Just for the sake of being complete I’ve decided to comment my semi-comprehensive list of most of the differences between every version of every Ninja Gaiden game. WARING: This list is very long exactly 18,351 characters which is over 19x the length of a standard high school or college essay. And this list hit the TH-cam character limit so it had to be split into multiple parts. Starting with Black: The game features several new in-game cut scenes, and uses Hurricane Pack 1 as its Story Mode on Hard and higher difficulties. It features two new difficulties, Ninja Dog and Master Ninja; and tweaked the enemy layout with additional encounters or substitution with tougher enemies on higher levels of difficulty, such as explosive bats, flame ninjas (red-clad ninjas whose attacks inflict additional flame damage), and Ryu's evil doubles, the doppelgänger fiends. in Black several bosses such as Spirit Doku and the Dark Disciple attack faster and with greater aggression. Black adds a variety of new foes to make the gameplay even harder. Team Ninja tweaked the game balance by changing certain moves, such as the Flying Swallow technique which dominated almost any foe in Ninja Gaiden. Foes in Black block this technique more frequently on Hard difficulty and above, forcing players to find other ways to overcome the foes. A couple of new enemies even possess moves specifically to punish the use of Flying Swallow against them. Team Ninja also increased the enemies' aggression and gave most of them additional attacks which can ignore or break Ryu's defense to discourage players from assuming a very defensive posture (turtling) in Black. I still can’t find much on Sigma 1 (Sorry) but here’s what I do know: Mission Mode was completely removed and New Game Plus is still missing. (leaderboards are there) And Sigma removed nearly every puzzle and the intro cutscene along with all of the Black exclusive cutscenes. There are less costumes, the NES and arcade games have been removed, Dragons Claw and Tigers Fang have been added , you can now jump and shoot arrows, Gamov and Alternator have been added as new bosses, Some parts have been cut or got remade, you can now power up your Ninpo with the Sixaxis controller, the water in chapter 1 has been remade and looks overall worse, the UI has been remade, the game looks “better”, Rachel has been added as a new playable character, and you now fight Fight Doku in Chapter 2 and Nicchae and Ishtaros with Rachel. And the (pointless) item menu has been added giving you quick access to items. Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus features an easy setting called "Hero" mode, making it more accessible to casual gamers. Because Sigma plus was released on the PSVita, the framerate was capped to 30 FPS, unlike the 60 FPS that the other versions had. Sigma Plus also takes advantage of the additional features that the Vita offers, including: Gyroscopic first-person aiming. By tilting the PlayStation Vita, the player can adjust the camera angle in first-person viewing modes. Back touchpad controls. Tapping symbols using the rear touchpad will allow Ryu to boost the power of his Ninpo. Touch screen controls. Players can go into first-person mode by tapping the touch screen. In addition, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus offers new sets of accessories that Ryu and Rachel can equip. Ryu's are called Enhancements, and affect his status in the following ways: Ninja Gaiden 1 Sigma Plus - Enhancements Armor of Power: "Increase Projectile Weapon damage." Armor of Intelligent: "Decrease Health, Increase Ki slot" Armor of Speed: "Increase Flying Swallow Damage" Furious Tiger Helm: "Decrease Attack. Increase Defence." White Tiger Helm: "Decrease Attack. Greatly Increase Defence." Red Dragon Helm: "Decrease Defence. Increase Attack." Azure Dragon Helm: "Decrease Defence. Greatly Increase Attack." Dragon Gauntlet: "Boost Power of Blue Essence." Falcon Gauntlet: "Boost Power of Ninpo." Holy Gauntlet: "Slightly decrease Damage. Increase ability to absorb Yellow Essence." Rachel can equip Glasses that affect her status in the following ways: Metal Frames: "Boost power of Blue Essence." Sunglasses: "Boost power of Sorcery." Face Guard: "Slightly decrease Damage. Increase ability to absorb Yellow Essence." These new accessories are equippable even when the player has accessories from another category equipped, and the effects even stack with each other (For example, Ryu's attack power is greatly boosted if he equips both The Armlet of the Sun and the Azure Dragon Helm). Additionally, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus adds one new costume for Ryu and two for Rachel. Scarab reward differences between each version: Ninja Gaiden: 1 Golden Scarab: Life of the Gods 10 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils 15 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction 20 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune 40 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Tranquility 45 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal 50 Golden Scarabs: Ninja Gaiden Trilogy (SNES) Hurricane Pack I: 1 Golden Scarab: Intercept Technique Scroll (If you missed it in Chapter 1) 5 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword 10 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune 15 Golden Scarabs: Vigoorian Flail 20 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of the Moon 25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of the Sun 35 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction 40 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal 45 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Tranquility 50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade Ninja Gaiden Black: Ninja Dog/Normal Mode 1 Golden Scarab: Life of the Gods 5 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Potency 10 Golden Scarabs: Lives of the Thousand Gods 15 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils 20 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 25 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity 30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction 35 Golden Scarabs: Great Spirit Elixir 40 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune 45 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal 50 Golden Scarabs: Ninja Gaiden (Arcade) Hard Mode: 1 Golden Scarab: Counter Attack Technique Scroll 5 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Potency 10 Golden Scarabs: Lives of the Thousand Gods 15 Golden Scarabs: Windmill Shuriken 20 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword 25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction 35 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity 40 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune 45 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber Mk. II 50 Golden Scarabs: Ninja Gaiden (Arcade) Very Hard Mode: 1 Golden Scarab: Counter Attacks Technique Scroll 5 Golden Scarabs: Izuna Drop Technique Scroll 10 Golden Scarabs: Guillotine Throw Technique Scroll 15 Golden Scarabs: Windmill Shuriken 20 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword 25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity 35 Golden Scarabs: Spear Gun 49 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber Mk.II 50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade Ninja Gaiden Sigma: Normal mode: 1 Golden Scarab: Life of Gods 5 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Potency 10 Golden Scarabs: Lives of the Thousand Gods 15 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils 20 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 25 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity 30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction 35 Golden Scarabs: Great Spirit Elixir 40 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Fortune 45 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal 50 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber MkII Hard mode: 1 Golden Scarab: Counter Attacks Technique Scroll 5 Golden Scarabs: Izuna Drop Technique Scroll 10 Golden Scarabs: Guillotine Throw Technique Scroll 15 Golden Scarabs: Windmill Shuriken 20 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword 25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 30 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Celerity 35 Golden Scarabs: Spear Gun 40 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Benediction 45 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Fortune 50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade Very Hard mode: 1 Golden Scarab: Art of the Inferno 5 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils 10 Golden Scarabs: Art of the Ice Storm 15 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal 20 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils 25 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal 30 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Fortune 35 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal 40 Golden Scarabs: Art of Inazuma 45 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils 50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade Master Ninja mode: 1 Golden Scarab: Smoke Bomb 5 Golden Scarabs: Elixir of Spiritual Life 10 Golden Scarabs: Great Spirit Elixir 20 Golden Scarabs: Great Devil Elixir 25 Golden Scarabs: Smoke Bomb 30 Golden Scarabs: Ayane’s Ration 35 Golden Scarabs: Fragrance of Dayflower 40 Golden Scarabs: Ayane’s Ration Bundle 45 Golden Scarabs: Fragrance Hydrangea 49 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber MkII 50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade Ninja Gaiden Sigma+: Normal mode 1 Golden Scarab: Life of the Gods 5 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Potency 10 Golden Scarabs: Lives of the Thousand Gods 15 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils 20 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity 25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction 35 Golden Scarabs: Great Spirit Elixir 40 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune 45 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal 50 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber Mk. II Hard mode: 1 Golden Scarab: Counter Attack Technique Scroll 5 Golden Scarabs: Izuna Drop Technique Scroll 10 Golden Scarabs: Guillotine Throw Technique Scroll 15 Golden Scarabs: Windmill Shuriken 20 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword 25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro 30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity 35 Golden Scarabs: Spear Gun 40 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction 45 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune 49 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber Mk. II 50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade I might do item locations some other time.
Forgot to mention the Kitetsu drained your health in the original release of Ninja Gaiden 1. This was removed in Black and the change was kept for Sigma. I liked the idea of the vampiric effect but the weapon is no where near strong enough to deserve such a nerf, but there were ways to counteract it the Armlet of Tranquility (the best way) and the intended way Dead Soul Bind. Problem is Dead Soul Bind as fun as it is is terrible so most people never used Kitetsu. (I’ve beaten Doku using only Dead Soul Bind so now just how bad it is) I couldn’t find much on NGB outside of the difficulty tweaks but I was more focused on Sigma anyway because it’s included in this collection. Also forgot to mention (in this comment) that in Black the Arcade Ninja Gaiden replaced the NES games in Han’s bar
Nice! We just need to verify this and put on GameFAQs or something else public and editable. I actually make game guides on GameFAQs, but I can't say Ninja Gaiden is a high priority when I'd need to dig into it almost from scratch. At most, I could cover how Sigma 1, Sigma 2 and Razor's Edge work after getting this collection then go backwards when I get an Xbox or find reliable references (Vita needs this). That being said, there are probably printed guide books that have a foundation that we can use. Both in English (see Prima Guides) and in Japanese (Perfect Guides from Enterbrain etc). I'm surprised that it wasn't easy to find scans of any of them for me when I can find DMC or Bayonetta stuff from the same time period and onwards. Item locations are best communicated with tables and maps.
@@thelastgogeta Note: This is not the full list. I intentionally removed some things that were explained in this video and things that overall don’t matter like the sideways text in Vanilla NG3’s main menu to avoid clutter. This comment was targeted towards people who are new to Ninja Gaiden and people who have played it and want to know the major differences between versions. I will eventually make a list for the more hardcore Ninja Gaiden fans that includes every difference I can find, I have been working on that list for 4 months. And I’ve always wanted to make a GameFAQs guide but could never find anything to make one about, nice to know my possibly only guide will be something of pretty big importance to a community I’m apart of. But also if we do put this on a site like GaneFAQs it’s going to need much more in depth explanations for a good portion of these changes and will need to be completely reformatted which will be a lot of work. The reason it’s formatted this way is that’s the way I originally wrote and by the time I went to reformat it like I normally do it was already way too much work and I couldn’t be bothered to fix it. And I’m not surprised it was hard to find scans of those guides. When I started writing this list the fandom page was completely barren, there was barely any useful information on it. If the fandom page was in that bad a shape (it’s gotten much better recently) I doubt anybody cared enough to go through the trouble of uploading scans of the guides especially the Japanese guides.
