A Review of Modern Ninja Gaiden

[@NinjaReyman]

This is my favorite game series (obviously) but some aspects have not aged well. Projectile spam PTSD is real

[@JameboHayabusa]

Sup bro. I heard you liked exploding shurikens.

[@billyboleson2830]

Explosive kunai are definition of Itagaki nonsense

[@mthsdcs]

Didn't Sigma fix that?

[@XenojinHayabusa615]

@@mthsdcs nnnnnnnnope

[@moistman3110]

I found it funny how many of his problems were fixed in the Sigma games. People always try to say that vanilla 2 was harder too, but it really wasn't. Play Sigma 2 on Warrior, and it's much harder than vanilla 2, and it looks and runs better to boot. The main reason is that most people somehow ignore that despite not throwing excess enemies at you, they make the enemies, and especially the bosses, much stronger. They don't become damage sponges, but they don't get killed in single hits like in vanilla. The only reason you have to go to a higher difficulty is because they wanted to make the game more accessible to people who aren't as good at games, so they made lower difficulties much easier, which I respect. Vanilla 2 always felt cheap to me because they didn't actually create difficulty outside of overwhelming you with sheer numbers. It was lazy. On top of that, despite there being so many enemies, it always felt only half way satisfying since they got torn apart so easily. Sigma always gets shit on, yet it only exists to fix the problems the original had. Excessive and weak enemies isn't good, especially when it bugs down the game and makes everything run in slowmotion half the time. The enemies literally broke the game, and they weren't any harder for it. Vanilla 2 was cheap, forcing you to play solely by using UT on higher difficulties, while sigma let you play how you want, while feeling more focused. Sigma also fixed the braindead annoying shit that was the bow and arrow, as well as giving you infinite arrows so you don't have to constantly pick up more. Sigma has always been a more pristine game. I truly think most people deny it solely because NG was originally an xbox only game, and it's garnered a fanbase of xbox fans who have never played sigma. I'm just saying, I guarantee if sigma 2 came out originally, then vanilla 2 was released as sigma, everybody would hate still gate on sigma, solely because it wasn't the original. The ninja gaiden fanbase is, sadly, truly cancer.

[@EvanJamesAudio]

I play tested Ninja Gaiden 2 for difficulty tuning on hard mode way back in the day, and I spent a full 6 hours on the final boss before they bothered to tell me he was broken and impossible to complete. Thank god the rest of the game was such a cakewalk.

[@zeekia0733]

@The Deadpool Who Chuckles. because you weren't a play tester

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

I prefer to imagine that those 6 hours were in one sitting in a room with one of those fake mirror window things. And the devs were sitting on the other side eating popcorn watching you bash your head against an impossibly hard wall before they started to feel bad.

[@EvanJamesAudio]

@@haruhirogrimgar6047 The funny thing is they did make small changes to that fight before it released. There are different checkpoints, it no longer requires you to beat the final level in basically two long stretches. It also no longer gates progression so you can't resupply for the last fight if you happen to be completely out of items (as was my case, SUPER FUN TO TRY WITH NO HEALING ITEMS). But that armadillo....I have a very clear memory of killing him and dying afterward from the death explosion 3 or 4 times, and putting in my notes that it was some egregious bullshit. That made it into the final game XD

[@av4010]

@@EvanJamesAudio that is very interesting. Do you have any other interesting things you could share? Like maybe other things that were changed like enemies or levels?

[@EvanJamesAudio]

@@av4010 not that much tbh. I played a game that was probably 95+ percent complete in terms of content, it was a matter of tweaking small things. They knew the game was sadistic and hilariously difficult. I really only remember that last section well because i replayed it SO. MANY. TIMES. Otherwise only the spider boss fight in the cramped little room (KBash has some footage of it, specifically where he shows the framerate CHUG) gave me a really hard time. I find the games legacy (being notoriously unfair) deeply hilarious, given my (very small) role in all this.

[@Entropic_Alloy]

The thing about the "Ryu is bad because he kills dudes," storyline in 3 is that it is treating him like some sort of psychopathic serial killer, but he isn't murdering innocent civilians or anything. He kills demons and evil soldiers/ninjas. He isn't doing anything "wrong."

[@BowenEros-gt8gn]

The point is killing is never good. The story arc is a reminder that a true path is a peaceful fun. It's a bitter sweet concept that he has to kill, yet has remorse. It's not even just that he has "killed only bad people" it's that the sword (and even modern day myth says killing someone means they are a slave in the afterlife. You take a man's life, you literally took it) absorbs their essence. He's been wielding a sword housing the evil essence of countless enemies. It has an effect on him. The "only killing bad people" can be just an excuse to deny his bloodlust, which he fears he may have due to being an arch fiend descendant. Isn't that the same dilemma as Daredevil and Batman? Sure they beat up people "who deserve it" but its portrayed that there is something within them that is violent or even enjoys it in a sick way. Evil people can still have families and there is always the idea that things could have been handled differently. And demons can also be fallen spirits of Man or Angels. Ninja are a paradox. Sure they are killers, but theyre also philosophers and question what they do, even if justified.

