@@Jaqen-HGhar The X provides a 9x boost in resolution to any enhanced old game. The reason it's not a full 4k is because the resolution of the actual game made on the 360 was less then 720p. 9x on that doesn't reach 4k. If this game was made today for the Xbox One then it would probably be 6k or more. It was the limitations of the original 360 is the problem all the X is doing is emulating the original game at a hire resolution and enhancing it. This is completely different from the game actually being build on the X. It's like polishing a turd. Sure you can shine it up and spray some air freshener on it to make it better but it's still a turd at the end of the day! 💩
DF Retro is the best thing this channel has ever done, providing a true historical context to the technology of video games and creating an understanding of where the foundation of games today came from.
I really dislike how he describes NG2 as some "heavily flawed, and only somewhat enjoyable experience". Finally there is a new chance for this underappreciated game to get more attention, and he completely presents it as a completely skippable experience. Ninja Gaiden 2 is a brilliant game, having a single bad looking tunnel (something he for whatever reason pointed out multiple times like if it was some gamebreaking issue) is not a reason to call the game or it's visuals bad or unfinished similarly, having a single questionably designed enemy type (rapid fire rocket launchers) is also an extremely minuscule reason to call the gameplay badly designed or unfinished. The combat of NG2 is vastly improved on the first game. as for level design, NG2 clearly embraced a full blown action gameplay instead of the more action-adventure design of the first game, but this is not a flaw of the game design, because it is heavily compensated by the improved action gameplay, something this game moved more focus to.
As much as I enjoy John's work I don't really look to him for game play critique or views, he's got a strong grasp on technical aspects and visual design and language but I think someone like the gaming brit does a better job overall when it comes to game play. NG2 is brilliant, it's the most balls-to-the-wall action game ever made where the severed torsos of enemies will still come gunning for you and foes will take the limbs of their comrades and pelt them at you. It's a game with basically no restraint, regard for if the player is ready or not and feels more in line with the NES originals as far as mastery of reflexes and control of the mechanics to deal with the unpredictable. It's a great game and unfortunately John is contributing to the climate that it's some sort of deeply flawed but novel 7/10 game when in reality it's the peak of its style and with it now having a version that plays flawlessly something truly worth embracing. @@noodleknight7924
@@noodleknight7924 I think there was a rewarding element to the circular map design of the original Ninja Gaiden on Xbox that was taken away in NG2, and the challenge might have been increased a bit too much, but for a sequel i think those changes make sense in order to crank up the action and variety of enemy types.
This is still the best gaming content on the platform. I spent years wanting the tenacity/resources to do videos like this and I'm so glad you're doing it.
These the type of games people like to ignore when past Xbox exclusives show up. There are so many Xbox 360 exclusive gems that many forget were only on the 360.
VjOnItGood81 The PS3 version was better back then, that’s why it was overlooked. 360 version is only better now with the enhancements on X, but back then it felt rushed and not as true of a successor to the original as PS3’s polish/performance. Both were worth playing but if you had to pick one back then, it was PS3’s.
@@ignatheus I'm sure there's mixed opinions but either way, it was a short timed exclusive like many others 360 had, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc. PS3 was able to catch up cause at the end of the day, the mega hits still came to it. 360 needed these types of games to stay exclusive in order to win.
@@Alex_Logan22 PS3 is in theory, superior in power BUT hard to work with, which means most devs wouldn't even bother. Games look and ran worst on PS3, except some exclusives. Now talking about Ninja Gaiden, there are no opinions that say PS3 version is better, because it isn't. You played it on that system that's why you don't see how better the Xbox version is, which is fine, is your opinion not an actual fact. They remove a lot of things for the game to work on PS3 and therefore, it isn't the best version. Xbox 360 was superior to the other systems, now the X version is the only good way to play Ninja Gaiden 2.
@@Alex_Logan22 the ps3 version could not handle the same amount of enemies on the screen at one time the only thing it had was 720p rez over 640p rez but looks like the One X and Series X eliminated that problem now
I would agree, except that I sold my One X 2 weeks ago, to get a way better PC build than my One X could ever hope to be, a ryzen 5 2600x with a Duke Geforce RTX 2070, so it's still worth the trade off, cause I feel like this may still be available on Xbox Store on Windows so.
@@TheGauges420 how much that set you back? Not baiting btw I'm just curious what you got for your monies worth. I think the x will be the last console I ever buy anyways defo moving on to pc as a primary platform. I do game on pc but it's hilariously out of date like I can't play anything made after like 2010 lol
@@TheGauges420 , not everyone wants a pc in their livingroom or play with mouse and keyboard, have 6-8 libraries or deal with cheaters. And ninja gaiden 2 is not on pc lol.
@@stolenname94 i said the same thing to myself too then i saw the specs of the ps4 which is up there with a good pc i mean all next gen consoles are using some form of Ryzen, navi and amd graphics cards.
honestly it's like they are bringing games to a point where you can play a game you haven't played since you were a child and the enhancements they give it make it look and play like how you remember them when you were young. I will not ever agree with anyone who opposes what Xbox is doing with this approach.
@@wes3764 tbh I’m not sure why PS5 was hyped up so much and still is, you only get 600 GB of usable storage which is wayyyy too short in 2021. That “firmware update” that was supposed to release so that you can use the external SSD slot? Still nothing.
@ABYNAX DBR from a lack of true exclusive titles to this point I can see your reasoning. Games are coming, but they're not there now and nobody can argue that. I'm my opinion if you don't own a PC the backwards compatibility with the frame boost enhancements is reason enough to own a next generation Xbox. That combined with the value of gamepass (if you don't own a PC) makes it worth it imo.
I don't think that track was from the second.....nope, my ears did not deceive me it is most assuredly from the first (I checked). Hey, who cares it is still an excellent catch. This particular music track is from 1988 (Japan) or 1989 (US). That was 30 freaking years ago, anyone coming down on you for that has shown how throughly awkward they are and probably a huge hit at parties. Wait...nooo, you are right, he does play a song from Ninja Gaiden 2. Damn fine catch, from another fantastic title in the 8-bit series!
Also of note is Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for the DS, also directed by Itagaki, which used the portable in a very distinctive way. It worked surprisingly well considering the combat was done entirely with the stylus.
Good call on that one! Technically looked amazing considering the DS hardware. Only wish Tecmo did a similar job with a PSP game (not counting Paradise)
Ironically, this is the only reason I would consider getting an Xbox One X - to replay old Xbox/360 games. They literally have no exclusive I'd want. I wish they were playable on PC.
NG2 is a fantastic game, I actually prefer it to the original in some aspects, I just love how crazy it is and how many risks the game takes, the original is definitely quite a bit more polished though.
@@drummer7557 "nothing wrong with it" Uh we looking at the same video? A game with sub 720p resolution, constant screen tear, and low fps isn't an issue?
@@drummer7557 Why pay for BD UHD player, good backward compatibility and best quality of all modern consoles (multiplatforms and not only in some cases - Forza, GOW, Halo) games on Xbox One X? Just because PS4 don't have this? I have PRO and XOX and both consoles have unique functions. If you a real gamer you just like all systems. If you're a fanboy you always look for negatives in system that you do not own.
Nice! I am playing this on 360 now, and its one of the hardest games I have ever played, but damn satisfying. Glad to see it getting enhanced on Xbox One X
@@doom2000000 Yes, you have two difficulty settings in the beginning. There are two more difficulty settings that can be unlocked for a bigger challenge.
@@redhunter1535 True haha. Microsoft deserves more good attention to their backwards compatibility X enhanced games. Just crazy how good the games look
My favourite action game of all - really hoping they put out a version on Windows/PC at some point so I don't need to keep an xbox around just to play it.
