Cutscenes
- The Lunar was added, previously seen in the Hurricane packs.
- The new Plasma Sabre Mark II is included in some Missions, being simply a clone of the True Dragon Sword.
- Text boxes were removed, replace with simple text on the screen.
- Smoke Bombs were added
- Improved Camera
- The Original Arcade Ninja Gaiden replaces the three NES games included in the previous release.
- Essence no longer required for charging Ultimate Techniques
- Successive Play was removed.
- Extra Costumes were added
- A new boss, and modifications to others.
- A trailer for DOA 4.
Story
Ryu Hyabusa visits Murai, the leader of the " Shadow Clan" of Ninjas, and Ryu's Uncle. The visit is cut short when Ayane brings news that the Hyabusa village has been attacked. Ryu rushes to save his village, and the Dark Dragon Blade kept within it, but is struck down by a mysterious and powerful figure, who steals the cursed Dark Dragon Blade. Murai informs Ryu that the samurai that attacked the village was Doku, a Greater fiend from the Holy Vigoor Empire, and Ryu sets out on a quest for vengance.To enter Tairon, the capital of Vigoor, Ryu stows away on an airship, and starts his search for Doku. In Tairon, Ryu travels to Hans Bar, to find out information, and meets Rachel. Rachel is a "fiend hunter" and the two converse. This is all being watched by Gamov and the Dark Disciple, whose identity is unknown, however as the story progresses, it is made clear that these two have been arranging events from behind the scenes.
Ryu reaches a monastary, and after an exploration into the hidden underground, fights with Alma, a Greater Fiend and Rachel's Sister. Ryu is victorious in the battle, but Rachel cannot bring herself to strike the final blow, as she sees a small spark of humanity in Alma. This weakness results in Doku capturing Rachel. The battle in the monestary results in the military being alerted to the situation, and Ryu diverts to disrupt the armies communications, by destroying their tower.
After destroying the communications tower, Ryu proceeds to the palace of Zarkahn, via the aqueduct, and eventually meets with Doku, who has Rachel as a prisoner. Ryu defeats Doku, and rachel is freed, but no questions are answered and the Dark Dragon is with the Holy Vigoor Emperor. Doku vows he shall not be so easily defeated, and will bring about the Fiendish Awakening. Rachel seems to understand, and leaves before Ryu can stop her.
Muramasa asks to see Ryu, and explains to him that the Dragon Sword has not reached its full potential, and needs a jewel to reach it. As Ryu travels on, through the caverns, and back to the center of Tairon, he realizes he has collected 3 stones that open up a pathway of portals that are activated on stone circles. This allows Ryu to find this jewel, and continue his fight for vengance.
The spirit of Doku has taken Rachel prisoner again, and uses her in a ritual to increase Almas power. Ryu defeats the Awakened Alma, and rescues Rachel, and leaves to deal with Doku, who has succeeded in bringing about the awakening. Ryu follows Doku to a labyrinth, and succeeds on killing his spirit, but as he dies, Doku passes on a blood curse to Ryu, turning him into a fiend. The sole way to relieve him of the curse and to retrieve the Dark Dragon is to kill the Emperor.
Ryu infiltrates the palace of Zarkahn, and kills Marbus, the third greater fiend, to gain entry to the Emperors realm. Ryu eventually succeeds in killing the Emperor, but the caverns are falling down around him, and he quickly rushes to the Dark Dragon Blade, and is Rescued by Rachel. As they leave, the Dark Dragon Blade falls into the hands of the Dark Disciple, who has been watching all along. The Dark Disciple Murders his assistant, Gamov, and reveals himself to be Murai. Harnessing the evil of the Dark Dragon Blade, Murai is turned into the Devil Incarnate, and fights with Ryu. Ryu is victorious, and destroys the blade with his True Dragon Sword, shattering it. Despite Rachel wanting to stay with him, Ryu transforms into a Falcon and flies back to the Hyabusa Village, victorious.
In a brief Epilogue, Ryu lays the jewel back on Kureha's tombstone that it was found upon, in his village.
Weapons
Melee
- Dragon Sword (Later Increased to the True Dragon Sword)
- Lunar
- Nunchucks
- Wooden Sword (Can be upgraded to the Unlaboured Flawlessness)
- Vigoorian Flails
- Dabilahro
- War Hammee
- Kitetsu
- Spear Gun (Takes up the position of a melee weapon, but shoots harpoons)
- Dark Dragon Blade (Unlocked by acquiring all 50 scarabs and giving them to Muramasa.)
Projectile
- Shuriken
- Windmill Shuriken
- Incendiary Shuriken
- Smoke Bombs
- Bow (Later replaced with the Strongbow)
- Explosive Arrows
- APFSDS Cores.
General Information
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| Game Name | Ninja Gaiden Black |
| Platform(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Genres | |
| Themes |
Add a new theme
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| Original US Release |
Sept. 20, 2005
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| Original US Release | know the real date? |
| Aliases | |
| BBFC |
BBFC: 15
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| ESRB |
ESRB: M
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| CERO |
CERO: D
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