[@JIMT412]

@@BowenEros-gt8gn I remember Rachel saying something like "no matter you're a Sinner or Saint, the Dark Dragon Blade become you a Fiend" Alma herself was a kind person and she became a Major Fiend. Hell, Rachel doubt to kill her, showing you even Demon Hunters have weak spots. And yes, killing them free it from their demonic form, but you need to kill them, this demons aren't like DMC or Bayonetta's series that their a species apart from humans, their humans turn in to demons, and yes, DMC show humans becoming demons, but their conserve their conscious and memories, and is not a fully demon form is just a transformation like a Super Saiyan.

[@paavokokko]

@@BowenEros-gt8gn why is this in a ninja gaiden game though? Tecmo wants me to return the game?

[@DSan-kl2yc]

Except that first training mission where he kills for no reason during a training exercise

[@JIMT412]

@@paavokokko You can either pay attention to this or just ignore it, it work both ways. Like any hack and slash game, the story is just an additional.

[@FranklinGervacio]

Dude Alma in the original is the first time in my life I remember wanting to cry and throw a controller a tv. Shouted for joy when I finally killed her by accident lol

[@tekgeekster]

I know exactly how you feel

[@cartoonvideos5]

Alma is easy.

[@davgyyou1554]

I know how you feel bro

[@tekgeekster]

@@cartoonvideos5 When you figure out the pattern, yeah. Definitely

[@ちーさ-t6u]

@@cartoonvideos5 after a couple times

[@edgelord8337]

Ninja gaiden: *thumb breaking, difficult, and violent* Wow sounds like a game for me.

[@shallawmuhammad468]

Play them on master ninja, you will break your thumbs and your controller too 🤣

[@joshthechosen0124]

Yeah boi

[@makotoyuki345]

Yeah I like ninja gaiden too even have Ryu as one of my mains in DOA

[@30yovegan34]

Wow this Ninja Gaiden game sounds like the Dark Souls of Ninja games.

[@franciscofarias6385]

username checks out

[@ZhouTie47]

I loved the staircase fight so much towards the end of NG2, just the amount of trash enemies they allow you to tear through is amazing, coating the entire staircase red in the process.

[@404cp]

Never before have I wanted any game to have a save point as I did after I did the stairway on master ninja. I just want a save point there so I can load and do that fight over and over. It really was the high point of the game for me.

[@ukigaumaukigauma2032]

I actually feel like the slow down during that point made it even better, because you can see every bit of the attack animations and they're not glitchy at all

[@megyumiyoshi1062]

@@ukigaumaukigauma2032 yeah dude, the frame drop is actually useful and quite fun in that part

[@boramsey5122]

So much replay value on that level...

[@gamble777888]

And everyone points to this part as a reason why NG2 sucks, because it slows down. I thought it was so cool at the time that the system couldn't keep up with the action. I know it sounds crazy but I miss the slowdown in that section playing on the new systems, as at full speed it really is almost impossible to tell wtf is going on.

[@dogearflopper7011]

3:52 "The ghost fish, and whoever designed them in particular, can go explode." This line got me. Something about the line read, the pacing, the word "explode," makes it so goofy and evocative. Good shit.

[@trevormeme1959]

Once again Kbash has come to bless us

[@just-some-random-homie-0185]

The Izuna Drop most satisfying move In Hack & Slash history.

[@deeznutscragmiar6968]

I agree snake eyes

[@thegameshowgame9107]

Ninja Gaiden Black is one of the best games ever made. The devs give you a palate of paint (weapons) and a variety of canvases (enemies) and say, “go ahead, paint whatever you want!”. There’s no “you must kill this enemy with this one weapon and combo”. It’s very similar to Battletoads. Where the main character is fragile, but in the hands of a skilled player, they can be unstoppable and almost seem overpowered. It’s the player that’s “overpowered”, never the character. I wish you mentioned the unlabored flawlessness. The fact the most powerful weapon in the game only does full damage at near death, is really the ultimate reward. If you’re good enough, you can crush the game. If you’re not, you won’t last a minute. I hear your negative points about it, but the music, the incredible art direction, animations, and the gameplay are unrivaled even today. Loved your presentation!

[@JuliusCaesar103]

One of the best games of all time, without a doubt

[@DUBSDADEVILL]

My brother I can tell you are also MASTER NINJA as am I.

[@assassinonprozac]

If you throw shuriken canceling into that you essentially have the tools to create the Mona Lisa.