@@assassinonprozac Oh cool, that makes sense. It is definitely a huge project to undertake, I have some DMC3 plans myself but at least my work is cut out for me and the Switch version (and mods on PC) make it much faster to test things. My only barrier is that a major guide was only in Chinese and I don't know if anyone scanned the original since I can only find the data from within it (still in Chinese). I think it was damage values, so it may be easier to look in the game with current mods. I already have some experience with MH: Rise done for a while, so I'm sure I can take my time with DMC3 since it isn't going to get any updates at least. As far as Ninja Gaiden goes, it looks like there are softcover and hardcover copies that are being resold on Amazon though someone does have to pay to access them unless you can find someone with the guide who intends to share it. It could help a bunch with building a better structure, though the Fandom pages look pretty decent now that I've given it a look. It is no One Piece Wiki but it is a start. It just needs video references that are reliable at some point, but that can't be done by a single person. My thoughts are that the speedrunning and scorerunning community should have some good documentation since Ninja Gaiden's NES and Arcade games have a strong scene... After looking it seems that there aren't a lot of guides and resources for the original Xbox NG, but Black has some resources which have been updated just two weeks ago which is a very good sign for people to talk to or learn from: www.speedrun.com/ninja_gaiden_black/guides Even if speedrunners tend to focus on non-engagement, it can tell you the minimum for a regular player assuming the game can't be broken like Okami.
Part 2 of my semi-comprehensive list of most of the differences between every version of every Ninja Gaiden game Get ready cause this ones a doozy. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2: 1. The game features three additional playable characters : Rachel, Ayane and Momiji (from Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword). The game also features new large-scale bosses, an online co-op mode and Trophy support. 2. Co-op missions have been added through Team Mission Mode 3. The PlayStation version has been graphically upgraded from the Xbox 360 version, the native resolution is now 720p HD, compared to the original 585p. The upgrade is commented by Digital Foundry as "Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 often has the visual edge, not just thanks to its massively increased resolution but also through the accomplished use of the RSX's pixel shaders". 4. The PS3 version also contains significantly less bloodshed and gore-related violence than the Xbox 360 version. Hayashi questioned if violence was the way to go. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will contain less violence. However, there is an option to 'jiggle' breasts using the SixAxis controller. 5. NGS2 will support co-op and solo modes for Team Mission Mode. The second character, while playing alone or offline, is forced as a CPU character and cannot be controlled by a second player. 6. People who purchase the Collector's Edition are treated to a comic version of the Install's Prologue, and the OST. The Collector's Edition was limited to Gamestop in North America and HMV for the UK. Pre-ordering either edition at Gamestop warranted a code for a special Sigma 2 costume, mildly resembling Joe Hayabusa's own outfit. 1. While Sigma 2 has additional content not in the original Ninja Gaiden II, a large amount of content was also removed from the game, or altered. 2. With Team Mission Mode in, the single player version was taken out, players instead being given a computer-controller partner (if without a second player or offline). In Story Mode, Karma Scoring is separated and now only done in Chapter Challenge. Three chapters were also added, not linked to Ryu, but one of the three additional characters. Tests of Valor were also removed, scattering the rewards across Ryu's chapters. The total number of enemies in the game has been reduced, keeping few characters on screen at all times; enemy health was raised 3. Five new bosses were added, replacing two old boss encounters. There is one new boss for each alternate character's chapter (including returning bosses from NG:DS and NG1), a Dragon to replace the double Quetzalcoatl fight (though Quetzalcoatl can still be fought alone as in NG2), and two giant statues; a giant Buddha Statue, and a Statue of Liberty animated by Alexei. The Tunnel Worm has been omitted, causing Ryu to fall through a tunnel leading from dark night to bright day. 4. Enma's Fang is a new melee weapon, a greatsword. The Weapon Upgrade system has also been altered to restrict your upgrades similar to NG:Black. You can only upgrade once per special shop, though you do not require the use of Essence in order to perform those upgrades. 5. Some ranged weapons have been removed. The Incendiary Shuriken were removed for two reasons, opening paths and their power due to the removal of the ammo count, and is instead Ayane's main projectile weapon. The Fiend's Bane Bow, now with unlimited ammo, had its Ultimate Technique removed as it would have also been too powerful, and instead was replaced by a new weapon, the Howling Cannon, a heavy cannon with a slow projectile speed. The Windmill Shuriken was also removed. The Harpoon Gatling Gun was removed, and with it, all water combat. Most flying enemies were also removed due to infinite ammo. 6. The Action button was changed from RB/R1 to Circle, which is now also the Shuriken button, while other ranged weapons have been separated to the R2 button. This allows both the Bow/Cannon to be equipped at the same time as the Shurikens. The player cannot unequip the bow or cannon. Thus, the two weapons bulk up Ryu's appearance even though they don't appear in cutscenes. 7. Keys have been completely removed, doors simply popping open now, as well as adding a button to tell the player where to go (R1). 8. Projectile spam has been greatly reduced from NG2. Healing items become an abundance (and the only thing you can spend money on). Most chests are now simply yellow, blue, or red essence. Players are no longer allowed to hold onto Life of the Gods, Lives of a Thousand Gods, or Spirit of the Devil. Instead they are automatically consumed upon pickup. 9. Costume recolors (Legendary Black Falcon to Type 20; same shape, different texture) were removed. Biometal and Shadow Walker, Xbox DLC, are not player-selectable, and instead used by the returning enemy Ryu clones in Team Missions. Ashtar from Sigma 1, Sigma 2 Special (Ryu dressed as Joe Hayabusa from NGS2's new Prologue), Choun Shiryu (Ryu dressed as Zhao Yun from Dynasty Warriors), and Classic Ryu were added. Fiend remained in both versions, but without any of its alternate colors. 10. The game, moved from its original engine to the one used to create Ninja Gaiden Sigma, has many textures (not all) throughout the chapters completely replaced to vastly improve the visual appeal of each environment, but leaves character textures mostly unchanged. 11. Finally, almost all the gore has been removed. Purple mist now burst from enemies, along with reduced blood splashes. Dismembered body parts no longer stay on the ground, but vanish. Additionally, cinematics have been altered to remove dismemberment, dissection, and blood effects. The Asian version of NGS2, the player can only decapitate monsters and non-humans Like the previous Vita port, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus features the Hero difficulty setting, which allows Ryu to automatically block, dodge, and have access to infinite ninpo when he is low on health. In addition, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus introduces two new modes, Ninja Race and Turbo. In Ninja Race mode Ryu races toward a goal, grabbing items for a speed boost and chaining kills to increase his attack power. Turbo mode has players going through Chapters at high-speed. Changes from Sigma 2: A gore option has been added The games is capped to 30 FPS (Though it usually runs below 30) No online Co-Op Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge: More blood and gore. More enemy variations. Improved enemy A.I. and attacks; foes no longer cower in fear and call for help even at the lowest difficulty, instead they will ruthlessly attack Ryu (even if they get one of their members chopped off). With that, suicide attacks are back, where enemies with removed limbs will try to grab Ryu and self-destruct, inflicting massive damage. Dismemberment and return of Obliteration Techniques as a way of finishing off injured opponents instead of downed ones. The whole mechanic of "Steel on Bone" has been revamped and is instead used as a chainable grab counter. Return of the original Flying Swallow mechanic. Kunai Climbing is much faster and easier to perform. Additionally, various Kunai Climb sections were removed and replaced with the Flying Bird Flip. Ultimate Techniques can be charged without having to kill enemies. Instead of an instant teleportation towards an enemy, UTs instead function similarly to the ones in previous games, with multiple levels of charge and needing contact with an enemy before the full attack activates. The usual weapon/arm glow one acts as an instant full charge. More weapons from Ninja Gaiden II (Dual Katana, Lunar Staff, Kusari-gama). Reduced amounts of QTEs (Quick Time Events). The Ki bar no longer resets after clearing a battle. The Ninpo mechanic has been revamped with multiple types of Ninpo with different effects and bar lengths. (Art of the True Inferno is relegated to an extra end-game Ninpo.) Alternate Costumes. Chapter Challenge mode. Ayane, Momiji and Kasumi are playable characters for Chapter Challenge and Ninja Trials. Additionally, Ayane gets her own story mode, with two chapters. New missions on Ninja Trials for Shadows of the World. Online Cooperative mode for Ninja Trials. Upgrade system based on Karma, accessible at any point in the game. Players can buy special skills, Health, Weapon and Ninpo upgrades and alternate costumes. Return of collectibles in the form of Golden and Silver Scarabs (which give a Karma bonus and unlock things to buy) and Crystal Skulls (which allow access to Tests of Valor). A new gameplay mechanic, Bloody Rage, is introduced; after killing certain amount of enemies Bloody Rage becomes active, acting as a score multiplier for Karma. The multiplier depends on the amount of enemies killed and goes away after some time if no more are killed. Bloody Rage goes red when the character's weapon is filled with essence, allowing for an instant full charge Ultimate Technique to be performed. However using this resets the score multiplier. Weapons' movelist now has names for every input. And finally: Ryu’s eyes are slightly lighter shade of green in the Sigma games. (Exciting I know) Thank you for reading this literal wall of text.
