They said it couldn't be done.
It's sad that Itagaki recently announced he will not be working on any more Ninja Gaiden games, because Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is one of the top action games known to handhelds - arguably only topped by Chains of Olympus. With fierce, fast and intuitively designed gameplay, Dragon Sword is undoubtedly the DS action game.
The story is well worth paying attention to, featuring well done manga-styled cutscenes - a different take on the Ninja Gaiden series, but definitely not a bad one. The black spider clan and the fiends are at it again, this time teaming up on the Hayabusa clan for the power of the dark dragonstones, the eye of the dragon and the dragon blade. The plot plays out well and some memorable characters make their imprint on Ninja Gaiden, like Momiji, a new character to the franchise and Ryu's apprentice in the ninja arts.
Dragon Sword has some well done music that fits the scenario fine. It doesn't overachieve, and repetetive voice effects could grate on the nerves, but headphones complement the sound quite well.
But if you're interested in this game at all, it's likely not for a story or the musical score; Dragon Sword's stylus-controlled gameplay is what really sets it apart from every other action game ever made. If Team Ninja had released it before the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, it would have been revolutionary. All offensive moves are controlled 100% stylus, while to block press any button (excluding start, which brings up a character menu). The learning curve is quick and the basics are easily imprinted into your mind, but developing styles for certain rooms/enemies is mandatory for anyone looking to beat Master Ninja (ex; against a horde of weaker opposition, jumping into the air, shooting a projectile and then using repeated flying swallow attacks is the easiest route, whereas against two tough/slow powerhouses, using the Izuna Drop on each one in turns is the most effective). There are only a few combos (a Link-styled circle slash would have been nice, or an air dodge), but Dragon Sword's control scheme and relentless opposition make the title a must-have for action-loving DS owners. The game is relatively easy on normal mode, and it does take a lot out of the enjoyment, so speed through normal the first time through and then embark on the journey once more on hard (which is also be easy for seasoned players, but beyond hard are two modes which should satisfy those who found the challenge in other Ninja Gaidens a welcome addition). The only real problems with its gameplay are that the adventure is entirely too short (5-6 hours on first playthrough, although this is decent compared to other handheld action games) and the battle system does tend to get repetetive.
The graphics are astounding for the DS, no less. All of the characters are in 3D and respond beautifully; the screen refreshes 60 times a second and the camera zooms in on certain moves, complementing the game nicely. All of the backgrounds outside of boss fights are pre rendered and 2D, which may turn off some, but boss fights are where the game's graphics truly shine, running in full 3D.
Unfortunately, there are few unlockables (you can unlock all of the cutscenes in the story, which is nice) and the only Wifi capability is the flawed Leader Board system - All of the leaders are up to 99999999 (give or take a 9), which is frustrating to those who avoid cheating.
Despite its downfalls, an action game of this caliber is likely a once in a generation deal for Nintendo's handheld, so don't miss out. You'll be stringing combos together for over 20 hours to complete Dragon Sword in all of its levels of difficulty.
The story is well worth paying attention to, featuring well done manga-styled cutscenes - a different take on the Ninja Gaiden series, but definitely not a bad one. The black spider clan and the fiends are at it again, this time teaming up on the Hayabusa clan for the power of the dark dragonstones, the eye of the dragon and the dragon blade. The plot plays out well and some memorable characters make their imprint on Ninja Gaiden, like Momiji, a new character to the franchise and Ryu's apprentice in the ninja arts.
Dragon Sword has some well done music that fits the scenario fine. It doesn't overachieve, and repetetive voice effects could grate on the nerves, but headphones complement the sound quite well.
But if you're interested in this game at all, it's likely not for a story or the musical score; Dragon Sword's stylus-controlled gameplay is what really sets it apart from every other action game ever made. If Team Ninja had released it before the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, it would have been revolutionary. All offensive moves are controlled 100% stylus, while to block press any button (excluding start, which brings up a character menu). The learning curve is quick and the basics are easily imprinted into your mind, but developing styles for certain rooms/enemies is mandatory for anyone looking to beat Master Ninja (ex; against a horde of weaker opposition, jumping into the air, shooting a projectile and then using repeated flying swallow attacks is the easiest route, whereas against two tough/slow powerhouses, using the Izuna Drop on each one in turns is the most effective). There are only a few combos (a Link-styled circle slash would have been nice, or an air dodge), but Dragon Sword's control scheme and relentless opposition make the title a must-have for action-loving DS owners. The game is relatively easy on normal mode, and it does take a lot out of the enjoyment, so speed through normal the first time through and then embark on the journey once more on hard (which is also be easy for seasoned players, but beyond hard are two modes which should satisfy those who found the challenge in other Ninja Gaidens a welcome addition). The only real problems with its gameplay are that the adventure is entirely too short (5-6 hours on first playthrough, although this is decent compared to other handheld action games) and the battle system does tend to get repetetive.
The graphics are astounding for the DS, no less. All of the characters are in 3D and respond beautifully; the screen refreshes 60 times a second and the camera zooms in on certain moves, complementing the game nicely. All of the backgrounds outside of boss fights are pre rendered and 2D, which may turn off some, but boss fights are where the game's graphics truly shine, running in full 3D.
Unfortunately, there are few unlockables (you can unlock all of the cutscenes in the story, which is nice) and the only Wifi capability is the flawed Leader Board system - All of the leaders are up to 99999999 (give or take a 9), which is frustrating to those who avoid cheating.
Despite its downfalls, an action game of this caliber is likely a once in a generation deal for Nintendo's handheld, so don't miss out. You'll be stringing combos together for over 20 hours to complete Dragon Sword in all of its levels of difficulty.