[@MaddisonBaek]

>There’s no “you must kill this enemy with this one weapon and combo”. Chopper and tanks say hi.

[@agreedboarart3188]

Sounds like every hack and slash game ever made.

[@LinksDarkside1080]

Loving these longer analysis videos. Awesome work!

[@Next-xm2dh]

After Playing These Games I Started To Hate Anything That Looks Like a Rocket Launcher Or Can Shoot Rockets, also Izuna Drop Is One Of the Most Satisfying Moves To Pull Off In Any Game

[@playboydojo]

There was that one part in NG2 where you had to run across the water to the enemies while multiple ninjas were shooting cluster rockets. That's where my Master Ninja attempt died. Couldn't do it. In NG3RE, everything shoots rockets and one of the bosses was pissing a constant stream of rockets in two of his three phases. They really got obnoxious with how much SoB, kunai climb and rockets were in that game.

[@Next-xm2dh]

@@playboydojo That Swimming Section With The Search Lights And Robots In 2 Is Also A Pain In the Ass

[@theresnothinghereatall]

whY arE yoU typinG likE thaT iT jusT lookS reallY weirD. yoU shoulD typE normallY likE thiS.

[@coloryournight]

Stop typing that way

[@Sheikah_Architect]

@@theresnothinghereatall It's Because Every Word Is A Pronoun Or Proper-Whatever Part Of Speech That Makes It More Important So The Sentence Can Go Off In Evey Direction. Like Sentence, for example. What *is* a sentence, after all? Could it be we're all living a sort of prison sentence...?

[@joaogomes9405]

Dude, a dead Game Grumps playthrough is really not a very effective example of a playthrough killer game, especially since anyone who watched that series was fully expecting it to die by episode 5. You can't expect someone as stubborn and obstinate as Arin to get far in a game that demands you observe first and act second, not run around like a moron first and think never.

[@Darek_B52]

If I had one complaint about the game grumps it's that watching them play can be painful at times.

[@VergilSFD]

I fully agree. At least they will always have their brand of humor to fluff up the performance.

[@wonderguardstalker]

Christ this comment is embarassing

[@hanmaitagaki8583]

Watch Dangavster if you want great ninja gaiden gameplay 👍🏻💯

[@tdsm99]

@@wonderguardstalker Why is that?

[@TheCosmicUprise]

Imagine if ninja gaiden got the devil may cry 5 treatment

[@VergilSFD]

CosmicUprise Ninja Gaiden 3.

[@tekkaman65535]

The reason they got Masato Kato to write NG3 is because the original NES NG was his first game. He was credited as Runmaru, and it's kind of pivotal because NES NG was one of the first games with a real story with fleshed out cutscenes and plot twists and whatnot.

[@jknintendo]

I'm actually kinda sad you didn't mention Dragon Sword, that game somehow emulates the Ninja Gaiden combat flow seamlessly onto a *touch screen.* If that isn't proof that Ninja Gaiden combat is top notch, I don't know what is.

[@RomanticViper]

Underrated comment. That game was what DS developers dreamed of achieving and seldom ever did.

[@etiennelatour]

You totally reminded me of this game. I've had a DS emulator on my top for MONTHS and I haven't played dragon sword. Getting it from Vimm's as we speak.

[@dr4c0blade]

Who's here after the Master Collection announcement?

[@thuggeegaming659]

"Modern" Ninja Gaiden doesn't exist. We haven't had a modern NG game since the X360 era.

[@bizmonkey007]

Nioh arguably carries on the spirit of Ninja Gaiden

[@nash-p]

Ninja Gaiden Sigma is the only Ninja Gaiden. Yes I meant what I said, and don't talk to me unless you've beaten Alma with only the wooden sword

[@spooky0407]

@@nash-p Ninja Gaiden Black is better than Sigma

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

@@nash-p yikes

[@MrCrowley2474]

@@nash-p Someone spent a lot of time on a pointless thing and now feels the need to justify their poor decision making...

[@qwetroop]

man you've been going hard lately thanks for all the A+ content bro

[@blackdragoncyrus]

I always found games like Nioh and Sekiro easier than NG. Also go play the Trails games.

[@Next-xm2dh]

More people Need To Know About Best Girl Estelle

[@guilhermecardoso2365]

just beat sky and now going through zero, amazing series.

[@blackdragoncyrus]

@@guilhermecardoso2365 Hell yeah~

[@lilbladeknight]

a lot of people never touched those game because they werent given the mass promotion(?) I mean they werent talked about much being hard as oppose to the soulsbornes.

[@caliburnblade7895]

Even with bell demon and without kuro' s charm?

[@HarbingerH]

Beating Jin Hayabusa in Nioh made me excited for the possibility of a GOOD Ninja Gaiden 4. Let’s face it, Nioh will never be as good as Ninja Gaiden Black and 2 were back in the day.