(Because I’ve never been able to confirm this I separated it from the main comment) Also I’ve heard you can use throws like the Izuna Drop certain bosses like Genshin in Sigma 2. It’s doable in Razor’s Edge so I have no reason to doubt it but I’d rather miss one thing than spread misinformation.
u missed a lot of changes here... i will copy my list here, just for the sake of completion... i did not filter things u already said, its a simple copy paste, but i thought its important to mention all of these... - Game got censored (99% of spilled blood was changed into purple mist) - Completely censored Cutscenes - Reduced enemy count - increased enemy damage - Increased enemy health - Increased enemy delimb resistance - Reduced enemy aggression - Reduced enemy IS throwing - Addition of one hit kill grabs on MN from all bosses and most enemies to compensate for the lower enemy count and easier difficulty - Changed weapon upgrade system (upgrades are for fee and the game mandates when and to what lvl the player can upgrade. Infuriating) - Easier game overall (most of the fights were deleted or altered, f.e. Sigma 2 on Master Ninja starts with 5 grey Ninja instead of 5 IS Ninja, CH 11 lacks the first 6 fights ENTIRELY, more save points / shops were added, and more) - Removal of all water combat (cannot fight the Water Dragon on water in Sigma 2) - No NG+ anymore (original had 2 different NG+ modes) - Cut (or exchanged) Bosses - Easier and slower bosses - Ability to Izuna Drop Genshin (destroys the entire bossfight) - Removed the ability to counter Genshin's Flying Swallow and Haze Straight Slash - Removal or Incendiary Shuriken, Windmill Shuriken and Underwater Gatling Gun - Removal of Bow UTs - Unlimited Arrows and addition of a gun to compensate for the lack of Bow UTs - Addition of 3 Mandatory Female Chapters (HORRIBLE) - Game forces life / Ki upgrades on pickup (when u pick up a Spirit of the Devils or a Life of the thousand Gods, then the game uses it automatically and robs u of the choice of when (or if) to use it) - Even tho Chapter Challenge was added, it reduced the max Ki slot count to 5 instead of 10 and is in general no replacement for a proper NG+ mode - Removal of all keys / keycards in the game, including all lore that came with them, as well as having all doors already opened for the player - Increased in-game loading times (when opening chests, change weapons, etc) - Guillotine Throw is not a 100% delimb anymore, and performing a Flying Swallow on in air / crawling enemies is not a 100% insta kill anymore - The Izuna Drop is in Ryus arsenal from the start with a lvl 1 sword, making an already easier Master Ninja mode even MORE easy - Logically, the Izuna Drop does not enough damage anymore to kill some of the lesser Ninjas - Removed the ability to shoot 2 arrows in the air after a normal jump - Heavenly Justice is not moving towards the attacked enemy when performed without directional input, making the followups clunky or wiff entirely - Removed the ability to turn the camera during an Izunda Drop and during all "Rope" shimmy sections - Removed the ability to switch between free and locked on cam during bossfights. It is always on lock on now. Pure retardation - Removed the ability to switch between manual save slots and autosaving (seperate slots). The game will always autosave at statues and the player can only manually save after a chapter - Removed the ability to turn the camera while casting Ninpo without actually aiming the Ninpo. Both sticks aim Ninpo now (in the original, the left stick aimed the Ninpo, the right stick only turned the camera) - Bosses (Or even Rsetsu) will be obliterated with both a light and strong attack now... Before, only a strong attack would OT them... A very bad change to combat these are imo all the negative changes. as u porobably can tell, i dont like sigma 2 at all, i think it is an abomination and just an empty disformed shell of what NG 2 was... but ey, to each his own :)
@@FarnhamTheDrunk1 I haven’t played NGS2 as much as Vanilla NG2, that’s one of the reasons I missed most of the new changes in your list. Other stuff I just couldn’t be bothered to test (because Sigma 2) and just omitted it from the list.
Do you really think they lost the code, or do you think they just didn't want to release it, because of the drama between Itagaki and the studio. Watch NG Sigma and Sigma 2 end credits, no mention of Itagaki at all. While both Black and NG2 credits shows Itagaki.
I really do think so, just because this is such a common situation with japan devs for whatever reason. However, I wouldn't be surprised if itagaki was involved in the loss of code somehow ha.
@@TheElectricUnderground Yes definitely as game developers in Asia were slow to pick up source control practices compared to the West. From my experience most started to catch up in that regard around 2009.
Team Ninja were definitely influenced by From Soft's Ninja Blade. They succeeded in making the superior game (wasn't difficult - Ninja Blade's garbage), but in doing so ruined their own game. This was during the period Japanese devs sort of lot their way by trying to cater to a Western audience that didn't exist. All we wanted was more Japanese arcade flavour. The OG Ninja Gaiden 2 is the pinnacle of 3d brawlers for me. You've convinced me, I'll give Razor's Edge a shot when it's in a sale.
Oh that s great! Yes razer s edge is a lot of fun combat wise, especially the further you get into the game and mission mode! Also unlock kasumi because she is worth it :-)
@@TheElectricUnderground Kasumi is definitely the most fun girl in Razor's Edge since she has her own cicada surge, called the sakura madoi, on top of an already insane number of teleportations inside her combos, and razor's edge core mechanic is arguably cancelling recovery frames with cicada surge. You can do so many crazy stuff with it (like this: th-cam.com/video/aa0C2qze-BU/w-d-xo.html ).
Played and beat all three on Normal difficulty. Sigma 1: frustrating lol. Of course fun and satisfying at times but lot of the enemies were annoying. They just get rid of shops at the end as a cheap way to make things more difficult Sigma 2: Really easy. Liked how they cut the crap, focused on the action and just let you chop dudes to pieces. The execution system is awesome. Is a bit repetitive and a total cake walk on normal. Razors Edge: pretty tough at first but becomes awesome once you figure things out. Like how there are no items. Makes the battles more tense. Tainted by modern gaming with QTE’s and slow walking but I enjoyed this one the most.
Nice video, I appreciate the streams where we got to see the performance and that Bayonetta is on the way. You caught me as an almost exclusively Switch gamer! I still have a Wii U around, but it sounds like the Switch can become a Sigma 1 machine for a while.
I remember playing Razor's Edge back in the day and it was one of two games I've played in my life that has managed to inflict physical damage to my hands and joints - the other being Kid Icarus: Uprising, for obvious reasons. The sheer amount of enemies and their at times utterly ginormous health pools just whittle you down more and more the longer you play - so. much. mashing. EDIT: Oh also: Great review as always man!
Is there even a strategy for the final boss that doesn't involve major helpings of cheese? I just charged the staff weapon over and over and eventually got lucky. Didn't feel like a big win. More like a big relief. That said, the Razor's Edge bosses were pretty much universally terrible. I mean what is the point of all these insane combo strings when you can barely get three consecutive hits in anyway. Really have to give major props here to Bayonetta's dodge offset mechanic.
The reason Ninja Gaiden games after NG2 felt different is due to Itagaki leaving the company for personal difference with the higher ups. I'm honestly surprised at how much of a fan you are of the series. I'm glad that is the case tbh. I'm glad you were able to highlight the positive things Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 has going on instead of leaning into the generic "Sigma 2 bad, NG2 is unanimously the best". I've seen you play Ninja Gaiden on streams so I have no doubt you'll do extremely well on other character action games. Looking forward to it, try out the Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition, it has styleswitcher mod pre-installed by default and it makes it one of if not the deepest character action game combat ever. Good review and video. There's also something else I miss from the original versions of Ninja Gaiden 1 and that's the NES game unlockables, that's how I became addicted to Ninja Gaiden 1 NES as a teen unlike other games I became a fan in its due time.
yeah I miss the og gaiden games being included as well ha, they stripped them out in black I believe, so that one isn't just missing from sigma. Yes, I have always felt it's a little weird how dismissive people have been of sigma 2 especially, because while I do agree that it isn't as good as OG 2, it does have a lot of fun additions and also can be a more smooth playingthrough if you're not in the mood to grind out and battle a bunch of wild projectile spam and stuff. Here's to hoping the patch the blood back in!
@@TheElectricUnderground I believe Black replaced them with other games, the Arcade versions but honestly we need more comprehensive lists of differences that may finally be practical with the originals being on current gen through Xbox and the others being everywhere. Sonic Adventure fans are far far far ahead in documenting differences: dreamcastify.unreliable.network/ It sets a good basis for discussion and for modders for make adjustments. The missing games ultimately matter less since they are probably passable alternatives for what you can find on MAME or an NES emulator but it would have been a small thing to keep.
@@thelastgogeta Black used the arcade game instead which I think is a much cooler reward. Worth collecting 50 Golden Scarabs or beating the game on Hard? Hell no but still a nice bonus. And I still have that semi-comprehensive list which is nowhere near as in depth as the Sonic Adventure list but good enough considering how hard it is to find information on these games.
If you like ninja gaiden I REALLY recommend you watch retropolis zone, he made 1 hour long in depth review videos of ninja gaiden and 2 and talks alot about the mechanics and difficulty modes (This is NOT a spam account and I don't know the channel I'm recommending personally, I gain nothing posting this but I think they are really amazing videos)
@@TheElectricUnderground yes, for the switch but like yourself I own it on everything it's been realeased on. Seen some bad reviews about this collection but I'm totally biased toward the series so I'll love every minute of all 3 games! Keep up the great work, love your channel.
Thank you for this review.... I have to say that, this channel is a goldmine, this is everything i wanted, thank you Mark! I would probably buy this collection for PC since i dont have a Xbox for the og and enough money at the moment for it, so im going with this collection to play NG2 because of your video talking about how good NG2 is that you uploaded years ago hahaha Anyway, great video!
Yeah, I'm one of those "Black is best" fans. I remember buying Black for my og xbox back in the day and it blew me away. The graphics and gameplay were unmatched. I'm not good at NG games, but I really enjoyed Black. Learning to fight Alma was one of those pivotal gamer nerd moments for me as a kid. What I still prefer about Black compared to other Ninja Gaiden games, and what I think helps it stand above other hack-and-slash or "character action" games made today, is the focus on defensive gameplay and reads. The strength of your blocking, speed of your movement mixed with how hard you can get owned if you let the enemy open you up... You really have to think about every action you take. But because of the speed of the game, you have to think FAST. If you block too much, enemies will throw you. Attack wildly and they will counter. In a lot of hack and slash games, it's easy to go on autopilot and just body enemies left and right by being hyper aggressive. NG: Black forces you to take a step back and be deliberate.
Black is amazing not going to lie, especially the trial mode. But when it comes to the combat I just think ng2 is better, but that's nothing against black because without it there would be no ng2 ha.
