Ryu Hayabusa returns for a second helping of slicing and dicing. It's an old-fashioned video game that appeals the player's bloodiest fascinations. Sometimes, that's a good thing.
Ninja Gaiden 2
At first glance, Ninja Gaiden II bears little resemblance to the original Nintendo series that inspired it. This new game is shinier and bloodier. There are no bottomless pits or obnoxious eagles that strike you during a crucial jump. And for good measure, the main character, Ryu Hayabusa, is dressed in black instead of blue.
At its core, however, Ninja Gaiden II isn't too different than its old-school predecessors. Like the games of yesteryear, you'll find yourself fighting level by level, facing a big, ugly boss at the end of each. Open-ended, Grand Theft Auto-like worlds -- all the rage these days -- are notably missing. Elaborate film-inspired plots? Forget about it. This one is as trite as any from the 8-bit era. In this game, all that matters is the challenge. Ninja Gaiden II is best-described as a "Gamer's Game," something that refines the formula video games have used for decades, but does little to change it.
Story Line
Rating 
You're a ninja in modern times. Your enemies are a group of zealots who want to wake up the Archfiend -- a massive, bloodthirsty demon -- and several of his minions. Worldwide chaos erupts over the course of 15 chapters, taking players from the lush forests at the foot of Mount Fiji to the cold metropolis of New York City.
Like the last game in the series, Ryu must fend off waves of enemy ninjas, demons and other nuisances with his Dragon Sword. It's easy to dismiss the fighting as button-mashing, but there is a subtlety that emerges over time. Certain button combinations work better than others depending on the player's position and on the type of surrounding enemies, and greater nuance comes from Ryu's ever-expanding arsenal, which includes a staff, a set of claws, bladed nunchuku and a massive scythe, among others.
Gameplay in Ninja Gaiden II
Rating
You can imagine the kind of gore that results from using these weapons. Ninja Gaiden II doesn't hold back in its graphic violence; each successful attack is likely to cost your enemies a limb, and at times your foes will crawl at you, missing an arm and a leg, trying to score a little more damage from the ground. Ryu can launch finishing attacks on these poor foes, striking a final jab to the heart or removing the head, and often causing some collateral damage to nearby assailants in the process. In fact, the game's fluidity often comes from using the final blow to one opponent to begin a string of attacks on another. Repulsive as it may be, there's a brutal satisfaction to be found in the clean slashes of Ryu's blade, or the distinct thud of one of his blunt weapons pulverizing flesh and bone.
Code of the Ninja
Rating 
The rules are, admittedly, not what fans of Nintendo's Ninja Gaiden might remember, the level of difficulty is the same. While this game is a little more forgiving than the last rendition, players shouldn't expect an easy ride. The road to felling Ninja Gaiden II's biggest bosses is long and hard. Like the original series, this game rewards patience and dedication. Because the plot is so uninteresting, Ninja Gaiden's payoff simply comes in knowing you beat a game that stakes its claim on difficulty.
The Down Side of Ninja Gaiden 2
Rating 
That's not to say you'll want to play Ninja Gaiden 2 to the end. The combat, a guilty pleasure to be sure, becomes repetitive halfway through the game, after about 10 hours of play, and some levels feel superfluous as a result. There are instances where the camera work disorients the player, caused by the game's desire to turn big kills into cinematic affairs. And the soundtrack, though atmospheric, is anything but memorable, especially for an Xbox 360 game that looks this good.
Images from Ninja Gaiden 2
Overall Opinion of Ninja Gaiden 2
Rating 
This holiday season, there will be -- and already have been -- games that challenge the foundations of this medium. Fable 2 takes the player's every action into account to define the main character as good or evil. World of Goo turns an ordinary physics challenge into what seems like a major humanitarian struggle. Mirror's Edge puts the player in the role of a woman on the run rather than a dominant male aggressor.
Ninja Gaiden II, instead, is just a game for the Xbox 360. It does what video games have always done, and well.
Here are some other great Xbox 360 reviews that you'll want to check out as well:
Brave A Warrior's Tale Review
Raven Squad Review: Ready for a Good RTS? You Might Move On Then
NHL 10 Xbox 360 Review
Red Faction: Demons of the Badlands for the Xbox 360