[@LINKchris87]

NiOh 2 is very close to the quality of NG Black and 2 imho.

[@isaacsussman5632]

They arent trying to be the same kind of game. What the hell do you think the point you're making is?

[@HarbingerH]

Matteo Leonardi That’s not the point. I’m talking about the level of quality. NGB was a milestone in gaming and is remembered fondly by thousands. I’ll wait here until any Nioh game does that.

[@isaacsussman5632]

@@HarbingerH ah. So the old popular=good. Thats not how this shit works man. Otherwise call of duty would be better than both Nioh and NG combined.

[@HarbingerH]

@@isaacsussman5632 Your analogy is literally reversed. In this case, Nioh would be CoD. It's more popular than NG, clearly. NGB is popular because it's too good, but Nioh sold better.

[@tenryuublackrose2176]

fun fact the modern ninja gaiden games were made so over the top tough because the testers complained about it being too hard ao it was made even harder lol.

[@LeRepulseBR]

That doesn't make sense

[@notproductiveproductions3504]

@@LeRepulseBR Itegaki already had the balance put their, testers were just complaining they couldn’t see it so he punished them

[@MrSquiy]

So thats why there so cheap instead of difficult

[@stormysoup1083]

@@LeRepulseBRtesters complained about NG04 being too hard so it was made harder out of spite

[@mthsdcs]

8:38 yes, you should. The Ninja Gaiden fandom seem so infatuated with the older versions of the game that they ignore the merits and improvements of Sigma, which are comparatively more focused and balanced than the X-Box ones, despite also having flaws, obviously.

[@Ro-fw3lc]

NGS2 was just a huge botch,anyone who's played both games will know that

[@NihilisticIdealist]

>Sigma >improvement The Sigma games are easier and inferior ports of the vanilla versions.

[@mthsdcs]

@@Ro-fw3lc what did they botch?

[@cartoonvideos5]

@@Ro-fw3lc So making a game playable, balancing it, adding content, and not running like an absolute piece of shit is botching?

[@cartoonvideos5]

@@mthsdcs nothing, fanboys are just missing their brains.

[@DarkstalkerZero]

Great video as always, coming right after Summoning Salt's speedrunning video

[@TheCivildecay]

Dark souls: The ninja gaiden of rpg's!

[@devilbuster20xx37]

0:25 And apparently really hates Tekken.

[@alexanderosborne8778]

The funny story about that is he only hates Tekken because Harada (series lead) said something about how female Dead or Alive characters are designed like sex dolls

[@mannyoftheeast3318]

@@alexanderosborne8778 Was he in support of it? Harada was in support of it?

[@Kimosabes2hot]

I'm feeling so spoiled with all these KBash uploads

[@shishioh]

He didn't review the Sigma series due to people telling him not to, yet it fixed a lot of the stuff he's complaining about. He even SAYS SO at one point. A lesson in fandumb. Maybe this is why we can't have another Ninja Gaiden game. Or even a re-release for that matter.

[@cartoonvideos5]

So true. Ninja Gaiden Fanboys are dumb af.

[@lilmurfer]

Back in 2008, there were many threads of these fanboys bashing Sigma on many gaming sites. These guys oughta be grown ass dudes today and yet it still happens.

[@frogradar]

I only ever owned a sony console, and Ninja Gaiden sigma 2 was my first Ninja Gaiden game and I loved it. NG:Black and NG2 xbox players are just massive wankers who just want to gate-keep the game.

[@Dimiblossom]

And we are getting sigmas again haha

[@amateurdisappointment1450]

To this day lmao they still like that also master collection out in 3 days!

[@TheAshura858]

The original version of ninja gaiden 2 is by far my favorite, is super insane and over the top

[@JameboHayabusa]

SO a fun fact about DMC3 and Ninja Gaiden 2. The "normal" (path of the ninja) difficulties in the western releases, were actually the hard difficulties in the Japanese releases. So our easy mode was in essence, the normal difficulty. So if you managed to beat NG2 on path of the mentor, congrats, you beat the game on it's original highest difficulty. Path of the Master Ninja is the same as Path of the Ultimate Ninja in Sigma 2, although the original NG2 Path of the Master Ninja is still the hardest challenge you can get of it.

[@Duskets]

5:28 That transition was clean as fuuuuuuck

[@TheCamperISBACK]

I think I look forward to how you read the patrons more than the videos now, but great video as always! Thanks for your hard work, your reviews and thoughts are always balanced and refreshing compared to the big names out there.