@@TheElectricUnderground I think preferring Black vs NG2 probably comes down to personal taste. I found NG2 to be way more aggressive, more about removing enemies as fast as possible and chaining kills. The dismemberment system encourages that play style.
great review! i love the games but did not buy the collection yet… i think i will do soon will you review mushihimesama for the switch too? and hey, what happened to your input lag tests on your website? i can’t find them anymore.
I finally played through 1 and 2 (sigma) 1 on normal I died a lot because I was just learning what character action game was and 2 on normal I didn’t die till I shot sonia or whatever that girl is when ryu tells her to stay I shot her just cause lol. Started playing 3 it feels a bit weird, I don’t want to say clunky but compared to sigma 2 it does feel a bit more segmented? Idk, that first boss was annoying though. It plays good though but I like the feel of sigma 2 the best, but keep in mind I’m only on stage 2 on racers edge
God I love 2, I haven’t played Sigma 2 yet. I know it has a bad rep and I’m sad to hear what I heard of it but I bet I’ll still have fun playing it anyway because I just like 2 so much even an inferior-sounding version interests me greatly.
I started playing ninja gaiden on my original xbox this year. Glad I modded my xbox because trainers are helpful for learning the game. Fun fact: there are some shmups on the og xbox. There's a ntsc game called xyanide, and in Japan, there are the castle shikigami games.
@@TheElectricUnderground thats a good idea, I don't hear many talk about that game. Great review overall, just finished it. Been waiting for this so I could play ninja gaiden 2! :)
Thanks for the review Mark. Great video. I dont know if you chase trophies/achievements. Do they have separate trophy lists and are they the same as the originals? Thank you.
I think one reason Sigma 1 and 2 (especially 2) were divisive for so long was that they had some rough technical issues on ps3. Sigma was perfectly fine during most gameplay but it had some really obnoxious mid area load times that could even happen during combat due to how they were placed. I also seem to remember it having slow menu opening and exiting. Overall reasonable if you only had a ps3 but with how little reason the game gave you to play it over black I never would given the choice. Sigma 2 could run quite slow during some fights (even compared to NG2 on 360) which feels extra lousy when you see how massively scaled back the encounters are already. Maybe my PS3 was fuckin dying when I played Sigma 2 and I got a uniquely bad experience but i really don't think so. And then there's input delay, the input delay on sigma 2 felt awful compared to any other NG and certainly original NG2. like they trying to achieve some sort of parity with the online mode or something. Sounds like all of those issues aren't a problem with the new ports, except input delay? I'm seeing people say it's still present in Sigma 2. Kind of kills it for me. Sigma should be pretty solid now but at the same time, Black emulates well so if I were choosing one on PC I'd definitely choose black. The most appealing part of the collection to me is honestly Razor's Edge by far. Sigma 2 did some good things but on the whole it's just completely not worth it IMO. If only NG2 were more accessible and you didn't have to buy a newer xbox just to play it with rock solid performance and high resolution.
"One if the first really importan exclusives", I take it you mistook NG04 with NGII, which was an early exclusive, unlike NG04, which came out at the end of the life of the original Xbox.
The fact they loss the code has nothing to do with them not including the og versions. i'm very surprised nobody mentioned this: reverse engeenering is a thing an the best ports from the PS360 generation (from Bluepoint Games) were done based on this technique. It guarantess an accurate cut of the game (unlike the SH collection for exemple). I the end I believe this is complete bullshit and more of a stupid ego conflict with Hayashi being the new Team Ninja leader and wanting "his" versions only to be played.
Very possible :-) though it could also be true that they literally threw out the of code from spite or something ha. Japanese devs are really bad about preserving code for their older games and I have no idea why
@@TheElectricUnderground Hey, sorry I don't want to sound rude but I think you didn't understand what I mean or maybe you don't know what reverse engeenering is. It basically consists of working from a retail copy and getting the code right from it by "opening it" through various processes. So with that technique in mind, you don't necessarily need to have access to the "original" source code like some BP people explained. So regarding the non appearance of the og games, I wouldn't trust a Team Ninja pr trying to tell me they basically don't have access anymore to retail copies for those games when all they had to do was go to some Akihabara game store at worst.
Reverse engineering isn't at all trivial. Just because it's feasible doesn't mean most publishers are gonna be up for doing it for every game. I mean look, I dislike (I'd even say hate, in the case of 2) sigma as well. I rolled my eyes when this collection was announced because I knew exactly what it would be and I lament that the best versions of these games remain difficult to access. But this is a ridiculous point, tons of ports suffer from lost code because it's an actual practical issue that takes a ton of labor (and thus company time and money) to address.
I prefer the pc version but the problem we must have a joystik to play the game I don't want to buy a joystik only to play ninja gaiden, team ninja are lazy to put more work to the pc version so we can play it on keyboard for this reason I play the switch version that have less graphics
We all have different levels for spoilers I guess heh, but I didn't know anything about the story and I still don't! :) but I do have some idea of what makes ng1 signma different from ng2.
@@robbystrange4772 Yeah, the story is sorta whatever from what I know which is probably for the best. It allows them to pull characters from DOA and create whatever scenarios they like as long as boss fights are cool. NG3 tied to be different (for the worse) before Razor's Edge ended up being a partial course correction. Not sure Mark mentioned anything story related in this video at all.
The story is basically nonexistent. Unless you dive really deep into the lore through the notebooks left around the story is essentially: “This guy did something that you don’t like so go kill him”. But there’s also 3 and it’s extremely cliche story that completely forgot what made Ryu such a cool character. Saying Ryu is a murderer is like saying water is wet. Except Ryu only killed people who deserved it. In Ninja Gaiden 1 a secret religious town sends Ninjas to go murder Ryu’s entire village. And in Ninja Gaiden 2 they do something that is technically a spoiler so I can’t tell you but it’s even more stereotypically evil than Ninja Gaiden 1. Pushing this narrative that Ryu is a murder just doesn’t make sense, Ryu isn’t supposed to be this deep character with a compelling story he’s a vessel for the player. Ryu is supposed to be a stoic character who will kill thousands to accomplish his goal, giving him a soft side ruins his character and makes him infinitely lamer.
@@assassinonprozac More or less. Can't wait till Team Ninja make a Kirby game that moralises about all of the evil deeds that everyone has done including the hero. 3D NG is really not far from being an NES game but has just enough going on. On that note, the OG NG games were pretty notable for their cutscenes at the start but it didn't make them need to beat into you. A manual is enough honestly.
@@thelastgogeta The reason I love old games so much is because of their pick up and play nature. Most modern games don’t do that, most of them work off the Naughty Dog framework. Pretty good gameplay, good to great story, and a lot of cutscenes and forced walking sessions. Now don’t get me wrong I like some of these games. Okami has barely any gameplay outside of the combat that lasts about 30 seconds and it’s still one of my favorite games, Metal Gear Solid 2 is literally more cutscene than game and I still consider it a masterpiece. (Granted the gameplay is really good and my favorite of the series) Gameplay is what makes me revisit games, I wouldn’t have put so many hours into NGB and NG2 if it wasn’t for it’s insane gameplay which is only amplified by mission mode. Making story and gameplay separate always leads to a more enjoyable experience for me. Saints Row 2 is a good example of this. And NGB is what I’ve always considered to be the greatest example of a side scroller moving to 3D. It’s got everything that made the original games famous and more. NGB’s cutscenes and graphics were pretty cutting edge at the time like the originals, it still had the fast paced action and excruciating difficulty that made the originals famous, and it helped pioneer another genre that had been started 3 years before it’s release. Also the arcade game and the reboots both released in the west first which makes no sense to me.
I think they run okayish but I just don't think the switch just doesn't have the horsepower to full frame rate razer and ng2, so yes go with another platform for non handheld play
Every time I go back in this archive, I swear it sounds like I'm listening to myself. Talk about games sometimes d*** i* Why won't he let me interview him?🥲
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Just for the sake of being complete I’ve decided to comment my semi-comprehensive list of most of the differences between every version of every Ninja Gaiden game. WARING: This list is very long exactly 18,351 characters which is over 19x the length of a standard high school or college essay. And this list hit the TH-cam character limit so it had to be split into multiple parts.
Starting with Black: The game features several new in-game cut scenes, and uses Hurricane Pack 1 as its Story Mode on Hard and higher difficulties. It features two new difficulties, Ninja Dog and Master Ninja; and tweaked the enemy layout with additional encounters or substitution with tougher enemies on higher levels of difficulty, such as explosive bats, flame ninjas (red-clad ninjas whose attacks inflict additional flame damage), and Ryu's evil doubles, the doppelgänger fiends.
in Black several bosses such as Spirit Doku and the Dark Disciple attack faster and with greater aggression. Black adds a variety of new foes to make the gameplay even harder. Team Ninja tweaked the game balance by changing certain moves, such as the Flying Swallow technique which dominated almost any foe in Ninja Gaiden. Foes in Black block this technique more frequently on Hard difficulty and above, forcing players to find other ways to overcome the foes. A couple of new enemies even possess moves specifically to punish the use of Flying Swallow against them. Team Ninja also increased the enemies' aggression and gave most of them additional attacks which can ignore or break Ryu's defense to discourage players from assuming a very defensive posture (turtling) in Black.
I still can’t find much on Sigma 1 (Sorry) but here’s what I do know: Mission Mode was completely removed and New Game Plus is still missing. (leaderboards are there) And Sigma removed nearly every puzzle and the intro cutscene along with all of the Black exclusive cutscenes. There are less costumes, the NES and arcade games have been removed, Dragons Claw and Tigers Fang have been added , you can now jump and shoot arrows, Gamov and Alternator have been added as new bosses, Some parts have been cut or got remade, you can now power up your Ninpo with the Sixaxis controller, the water in chapter 1 has been remade and looks overall worse, the UI has been remade, the game looks “better”, Rachel has been added as a new playable character, and you now fight Fight Doku in Chapter 2 and Nicchae and Ishtaros with Rachel. And the (pointless) item menu has been added giving you quick access to items.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus features an easy setting called "Hero" mode, making it more accessible to casual gamers.
Because Sigma plus was released on the PSVita, the framerate was capped to 30 FPS, unlike the 60 FPS that the other versions had.
