Ninja Gaiden Trilogy
a game by | Tecmo |
Genres: | Action, Adventure/RPG |
Platform: | SNES |
Editor Rating: | 7/10, based on 2 reviews |
User Rating: | 7.0/10 - 2 votes |
Rate this game: | |
See also: | Ninja Games |
If you think Ryu Hayabusa is that Street Fighter dude, turn in your card for the video game ninja club now! In the name of retro gaming, the Ninja Gaiden Trilogy revives a sword-slinging classic in a three-games-in-one.
Trilogy contains the three 8-bit NES Gaiden games: Ninja Gaiden, NGII: The Dark Sword of Chaos and NG III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. Nothing's changed, nothing's different. NES vets will get a kick out this game. Players hungry for new 16-bit thrills may want to just kick the game.
ProTips:
- In Gaiden III, grab the power-sword icon. It's the best all-purpose weapon.
- In Gaiden II, the wind does tricky things on several levels. Use it to your advantage to bust long-range Jumps.
The Blue Ryu
Ninja Gaiden is a blast even if it is from the past. The series helped define the side- view action/adventure genre with fast-paced, finger-pumping swordplay.
Moreover, the intriguing story line spans the three games. Youngblood ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, is out to avenge his father's death, but runs into the CIA and an ancient cult of demonic bad guys. The rest is video game history.
Chop 'Till You Drop
The cut-and-run action is virtually the same in all three games. Ryu mows a path through hordes of creatures and assassins in order to face off with bruising boss creatures at the end of every level. For additional mystic firepower, he can chop down icons for special ninja magic, such as spinning fire wheels and throwing stars.
The gameplay shows its age in the controls, and sometimes guiding Gaiden's a chore. It's easy to leap onto walls, but it's tough to leap off them. You also can't jump and turn around in midair for rearguard action.
The graphics are 8-bit all the way. The sprites are small, but quick animation propels the action. The variety of enemies and attention to visual detail remains impressive. Ryu's foes include hockey-masked thugs, kimono-dad weasel things, and the scariest of all -- Elvis impersonators.
The sounds are just all right. The highlight is typically tinny 8-bit tunes that make for minimal audio appeal with variety and energy.
We'll Be Seeing Ryu
After firing up this game, one can only wonder why Tecmo chose not to do Gaiden in a 16- bit format. At least for now, Ryu wannabes can revive some ninja-fighting skills and take heart in rampant rumors of a Ninja Gaiden for the next-generation systems.
- In Gaiden I, you must jump back and forth between structures to move upward.
- Gaiden bosses suffer a basic 8-bit weakness: repetitive fighting patterns. Attack-move- attack is the usual move set.
- Learning to Jump from edges of ledges is a basic skill that you must master. Press Up to climb as far as you can, then quickly press Away from the edge, Jump, and Toward the edge.
Download Ninja Gaiden Trilogy
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
- Pentium II (or equivalent) 266MHz (500MHz recommended), RAM: 64MB (128MB recommended), DirectX v8.0a or later must be installed
Game Reviews
People say:
I must admit that I was wishing that Tecmo would have improved the graphics, but after a few trips down memory lane, f was hooked back on one of my favorite series. The action is just as intense as ever, and the music is sweet. The cinemas have been redrawn as well. The effect of the new graphics will make you drool. If only Tecmo worked on the rest of the game. Three games on one cart is a great deal. For those of you who missed out, try playing these classics.
Three games in one cartridge? And there's no change to the graphics or music? Who thought this one up? Ninja Gaiden Trilogy is a unique idea, but Tecmo really should have enhanced the looks to improve it (like Nintendo did with Super Mario All-Stars). There is no breakup in the graphics like in the days of 8-Bit. but it wasn't that much of a problem. If your dog ate your 8-Bit collection and NG went with it, this might be worth picking up. Otherwise, I'd pass.
I was so happy to hear that the entire NG series was coming to the Super NES. But to my disappointment, Ninja Gaiden Trilogy only turned out to be an exact port-over with no noticeable enhancements in graphics, sound and play control, although the play control was already excellent on the NES version. This game would have gotten a higher score if work had been done on a new story, improved graphics and sound and advanced techniques. Still, not bad ... I guess.
Okay, the classic NES game of Ninja Gaiden does bring back some fun memories, but I really wish they had reworked the game rather than a straight port. Unlike the Mega Man series, the game seems virtually unchanged in both graphics and sound. If you're into nostalgia, this will be a fun game, but otherwise, it is a little weak for today's times. Still, fans of the series can't deny the addictive nature and the pure value of three games for the price of one.