[@JayJayYUP]

The NGB Soundtrack is just straight fire

[@theneonmatrix1794]

Ive watched basically all your videos and been around for about a year and a half now and your content has always been great man keep doing your thing

[@billyboleson2830]

Wayyyyyy better then Cvits review. Points for not constantly bringing up DMC

[@cartoonvideos5]

Fanboys like you are mad that he's right

[@billyboleson2830]

@@cartoonvideos5 I mean I'm not denying Cvits points lol, just that things like "muh lock on" aren't that big of a deal. He's completely right about the bosses being not great

[@cartoonvideos5]

@@billyboleson2830 The lock on was a little silly.

[@thegentlemen2208]

If you didnt know, if you press the right stick in black, you can move the camera except the left and right are reversed

[@gaidenrocx1]

At 4:40 you are critiquing jumps that you are doing wrong by yourself, the drone copters first must be shot down to proceed further. Secondly the stone wall jump is also very easy you are just doing the wrong way. So please criticise the game for real flaws instead of making them up to get your point across

[@jf_paes1589]

For all the flaws that Vanilla Ninja Gaiden 2 has, you gotta respect the unwavering commitment Itagaki had to his vision, he knew exactly what he wanted and he stuck to it, no compromises, even if the console started shitting itself.

[@gilbertgonzalez9668]

I installed it on 360 and I had no framerate drops outside of the infamous stairway segment. Perhaps it's a cached/non-cached issue?

[@hemangchauhan2864]

I think most of your critiques for NG1 would have been a feature for Itagaki, I remember he trashed Sigma's QoL changes.

[@av4010]

that's pretty ironic considering NGB itself had improved QoL changes from 2004 lol.

[@shinbakihanma2749]

Sigma 1 and 2 are both trash, that's why Itagaki trashed them.

[@cartoonvideos5]

@@shinbakihanma2749 lmao the creator of Devil's Turd trashing on games doesn't have much merit, unfortunately...

[@leeyin8937]

@@cartoonvideos5 But that creator also created NG1, Black and 2 which are way superior than Sigma games so it does have some merit fortunately.

[@FarnhamTheDrunk1]

@@cartoonvideos5 if u would know WHY devils third is in the state it is, u wouldnt have said that... it wasnt itagakis fault at all... the fact that he salvaged it and even managed to release it is a miracle in itself... 2 publishers went bankrupt and just dropped him in the process without informing him, watch a vid about it, its amazing how much he got fucked by all, to the point he said he will never make games again... sad story...

[@marky3609]

If you play Ninja Gaiden 2 on an Xbox Series X it doesn't drop any frames and all those sections play at a locked 60FPS in 4K no less it's amazing

[@DeanH92]

People who complain about the camera probably don't realise you can reset it with the right trigger.

[@wawfleu]

Favorite retrospective reviewer out here

[@DandyCaballero]

Ah hell yes~ ninja gaiden series review~ thank you~

[@davgyyou1554]

Wtf is happening i'm actually playing ninja gaiden and then this pops out in my recommended xD hahah

[@randomnesity9]

Ik was literally playing it yesterday

[@audiovisual51]

Same lol

[@davgyyou1554]

@@audiovisual51 lol xD

[@katkosmos]

I bought an NES to play through (or at least get as far in each as possible, currently on 3-2 on the first game) the original trilogy recently lol

[@Palpatineandfriends]

NG3 was trash. The fact it originally came with just 1 original weapon was just pathetic.

[@Aodhan_Raith]

The storyline, and writing direction of it were also fucking dogshit.

[@paperluigi6132]

@@Aodhan_Raith I heard that most of that was fixed in Razor's Edge.

[@WAyuso34]

@@paperluigi6132 it was

[@kazoomer4373]

@@paperluigi6132 yeah but, it was still bland and bullshit tho. The damage was already done.

[@zaymac117]

And NG3 was the most underwhelming conclusion in the entire trilogy.

[@caylanangelfshh0001]

The Nostalgia of Playin Ninja Gaiden Black had to go thru like 5 controllers to beat the game because i legit broke the analog stick doin wild ninja shit.

[@Ramsey276one]

22:50 yeahnoproblem...

[@Robpoolgaming]

Ninja Gaiden 2 and Devil May cry 4. My classic favorite games. Sigh.. 2008 era..

[@weskerwaldorf2824]

The intro alone earns my sub. Good job!

[@giglymeshtalrac]

have you covered the Onimusha series? Would you be against doing so if you haven't?