Sigma Plus also takes advantage of the additional features that the Vita offers, including:
Gyroscopic first-person aiming. By tilting the PlayStation Vita, the player can adjust the camera angle in first-person viewing modes.
Back touchpad controls. Tapping symbols using the rear touchpad will allow Ryu to boost the power of his Ninpo.
Touch screen controls. Players can go into first-person mode by tapping the touch screen.
In addition, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus offers new sets of accessories that Ryu and Rachel can equip. Ryu's are called Enhancements, and affect his status in the following ways:
Ninja Gaiden 1 Sigma Plus - Enhancements
Armor of Power: "Increase Projectile Weapon damage."
Armor of Intelligent: "Decrease Health, Increase Ki slot"
Armor of Speed: "Increase Flying Swallow Damage"
Furious Tiger Helm: "Decrease Attack. Increase Defence."
White Tiger Helm: "Decrease Attack. Greatly Increase Defence."
Red Dragon Helm: "Decrease Defence. Increase Attack."
Azure Dragon Helm: "Decrease Defence. Greatly Increase Attack."
Dragon Gauntlet: "Boost Power of Blue Essence."
Falcon Gauntlet: "Boost Power of Ninpo."
Holy Gauntlet: "Slightly decrease Damage. Increase ability to absorb Yellow Essence."
Rachel can equip Glasses that affect her status in the following ways:
Metal Frames: "Boost power of Blue Essence."
Sunglasses: "Boost power of Sorcery."
Face Guard: "Slightly decrease Damage. Increase ability to absorb Yellow Essence."
These new accessories are equippable even when the player has accessories from another category equipped, and the effects even stack with each other (For example, Ryu's attack power is greatly boosted if he equips both The Armlet of the Sun and the Azure Dragon Helm).
Additionally, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus adds one new costume for Ryu and two for Rachel.
Scarab reward differences between each version: Ninja Gaiden:
1 Golden Scarab: Life of the Gods
10 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils
15 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction
20 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune
40 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Tranquility
45 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal
50 Golden Scarabs: Ninja Gaiden Trilogy (SNES)
Hurricane Pack I:
1 Golden Scarab: Intercept Technique Scroll (If you missed it in Chapter 1)
5 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword
10 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune
15 Golden Scarabs: Vigoorian Flail
20 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of the Moon
25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of the Sun
35 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction
40 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal
45 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Tranquility
50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade
Ninja Gaiden Black: Ninja Dog/Normal Mode
1 Golden Scarab: Life of the Gods
5 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Potency
10 Golden Scarabs: Lives of the Thousand Gods
15 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils
20 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
25 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity
30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction
35 Golden Scarabs: Great Spirit Elixir
40 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune
45 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal
50 Golden Scarabs: Ninja Gaiden (Arcade)
Hard Mode:
1 Golden Scarab: Counter Attack Technique Scroll
5 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Potency
10 Golden Scarabs: Lives of the Thousand Gods
15 Golden Scarabs: Windmill Shuriken
20 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword
25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction
35 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity
40 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune
45 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber Mk. II
50 Golden Scarabs: Ninja Gaiden (Arcade)
Very Hard Mode:
1 Golden Scarab: Counter Attacks Technique Scroll
5 Golden Scarabs: Izuna Drop Technique Scroll
10 Golden Scarabs: Guillotine Throw Technique Scroll
15 Golden Scarabs: Windmill Shuriken
20 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword
25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity
35 Golden Scarabs: Spear Gun
49 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber Mk.II
50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade
Ninja Gaiden Sigma: Normal mode:
1 Golden Scarab: Life of Gods
5 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Potency
10 Golden Scarabs: Lives of the Thousand Gods
15 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils
20 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
25 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity
30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction
35 Golden Scarabs: Great Spirit Elixir
40 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Fortune
45 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal
50 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber MkII
Hard mode:
1 Golden Scarab: Counter Attacks Technique Scroll
5 Golden Scarabs: Izuna Drop Technique Scroll
10 Golden Scarabs: Guillotine Throw Technique Scroll
15 Golden Scarabs: Windmill Shuriken
20 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword
25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
30 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Celerity
35 Golden Scarabs: Spear Gun
40 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Benediction
45 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Fortune
50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade
Very Hard mode:
1 Golden Scarab: Art of the Inferno
5 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils
10 Golden Scarabs: Art of the Ice Storm
15 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal
20 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils
25 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal
30 Golden Scarabs: Armlet of Fortune
35 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal
40 Golden Scarabs: Art of Inazuma
45 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils
50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade
Master Ninja mode:
1 Golden Scarab: Smoke Bomb
5 Golden Scarabs: Elixir of Spiritual Life
10 Golden Scarabs: Great Spirit Elixir
20 Golden Scarabs: Great Devil Elixir
25 Golden Scarabs: Smoke Bomb
30 Golden Scarabs: Ayane’s Ration
35 Golden Scarabs: Fragrance of Dayflower
40 Golden Scarabs: Ayane’s Ration Bundle
45 Golden Scarabs: Fragrance Hydrangea
49 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber MkII
50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade
Ninja Gaiden Sigma+: Normal mode
1 Golden Scarab: Life of the Gods
5 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Potency
10 Golden Scarabs: Lives of the Thousand Gods
15 Golden Scarabs: Spirit of the Devils
20 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity
25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction
35 Golden Scarabs: Great Spirit Elixir
40 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune
45 Golden Scarabs: Jewel of the Demon Seal
50 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber Mk. II
Hard mode:
1 Golden Scarab: Counter Attack Technique Scroll
5 Golden Scarabs: Izuna Drop Technique Scroll
10 Golden Scarabs: Guillotine Throw Technique Scroll
15 Golden Scarabs: Windmill Shuriken
20 Golden Scarabs: Wooden Sword
25 Golden Scarabs: Dabilahro
30 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Celerity
35 Golden Scarabs: Spear Gun
40 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Benediction
45 Golden Scarabs: The Armlet of Fortune
49 Golden Scarabs: Plasma Saber Mk. II
50 Golden Scarabs: Dark Dragon Blade
I might do item locations some other time.
This is one of the most epic comments I have ever gotten on the channel, awesome stuff!
Forgot to mention the Kitetsu drained your health in the original release of Ninja Gaiden 1. This was removed in Black and the change was kept for Sigma. I liked the idea of the vampiric effect but the weapon is no where near strong enough to deserve such a nerf, but there were ways to counteract it the Armlet of Tranquility (the best way) and the intended way Dead Soul Bind. Problem is Dead Soul Bind as fun as it is is terrible so most people never used Kitetsu. (I’ve beaten Doku using only Dead Soul Bind so now just how bad it is) I couldn’t find much on NGB outside of the difficulty tweaks but I was more focused on Sigma anyway because it’s included in this collection. Also forgot to mention (in this comment) that in Black the Arcade Ninja Gaiden replaced the NES games in Han’s bar
Nice! We just need to verify this and put on GameFAQs or something else public and editable. I actually make game guides on GameFAQs, but I can't say Ninja Gaiden is a high priority when I'd need to dig into it almost from scratch. At most, I could cover how Sigma 1, Sigma 2 and Razor's Edge work after getting this collection then go backwards when I get an Xbox or find reliable references (Vita needs this).
That being said, there are probably printed guide books that have a foundation that we can use. Both in English (see Prima Guides) and in Japanese (Perfect Guides from Enterbrain etc). I'm surprised that it wasn't easy to find scans of any of them for me when I can find DMC or Bayonetta stuff from the same time period and onwards.
Item locations are best communicated with tables and maps.
@@thelastgogeta Note: This is not the full list. I intentionally removed some things that were explained in this video and things that overall don’t matter like the sideways text in Vanilla NG3’s main menu to avoid clutter. This comment was targeted towards people who are new to Ninja Gaiden and people who have played it and want to know the major differences between versions. I will eventually make a list for the more hardcore Ninja Gaiden fans that includes every difference I can find, I have been working on that list for 4 months.
And I’ve always wanted to make a GameFAQs guide but could never find anything to make one about, nice to know my possibly only guide will be something of pretty big importance to a community I’m apart of. But also if we do put this on a site like GaneFAQs it’s going to need much more in depth explanations for a good portion of these changes and will need to be completely reformatted which will be a lot of work. The reason it’s formatted this way is that’s the way I originally wrote and by the time I went to reformat it like I normally do it was already way too much work and I couldn’t be bothered to fix it.
And I’m not surprised it was hard to find scans of those guides. When I started writing this list the fandom page was completely barren, there was barely any useful information on it. If the fandom page was in that bad a shape (it’s gotten much better recently) I doubt anybody cared enough to go through the trouble of uploading scans of the guides especially the Japanese guides.
@@assassinonprozac Oh cool, that makes sense. It is definitely a huge project to undertake, I have some DMC3 plans myself but at least my work is cut out for me and the Switch version (and mods on PC) make it much faster to test things. My only barrier is that a major guide was only in Chinese and I don't know if anyone scanned the original since I can only find the data from within it (still in Chinese). I think it was damage values, so it may be easier to look in the game with current mods.
I already have some experience with MH: Rise done for a while, so I'm sure I can take my time with DMC3 since it isn't going to get any updates at least.
As far as Ninja Gaiden goes, it looks like there are softcover and hardcover copies that are being resold on Amazon though someone does have to pay to access them unless you can find someone with the guide who intends to share it. It could help a bunch with building a better structure, though the Fandom pages look pretty decent now that I've given it a look. It is no One Piece Wiki but it is a start. It just needs video references that are reliable at some point, but that can't be done by a single person.
My thoughts are that the speedrunning and scorerunning community should have some good documentation since Ninja Gaiden's NES and Arcade games have a strong scene... After looking it seems that there aren't a lot of guides and resources for the original Xbox NG, but Black has some resources which have been updated just two weeks ago which is a very good sign for people to talk to or learn from: www.speedrun.com/ninja_gaiden_black/guides
Even if speedrunners tend to focus on non-engagement, it can tell you the minimum for a regular player assuming the game can't be broken like Okami.