@@lazarusmarkith9927 Personally, I liked NGS more than NGB, but for NG2 I think it would be nicer if they combine the 2 versions, which is highly unlikely. NGS2 had some things that were pretty good like extra details and new content, but NG2 was overall better because of the cut content from NGS2.
@@jaffaraltakiah2501I agree. Ninja Gaiden 2 has always been a far more demanding action game, and one of the few games from the genre to have dismemberment. We need more games like Ninja Gaiden 2 instead of DMC or God of War.
@@jaffaraltakiah2501 That just tells me that you don`t understand action games and that you are basically a casual action game player. If you play DMC on easy/normal and use golden orbs, yeah, of course It`s an easy game, If you play the game like you are supposed to (no gold/yellow orbs/dante must die/and paying for S rank) then the game becomes as or more challenging that NG on harder difficulties (NG also had easy mode, just watch DF cringy gameplay) Same thing happened with Bayonetta, a lot of options for casual action game players but higher difficulty settings for veterans.
I'm a fan, but I couldn't disagree more about your criticism of ng2. Linear doesn't always equal worse, the level design of ng2 is far more engaging than the hub system, which ends up being pointless boring backtracking. It s also unfair how you brush off the massive improvements to combat, especially since that s the point of the game. There are more important aspects of these games than background and resolution.
I always thought NG2's combat was a step down from that of NG Black, largely because of more unavoidable off-screen projectile attacks, requiring constant block-dashing. I also liked the exploration/puzzle elements of the first game. Still a great game, though. I'd rank the ones I've played in the genre: NG Black > Bayonetta (great combat and slick presentation; just a shame about the pacing and heavy emphasis on bosses and one-off gimmicks in its second half) > NG2 > Metal Gear Rising > DMC3SE > Legend of Korra
@@variousthings6470 Yeah the projectile spam can be annoying no denying that, but I think the dismember system, the greatly improved moveset, and just the depth of strategy with all the fights in the game really put it over for me. I'm a NG fanatic, and play through all the games once a year. I have even talked about NG2 on my podcast. Thing is, I feel that BOTH black and NG2 are masterpieces, but for whatever reason mainstream reviewers always look down on NG2 and I feel it is greatly misunderstood. This vid is just the same old stuff, focus on the surface technical problems and brush off how deep and well designed the gameplay is.
When I was a teenager we loved the slowdown effect you would get when the enemy count got really wild. The staircase scene before the patch was like a scene out of the matrix and I was really bummed when they compromised on the enemy count after release. Earth defense force 2017 for the 360 is another good example of slowdown making a special battle scene feel really epic. These games are not the same at locked frame rates.
I remember Edge magazine once printed a retrospective comment, some time after NG2's release, arguing that the staircase fight was such a memorable moment precisely because of how the immense slowdown added to the scale and intensity of the battle. I'm not normally one to argue in favour of lower frame rates, but in this case I have to agree.
variousthings I just watched it on TH-cam. That was bad ass. And the slowdown looked like it was intentional. It wasn’t laggy and disjointed like normal frame rate drops.
I felt the exact same way. That's why everyone remembers that fight. Doing wind blades and seeing 200 arms flying in the air in slow motion was insane lol.
Thanks to This video I got a series x. Just to play Uncensored games with best backwards compatibility on console. I love my ps5 but playing the day 1 releases on gamepass plus games like this on series x. Is good to won both :)
Ninja Gaiden II is a huge improvement on the Xbox One X than it was on the Xbox 360. I'm so glad it's playable on the Xbox One and since I have the Xbox One X then I'm more than glad
To anyone playing, make sure to utilize i-frames. When you have those explosive shurikens stuck into you, you have a lot of invincibility options like the guillotine throw, UTs that are charged instantly after a jump or the wind path. Just blocking it is good enough too.
@@FireStarJutsu have fun, I still revisit it too. Each weapon will have abusable moves. Like with the claws you will be able to forward+y through everything. 360y for the scythe
@@thatonequote Ninja Gaiden has some of the most satisfying weapons in all of gaming! Each weapon is so good. I LOVE the Claws, and especially the forward+Y. Always feels badass to zip around the battlefield 🔥
This game was always one of the best 360 exclusives and action games ever, so much better that NG Sigma 2 or 3/3RE. It's great now it's backwards compatible. This(NG 2), NG Black and RDR may actually convince me to get an xbox one.
@@miko5167 It does feel unfinished especially on higher difficulties when it's very noticeable. However it's still one of my favorite action games on the 360 even though Ninja Gaiden Black is indeed the superior game.
I don't know if it justifies buying an entire console (says the guy who bought a Playstation 3 exclusively for the Sigma version of NG), but NGB and NGII both run amazingly on Xbox One X. They honestly run really well on XB1 too, better than the Xbox and PS3 versions, but still...really, really well.
sigma 2 forces you to play as Rachel and crew who are garbage, ryu is the main star and that pixie dust is game breaking imo after the glorious gore of the original.@@miko5167
@@Tundric_Schwolf As an MGS fan, you'd honestly have to be nuts to think the character models in MGS 2 and Twin Snakes have aged well. 3 and 4, maybe, but 2 and Twin Snakes? Heck no. The plot, Kojima's signature style and his attention to detail is what hasn't aged poorly.
@@charoleawood I love those games too...but for me NG2 is the best ...the difficulty comes for your enemies being great at their Jobs and ganging up on you ,While Ryu is just super capable..he moves fast ,turns fast , executes fast....no other game gives me that break neck speed and quick decision making combat like NG2.....I finished DMC5 a few weeks ago and I love it but compared to NG2 it's a walk in the park even on higher difficulty..
Oh, well, you're preaching to the choir. NG2 is my favorite game ever, tied with DOA2 Ultimate. But it isn't because of difficulty, it's the gameplay flow, it feels like home. I can only beat it on Acolyte and Warrior anyhow.
Ninja Gaiden 2 is a brilliant and very underappreciated game, and you extremely underrate it by repeatedly describing it as a "heavily flawed but still somewhat enjoyable game" having a single bad looking tunnel (something you for whatever reason pointed out multiple times like if it was some gamebreaking issue) is not a reason to call the game or it's visuals bad or unfinished similarly, having a single questionably designed enemy type (rapid fire rocket launchers) is also no reason to call the gameplay badly designed or unfinished. The combat is vastly improved on the first game, and there is really no other game like NG2. as for level design, NG2 clearly embraced a full blown action gameplay instead of the more action-adventure design of the first game, but this is not a flaw of the game design, because it is heavily compensated by the improved action gameplay, something this game moved more focus to.
The second chapter in beta footage of the 360 version was going to be in daylight as well. Great overview, I hope they return to this series and give it another shot I miss it desperately.
This game, now One X enhanced, with Ninja Gaiden 2 NES soundtrack in the background (like you made in the final minutes of this video) is the perfect combo, a must have.
I realize Ninja Gaiden on the Vita is not the ideal version of these modern retellings, but it's still my all time favorite portable game with Sigma 1 Plus. At least I can turn my foes into sausage patties on the go.
@@yobro6053 yeah, unpopular opinion but i really dislike the RE Engine graphics, i despise the chromatic aberration to death. it won't age well. But RE2, RE7 & DMC5 game itself are awesome.
Yes, that's it. Always you have good machine for "emulation" and BD UHD player :) I play a bit more on my PS4 PRO but Xbox One X is great for all things, better quality multiplatform games and so on. Both are great systems (also Switch but I use it less).