[@moistman3110]

Ok wait. You don't like Genshin or Doku because they're formulaic and can be beaten by abusing their attack patterns, yet you also don't like The Regent for the opposite reason? I'm so confused. I get not liking either one of those types of fights, but not both. That makes it start to seem like you're critiquing facets of the games solely to critique them, as if you have no intention of liking them. Also, I think you have a misconception of The Regent. The whole point of him is that he's supposed to feel unchoreographed and raw, meaning you can't simply win by abusing an attack window and taking half his life, which is something you had a problem with in past fights. You instead are forced to learn what he can do, and get really good at dodging, and quickly and swiftly counter attacking. It's not easy, but that's the point. I can see how it may feel random if you were used to past NG fights, but once you understand what they're going for, it's really quite straightforward and visceral, making it one of, if not the most enjoyable and most well designed of any NG boss. I figured you'd love that fight since it's the polar opposite of a, once learned, by the books fight like Doku/Genshin, but you don't because it's. . . different? Coming from that alone, either Ninja Gaiden in general just isn't for you, or you had a grave misunderstanding of the regent fight, and somehow beat it without ever understanding what you were doing. I'd reckon you were so used to choreographed fights that when you reached one that wasn't, you froze up and started button mashing, realizing that you'd come to like and gotten too reliant on the old style. You simply failed to realize that it's a different game, and you can't always rely on old tricks. For the record, I'm not defending everything about NG3, but the things it does do right, like the nightmare Ryu and regent fights, should be praised.

[@lynararosewater923]

I'm still disappointed in myself for not finishing NG1. I nearly got to the end of the city where hell was supposed to open up, but those damn spider clan ninjas burned all my items and I couldn't finish the level. Whenever 3 or more of those guys showed up I ended up with a headache and bruised thumbs.

[@jocoolshow]

That's why you make multiple save states

[@gap1152]

@@jocoolshowr i am currently playing ng1 with 3 different saves and one of them being the main one 😂 but i’ve been stuck on the boss of the statue lady that then burns in the lava and turns into a collection of skulls. still trying to beat it right now as i type this lol. but i had ng1 for the ps3 and never got this far so i’m proud of myself lol

[@GaryJojo]

One very fond memory I have of the Ninja Gaiden games was when I was coming home one day from school and some of my freinds was playing Black for the first time. I remember this because I told my friend to watch out for the ninjas. After getting destroyed and left on little health, they had me the controller. I just tell them to put on the nunchucks and then I just got to town on them. Dodging and blocking exploding kunai and combining them one after the other and they never even touched me. It was that moment that made a fan of this series. And it was Ninja Gaiden 2 that made me fall in love with the absurdity of the series. I especially fell in love with the frame rate drop section because in my mind I thought I was doing so well killing so many enemies that the game couldn't handle me. And I remember just staying in that area for as long as I could just to see how many more bodies I could pile up. Then 3 happened and I've never been more let down.

[@CradleOfJohn]

The 3D era of the Ninja Gaiden Trilogy I found hard but occasionally forgiving at times. As someone who played alot of Nioh, Sekiro and the Souls games, I had an easier time getting use to Ninja Gaidens combat and actually find the trilogy easier in comparison to Sekiro. Nioh and the Souls game. Fastforward to today after getting Sekiro on launch, I can say that I am still struggling with Sekiro but am still slowly progressing the more I come back to it.

[@dantethebloodedge2485]

Finally some Kbash content

[@Ineedgames]

Every day I prey for a new Ninja Gaiden

[@Deimos_Fresh]

If I remember correctly, the Flying Swallow was nerfed in Black, since in original you could've simply kill with it's most of the game. I've personally beat NGB on Master Ninja difficulty. After how badly Alma punished me on Very Hard, I've finally understand how to properly play the game and Master Ninja was mostly easy for me. I just love this game a lot. Sadly to this day a barely managed to get trough Master Ninja path in Ninja Gaiden 2. Things it throws is overwhelming, but I did managed to beat Alexei and on my way to get Water Dragon. Definitely the best and most satisfying action I ever experienced in this genere. Always make sure to shake the blood off of my weapons. And Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge. I actually think it pretty okay despite how much wrong was done. No proper healing is the most annoying thing and the fact that every enemy is buffed like in Sigma 2. They could've at least make only 3-5 enemies to fight you, but no. We have NG2 amount of enemies with Sigma 2 level of health to deal with. It's kinda ridiculous, but I did managed to overcome Master Ninja difficulty, so maybe I'm just didn't get it. Currently stuck on Ultimate Ninja's Day 2 end boss. I have to point out that I play Wii U version and from what I've seen on the internet, XBOX 360/PS3 is much easier and have some easy exploits with Eclipse Scythe. Also multiplayer was fun stuff back then. It wasn't perfect, but coop and versus modes was equally entertaining. I guess it's also worth mentioning Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for Nintendo DS. Yeah, Ninja Ryukenden is my all-time favorite series. At least original trilogy and Itagaki games.

[@NihilisticIdealist]

NG2 is great, but Black is still the better game. Mostly because it's better balanced, and has stronger boss fights.

