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Ninja Gaiden Black Preview

Posted by Zonk on from the ninja,-vanish dept.

The ever-vigilent 1up.com has a heads up on the upcoming Xbox title Ninja Gaiden Black. A revamp of the the highly acclaimed restoration of the old skool series, Ninja Gaiden Black rehashes the 2004 release with new difficulty settings (both easier and much harder), mission modes, new bosses, new cutscenes, and more content all around. From the article: "A promise to provide the thrills of the Hurricane Packs to those without Xbox LIVE. The people who played the Hurricane Packs account for just 10 percent of the total of people who bought Ninja Gaiden. I wanted to provide follow-up support for the remaining 90 percent if I could. I've said from the beginning that I don't consider the Hurricane Packs to just be a service for the fans, but rather an investment towards the next level of progress. Now that has become a reality and Ninja Gaiden Black is the result of this."

29 comments

  1. Obligatory Penny-Arcade by oldosadmin · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2004-03 -08

    --
    Jay | http://oldos.org
    1. Re:Obligatory Penny-Arcade by LaundroMat · · Score: 1

      I don't get that joke.

      --
      "Those innocent fun games of the hallucination generation"
    2. Re:Obligatory Penny-Arcade by oldosadmin · · Score: 1

      Ninja Gaiden is so hard that on the "Hard" difficulty, ninjas actually come to your house and kick your ass.

      --
      Jay | http://oldos.org
  2. So.. by FidelCatsro · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What we have is a full price patch with a few extras .
    I got rather irritated when they did the same thing with metal gear Solid 2.
    It got re-released with a bunch of extra cool gameplay modes that really did make the game alot more solid , unfortnatly i had already paid for the first release so i missed out on some great new additions , though eventaly a freind bought it so i got to borrow the game later.

    The same thing hapens all the time with CDs a few months later from the initial release the Record company will rerelease it with some extra tracks on it and the only way to get those tracks would be to pay full price again for the CD you already bought ,This ticks off fans .

    So the people who got it early or recently purchased the game will feel rather annoyed that they just paid 40-50 or 60 for the game and find out now that an improved version of the same game is going to be released soon.

    I wonder if they would consider a free upgrade program or for a nominal charge for people who already bought it... I very much doubt it .

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    1. Re:So.. by Hast · · Score: 2, Informative

      It says right in the second paragraph that it will be at a discounted price. Besides that you can try and sell your old copy as you get the new one.

      Besides it seems like the people that will buy it again are most likely fans and don't mind that. Or you can just get most of the stuff over Live if you feel that's a better deal.

    2. Re:So.. by FidelCatsro · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Discount price will be most likely 30 or so(the other platimum series type prices) , which is still a fair bit of money for a game which you may have already bought for 60 or so.

      My point was more that the practice is rahter un-toward . you still in essence have to pay for much of the same thing , even if you are fan its highly annoying.
      Sure you can get stuff over a live service (if you pay for that) which is fair enough .

      I admit i am no fan of rehases and whilst its good they are charging a cut back rate it still annoys me that this goes on to this day .
      I suppose its fair enough though as people do buy these things .
      I just think their energys could be better served making a new game , or even the next ninja gaiden game ( i did enjoy the origional ninja gaiden games way back when).

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    3. Re:So.. by Hast · · Score: 1

      In the article they also mention that this is basically a warm up for the people on the next NG team as they will move on to that after this.

      Paying for addons is not really something that is new with NG. Quite a few games (particularly console games as it's hard to make them upgradeable) have add-on packs you can buy.

      Why not see it as a great opportunity for new players to get into the game? Besides it was over a year ago that it was released, so it's not really a new game anyways. They pretty much state that this is to give those that don't have Live the opportunity to get the same content (and some other new stuff) from the store. The people that should be annoyed are those that bought the game and the upgrades. OTOH they probably enjoy the game enough not to be bothered by it.

    4. Re:So.. by FidelCatsro · · Score: 1

      I suppose your right , I guess i am rather bitter with that whole MGS2 thing hee and countless albums out there i bought weeks before a new version sprung with more tracks.
      I still feel my origional point holds some water , but i think i may be comming around to your way of thinking about it.
      I do feel though that they should offer it as a trade in to purchasers of the origional with a nominal charge (like 10 or 14USD) for an upgrade , that would restore alot of my faith in the publisher(i wasn't really meaning to get at the developers here , only the publishers)

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  3. More Harder by deathwombat · · Score: 0

    Well i reckon with the harder difficulty settings they'll make the game so hard it cant be completed meaning they can ship it early and complete working on the super hard setting and put it on live or something.

    --
    Accept any challenge, No matter the odds.
  4. Easy?! YAY by Sinryc · · Score: 1

    The thing I am most waiting for is an Easy mode. The first game was hard as hell. o.o

    --
    Yay, I have a sig.
    1. Re:Easy?! YAY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      bah! 2 words for you: flying sparrow! That move is the best thing ever in completeing that game (though ive only beaten it on normal...)