@@rhtr. All have their strengths - except Switch I considered a purchase having known the Big N since NES, but turned off by limitations. I own P4, I feel MS robbed them of the slogan _It only does everything._
@@TheKeithvidz PS4 is a good choice. Switch is also ok but for me big consoles are better - more comfortable and with better selection of games. I own also Switch but most time it's sit in drawer :/ From Nintendo games I play only Mario Kart, Yoshi (Bloodstained in near future) and some old arcade games conversions. And Xbox... I think you have right (but I stil like this console).
@@rhtr. Switch has what it takes to make people happy. I seriously investigated. N has it certain titles require a memory card to even play, expensive system and components. My p4 slim costs less with more features. About big consoles - I can play switch if i wanted on the job, but not really a mobile gamer. We could exchange game names some time.
So NG II - a wonderful game pushing limits were specifically tailored for X360. PS3 version - tailor made, additional content Vita - tailor made And just to remind all of you - these guys also made NG for Nintendo DS. Fully tailor made for that hardware with stellar controls, graphics and gameplay. I remember interview with Mr. Itagaki saying "if we wanted to be good, we needed to do it in house". That developer team led by Tomonobu Itagaki was simply amazing.
@@redcrimson1028 NG3: RE don't look that impressive on XOX :( Still better than on X360 but it's not same high level like NG2. The bad thing is that game crashes in chapter 3! :( I just played last night. That's sad NG3 is inferior to predecessors.
To be clear, NG3:RE isn't specifically enhanced for Xbox One X like the other two games are, so you're not going to be benefiting from higher resolution or anything. I imagine the game would run substantially better, though.
I still want a remaster collection of the games for XBox One and PS4, but in the case of NG2 do an ultimate version: Keep the high enemy count and gore of the 360 original and for the PS3 version keep the added levels/bosses/characters and reduced enemy weapon spam, make it a best of both worlds version so to speak.
Ahhh, Ninja Gaiden! The "Dark Souls" before the actual Dark Souls. Regardless on NES series or XBOX series, still tough as balls, yet still look amazing after years of release.
No both NG and Battletoads was the Souls games before Souls was a thing. Battletoads hover bike level alone destroy any rage quit moment for games history.
@@CoCo.-_- But NG 2 is not on PC. Same with RDR and The Darkness 1 and I can't find Splinter cell Pandora Tomorrow on steam. I think xbox one x is the perfect balance for both old and new games
@@armaansandhu3206 at that moment u mention a few of games that are not possible on pc for now then ignore the fact of the shit ton Xbox will never have noice xD the number with the most games past and present on a system is pc including the exclusive games from past consoles from old era's of gaming eg ps2 and other consoles and then u got today sony and microsoft are starting to put these "exclusives" on pc xbox more so than sont atm, sony just started while those playstation games will never be on xbox and same the other way around
Ninja Gaiden is one of the few games I always play with japanese voices, made me happy to see John do the same. Man, I might get an Xbox 1 X because of this video. I loved Ninja Gaiden 2 and Sigma 2, while its extra bosses, modes (playing as Ayane was super fun) didn't.....quite do it for me because of the toned down violence, gore and enemy counts. Ninja Gaiden Black will always be my favorite though. Great video.
I'm hardly a purist, but everyone should play Ninja Gaiden Black with the Japanese audio for 1) the mainstay Japanese VA for Ayane and Ryu from DOA and 2) Michie Tomizawa as Rachel. The English dub is pretty much what you'd expect, but the Japanese voice talent is absurdly high-profile for a simple story action game.
@@ToveriJuri Not really. They already lost me when they put the sigma games (yeah I know they lost the source codes for Black and vanilla NG2 but it’s still disappointing). And from what I’m hearing, the collection runs like shit on PC
@@TheBrutalSax Doesn't run like shit it's just a very barebones pc port with barely any of the basic functionality you'd expect from a PC port. So yeah not ideal.
Awesome John! Thanks for making this. I loved beating it again on the X with the stellar enhancements, it's like a timeless classic (even with some flaws).
amazing video! it’s so impressive you played through NG2 (likely several times - which is quite an accomplishment), captured all these videos, conduct all these analyses, wrote the script, and put together this video in such short order... well done and thanks!
Ninja Gaiden 2 is great. Thank you Microsoft/Xbox for the free updates that renews and gives me a chance to go back in time to relive my great memories
People forget that Ninja Gaiden didn't release as Black. Itagaki and his Team Ninja refined and polished the game including content from the hurricane packs to make the excellent special edition that us Black. Itagaki never got to give Ninja Gaiden II that treatment simce Itagaki and team left Tecmo due to internal studio conflicts (Hayashi making the Sigma titles, the lawsuits, and unpaid bonuses). Ninja Gaiden II and Ninja Gaiden Black are both two of the best Character Action games ever made. They each have something different to offer. Black is all about defense against small but tough groups of enemies. The combat is slow and takes patience, and the level design has a greater focus on exploration. NGII on the otherhand has a focus on offense. The combat is fast paced and is all about taking on larger groups of enemies. The game also has more unique weapons over black, more projectile options, and much more over the top gore. Lastly the game focuses on challenging but linear gauntlets in terms of level design (which reminds me of the NES games). Vanilla NGII and it's MM is my favorite game in the series. Ninja Gaiden Sigma was terrible because it made a lot of the changes to the game's combat which took away from what NGII's core combat design was all about.
It's that I fell in love with Vanilla Gaiden. It's sad to me that only Black is available through BC --- I might understand if the changes Black were fixing a broken game, as with the comparison between Dark Souls 2 and Scholar of the First Sin, but Vanilla Gaiden isn't broken. Even if it were, I feel that for the sake of comparison both should be available. There are likely a lot of fans of Black who never played Vanilla, they should be able to play it and see exactly how much was changed. To me Black is gilding the lilly, I don't think that having a battle with goons on moterbikes outside of Han's Bar is "better" (I think it's worse) than the regular encounters in the vanilla version. Black and Sigma have almost completely erased Vanilla from public memory, but what crime did it commit to deserve such a fate?
Still bewilders me how they managed to have NG running on the original Xbox... it felt like it was leaps and bounds beyond what any gaming console or PC’s were able to achieve in that era.
You would only say that now with it running on X, back then PS3 was the overall better version most agreed on, with the 360 version still being worth checking out for the bloodthirsty thrill and dismemberment. The opposite of the current scenario, because the performance and polish on PS3 made it feel more of a genuine successor to the first game, where as 360 felt rushed.
I remember the staircase very clearly. I was starting to get a bit sick of those enemies so I just jumped over them thinking that maybe if I just get to the top of the stairs a cutscene will run and I won´t have to fight them all, but the stairs where way longer than I thought and there wasn´t just one group of enemies, there where wave after wave and since I just jumped over them I had this gargantuan battle at the top of the stairs with all the waves of enemies at once. Needless to say the frame rate was down to single digits wich ironically made the battle easier since I had plenty of time to react to enemy attacks.
Xbox One S runs this great. Not locked 60 at all times like the One X but WAY better than the OG 360 ran it. And while it doesn't get any sort of resolution enhancement, the 4K upscaling on the Xbox One S is a legitimate upgrade from the 1080p upscaling on the 360. I don't feel a lot of people recognize the difference in upscaling or take it into account. It makes a difference. The One S renditions of 360 games are almost always still a pretty nice enhancement. I bought my One S very late in the game and expected to be left wanting more. It has exceeded my expectations at every turn. Remember the 360 originally didn't even have HDMI, so its output abilities were never really tailored to it. The Xbox One is an upgrade in that alone, disregarding the many other areas it improves upon. Simply being displayed by a machine meant to handle modern video signals makes a world of difference.
What Digital Foundry never addresses is that the Xbox 360/Ps3 era was still 4:3 resolution era. People still played xbox 360/ps3 on CRT tvs and the performance is affected by this as well.
