Master Ninja
May 14, 2008
When I started the game log, I expected there would be a large gap in time from the start of the project to my next completed game, as the massive Grand Theft Auto IV was at the top of my queue. Well, GTAIV has been taking even longer than expected, partly because the “other” game I was playing usurped GTA’s place and became my primary game. That game was Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for Nintendo DS, which I completed last night. It’s everything that the opening hours of GTAIV isn’t: fast-paced, vital, intuitive and just plain fun. It’s also the most interesting DS game I’ve played in a long while.
I’ve long held the opinion that Team Ninja’s head honcho Tomunobu Itagaki is one of the most overrated game creators out there. His flagship Dead or Alive series is practically the same game re-released with new titles, and until the sequel comes out next month, all three entries in the Ninja Gaiden console franchise are literally the same game. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ninja Gaiden/Ninja Gaiden Black/Ninja Gaiden Sigma – they’re superbly polished action games. They also lack any particular innovation. Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, on the other hand, is the perfect type of system exclusive: It is perfectly tailored to the DS’s unique features and is just a damn fun game.
By combining fluid touch-screen combat and movement with a vertical orientation and occasional use of the microphone, Team Ninja has created a title that uses every single unique feature of the Nintendo DS. This is a game that simply could not be ported to another system without losing something. I have yet to play any DS game remotely like it – no other title I’ve seen can match the smoothness or speed of its action. That doesn’t mean the game is without flaws – there are too few enemy types, certain attacks can be abused, and nothing save the final boss felt all that challenging. I didn’t have a problem with the five-hour length, but I can see that being an issue for many given the price. Short campaign aside, I’d recommend Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword both to gamers seeking a unique experience and to developers looking for examples of how to make a truly inspired DS title.
