| Ninja Gaiden | |
|---|---|
| Completionist Info | |
 | |
| Episode Number | 107 |
| Date Released | October 17th, 2014 |
| Completionist Rating | Complete It! |
| Link | Ninja Gaiden |
Ninja Gaiden (NINJA外伝), known in Japan asNinja Ryūkenden (忍者龍剣伝, literally "Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword")and as Shadow Warriors in Europe, is a side-scrolling action-platforming video game. It was developed and published by TECMO for the Nintendo Entertainment System(NES); its development and release coincided with the beat 'em up arcade version of the same name. It was released in December 1988 in Japan, in March 1989 in North America, and in August 1991 in Europe. It has been ported to several other platforms, including the PC Engine, the Super NES, the Virtual Console, and mobile phones.
The story follows a ninja named Ryu Hayabusa as he journeys to America to avenge his murdered father. There, he learns that a person named "the Jaquio" plans to take control of the world by unleashing an ancient demon through the power contained in two statues. Featuring platforminggameplay similar toCastlevania and the NES version of Batman, players control Ryu through six "Acts" that comprise 20 levels; they encounter enemies that must be dispatched with Ryu's katana and other secondary weapons.
Ninja Gaiden has been renowned for its elaborate story and usage of anime-like cinematic cutscenes. It received extensive coverage and won several awards from video gaming magazines, while criticism focused on its high and unforgiving difficulty, particularly in the later levels. Over fifteen years after its release, the game continued to receive acclaim from print and online publications. It was novelized as part of the Worlds of Power NES game adaptations written by Seth Godin and Peter Lerangis, and it spawned a soundtrack CD. On the NES, Ninja Gaiden has been described as one of the best arcade-style games, and the best ninja-related game.
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The Completionist[]
Jirard reviewed Ninja Gaiden for the 107th episode of The Completionist. It's his first time playing the game, and he's well-aware of its reputation as one of the most difficult NES games of all time.
Jirard compliments the use of cutscenes to convey its story, as well as the game's use of the camera to give a better scope of gameplay than Castlevania, which Jirard compares the game to. He also praises the soundtrack as one of the best on the NES. Though he compares the game to Castlevania a lot, he feels you have more control over Ryu than with Simon Belmont. Despite this, he finds Ninja Gaiden to be harder. The lack of a completion bonus or completion goal relieves Jirard, as he wouldn't want to go for a completion incentive on top of the game's insane difficulty.
Trivia[]
- Jirard opens the video by talking about Patreon and brand deals, among other things.
- A recurring gag throughout the episode sees Greg constantly asking if Ryu in this game is the same as the character of the same name in Street Fighter.