Got master collection on PS5 and started with NG2. Felt weird and the censoring killed me. Didn’t finish a single level. Fired the Series X up and bought NG2 started it for the first time in 13 years and I can’t put it down. Long story short, Sigma sucks..
Loved loved loved this breakdown. Very well done. And I also loved the inclusion of music from Ninja Gaiden 2 on the NES! Brought back some memories just hearing it. Love this channel!!
Every time I see one of these videos, the only thought that keeps playing in my head is "yeah, this is EXACTLY why we PC gamers demand ports for every single game out there." Looking at the clarity and performance, as well as texture quality that pops out, are all things I've enjoyed for the last 2 decades when playing console ports on PC even in emulators. Any gamer who truly loves the medium and wants to see their favorite games shine to the limit, should demand their games be on PC where it can be appreciated for years long past their release with further increasing quality with every year that goes by and brings new hardware.
Ninja Gaiden and the chronicles of riddick were the two games that made me wanna get an xbox they were both on a demo disc they completely blew my mind.
Not gonna lie, I thought the slow motion framerate drops on the stairs was pretty cool. Made it feel way more epic haha, definitely about to pop this into my XOneS
Definaetly the best slasher of generation. Also a very beautiful game! I completed it for the first time more than 10 years ago on X360... After that in 2012 I completed it again (on PS3), tried some online missions (cooperative) - i was unable to complete some coop missions, they are sooo damn HARD
I can't believe it, I didn't even think of seeing if this had backwards compatibility. Now Xbox One X's version is literally the definitive way to play Ninja Gaiden 2. Fixing the framerate issues was one of the only severe issues (outside the rocket launcher guys). Sigma 2 was something we had to grin and bear because it was the more modern release, that ran better and looked better (especially on the new PC port). But not anymore, thankfully. Here I come Xbox One X version.
I prefer Sigma 2 now, maybe just because it's been so long that I've played the original, but after about 2 replays I started to forget about the missing blood and I felt it had much better frame rates. Knowing the One X is running one of my favorite games at the best performance makes me want one now.
So it's basically a free remaster that runs better than some actual remasters.
Like what remasters?
What do you mean it can't even hit 4K on the X?
Free? Please tell me where I can get the game for free
@AnEn Assassins creed ran 30fps on 360, Ninja Gaiden 2 was 60fps on 360 if you installed the game back then the frame rate was more stable also.
@@Jaqen-HGhar The X provides a 9x boost in resolution to any enhanced old game. The reason it's not a full 4k is because the resolution of the actual game made on the 360 was less then 720p. 9x on that doesn't reach 4k. If this game was made today for the Xbox One then it would probably be 6k or more. It was the limitations of the original 360 is the problem all the X is doing is emulating the original game at a hire resolution and enhancing it. This is completely different from the game actually being build on the X. It's like polishing a turd. Sure you can shine it up and spray some air freshener on it to make it better but it's still a turd at the end of the day! 💩
DF Retro is the best thing this channel has ever done, providing a true historical context to the technology of video games and creating an understanding of where the foundation of games today came from.
I really dislike how he describes NG2 as some "heavily flawed, and only somewhat enjoyable experience".
Finally there is a new chance for this underappreciated game to get more attention, and he completely presents it as a completely skippable experience.
Ninja Gaiden 2 is a brilliant game, having a single bad looking tunnel (something he for whatever reason pointed out multiple times like if it was some gamebreaking issue) is not a reason to call the game or it's visuals bad or unfinished
similarly, having a single questionably designed enemy type (rapid fire rocket launchers) is also an extremely minuscule reason to call the gameplay badly designed or unfinished. The combat of NG2 is vastly improved on the first game.
as for level design, NG2 clearly embraced a full blown action gameplay instead of the more action-adventure design of the first game, but this is not a flaw of the game design, because it is heavily compensated by the improved action gameplay, something this game moved more focus to.
As much as I enjoy John's work I don't really look to him for game play critique or views, he's got a strong grasp on technical aspects and visual design and language but I think someone like the gaming brit does a better job overall when it comes to game play. NG2 is brilliant, it's the most balls-to-the-wall action game ever made where the severed torsos of enemies will still come gunning for you and foes will take the limbs of their comrades and pelt them at you. It's a game with basically no restraint, regard for if the player is ready or not and feels more in line with the NES originals as far as mastery of reflexes and control of the mechanics to deal with the unpredictable.
It's a great game and unfortunately John is contributing to the climate that it's some sort of deeply flawed but novel 7/10 game when in reality it's the peak of its style and with it now having a version that plays flawlessly something truly worth embracing. @@noodleknight7924
yes it is, but, imao with spanish subtitles will be better, i dont speak well english, but its good format
@@noodleknight7924 couldnt agree more. Ng2 is by far my favorite action game.
@@noodleknight7924 I think there was a rewarding element to the circular map design of the original Ninja Gaiden on Xbox that was taken away in NG2, and the challenge might have been increased a bit too much, but for a sequel i think those changes make sense in order to crank up the action and variety of enemy types.
This is still the best gaming content on the platform. I spent years wanting the tenacity/resources to do videos like this and I'm so glad you're doing it.
These the type of games people like to ignore when past Xbox exclusives show up. There are so many Xbox 360 exclusive gems that many forget were only on the 360.
@@mezzb The ogxbox was also a tech leader also, some games couldn't run on ps2 at all, but it doesn't matter if you don't have the games.
VjOnItGood81
The PS3 version was better back then, that’s why it was overlooked. 360 version is only better now with the enhancements on X, but back then it felt rushed and not as true of a successor to the original as PS3’s polish/performance. Both were worth playing but if you had to pick one back then, it was PS3’s.
@@ignatheus
I'm sure there's mixed opinions but either way, it was a short timed exclusive like many others 360 had, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc. PS3 was able to catch up cause at the end of the day, the mega hits still came to it. 360 needed these types of games to stay exclusive in order to win.
@@Alex_Logan22 PS3 is in theory, superior in power BUT hard to work with, which means most devs wouldn't even bother. Games look and ran worst on PS3, except some exclusives. Now talking about Ninja Gaiden, there are no opinions that say PS3 version is better, because it isn't. You played it on that system that's why you don't see how better the Xbox version is, which is fine, is your opinion not an actual fact. They remove a lot of things for the game to work on PS3 and therefore, it isn't the best version. Xbox 360 was superior to the other systems, now the X version is the only good way to play Ninja Gaiden 2.
@@Alex_Logan22 the ps3 version could not handle the same amount of enemies on the screen at one time the only thing it had was 720p rez over 640p rez but looks like the One X and Series X eliminated that problem now
I can finally play the staircase fight... On a smooth, rock-solid 60 fps?
Need this in my life. Now.
I would agree, except that I sold my One X 2 weeks ago, to get a way better PC build than my One X could ever hope to be, a ryzen 5 2600x with a Duke Geforce RTX 2070, so it's still worth the trade off, cause I feel like this may still be available on Xbox Store on Windows so.
Seth Kauffman cool story
@@TheGauges420 how much that set you back? Not baiting btw I'm just curious what you got for your monies worth. I think the x will be the last console I ever buy anyways defo moving on to pc as a primary platform. I do game on pc but it's hilariously out of date like I can't play anything made after like 2010 lol
@@TheGauges420 , not everyone wants a pc in their livingroom or play with mouse and keyboard, have 6-8 libraries or deal with cheaters.
And ninja gaiden 2 is not on pc lol.
@@stolenname94 i said the same thing to myself too then i saw the specs of the ps4 which is up there with a good pc i mean all next gen consoles are using some form of Ryzen, navi and amd graphics cards.