They should have added all of them in the collection: Black, 2, Sigma 1 & 2 and Razor Edge without removing anything (like blood and jiggles).
yes, that would have been great!
And all 3 NES games!!
Part 2 of my semi-comprehensive list of most of the differences between every version of every Ninja Gaiden game
Get ready cause this ones a doozy. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2: 1. The game features three additional playable characters : Rachel, Ayane and Momiji (from Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword). The game also features new large-scale bosses, an online co-op mode and Trophy support.
2. Co-op missions have been added through Team Mission Mode
3. The PlayStation version has been graphically upgraded from the Xbox 360 version, the native resolution is now 720p HD, compared to the original 585p. The upgrade is commented by Digital Foundry as "Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 often has the visual edge, not just thanks to its massively increased resolution but also through the accomplished use of the RSX's pixel shaders".
4. The PS3 version also contains significantly less bloodshed and gore-related violence than the Xbox 360 version. Hayashi questioned if violence was the way to go. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will contain less violence. However, there is an option to 'jiggle' breasts using the SixAxis controller.
5. NGS2 will support co-op and solo modes for Team Mission Mode. The second character, while playing alone or offline, is forced as a CPU character and cannot be controlled by a second player.
6. People who purchase the Collector's Edition are treated to a comic version of the Install's Prologue, and the OST. The Collector's Edition was limited to Gamestop in North America and HMV for the UK. Pre-ordering either edition at Gamestop warranted a code for a special Sigma 2 costume, mildly resembling Joe Hayabusa's own outfit.
1. While Sigma 2 has additional content not in the original Ninja Gaiden II, a large amount of content was also removed from the game, or altered.
2. With Team Mission Mode in, the single player version was taken out, players instead being given a computer-controller partner (if without a second player or offline). In Story Mode, Karma Scoring is separated and now only done in Chapter Challenge. Three chapters were also added, not linked to Ryu, but one of the three additional characters. Tests of Valor were also removed, scattering the rewards across Ryu's chapters. The total number of enemies in the game has been reduced, keeping few characters on screen at all times; enemy health was raised
3. Five new bosses were added, replacing two old boss encounters. There is one new boss for each alternate character's chapter (including returning bosses from NG:DS and NG1), a Dragon to replace the double Quetzalcoatl fight (though Quetzalcoatl can still be fought alone as in NG2), and two giant statues; a giant Buddha Statue, and a Statue of Liberty animated by Alexei. The Tunnel Worm has been omitted, causing Ryu to fall through a tunnel leading from dark night to bright day.
4. Enma's Fang is a new melee weapon, a greatsword. The Weapon Upgrade system has also been altered to restrict your upgrades similar to NG:Black. You can only upgrade once per special shop, though you do not require the use of Essence in order to perform those upgrades.
5. Some ranged weapons have been removed. The Incendiary Shuriken were removed for two reasons, opening paths and their power due to the removal of the ammo count, and is instead Ayane's main projectile weapon. The Fiend's Bane Bow, now with unlimited ammo, had its Ultimate Technique removed as it would have also been too powerful, and instead was replaced by a new weapon, the Howling Cannon, a heavy cannon with a slow projectile speed. The Windmill Shuriken was also removed. The Harpoon Gatling Gun was removed, and with it, all water combat. Most flying enemies were also removed due to infinite ammo.
6. The Action button was changed from RB/R1 to Circle, which is now also the Shuriken button, while other ranged weapons have been separated to the R2 button. This allows both the Bow/Cannon to be equipped at the same time as the Shurikens. The player cannot unequip the bow or cannon. Thus, the two weapons bulk up Ryu's appearance even though they don't appear in cutscenes.
7. Keys have been completely removed, doors simply popping open now, as well as adding a button to tell the player where to go (R1).
8. Projectile spam has been greatly reduced from NG2. Healing items become an abundance (and the only thing you can spend money on). Most chests are now simply yellow, blue, or red essence. Players are no longer allowed to hold onto Life of the Gods, Lives of a Thousand Gods, or Spirit of the Devil. Instead they are automatically consumed upon pickup.
9. Costume recolors (Legendary Black Falcon to Type 20; same shape, different texture) were removed. Biometal and Shadow Walker, Xbox DLC, are not player-selectable, and instead used by the returning enemy Ryu clones in Team Missions. Ashtar from Sigma 1, Sigma 2 Special (Ryu dressed as Joe Hayabusa from NGS2's new Prologue), Choun Shiryu (Ryu dressed as Zhao Yun from Dynasty Warriors), and Classic Ryu were added. Fiend remained in both versions, but without any of its alternate colors.
10. The game, moved from its original engine to the one used to create Ninja Gaiden Sigma, has many textures (not all) throughout the chapters completely replaced to vastly improve the visual appeal of each environment, but leaves character textures mostly unchanged.
11. Finally, almost all the gore has been removed. Purple mist now burst from enemies, along with reduced blood splashes. Dismembered body parts no longer stay on the ground, but vanish. Additionally, cinematics have been altered to remove dismemberment, dissection, and blood effects. The Asian version of NGS2, the player can only decapitate monsters and non-humans
Like the previous Vita port, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus features the Hero difficulty setting, which allows Ryu to automatically block, dodge, and have access to infinite ninpo when he is low on health.
In addition, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus introduces two new modes, Ninja Race and Turbo. In Ninja Race mode Ryu races toward a goal, grabbing items for a speed boost and chaining kills to increase his attack power. Turbo mode has players going through Chapters at high-speed. Changes from Sigma 2: A gore option has been added
The games is capped to 30 FPS (Though it usually runs below 30)
No online Co-Op
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge: More blood and gore.
More enemy variations.
Improved enemy A.I. and attacks; foes no longer cower in fear and call for help even at the lowest difficulty, instead they will ruthlessly attack Ryu (even if they get one of their members chopped off). With that, suicide attacks are back, where enemies with removed limbs will try to grab Ryu and self-destruct, inflicting massive damage.
Dismemberment and return of Obliteration Techniques as a way of finishing off injured opponents instead of downed ones.
The whole mechanic of "Steel on Bone" has been revamped and is instead used as a chainable grab counter.
Return of the original Flying Swallow mechanic.
Kunai Climbing is much faster and easier to perform. Additionally, various Kunai Climb sections were removed and replaced with the Flying Bird Flip.
Ultimate Techniques can be charged without having to kill enemies.
Instead of an instant teleportation towards an enemy, UTs instead function similarly to the ones in previous games, with multiple levels of charge and needing contact with an enemy before the full attack activates.
The usual weapon/arm glow one acts as an instant full charge.
More weapons from Ninja Gaiden II (Dual Katana, Lunar Staff, Kusari-gama).
Reduced amounts of QTEs (Quick Time Events).
The Ki bar no longer resets after clearing a battle.
The Ninpo mechanic has been revamped with multiple types of Ninpo with different effects and bar lengths. (Art of the True Inferno is relegated to an extra end-game Ninpo.)
Alternate Costumes.
Chapter Challenge mode.
Ayane, Momiji and Kasumi are playable characters for Chapter Challenge and Ninja Trials.
Additionally, Ayane gets her own story mode, with two chapters.
New missions on Ninja Trials for Shadows of the World.
Online Cooperative mode for Ninja Trials.
Upgrade system based on Karma, accessible at any point in the game. Players can buy special skills, Health, Weapon and Ninpo upgrades and alternate costumes.
Return of collectibles in the form of Golden and Silver Scarabs (which give a Karma bonus and unlock things to buy) and Crystal Skulls (which allow access to Tests of Valor).
A new gameplay mechanic, Bloody Rage, is introduced; after killing certain amount of enemies Bloody Rage becomes active, acting as a score multiplier for Karma. The multiplier depends on the amount of enemies killed and goes away after some time if no more are killed. Bloody Rage goes red when the character's weapon is filled with essence, allowing for an instant full charge Ultimate Technique to be performed. However using this resets the score multiplier.
Weapons' movelist now has names for every input.
And finally: Ryu’s eyes are slightly lighter shade of green in the Sigma games. (Exciting I know)
Thank you for reading this literal wall of text.
(Because I’ve never been able to confirm this I separated it from the main comment) Also I’ve heard you can use throws like the Izuna Drop certain bosses like Genshin in Sigma 2. It’s doable in Razor’s Edge so I have no reason to doubt it but I’d rather miss one thing than spread misinformation.
u missed a lot of changes here...
i will copy my list here, just for the sake of completion... i did not filter things u already said, its a simple copy paste, but i thought its important to mention all of these...
- Game got censored (99% of spilled blood was changed into purple mist)
- Completely censored Cutscenes
- Reduced enemy count
- increased enemy damage
- Increased enemy health
- Increased enemy delimb resistance
- Reduced enemy aggression
- Reduced enemy IS throwing
- Addition of one hit kill grabs on MN from all bosses and most enemies to compensate for the lower enemy
count and
easier difficulty
- Changed weapon upgrade system (upgrades are for fee and the game mandates when and to what lvl the
player can upgrade. Infuriating)
- Easier game overall (most of the fights were deleted or altered, f.e. Sigma 2 on Master Ninja starts with 5 grey
Ninja instead of 5 IS Ninja, CH 11 lacks the first 6 fights ENTIRELY, more save points / shops were added, and
more)
- Removal of all water combat (cannot fight the Water Dragon on water in Sigma 2)
- No NG+ anymore (original had 2 different NG+ modes)
- Cut (or exchanged) Bosses
- Easier and slower bosses
- Ability to Izuna Drop Genshin (destroys the entire bossfight)
- Removed the ability to counter Genshin's Flying Swallow and Haze Straight Slash
- Removal or Incendiary Shuriken, Windmill Shuriken and Underwater Gatling Gun
- Removal of Bow UTs
- Unlimited Arrows and addition of a gun to compensate for the lack of Bow UTs
- Addition of 3 Mandatory Female Chapters (HORRIBLE)
- Game forces life / Ki upgrades on pickup (when u pick up a Spirit of the Devils or a Life of the thousand Gods,
then the game uses it automatically and robs u of the choice of when (or if) to use it)
- Even tho Chapter Challenge was added, it reduced the max Ki slot count to 5 instead of 10 and is in general no
replacement for a proper NG+ mode
- Removal of all keys / keycards in the game, including all lore that came with them, as well as having all doors
already
opened for the player
- Increased in-game loading times (when opening chests, change weapons, etc)
- Guillotine Throw is not a 100% delimb anymore, and performing a Flying Swallow on in air / crawling enemies is
not a
100% insta kill anymore
- The Izuna Drop is in Ryus arsenal from the start with a lvl 1 sword, making an already easier Master Ninja mode
even
MORE easy
- Logically, the Izuna Drop does not enough damage anymore to kill some of the lesser Ninjas
- Removed the ability to shoot 2 arrows in the air after a normal jump
- Heavenly Justice is not moving towards the attacked enemy when performed without directional input, making
the
followups clunky or wiff entirely
- Removed the ability to turn the camera during an Izunda Drop and during all "Rope" shimmy sections
- Removed the ability to switch between free and locked on cam during bossfights. It is always on lock on now.
