Pros: great environment, top-notch fighting system, sticks to tried and true
Cons: enemies get repetitive, occasional annoying camera angle
The bottom line: Ninja Gaiden 2 while it doesn't really offer anything new, manages to be a very solid platformer.
Devil May Cry may have enjoyed its time as the granddaddy of 3d platform action but with the advent of Ninja Gaiden 2, it is finally time to pass the torch. Ninja Gaiden 2 expands on the first game, with more weapons, tons of gory moves, and updated graphics. With Ninja Gaiden 2, Tecmo has managed to produce one of the most satisfying and obnoxiously difficult 3d platformers to ever grace the 360.

Fountains of Blood Galore

The game has an obscene about of kill moves that result in decapitated limbs and heads, spewing blood all over the screen. If you don’t believe me just go ahead and check out screenshots for the game, which often depict protagonist Ryu Hayabusa in mid action of decapitating some hapless ninja victim, or splitting a large werewolf into three pieces.

Despite falling into the typical crime of recycling enemies to no end and forcing battles with clone after clone, the sheer depth of possible ways of mutilation manage to keep it fresh even after the 100th time. While one does wish for more enemy diversity, all the enemies are well balanced enough to give some strategic variety when fighting them in different batches.

Graphically, you’ve got some really impressive levels and plenty of nice glossy marble floors to spill blood on. While reviewers have moaned about the recycling of the old Xbox graphics engine for the game, it holds up well on the 360 thanks to the high model count often found on screen. Levels are stunningly sharp and gorgeous and quite frankly, nothing is cooler than fighting on the rooftops of futuristic Tokyo.

Saving the World from Demons While Rescuing a Pale Big-Chested Girl

Ninja Gaiden 2 isn’t going to offer you any amazing plot, but that’s Ok. It’s a 3d platformer, and the real goal of any 3d platformer is more to entertain with absurd action scenes and the occasional fan service from a hot girl. In those regards, Ninja Gaiden 2 follows well in the shadow of the DMC series, providing a skeletal and cliché story of stopping the Earth from demon infestation while saving a girl who is pretty tough herself. Despite the cheesy dialog, which at least lets you play it in Japanese without the English dubbing, it’s really quite bearable and moves the game along well enough. As I’ve said many times before, in games like this, the purpose of story is just to act as connective tissue in between levels.

Difficult Enough to Make You Weep

Most games these days are made for babies who don’t realize just how much you had to earn your way to beating games back in the day. A solid game should provide enough challenge to have the player just frustrated enough to try harder. The reward of beating a level then becomes a moment to be savored

Ninja Gaiden 2 ascribes to old school conventions of making a game so absurdly difficult that it’s almost enough to induce controller chucking followed by loud cussing. It’s the kind of game that punishes you for ignoring the BLOCK button and also reminds you that it’s a necessity from time to time when you’re getting mauled by enemies. It chastises you relentlessly for not dodging and anticipating, making the gore-fest not just button-mashing (as it has become in the newer iterations of DMC), but a graceful ballet based on quick reflexes and careful decision making. Sure after playing for a while you’ll get used to knowing what combos to use on what enemies, but you’ll always have to keep an eye out for an attack combination that easily could rip off a third off your life.

Bosses are the real highlight of Ninja Gaiden 2. They don’t make sense, they are obnoxiously large, and they all require different strategies to defeat. It can be a bit frustrating as most of these bosses are not beatable on the first try, but the game’s refusal to highlight weak points and tell you how to beat the boss, is actually a pro. It forces you to think and consider your options carefully. Sure, Ninja Gaiden 2 can get a bit agonizing after you’ve died 14x to the 2nd boss on easy mode, but trust me, when you’re done, you’ll actually feel like you’ve accomplished something.

Techno Rock Tunes to Blade-Slicing Flesh Ripping Sound Effects

Ninja Gaiden 2 is a bit less heavy metal than the Devil May Cry series, but the cool mix of techno video-game rock fits pretty well with the gameplay. The sound effects are a tremendous plus, and each slash, whack and growl adds to the atmosphere of a dismal demon-infested world. The only major disappointment is the voice-acting, which actually sucks for both the Japanese and English track (though the Japanese is marginally better), so feel free to pick your poison. It’s about the same.

Upgrading Weapons , Magic and Buying Items

Like most platformers you can collect yellow orbs as cash to buy items and upgrade weapons. The weapon selection is pretty good, but you’ll likely end up using the spear or sword for the most part, and the other ones like the sickle, hand claws, and dual swords, aren’t required. That’s kind of good because these weapons, unlike Devil May Cry, are not mandatory and you can actually skip them by accident if you are running through the game and forget to pick them up. There are also ranged projectiles like exploding darts and bows and arrows, but these weapons don’t need to be used nearly as much, though they provide some room for comboing and taking out ranged creatures with greater efficiency. Lastly, there are items in the game, herbs and extra lives that cost a ton of cash but are a precious commodity as you’ll find yourself probably consuming loads of them against boss battles.

Magic is another option for attack and they sometimes can be useful for getting out of a tough situation because they make you temporarily invulnerable while casting. The spells are also graphically cool with only the lack of control on most spells being the only downer.

Conclusion

With plenty of missions, a wide selection of bosses, a great battle system that emphasizes careful and deliberate play without button mashing, Ninja Gaiden 2 provides an excellent platform experience that is probably unmatched on the 360. The game keeps gameplay frustrations down as you cannot fall off platforms, and the only real rough spots come from typical annoyances of an awkward camera angle, or the occasional annoying wall-run and jump (ala Prince of Persia style). The downfalls are minute though compared to the solid presentation of gore and ninja-style, and I’d easily recommend this as a must-own for any 360 fan that likes God of War or Devil May Cry.