The Xbox brand doesn't get the credit they deserve for these "free remasters" on the X. Amazing work....
honestly it's like they are bringing games to a point where you can play a game you haven't played since you were a child and the enhancements they give it make it look and play like how you remember them when you were young. I will not ever agree with anyone who opposes what Xbox is doing with this approach.
@@wes3764 tbh I’m not sure why PS5 was hyped up so much and still is, you only get 600 GB of usable storage which is wayyyy too short in 2021. That “firmware update” that was supposed to release so that you can use the external SSD slot? Still nothing.
Very true my boy.
@@wes3764 exactly. I wish they did it for Saints Row 1 and 2. Those are the games that got me back into gaming back in the day.
@ABYNAX DBR from a lack of true exclusive titles to this point I can see your reasoning. Games are coming, but they're not there now and nobody can argue that. I'm my opinion if you don't own a PC the backwards compatibility with the frame boost enhancements is reason enough to own a next generation Xbox. That combined with the value of gamepass (if you don't own a PC) makes it worth it imo.
That glorious Ninja Gaiden 2 NES music in the background. Well done.
It is 1
@@Elonma397 Ninja Gaiden 2 level 1 plays through the end
Yes, toward the end of this video the intro and I believe stage 1 music from NG2 on NES was playing. It was awesome hearing it!!!
The song played at the end is probably one of my favorite game music tracks ever! NG2 has a ton of great songs.
I don't think that track was from the second.....nope, my ears did not deceive me it is most assuredly from the first (I checked). Hey, who cares it is still an excellent catch. This particular music track is from 1988 (Japan) or 1989 (US). That was 30 freaking years ago, anyone coming down on you for that has shown how throughly awkward they are and probably a huge hit at parties.
Wait...nooo, you are right, he does play a song from Ninja Gaiden 2. Damn fine catch, from another fantastic title in the 8-bit series!
Also of note is Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for the DS, also directed by Itagaki, which used the portable in a very distinctive way. It worked surprisingly well considering the combat was done entirely with the stylus.
Good call on that one! Technically looked amazing considering the DS hardware. Only wish Tecmo did a similar job with a PSP game (not counting Paradise)
Anon Isleejun
It did for the DS what Tearaway did for Vita.
Actually Hayashi directed DS.
360 games X enhanced are amazing looking... Even the OG Xbox games look and run amazing... We need more of this!
Amen... They're Freaking Incredible!!
I hope to god they announce a bunch more at E3!
Dave Atkins I would love to see the Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Lost Odyssey games (among many others) get the 4K treatment
Ironically, this is the only reason I would consider getting an Xbox One X - to replay old Xbox/360 games. They literally have no exclusive I'd want. I wish they were playable on PC.
@@Relic_cileR This is the definitive list right here👌
NG2 is a fantastic game, I actually prefer it to the original in some aspects, I just love how crazy it is and how many risks the game takes, the original is definitely quite a bit more polished though.
Jack Robinson lol your response is lit cause in a way I feel like these same comments can be made about the original old school Ninja Gaiden
The combat is simply more satisfying than the original. In some ways I like it more too.
risks? what risks? This is a standard ninja game with laggy controls.
Does XBOneX fix the *Battle of the Stairs lag issue?* - Yes - Ok! That's all i needed to know. 😁
it looks absolutely glorious on the X!
Was nothing wrong with it in the first place. Why pay 500$ for old games? And new ones that aren't even that great?
@@drummer7557 "nothing wrong with it" Uh we looking at the same video? A game with sub 720p resolution, constant screen tear, and low fps isn't an issue?
@@drummer7557 ignorance and self denial is Bliss!
@@drummer7557 Why pay for BD UHD player, good backward compatibility and best quality of all modern consoles (multiplatforms and not only in some cases - Forza, GOW, Halo) games on Xbox One X? Just because PS4 don't have this? I have PRO and XOX and both consoles have unique functions. If you a real gamer you just like all systems. If you're a fanboy you always look for negatives in system that you do not own.
@@drummer7557 You can find the One X for as low as $350 nowadays.
Nice! I am playing this on 360 now, and its one of the hardest games I have ever played, but damn satisfying. Glad to see it getting enhanced on Xbox One X
Does this game have a difficulty setting?
@@doom2000000 Yes, you have two difficulty settings in the beginning. There are two more difficulty settings that can be unlocked for a bigger challenge.
@@doom2000000 It's not that hard on normal. I recommend playing on normal.
I beat this game twice in 360 now finally finished take me 2 weeks i love ninja gaiden
@@doom2000000 on ps3 and vita u have a super easy mode where u are basically untouchable
I was playing this on the X a few nights ago and it looks absolutely unreal. Thanks for another awesome Retro, John!
Go thanks Microsoft too while you're there.
@@redhunter1535 True haha. Microsoft deserves more good attention to their backwards compatibility X enhanced games. Just crazy how good the games look
My favourite action game of all - really hoping they put out a version on Windows/PC at some point so I don't need to keep an xbox around just to play it.
Wish granted
Rip it's the Sigma versions that are coming to PC, I wish they would include ninja gaiden black and original ninja gaiden 2.
@@lazarusmarkith9927 Personally, I liked NGS more than NGB, but for NG2 I think it would be nicer if they combine the 2 versions, which is highly unlikely.
NGS2 had some things that were pretty good like extra details and new content, but NG2 was overall better because of the cut content from NGS2.
@@lazarusmarkith9927 I think they’ll just tell u to get an Xbox for that
@@lazarusmarkith9927 Pretty redundant seeing as Black and NG2 are playing in UHD via Xbox One X and Series X
Not a single game this gen rivals it's gameplay wise in the same genre
DMC5 is pretty close.
Bayonetta for me
@@jaffaraltakiah2501I agree. Ninja Gaiden 2 has always been a far more demanding action game, and one of the few games from the genre to have dismemberment. We need more games like Ninja Gaiden 2 instead of DMC or God of War.
What about Nier:Automata? ;)
@@jaffaraltakiah2501 That just tells me that you don`t understand action games and that you are basically a casual action game player. If you play DMC on easy/normal and use golden orbs, yeah, of course It`s an easy game, If you play the game like you are supposed to (no gold/yellow orbs/dante must die/and paying for S rank) then the game becomes as or more challenging that NG on harder difficulties (NG also had easy mode, just watch DF cringy gameplay) Same thing happened with Bayonetta, a lot of options for casual action game players but higher difficulty settings for veterans.
I'm a fan, but I couldn't disagree more about your criticism of ng2. Linear doesn't always equal worse, the level design of ng2 is far more engaging than the hub system, which ends up being pointless boring backtracking. It s also unfair how you brush off the massive improvements to combat, especially since that s the point of the game. There are more important aspects of these games than background and resolution.
I always thought NG2's combat was a step down from that of NG Black, largely because of more unavoidable off-screen projectile attacks, requiring constant block-dashing. I also liked the exploration/puzzle elements of the first game.
Still a great game, though. I'd rank the ones I've played in the genre:
NG Black > Bayonetta (great combat and slick presentation; just a shame about the pacing and heavy emphasis on bosses and one-off gimmicks in its second half) > NG2 > Metal Gear Rising > DMC3SE > Legend of Korra
@@variousthings6470 Yeah the projectile spam can be annoying no denying that, but I think the dismember system, the greatly improved moveset, and just the depth of strategy with all the fights in the game really put it over for me. I'm a NG fanatic, and play through all the games once a year. I have even talked about NG2 on my podcast. Thing is, I feel that BOTH black and NG2 are masterpieces, but for whatever reason mainstream reviewers always look down on NG2 and I feel it is greatly misunderstood. This vid is just the same old stuff, focus on the surface technical problems and brush off how deep and well designed the gameplay is.