Pure
retardation
- Removed the ability to switch between manual save slots and autosaving (seperate slots). The game will
always
autosave at statues and the player can only manually save after a chapter
- Removed the ability to turn the camera while casting Ninpo without actually aiming the Ninpo. Both sticks aim
Ninpo
now (in the original, the left stick aimed the Ninpo, the right stick only turned the camera)
- Bosses (Or even Rsetsu) will be obliterated with both a light and strong attack now... Before, only a strong
attack
would OT them... A very bad change to combat
these are imo all the negative changes. as u porobably can tell, i dont like sigma 2 at all, i think it is an abomination and just an empty disformed shell of what NG 2 was... but ey, to each his own :)
@@FarnhamTheDrunk1 I haven’t played NGS2 as much as Vanilla NG2, that’s one of the reasons I missed most of the new changes in your list. Other stuff I just couldn’t be bothered to test (because Sigma 2) and just omitted it from the list.
@@assassinonprozac haha yeah totally understandable... sigma 2 sucks ass through a thin straw
@@FarnhamTheDrunk1there are mods to fix some of these issues right?
Do you really think they lost the code, or do you think they just didn't want to release it, because of the drama between Itagaki and the studio. Watch NG Sigma and Sigma 2 end credits, no mention of Itagaki at all. While both Black and NG2 credits shows Itagaki.
I really do think so, just because this is such a common situation with japan devs for whatever reason. However, I wouldn't be surprised if itagaki was involved in the loss of code somehow ha.
@@TheElectricUnderground Most likely corporate sabotage on Itagaki's part.
@@TheElectricUnderground Yes definitely as game developers in Asia were slow to pick up source control practices compared to the West. From my experience most started to catch up in that regard around 2009.
@@futureskeletons66669 that's ridiculous.
Tons of Japanese games from the era have had their original code tossed. This isn't a unique problem.
Team Ninja were definitely influenced by From Soft's Ninja Blade. They succeeded in making the superior game (wasn't difficult - Ninja Blade's garbage), but in doing so ruined their own game. This was during the period Japanese devs sort of lot their way by trying to cater to a Western audience that didn't exist. All we wanted was more Japanese arcade flavour.
The OG Ninja Gaiden 2 is the pinnacle of 3d brawlers for me. You've convinced me, I'll give Razor's Edge a shot when it's in a sale.
Oh that s great! Yes razer s edge is a lot of fun combat wise, especially the further you get into the game and mission mode! Also unlock kasumi because she is worth it :-)
@@TheElectricUnderground Kasumi is definitely the most fun girl in Razor's Edge since she has her own cicada surge, called the sakura madoi, on top of an already insane number of teleportations inside her combos, and razor's edge core mechanic is arguably cancelling recovery frames with cicada surge. You can do so many crazy stuff with it (like this: th-cam.com/video/aa0C2qze-BU/w-d-xo.html ).
Played and beat all three on Normal difficulty.
Sigma 1: frustrating lol. Of course fun and satisfying at times but lot of the enemies were annoying. They just get rid of shops at the end as a cheap way to make things more difficult
Sigma 2: Really easy. Liked how they cut the crap, focused on the action and just let you chop dudes to pieces. The execution system is awesome. Is a bit repetitive and a total cake walk on normal.
Razors Edge: pretty tough at first but becomes awesome once you figure things out. Like how there are no items. Makes the battles more tense. Tainted by modern gaming with QTE’s and slow walking but I enjoyed this one the most.
Nice video, I appreciate the streams where we got to see the performance and that Bayonetta is on the way.
You caught me as an almost exclusively Switch gamer! I still have a Wii U around, but it sounds like the Switch can become a Sigma 1 machine for a while.
Yes and sigma 2 runs reasonably well on switch, though there are some hiccups every now and then
I remember playing Razor's Edge back in the day and it was one of two games I've played in my life that has managed to inflict physical damage to my hands and joints - the other being Kid Icarus: Uprising, for obvious reasons.
The sheer amount of enemies and their at times utterly ginormous health pools just whittle you down more and more the longer you play - so. much. mashing.
EDIT: Oh also: Great review as always man!
Oh yeah especially the final boss! Holy crap my hands about fell off on that one
Is there even a strategy for the final boss that doesn't involve major helpings of cheese? I just charged the staff weapon over and over and eventually got lucky. Didn't feel like a big win. More like a big relief.
That said, the Razor's Edge bosses were pretty much universally terrible. I mean what is the point of all these insane combo strings when you can barely get three consecutive hits in anyway.
Really have to give major props here to Bayonetta's dodge offset mechanic.
The reason Ninja Gaiden games after NG2 felt different is due to Itagaki leaving the company for personal difference with the higher ups. I'm honestly surprised at how much of a fan you are of the series. I'm glad that is the case tbh. I'm glad you were able to highlight the positive things Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 has going on instead of leaning into the generic "Sigma 2 bad, NG2 is unanimously the best". I've seen you play Ninja Gaiden on streams so I have no doubt you'll do extremely well on other character action games. Looking forward to it, try out the Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition, it has styleswitcher mod pre-installed by default and it makes it one of if not the deepest character action game combat ever. Good review and video. There's also something else I miss from the original versions of Ninja Gaiden 1 and that's the NES game unlockables, that's how I became addicted to Ninja Gaiden 1 NES as a teen unlike other games I became a fan in its due time.
yeah I miss the og gaiden games being included as well ha, they stripped them out in black I believe, so that one isn't just missing from sigma. Yes, I have always felt it's a little weird how dismissive people have been of sigma 2 especially, because while I do agree that it isn't as good as OG 2, it does have a lot of fun additions and also can be a more smooth playingthrough if you're not in the mood to grind out and battle a bunch of wild projectile spam and stuff. Here's to hoping the patch the blood back in!
@@TheElectricUnderground I believe Black replaced them with other games, the Arcade versions but honestly we need more comprehensive lists of differences that may finally be practical with the originals being on current gen through Xbox and the others being everywhere.
Sonic Adventure fans are far far far ahead in documenting differences: dreamcastify.unreliable.network/
It sets a good basis for discussion and for modders for make adjustments. The missing games ultimately matter less since they are probably passable alternatives for what you can find on MAME or an NES emulator but it would have been a small thing to keep.
@@thelastgogeta Black used the arcade game instead which I think is a much cooler reward. Worth collecting 50 Golden Scarabs or beating the game on Hard? Hell no but still a nice bonus. And I still have that semi-comprehensive list which is nowhere near as in depth as the Sonic Adventure list but good enough considering how hard it is to find information on these games.
If you like ninja gaiden I REALLY recommend you watch retropolis zone, he made 1 hour long in depth review videos of ninja gaiden and 2 and talks alot about the mechanics and difficulty modes (This is NOT a spam account and I don't know the channel I'm recommending personally, I gain nothing posting this but I think they are really amazing videos)
Oh thanks for the recommend!! Yes I will def check it out!
Great review as always! NG Black and 2 are two of my all time time favourite games, I have the Asian physical ordered from play Asia.
Oh that's awesome! what system are you ordering for, switch?
@@TheElectricUnderground yes, for the switch but like yourself I own it on everything it's been realeased on. Seen some bad reviews about this collection but I'm totally biased toward the series so I'll love every minute of all 3 games!
Keep up the great work, love your channel.
Momiji name is also pronounced as
Mo mii jii
Her hiragana spelling is
もみじ
Defentive way to pronounce her name lol
Thank you for this review....
I have to say that, this channel is a goldmine, this is everything i wanted, thank you Mark!
I would probably buy this collection for PC since i dont have a Xbox for the og and enough money at the moment for it, so im going with this collection to play NG2 because of your video talking about how good NG2 is that you uploaded years ago hahaha
Anyway, great video!
I have the Xbox one versions of black and NG2 they are great ports.
The beserkers in Sigma 1 are ruined as you can reverse their attacks easy rather than having to block roll unblockable attacks.
Yeah, I'm one of those "Black is best" fans. I remember buying Black for my og xbox back in the day and it blew me away. The graphics and gameplay were unmatched. I'm not good at NG games, but I really enjoyed Black. Learning to fight Alma was one of those pivotal gamer nerd moments for me as a kid. What I still prefer about Black compared to other Ninja Gaiden games, and what I think helps it stand above other hack-and-slash or "character action" games made today, is the focus on defensive gameplay and reads. The strength of your blocking, speed of your movement mixed with how hard you can get owned if you let the enemy open you up... You really have to think about every action you take. But because of the speed of the game, you have to think FAST. If you block too much, enemies will throw you. Attack wildly and they will counter. In a lot of hack and slash games, it's easy to go on autopilot and just body enemies left and right by being hyper aggressive. NG: Black forces you to take a step back and be deliberate.
Black is amazing not going to lie, especially the trial mode. But when it comes to the combat I just think ng2 is better, but that's nothing against black because without it there would be no ng2 ha.
@@TheElectricUnderground I think preferring Black vs NG2 probably comes down to personal taste. I found NG2 to be way more aggressive, more about removing enemies as fast as possible and chaining kills. The dismemberment system encourages that play style.
great review! i love the games but did not buy the collection yet… i think i will do soon
will you review mushihimesama for the switch too? and hey, what happened to your input lag tests on your website? i can’t find them anymore.