[@stefan020290]

I finished ng 2 on master ninja once and would do that never again. I cheesed a lot of the enemies with simple tactics (the air spinning attack of the scythe has some really long invincibility frames) and it wasn't really fun to play anymore. Some enemies just plain suck, like the orange claw ninja who spam the explosive kunai without pause or the stupid dogs, although worst one is the rapid fire rocket launcher enemy. The projectile enemies always let the fighting come to a complete pause. You better kill them the moment they spawn, or you are gonna regret it and they will definitely mess up your combos. Like it was said in the review, I still love it and would buy an Xbox plus the game again to experience it once more (the combat and gore are just so satisfying), but never Master Ninja again.

[@pineal0ptics928]

Man I remember that alma boss fight, was so happy when I finally beat her

[@trippytrinder7111]

Your channel is so underrated. Get ready for it to blow up with subscribers one day soon.

[@GambitRaps]

2:22 You implying my mom isn’t an elite gamer?

[@kages1311]

who's voice is that with the crunchy mic?

[@TekkenOnlineFights]

15:58 why is Rasputin here haha made me laugh dude 😂

[@sandwormleto3358]

One of my favourite KZbinrs making a video on one of my favourites game series

[@caycay9312]

Okay the series of NG has always been a joy to me. Challenging, hell yes. Impossible to beat, not at all. I enjoyed Black to death. NG2 though....okay hear me out. The game is beautiful; Sure they aren't any real interactions with objects but the game itself is amazing to look at. The bosses though ESPECIALLY GIGADEATH...can go fuck itself. I died ssooo much on Gigadeath...so much torture. The rest of the series though felt kinda relaxing except for surprise "Fuck you's" out of nowhere but I'll take that rather than any boss previously. Great video as usual, KBash.

[@csl9495]

Best combat controls in my opinion. The integration of all the acrobatics, different fight moves... its excellent

[@GigaGom]

This was wonderfully done. I'd love hear your thoughts on the Strider series.

[@willroberts2071]

The XBox One X breathed new life into Ninja Gaiden 2

[@bobmus6241]

"devs are extremely straight." Uh Ryu is wearing a skin tight suit, and muscles don't get that big. It's just a game bruh. Gotta look at it from both sides.

[@Ramsey276one]

The ladies are PLAYABLE??

[@kaorimiyazono9226]

@@Ramsey276one Yes. On Ninja gaiden Sigma 1 and 2 and Ninja gaiden 3 Razors edge. Or dead or alive series. : p

[@Artersa]

Just wanna add... Flying Swallow is meant to be used by new players and fairy quickly thrown away. You’re actually at a bigger advantage when you bounce off of someone because of the on landing status (instant charging when you press Y on the ground). Also, the camera can be clicked to make it turntable like all action games. Click the right thumb stick. Yeah that’s a jank.

[@Melly16yr10]

To be honest i'm very fond of the way they took Ryu in Razors Edge and like the story a lot to. It may have been abit predictable at times but still enjoyable to watch. Actually felt like watching a decent movie especially in the second half where things start to really pick up loved it.

[@VergilSFD]

Melinda Tudgey True.

[@Son_D._Bear]

Faxxxxxx

[@BioshockDrill]

It was really nonsensical in a lot of sections tbh.

[@Satchmeat]

Kbash talking Ninja Gaiden? Amazing. Ninja Gaiden was actually one of the first console games I owned because what kid doesn't like ninjas? A very fun critique of a super cool series.

[@skaionex]

NG2 is one of my favorite games I've ever played.

[@MikazukiFive]

Say what you will about Cookie Face, but he made Ninja Gaiden the sickest shit ever. Series has been dead in the water since he left

[@NoxDeadly]

NG2 is a pure masterpiece

[@johnmecca9008]

10:46 “creators are extremely straight”! Dude, u are funny af. I friggin’ diiiied bro!🤣🤣🤣. Great video. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I’ve subscribed!!

[@stefanssmellsvictory105]

Did they just troll this guy by announcing the trilogy just a few months after his vid? Having said that, they are presumably based on the Sigma games, which he doesn't talk about here. Sigma does improve a couple of things but, like the 3rd entry, they add in more waves of the same enemies that just kills the pacing. Personally, I didn't like the weapon juggling, especially in the 3rd installment. He perhaps should have mentioned it as being more of an issue. There are certain bosses that are neigh-on impossible to beat unless you choose the right weapon at the right time. There is one boss where I think he changed forms during battle, and you had to constantly switch weapons to do, well, any damage, as he was programmed to guard any attack from certain others. The controls as you move around suck. He's a ninja, but it's impossible to walk down flights of stairs without stopping, and turning 150 degrees. The first title is my favourite due to the rests between battles, and that you barely fight more than 3 enemies. However, it felt like they were trying to make a super hard and super gory 3D Zelda titles at times. I didn't like 2 so much as they superficially just throw in 5+ enemies at the same time, which isn't really skill as it is just spamming the flighting attack and running rings around enemies until you find an opening. But I appreciate that they removed the adventure sections. 3rd game can just f-off. I actually liked the dumb story, but it really is just about choosing the right weapon and button mashing to victory. Add the level of enemies from the first game, think out weapons to accommadate player style rather than be a matching exercise, give Ryu a conventional moving style like every other game so platforming works, remove upgrading of weapons and health, as it's a superficial way of trying to suggest progress, and no annoying projectile enemies, and double down on the tits and ass as much as the gore, and you've got the ultimate 4th installment.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

Sigma Collection coming to consoles and PC!!!