Who's here after the Ninja Gaiden Remastered coleection announcement?
Hoping we'll see Ninja Gaiden 4 soon after its release, too. I'd love it if Ren Hayabusa from Nioh 2's DLC is the next main character.
When I was a teenager we loved the slowdown effect you would get when the enemy count got really wild. The staircase scene before the patch was like a scene out of the matrix and I was really bummed when they compromised on the enemy count after release. Earth defense force 2017 for the 360 is another good example of slowdown making a special battle scene feel really epic. These games are not the same at locked frame rates.
Haha! That’s a unique way of looking at it :)
I remember Edge magazine once printed a retrospective comment, some time after NG2's release, arguing that the staircase fight was such a memorable moment precisely because of how the immense slowdown added to the scale and intensity of the battle.
I'm not normally one to argue in favour of lower frame rates, but in this case I have to agree.
variousthings
I just watched it on TH-cam. That was bad ass. And the slowdown looked like it was intentional. It wasn’t laggy and disjointed like normal frame rate drops.
I felt the exact same way. That's why everyone remembers that fight. Doing wind blades and seeing 200 arms flying in the air in slow motion was insane lol.
Dude this is exactly how I felt playing mgs3 & mgs2 on ps2! The lag enhanced the slow motion!
Thanks to This video I got a series x. Just to play Uncensored games with best backwards compatibility on console. I love my ps5 but playing the day 1 releases on gamepass plus games like this on series x. Is good to won both :)
Ninja Gaiden II is a huge improvement on the Xbox One X than it was on the Xbox 360. I'm so glad it's playable on the Xbox One and since I have the Xbox One X then I'm more than glad
How do I play this on the x please help.
*Play 360 disc and automatically gets enhanced like the SONIC discs* 💡
It's really disappointing there is no 8th gen Ninja Gaiden.
The 3rd one was trash...so no not for now.
Nioh
Mehdi .E dont direspect ninja gaiden like that.
@@bendover5289 you take that back. Razor's Edge was great
@@doublevendetta Eh? No... it really wasn't!
I enjoy a good backwards compatibility episode
To anyone playing, make sure to utilize i-frames. When you have those explosive shurikens stuck into you, you have a lot of invincibility options like the guillotine throw, UTs that are charged instantly after a jump or the wind path. Just blocking it is good enough too.
I'm actually playing through it for thr first time now. Didn't think about using Guillotine Throw for the i-frames. Thanks!
@@FireStarJutsu have fun, I still revisit it too. Each weapon will have abusable moves. Like with the claws you will be able to forward+y through everything. 360y for the scythe
@@thatonequote Ninja Gaiden has some of the most satisfying weapons in all of gaming! Each weapon is so good.
I LOVE the Claws, and especially the forward+Y. Always feels badass to zip around the battlefield 🔥
This game was always one of the best 360 exclusives and action games ever, so much better that NG Sigma 2 or 3/3RE. It's great now it's backwards compatible. This(NG 2), NG Black and RDR may actually convince me to get an xbox one.
NG2 feels unfinished to me. I don't know why people like it so much. Ng black/sigma is much more polished.
@@miko5167 It does feel unfinished especially on higher difficulties when it's very noticeable. However it's still one of my favorite action games on the 360 even though Ninja Gaiden Black is indeed the superior game.
I don't know if it justifies buying an entire console (says the guy who bought a Playstation 3 exclusively for the Sigma version of NG), but NGB and NGII both run amazingly on Xbox One X. They honestly run really well on XB1 too, better than the Xbox and PS3 versions, but still...really, really well.
Dude I feel the same way....
sigma 2 forces you to play as Rachel and crew who are garbage, ryu is the main star and that pixie dust is game breaking imo after the glorious gore of the original.@@miko5167
Team ninja is the only company whose 3d models age extremely well.
Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes, 2 and 3 didn't?
@@Tundric_Schwolf As an MGS fan, you'd honestly have to be nuts to think the character models in MGS 2 and Twin Snakes have aged well. 3 and 4, maybe, but 2 and Twin Snakes? Heck no. The plot, Kojima's signature style and his attention to detail is what hasn't aged poorly.
Thats because they have a very solid anime art direction. The doagirls from OG xbox still look like cute anime waifus.
@AT Productions No, not really. They're pretty jagged
Sega too
Ah, I tell you. Superior Team Ninja vs Ninja Dogs :( Defo need to get this for X, along with Black.
Yeah black was a great game
NG2...better than any Souls game.......NG2 is balls to the wall...this game is crazy
More punctuation would be cool.
You miss telegrams by any chance?
That being said, I still love me some Scholar Of The First Sin. And what about The Surge? It's brilliant, too.
@@charoleawood I love those games too...but for me NG2 is the best ...the difficulty comes for your enemies being great at their Jobs and ganging up on you ,While Ryu is just super capable..he moves fast ,turns fast , executes fast....no other game gives me that break neck speed and quick decision making combat like NG2.....I finished DMC5 a few weeks ago and I love it but compared to NG2 it's a walk in the park even on higher difficulty..
Oh, well, you're preaching to the choir. NG2 is my favorite game ever, tied with DOA2 Ultimate. But it isn't because of difficulty, it's the gameplay flow, it feels like home. I can only beat it on Acolyte and Warrior anyhow.
DF Retro always delivers!
6:47 this made me laugh
Also, yeah, DF Retro is better than sex. Unless it's sex with John -- the most beautiful boi in the world.
@@totty2524 yeah great guy
Ninja Gaiden 2 is a brilliant and very underappreciated game, and you extremely underrate it by repeatedly describing it as a "heavily flawed but still somewhat enjoyable game"
having a single bad looking tunnel (something you for whatever reason pointed out multiple times like if it was some gamebreaking issue) is not a reason to call the game or it's visuals bad or unfinished
similarly, having a single questionably designed enemy type (rapid fire rocket launchers) is also no reason to call the gameplay badly designed or unfinished. The combat is vastly improved on the first game, and there is really no other game like NG2.
as for level design, NG2 clearly embraced a full blown action gameplay instead of the more action-adventure design of the first game, but this is not a flaw of the game design, because it is heavily compensated by the improved action gameplay, something this game moved more focus to.
Agree 100%
I got so tired of him repeating BUT THE WORM TUNNEL
The game is still fantastic DF, get over it.
The second chapter in beta footage of the 360 version was going to be in daylight as well. Great overview, I hope they return to this series and give it another shot I miss it desperately.
This game, now One X enhanced, with Ninja Gaiden 2 NES soundtrack in the background (like you made in the final minutes of this video) is the perfect combo, a must have.
I realize Ninja Gaiden on the Vita is not the ideal version of these modern retellings, but it's still my all time favorite portable game with Sigma 1 Plus. At least I can turn my foes into sausage patties on the go.
I'm a time traveller from 2021 play it on the xbox series x....4k 60fps
Reminds me of DMC4 having that timeless look to it
and both early gen games.
dmc4 aged so well graphically, I wish they kept that art style for 5.
Yahusha Musta same colours pop a lot better, don’t mind photo realism just because it stylised but I do like DMC4 look better
@@yobro6053 yeah, unpopular opinion but i really dislike the RE Engine graphics, i despise the chromatic aberration to death. it won't age well. But RE2, RE7 & DMC5 game itself are awesome.
yeah they are awesome@@jerrybreganza8451
Im playing Sigma on the PS3 and this video shows up on my notificstion. Love this game and good coincidence, a good sign.