Yes I will! After my radiant silvergun review :-) I ll also check my website and see if I need to fix the lag test page
@@TheElectricUnderground thank you! you are doing such a great job, its really amazing!
I finally played through 1 and 2 (sigma) 1 on normal I died a lot because I was just learning what character action game was and 2 on normal I didn’t die till I shot sonia or whatever that girl is when ryu tells her to stay I shot her just cause lol. Started playing 3 it feels a bit weird, I don’t want to say clunky but compared to sigma 2 it does feel a bit more segmented? Idk, that first boss was annoying though. It plays good though but I like the feel of sigma 2 the best, but keep in mind I’m only on stage 2 on racers edge
God I love 2, I haven’t played Sigma 2 yet. I know it has a bad rep and I’m sad to hear what I heard of it but I bet I’ll still have fun playing it anyway because I just like 2 so much even an inferior-sounding version interests me greatly.
Love that game played again during pandemic and recently and finished it a fee times
Momiji on thumbnail? Instant like and subscribe.
Do you plan on covering the mushi switch port?
yep! after my radiant silvergun vid!
@@TheElectricUnderground thanks man, waiting on that vid before making a purchase myself
Nice review! I missed out on the NG games due to a lack of Xbox in the days. I did love PS2 Shinobi and as a result was always curious to try them!
Got to check them out my dude!! Gaming masterpieces!
I followed you for the shmup content but really liking videos like these too.
I started playing ninja gaiden on my original xbox this year. Glad I modded my xbox because trainers are helpful for learning the game. Fun fact: there are some shmups on the og xbox. There's a ntsc game called xyanide, and in Japan, there are the castle shikigami games.
Oh that's really cool! There's also a game (not a shmup but sort of a rail shooter thing) called gunvalkyrie that I want to check out for the channel!
@@TheElectricUnderground thats a good idea, I don't hear many talk about that game. Great review overall, just finished it. Been waiting for this so I could play ninja gaiden 2! :)
Thanks for the review Mark. Great video. I dont know if you chase trophies/achievements. Do they have separate trophy lists and are they the same as the originals? Thank you.
I m actually not sure about the achievements, I ll have to double check and look!
The achievement list is seperate across three games like mass effect legendary edition.
I think one reason Sigma 1 and 2 (especially 2) were divisive for so long was that they had some rough technical issues on ps3.
Sigma was perfectly fine during most gameplay but it had some really obnoxious mid area load times that could even happen during combat due to how they were placed. I also seem to remember it having slow menu opening and exiting. Overall reasonable if you only had a ps3 but with how little reason the game gave you to play it over black I never would given the choice.
Sigma 2 could run quite slow during some fights (even compared to NG2 on 360) which feels extra lousy when you see how massively scaled back the encounters are already. Maybe my PS3 was fuckin dying when I played Sigma 2 and I got a uniquely bad experience but i really don't think so. And then there's input delay, the input delay on sigma 2 felt awful compared to any other NG and certainly original NG2. like they trying to achieve some sort of parity with the online mode or something.
Sounds like all of those issues aren't a problem with the new ports, except input delay? I'm seeing people say it's still present in Sigma 2. Kind of kills it for me. Sigma should be pretty solid now but at the same time, Black emulates well so if I were choosing one on PC I'd definitely choose black. The most appealing part of the collection to me is honestly Razor's Edge by far.
Sigma 2 did some good things but on the whole it's just completely not worth it IMO. If only NG2 were more accessible and you didn't have to buy a newer xbox just to play it with rock solid performance and high resolution.
Oh great comment!!! I also wish that ng2-360 was also in the collection, but I heard that team ninja lost the source code. Bummer
@3:35 you were in my brain. Whoa
Nice! Very comprehensive
glad to hear it!
Just started watching so maybe you already mention this in the video, but do you also play any of the Devil May Cry games?
Yes! I ve beaten 4 and 5! Gonna cover them at some point as well! Ng is my fav series though :-)
"One if the first really importan exclusives", I take it you mistook NG04 with NGII, which was an early exclusive, unlike NG04, which came out at the end of the life of the original Xbox.
No I just forgot I got the og Xbox super late after launch XD
This is on sale on psn. I played all the games and it’s time I go back
How does the difficulty compare to Devil May Cry 3? Just beat it on Switch was a total blast.
Hmm good question, I'd say def harder when you start playing the high difficulties
Is the PS4 version any good compared to the PC and Switch releases?
I wish it had a new game plus
Me too, weird removal from ng2
Shmups when
Radiant silvergun, mushi, speedrunning vs scoring, doj shmup saga, and shmups on switch pro list all in the cue
The steam deck, especially now with a hardware refresh, is the best option for handheld ninja gaiden
which games would you say are good on deck?
Wish they make another
Me too ng4 is long overdue
Is this game better on xbox x or ps4?
xbox 1 x I would say, the extra power helps
This game is specifically made for BADASSES 😎😎🤘💪
Why does the video have so much time left?
Oh right, ng3
Yes don t forget ng3 :-)
The fact they loss the code has nothing to do with them not including the og versions. i'm very surprised nobody mentioned this: reverse engeenering is a thing an the best ports from the PS360 generation (from Bluepoint Games) were done based on this technique. It guarantess an accurate cut of the game (unlike the SH collection for exemple). I the end I believe this is complete bullshit and more of a stupid ego conflict with Hayashi being the new Team Ninja leader and wanting "his" versions only to be played.
Very possible :-) though it could also be true that they literally threw out the of code from spite or something ha. Japanese devs are really bad about preserving code for their older games and I have no idea why
@@TheElectricUnderground Hey, sorry I don't want to sound rude but I think you didn't understand what I mean or maybe you don't know what reverse engeenering is. It basically consists of working from a retail copy and getting the code right from it by "opening it" through various processes. So with that technique in mind, you don't necessarily need to have access to the "original" source code like some BP people explained. So regarding the non appearance of the og games, I wouldn't trust a Team Ninja pr trying to tell me they basically don't have access anymore to retail copies for those games when all they had to do was go to some Akihabara game store at worst.
Reverse engineering isn't at all trivial. Just because it's feasible doesn't mean most publishers are gonna be up for doing it for every game.
I mean look, I dislike (I'd even say hate, in the case of 2) sigma as well. I rolled my eyes when this collection was announced because I knew exactly what it would be and I lament that the best versions of these games remain difficult to access. But this is a ridiculous point, tons of ports suffer from lost code because it's an actual practical issue that takes a ton of labor (and thus company time and money) to address.
It’s a $400 ninja gaiden machine 😂
no gore, I sleep
I prefer the pc version but the problem we must have a joystik to play the game I don't want to buy a joystik only to play ninja gaiden, team ninja are lazy to put more work to the pc version so we can play it on keyboard for this reason I play the switch version that have less graphics
Yeah I think they should also get the og ng2 (360) on PC somehow
I'm yet to play it, how spoilerific is this review?
We all have different levels for spoilers I guess heh, but I didn't know anything about the story and I still don't! :) but I do have some idea of what makes ng1 signma different from ng2.
@@robbystrange4772 Yeah, the story is sorta whatever from what I know which is probably for the best. It allows them to pull characters from DOA and create whatever scenarios they like as long as boss fights are cool.
NG3 tied to be different (for the worse) before Razor's Edge ended up being a partial course correction. Not sure Mark mentioned anything story related in this video at all.
The story is basically nonexistent. Unless you dive really deep into the lore through the notebooks left around the story is essentially: “This guy did something that you don’t like so go kill him”. But there’s also 3 and it’s extremely cliche story that completely forgot what made Ryu such a cool character. Saying Ryu is a murderer is like saying water is wet. Except Ryu only killed people who deserved it. In Ninja Gaiden 1 a secret religious town sends Ninjas to go murder Ryu’s entire village. And in Ninja Gaiden 2 they do something that is technically a spoiler so I can’t tell you but it’s even more stereotypically evil than Ninja Gaiden 1. Pushing this narrative that Ryu is a murder just doesn’t make sense, Ryu isn’t supposed to be this deep character with a compelling story he’s a vessel for the player. Ryu is supposed to be a stoic character who will kill thousands to accomplish his goal, giving him a soft side ruins his character and makes him infinitely lamer.
@@assassinonprozac More or less. Can't wait till Team Ninja make a Kirby game that moralises about all of the evil deeds that everyone has done including the hero.
3D NG is really not far from being an NES game but has just enough going on. On that note, the OG NG games were pretty notable for their cutscenes at the start but it didn't make them need to beat into you.
A manual is enough honestly.
@@thelastgogeta The reason I love old games so much is because of their pick up and play nature. Most modern games don’t do that, most of them work off the Naughty Dog framework. Pretty good gameplay, good to great story, and a lot of cutscenes and forced walking sessions. Now don’t get me wrong I like some of these games. Okami has barely any gameplay outside of the combat that lasts about 30 seconds and it’s still one of my favorite games, Metal Gear Solid 2 is literally more cutscene than game and I still consider it a masterpiece. (Granted the gameplay is really good and my favorite of the series) Gameplay is what makes me revisit games, I wouldn’t have put so many hours into NGB and NG2 if it wasn’t for it’s insane gameplay which is only amplified by mission mode. Making story and gameplay separate always leads to a more enjoyable experience for me. Saints Row 2 is a good example of this.
And NGB is what I’ve always considered to be the greatest example of a side scroller moving to 3D. It’s got everything that made the original games famous and more. NGB’s cutscenes and graphics were pretty cutting edge at the time like the originals, it still had the fast paced action and excruciating difficulty that made the originals famous, and it helped pioneer another genre that had been started 3 years before it’s release. Also the arcade game and the reboots both released in the west first which makes no sense to me.
Comment
Thanks!
On Switch, these games run horribly, too many drops below 60fps
I think they run okayish but I just don't think the switch just doesn't have the horsepower to full frame rate razer and ng2, so yes go with another platform for non handheld play
Master collection use the sigma censored versions of the games = directly in the trashbin without discussions sorry 🗑
Every time I go back in this archive, I swear it sounds like I'm listening to myself. Talk about games sometimes d*** i* Why won't he let me interview him?🥲