    2. Re:Easy?! YAY by toad3k · · Score: 1

      I must agree.

      Also once you get that big heavy sword somewhere around the middle of the game, that thing pretty well wastes everything else I met for the rest of the game. It made it almost too easy.

  5. Boycott Tecmo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Tecmo are suing the webmasters and contributors (and possibly even the visitors if they get the logs) to www.ninjahackers.net, they are suing them for creating custom skins for Tecmo games like Dead Or Alive, DOAX Volleyball and Ninja Gaiden. The fans there had made all sorts of new costumes like Terminators with battle damage, changing Ryo in DOA to match his Ninja Gaiden costume etc (there was even a nude patch). It was a true fan community with an enthusiasm for adding new content to Tecmo's games.

    Most companies support the modding communities (witness Bungie's support of Halo 2 modders), but Tecmo have decided to sue their fans instead. Microsoft knew to steer clear of this lawsuit and declined to join Tecmo in it. I'm boycotting all future Tecmo games unless they drop this suit, and I'd urge everyone else to do so too.

    1. Re:Boycott Tecmo by Lemental · · Score: 1, Troll

      So, let me get this straight.

      You want people to boycott a company for not wanting people to screw around with their game. A game they legally own all the code and rights to.

      Sorry, it is their right to do this. boycotting them isnt going to make them change their mind. In fact, I hear Tomonobu considers his characters his "Children". You just dont fark with someones kids. I respect him, and, his work. Why cant people do the same?

    2. Re:Boycott Tecmo by Reignking · · Score: 1

      Gee, I wonder what the custom skins looked like for DOAX Volleyball :)

      --
      One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
    3. Re:Boycott Tecmo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apparently, if you offer a dissenting opinion, you are considered a Troll. Cmon mods, let us try to have a conversation here when people offer perfectly valid, considerate points.

    4. Re:Boycott Tecmo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...because they want to see tits.

    5. Re:Boycott Tecmo by wernercd · · Score: 1

      boycotting them isnt going to make them change their mind.

      If enough people boycott, a company WILL notice. I'm sorry, but even big companies know that bad word of mouth can hurt in the long run.

      Now. As a gamer, I personally won't buy a Tecmo game until I hear they change their practices. Why? There are so many games out there where I can personalize my experience without worrying about getting sued for it. The fact that Tecmo is clearly going against standard, ACCEPTED practices is stupid.

      Where would HL be without mods like CS? Probably no where NEAR where it is today, if alive at all. The power of letting gamers have fun with their games is happy gamers return to the games that make them happy.

      Children? He needs to understand that kids when they turn 18 are loosed upon the world and go in directions that the parents don't always 'control'... Respecting his 'kids' is fine, but telling a parent it's his right to control his 'adult' kid is stupid. (To follow the analogy that you so aptly used).

      Now if this is an Online Player with/vs Player game, I might understand if hacking is involved that changes the game for OTHER players or. But from the sounds of it, and what I remember about NinjaGaiden and the likes, it's single player madness.

      It's harmfull for someone to enjoy the games they buy? SHANAGINS! I call Shanagins! Everyone go get their brooms and pitchforks!!!

    6. Re:Boycott Tecmo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For those that are interested here is a gallery of some of the skins created at NinjaHacker.net. Some are better than others, but they were created by people who just wanted to contribute to the community of fans and provide more content to their favourite games.

      The first thing to point out about this case is that Tecmo made no indication to NinjaHacker.net that they were displeased with what they were doing. There were no firm but polite cease and desist notices or anything, Tecmo went straight for the jugular with lawsuits. While that is within their rights, it's hardly the best way to work with your fanbase is it?

      As for Itagaki's statements about considering the DOA girls to be his children, what a load of tosh! If he was so sensitive about their image, why was he so keen to put his children into skimpy bikinis and put them on the covers of his video games and in all the adverts? The FMV intros to some of the games even include obscured shots of the characters completely naked! Itagaki pimped his girls to sell his games but he gets upset when the fans start creating new costumes for them? Who's the real exploiter here?

      And before anyone points out that there was a nude patch at NinjaHacker.net, that is true but it was not the main focus of the community and it is actually a red herring in this legal battle. The actual charge is under the DMCA for reverse engineering file formats, to allow new costumes and models to be added. Is it necessary to sue these people for changing a few textures and vertices? If Tecmo had politely asked them to stop, they would have done. What sort of financial gain did NinjaHacker.net get from the modding? None. It was just fans enjoying playing around with their favourite game. You needed to buy the game to be able to mod it anyway, so I fail to see what NinjaHacker.net did that made Tecmo feel so threatened.