Yasir stoker except Sigma is shit compared to Xbox 360 version. 360 version had more exploration
can't stand the pixie dust in that game@@fataljustice6511
the 360 unfinished had to do with Itagaki suing Tecmo - a loss for us gamers.
Sold my fat for the ONE X - once again proof a worthy investment.
Yes, that's it. Always you have good machine for "emulation" and BD UHD player :) I play a bit more on my PS4 PRO but Xbox One X is great for all things, better quality multiplatform games and so on. Both are great systems (also Switch but I use it less).
@@rhtr. All have their strengths - except Switch I considered a purchase having known the Big N since NES, but turned off by limitations.
I own P4, I feel MS robbed them of the slogan _It only does everything._
@@TheKeithvidz PS4 is a good choice. Switch is also ok but for me big consoles are better - more comfortable and with better selection of games. I own also Switch but most time it's sit in drawer :/ From Nintendo games I play only Mario Kart, Yoshi (Bloodstained in near future) and some old arcade games conversions. And Xbox... I think you have right (but I stil like this console).
@@rhtr. Switch has what it takes to make people happy. I seriously investigated. N has it certain titles require a memory card to even play, expensive system and components. My p4 slim costs less with more features.
About big consoles - I can play switch if i wanted on the job, but not really a mobile gamer.
We could exchange game names some time.
Ahhhh, I'm dying to see John Linnanamenenaman's take on the "Master Collection" when it drops.
This is one of the best conversions
Ever.
So NG II - a wonderful game pushing limits were specifically tailored for X360.
PS3 version - tailor made, additional content
Vita - tailor made
And just to remind all of you - these guys also made NG for Nintendo DS. Fully tailor made for that hardware with stellar controls, graphics and gameplay. I remember interview with Mr. Itagaki saying "if we wanted to be good, we needed to do it in house".
That developer team led by Tomonobu Itagaki was simply amazing.
This is probably gonna be better than the master collection coming out soon
It is.
*Best action game ever made*
Exactly. These noobs grown up with God of Bore and other shit can't understand
@@redhunter1535 wise words mate
Yeah! Since 1988
Second only to Ninja Gaiden Black (imo)
all of the god of war games are great
10:00 In a time when jiggle physics were allowed in games. Miss them fondly.
Glad I bought this game for just around 2 dollars from GameStop 3 months back.
I bought mine for GameStop for 9 dollars 💵 and still feel like I stole from them lol 😝 2 dollars is amazing!
I just need to get razors edge on 360 but its expensive and gaestop doesnt have any copies
@@redcrimson1028 NG3: RE don't look that impressive on XOX :( Still better than on X360 but it's not same high level like NG2. The bad thing is that game crashes in chapter 3! :(
I just played last night.
That's sad NG3 is inferior to predecessors.
To be clear, NG3:RE isn't specifically enhanced for Xbox One X like the other two games are, so you're not going to be benefiting from higher resolution or anything. I imagine the game would run substantially better, though.
Also, to think that NG2 now belongs to the DF *Retro* category... makes me feel old :’)
"you're tearing me apart Lisa!" got me good
7:05 the staircase fight looks amazing on X
15 years old and just now polished up which is cool.
15?
Is 11 years old
My bad the 1st one was 2004, I won’t post anymore videos lol
I’ve been waiting for someone to talk about this game for so many years.
Looks amazing on the X
I still want a remaster collection of the games for XBox One and PS4, but in the case of NG2 do an ultimate version: Keep the high enemy count and gore of the 360 original and for the PS3 version keep the added levels/bosses/characters and reduced enemy weapon spam, make it a best of both worlds version so to speak.
Ahhh, Ninja Gaiden! The "Dark Souls" before the actual Dark Souls. Regardless on NES series or XBOX series, still tough as balls, yet still look amazing after years of release.
No both NG and Battletoads was the Souls games before Souls was a thing. Battletoads hover bike level alone destroy any rage quit moment for games history.
Finally, i was waiting the whole time for that game to hit xbox one.
Finally someone from big mídia to say what every fan of the game says for years, x360 Version is much better than ps3 version
think i'll pick this up - looks fun, and enhanced of course! back compat wins!
I'd still prefer to have actually new games over enhanced old ones. An ideal system would have both. Now you just to have both, to have both.
@@madfinntech "An ideal system would have both" cough cough PC cough cough lmao
Just play it! Its a masterpiece!
@@CoCo.-_- But NG 2 is not on PC. Same with RDR and The Darkness 1 and I can't find Splinter cell Pandora Tomorrow on steam. I think xbox one x is the perfect balance for both old and new games
@@armaansandhu3206 at that moment u mention a few of games that are not possible on pc for now then ignore the fact of the shit ton Xbox will never have noice xD the number with the most games past and present on a system is pc including the exclusive games from past consoles from old era's of gaming eg ps2 and other consoles and then u got today sony and microsoft are starting to put these "exclusives" on pc xbox more so than sont atm, sony just started while those playstation games will never be on xbox and same the other way around
The obsession with crystal skulls comes from the fact that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out in summer 08.
Good point.
Sorry, but the slow down during the stairs fight is what makes it so epic.
The PS3 comparison is really interesting👍🏻
6:55 I just love the reference to the cult-classic, "The Room."
Ninja Gaiden is one of the few games I always play with japanese voices, made me happy to see John do the same. Man, I might get an Xbox 1 X because of this video. I loved Ninja Gaiden 2 and Sigma 2, while its extra bosses, modes (playing as Ayane was super fun) didn't.....quite do it for me because of the toned down violence, gore and enemy counts. Ninja Gaiden Black will always be my favorite though. Great video.
I'm hardly a purist, but everyone should play Ninja Gaiden Black with the Japanese audio for 1) the mainstay Japanese VA for Ayane and Ryu from DOA and 2) Michie Tomizawa as Rachel. The English dub is pretty much what you'd expect, but the Japanese voice talent is absurdly high-profile for a simple story action game.
@@MarkSynthesis So was selecting Aero Smith tracks to showcase DOA2U, 3, and 4 story intros for fighting games. Some devs know what they are doing.
Great video! I still have this on ps3 and now I’m in the mood for a replay.
The X is amazing 👌🏽
Ninja Gaiden series isn't available on PC
Joseph Joestar: *"I'll never forgive the Japanese!"*
You can forgive them now.
@@ToveriJuri Not really. They already lost me when they put the sigma games (yeah I know they lost the source codes for Black and vanilla NG2 but it’s still disappointing). And from what I’m hearing, the collection runs like shit on PC
@@TheBrutalSax
Doesn't run like shit it's just a very barebones pc port with barely any of the basic functionality you'd expect from a PC port. So yeah not ideal.
@@ToveriJuri yeah I’m probably gunna skip out on this. Only reason I even wanna buy it is to support the series in hopes of a Ninja Gaiden 4/reboot.
@@TheBrutalSax
Here's hoping they do what Capcom did with DMC and NG4 is already in development.
This game was hell on 360 , extremely hard
First time i saw the stairs slowdown I thought it was done on purpose to highlight the cool action. Little did I know back then.
A sight to behold, indeed. Having already owned the game, this feels like a totally free, complete remaster!
Yeah, it's fkn Awesome
Liked that you used the Sega Saturn sound in your intro.
Awesome John! Thanks for making this. I loved beating it again on the X with the stellar enhancements, it's like a timeless classic (even with some flaws).
Ninja Gaiden 2 blew me away.
Much preferred it to Ninja Gaiden.
ninja gaiden 2 is the dark souls of dark souls
Can you do this with ninja gaiden 2004, black, and sigma 1?
No
This looks fantastic on my 4K TV! I agree with John. this is how should be played on x!
Setting the camera speed to max helps with the slowdown on Vita.