      Did George Lucas sue fans who dressed up as Darth Vader and made fan movies? No. Did Paramount sue Trek fans for writing slash fiction? No. Did id sue people for making new levels for Doom? No.

      For the record I'd love to play Ninja Gaiden Black, but I cannot in good conscience support a company that is so uncaring and belligerent towards its fans.

  6. I might get it if... by elhedran · · Score: 1

    ... the button to open a door isn't the same button as to hit someone.

    That bit of 'difficulty' I could live without. Fight down to one enemy left. Accidently go through the door back a room and all the enemies respawn! grr.

    I got a fair way through it, but decided that I didn't want to put up with the controls + camera anymore.

  7. Tecmo... by Taulin · · Score: 2, Insightful
    First..I might buy an XBox360 because Tecmo supports them...

    Second..Unless this game is $15 or less, I will not buy it. I have the original, and it is incredible. People do not buy 'Game of Year editions' in the PC land if they have the original...at least I don't. Can you imagine some 13 year old asking his mom to buy the same game again?!?! My mom would have slaped me!

    Third..I have not beaten the first..are those pics from the the first game? You have to fight three of those huge dudes at once?!?!

    1. Re:Tecmo... by CFTM · · Score: 1

      Dude you shouldn't let your mom slap you! You must learn to be more like Cartman "Get in the Kitchen and make me some pie!"

    2. Re:Tecmo... by Have+Blue · · Score: 1

      Firstly, the game market has grown well beyond 13-year-olds (and IIRC Ninja Gaiden is rated M anyway). Where you get your games and who pays for them is your problem; adults get to make their own decision as to whether they will buy special editions of games they already own, based solely on if they feel the additional content is worth the cost.

      Secondly, it's not really a sequel, it's more like an expansion pack that comes with a copy of the original game. The three huge dudes are from the Hurricane Packs that are already available over Xbox Live and will be included in this new version. They only appear if you play on the extra-hard difficulty that the Hurricane Pack adds.

  8. Translation... by cluke · · Score: 1

    "We didn't sell many expansion packs over Live, so we're trying to flog it again dressed up as a separate game"

    1. Re:Translation... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wasnt sold at on Live, I think it was free to all owners of the game.

    2. Re:Translation... by hollismb · · Score: 1

      Yeah dude, all the Hurricane Packs were free and part of the Master Ninja Tournament. So, for those with Xbox Live, this whoe thing doesn't even show up on the radar is something you would even consider buying since you've already got it.

  9. I'll Buy it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I dont have Live, but love Ninja Gaiden so I may just buy it.
    I think its the best game on this generation of consoles.

  10. Ninja Gaiden Black??? it can't be by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can't believe that TEAM NINJA is doing the same ninja gaiden, Ok 4 me is the best game of all current consoles, but I was specting one ninja gaiden with the power of the 360, not the current Xbox, if team ninja do this, I'M SORRY my money goes somewhere else.......

    i'm already dissapointed, bahh

    1. Re:Ninja Gaiden Black??? it can't be by illogical+hawk · · Score: 1

      I can't believe the ignorance housed in this topic. You are complaining that Team Ninja is charging for a game? What, you think they should distribute the case, boxart, and disc of Ninja Gaiden Black for free?

      Almost worse than those complaining about having to pay for a product are those who are saying that it is the same game. The original game has three difficulty levels (Normal, Hard, and Very Hard), and unlockable versions of the original three Ninja Gaiden games. That's it. If you have Xbox Live, you also have access to two Hurricane Packs, one of which is an altered campaign, and the other is a phase based arena.

      Ninja Gaiden black adds to that two new difficulty levels, Ninja Dog, for those who, as Itagaki says, "fail as a ninja", and Master Ninja, which is for the hardcore fans who have grown bored with Very Hard and Hurricane Pack 2.

      In addition to the two new difficulty levels, it has been stated that Hard, Very Hard, and Master Ninja will all feature rearranged enemy and item placements, creating an experienec much different than one offering nothing but harder enemies.

      An entire new game type, "Mission Mode, featuring anywhere from 50 to 100 missions will also be included. These are Hurricane Pack-like situations, and in fact many of them are right from the Hurrican Packs. However, a lot of the missions will be brand new.

      Finally, the game itself will fature gameplay tweaks.

      But yeah, if you consider all of that to be "the same game", then you can't be much of a fan of Ninja Gaiden in the first place. If you truly enjoyed the combat engine of the game, then the idea of fighting a Ryu Hayabusa clone should make your mouth water. New enemies and gameplay tweaks should give you plenty to digest.

      In the end, Ninja Giaden Black will offer plenty for those who own Xbox Live, and even more for those that don't. If you aren't interested in what this update provides, and still consider yourself a fan of the game, then you should reconsider what you are saying. Would you prefer they didn't give you new content?