Oh, and I'm one of the weird ones who preferred Sigma 2 to II.
Really interesting video, NG is one of my favorite licence! Just finished NGII on the X last week, but after watching this... ah shit here we go again
amazing video! it’s so impressive you played through NG2 (likely several times - which is quite an accomplishment), captured all these videos, conduct all these analyses, wrote the script, and put together this video in such short order... well done and thanks!
Ninja Gaiden 2 is great. Thank you Microsoft/Xbox for the free updates that renews and gives me a chance to go back in time to relive my great memories
I’m loving it right now.
Ive been doing that on my 360🤔
toppdogg2k17, which is not even close to as quality as the x.
Yeah I'm talking about replays in 4K. Night and day.
@@hpickettz34 sub 600p, torn frames, uneven framerates vs over 1700p, no torn frames, LOCKED 60fps...not the same dude. LOL
13:20 a true ninja always hides his reflection 😂
I'd add that the Vita Sigma 2 Plus actually runs very well on modded consoles with unlocked clock speeds
People forget that Ninja Gaiden didn't release as Black. Itagaki and his Team Ninja refined and polished the game including content from the hurricane packs to make the excellent special edition that us Black. Itagaki never got to give Ninja Gaiden II that treatment simce Itagaki and team left Tecmo due to internal studio conflicts (Hayashi making the Sigma titles, the lawsuits, and unpaid bonuses).
Ninja Gaiden II and Ninja Gaiden Black are both two of the best Character Action games ever made. They each have something different to offer. Black is all about defense against small but tough groups of enemies. The combat is slow and takes patience, and the level design has a greater focus on exploration. NGII on the otherhand has a focus on offense. The combat is fast paced and is all about taking on larger groups of enemies. The game also has more unique weapons over black, more projectile options, and much more over the top gore. Lastly the game focuses on challenging but linear gauntlets in terms of level design (which reminds me of the NES games). Vanilla NGII and it's MM is my favorite game in the series.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma was terrible because it made a lot of the changes to the game's combat which took away from what NGII's core combat design was all about.
*Tecmo not Konami
@@redgraveflame4367 thanks for the catch!
I agree that Ninja Gaiden 2 is the best of the series, but I feel that vanilla NG1 is better than Black.
@@charoleawood is it because of the lack of the intercept technique?
It's that I fell in love with Vanilla Gaiden.
It's sad to me that only Black is available through BC --- I might understand if the changes Black were fixing a broken game, as with the comparison between Dark Souls 2 and Scholar of the First Sin, but Vanilla Gaiden isn't broken. Even if it were, I feel that for the sake of comparison both should be available.
There are likely a lot of fans of Black who never played Vanilla, they should be able to play it and see exactly how much was changed.
To me Black is gilding the lilly, I don't think that having a battle with goons on moterbikes outside of Han's Bar is "better" (I think it's worse) than the regular encounters in the vanilla version.
Black and Sigma have almost completely erased Vanilla from public memory, but what crime did it commit to deserve such a fate?
Still bewilders me how they managed to have NG running on the original Xbox... it felt like it was leaps and bounds beyond what any gaming console or PC’s were able to achieve in that era.
This game still Looks Absolutely gorgeous on Series X with auto HDR.
Nothing better than DF retro weekends, thanks for your work!
You would only say that now with it running on X, back then PS3 was the overall better version most agreed on, with the 360 version still being worth checking out for the bloodthirsty thrill and dismemberment. The opposite of the current scenario, because the performance and polish on PS3 made it feel more of a genuine successor to the first game, where as 360 felt rushed.
Agreed, plus I kind of like the less but harder enemies on screen for the PS3 version you can actually see what tf you're doing at certain points
4:45 missed opportunity to say razors edge
Thanks to Sigma2, this game is the sole reason why I still own my Xbox.
I remember the staircase very clearly. I was starting to get a bit sick of those enemies so I just jumped over them thinking that maybe if I just get to the top of the stairs a cutscene will run and I won´t have to fight them all, but the stairs where way longer than I thought and there wasn´t just one group of enemies, there where wave after wave and since I just jumped over them I had this gargantuan battle at the top of the stairs with all the waves of enemies at once.
Needless to say the frame rate was down to single digits wich ironically made the battle easier since I had plenty of time to react to enemy attacks.
You should know that it IS possible to complete what you were trying to do, you can skip the battle and run through the door.
Xbox One S runs this great. Not locked 60 at all times like the One X but WAY better than the OG 360 ran it. And while it doesn't get any sort of resolution enhancement, the 4K upscaling on the Xbox One S is a legitimate upgrade from the 1080p upscaling on the 360. I don't feel a lot of people recognize the difference in upscaling or take it into account. It makes a difference. The One S renditions of 360 games are almost always still a pretty nice enhancement. I bought my One S very late in the game and expected to be left wanting more. It has exceeded my expectations at every turn. Remember the 360 originally didn't even have HDMI, so its output abilities were never really tailored to it. The Xbox One is an upgrade in that alone, disregarding the many other areas it improves upon. Simply being displayed by a machine meant to handle modern video signals makes a world of difference.
What Digital Foundry never addresses is that the Xbox 360/Ps3 era was still 4:3 resolution era. People still played xbox 360/ps3 on CRT tvs and the performance is affected by this as well.
Got master collection on PS5 and started with NG2. Felt weird and the censoring killed me. Didn’t finish a single level. Fired the Series X up and bought NG2 started it for the first time in 13 years and I can’t put it down.
Long story short, Sigma sucks..
Happy to have a fellow dragon ninja among us
Loved loved loved this breakdown. Very well done. And I also loved the inclusion of music from Ninja Gaiden 2 on the NES! Brought back some memories just hearing it. Love this channel!!
The Vita port is impressive , considering how hectic the action is in the game itself.
Every time I see one of these videos, the only thought that keeps playing in my head is "yeah, this is EXACTLY why we PC gamers demand ports for every single game out there." Looking at the clarity and performance, as well as texture quality that pops out, are all things I've enjoyed for the last 2 decades when playing console ports on PC even in emulators. Any gamer who truly loves the medium and wants to see their favorite games shine to the limit, should demand their games be on PC where it can be appreciated for years long past their release with further increasing quality with every year that goes by and brings new hardware.
I hope Ninga Gaiden 3 will be enhanced too.
It already has, at least Razor's Edge which is the better version
@@ZimpanX Yep , but i mean Xbox One X Enhanced.
Ninja Gaiden and the chronicles of riddick were the two games that made me wanna get an xbox they were both on a demo disc they completely blew my mind.
The Ninja Gaiden series should have been ported to PC a long ass time ago, but, Japanese devs.
Yea
Not gonna lie, I thought the slow motion framerate drops on the stairs was pretty cool. Made it feel way more epic haha, definitely about to pop this into my XOneS
Definaetly the best slasher of generation. Also a very beautiful game! I completed it for the first time more than 10 years ago on X360... After that in 2012 I completed it again (on PS3), tried some online missions (cooperative) - i was unable to complete some coop missions, they are sooo damn HARD
I can't believe it, I didn't even think of seeing if this had backwards compatibility. Now Xbox One X's version is literally the definitive way to play Ninja Gaiden 2. Fixing the framerate issues was one of the only severe issues (outside the rocket launcher guys). Sigma 2 was something we had to grin and bear because it was the more modern release, that ran better and looked better (especially on the new PC port). But not anymore, thankfully. Here I come Xbox One X version.
Fantabulous. Love DF Retro!
I prefer Sigma 2 now, maybe just because it's been so long that I've played the original, but after about 2 replays I started to forget about the missing blood and I felt it had much better frame rates. Knowing the One X is running one of my favorite games at the best performance makes me want one now.