[@Schraiber]

Ninja Gaiden 2 is one of my absolute favorite games ever. That being said, it's definitely in the running for worst best games of all time. The game just has no respect for the player and throws so much bullshit at you you have to just laugh. But man it's so exhilarating and satisfying! Every single combat encounter feels like you barely scraped by, it's wonderful

[@TheTechnicalMiracle]

Hey Kbash, don't know if you'll ever see this comment but I think your stuff is getting better and this is probably my favorite video of yours. Don't be too hard on your older stuff, I can't watch everything before 2016 on my own channel and I feel like that will just go up another year in the future and then repeat. If you enjoy making your videos and you think it comes together fairly well, chances are, it's a lot better to others then you'd think. We're our own biggest critics. Just my thoughts. Have a great new year!

[@MK-xm2nh]

Seems like you're ready for Wonderful 101 Remastered kind of weird ;)

[@Shark_Fangs]

what chapter does 12:17 take place in, cause there's a ng2 black mod, and i wanna see if it actually changes the enemies from the ghost fish in sigma

[@1JeffBlack]

A few weeks ago I finally finish all the three games ( I had never played before ) on my Xbox-One and man...I thought nothing can stress more than Dark Souls before play this franchise, and was soleny wrong... But was fun ( aside the rage moments ) and definitely Ninja Gaiden Black figures as the top example of the franchise, in my opinion... The second one made the gameplay much more dinamic, its a fact, but was waaay too linear... improving action was a welcome feature, of course, but eliminating or diminish exploration, equips, puzzles and acrobatic segments was a huge loss... but if you cares only for the action, still is a good game... But almost nothing saves the third game...besides the action, all the rest sucks...and even the action suffers by the stupidy decision of extinguish all remaining itens, and the story was awful for a ninja game ( the"humanization" of the protagonist, well said by this guy on video ) and cleary this game is a cinematic show...if you play this game first, maybe you can somehow apreciate, but if you came since the first one, definitely will see the general quality loss...

[@TrollANIMU]

While Razor's Edge is markedly different experience to Black and 2 in it's campaign, the general encounter design and how fights played out made it like a musou game with actual teeth. Grinding out the missions as different characters was super fun. Thankfully I never played vanilla 3 to taint it so Razor's Edge was a pleasant surprise to me after seeing 3's initial reception. A trilogy remaster based on Black, 2, and 3RE with the additional Sigma content would be the dream.

[@0tterhead]

Oh you like Ninja Gaiden? Have you heard of this little indie game called dark souls? I'm sure you'd like it.

[@jacobcordova3825]

Ah a ninja like game

[@Sellipsis]

Hey guys have you heard of DARK SOULS? Surely you might have missed DARK SOULS. God d souls fans can be absolutely insufferable

[@alucardbunche4197]

Whoandwhy many of say the ninja garden black master ninja difficulty is way harder than dark souls

[@savagegamer2292]

I haven't played dark souls,but I have played blood Bourne and from what I seen,played, and heard it plays exactly like dark souls. I played ninja gaiden and in my opinion ninja gaiden is waaay better.

[@0tterhead]

clearly everyone but one guy in the comments thinks this isn't a joke. I REPEAT, AS IF THE 'LITTLE INDIE GAME' WASN'T CLEAR, THIS IS NOT SERIOUS.

[@mimiliascarletuwu5414]

How to kill bosses in Ninja Gaiden 2 in Master Ninja Rasetsu : only use UT with lvl 3 Lunar Staff Genshin: use the Falcon talons, izuna drop the ninjas and stay blocking when genshin use the Flying swallow use the " Ring of Nine Tails" technique Gigadeth: Only use the bow, if he throws that face, use a ninpo to protect you Alexei: Use the dual katanas, only use the combo X , Y , Y , Y and use ninpo when he uses the tornado Dragon in ch5: only use the bow and hit his face dont go to the water, it's a suicide Volf: Stay away from him charge the secondary UT that one that use a izuna drop at the end, wait por him and release (No Damage) Genshin: The same, if you want use ninpo to kill the ninjas Armadillo: Throw your 30 Explosive Shurikens to his face don't wait spam it Zedonius: Use the eclipse scythe, combo X, Y in the air, land and jump to right side and use the combo again Giant worm: Lunar staff, secondary UT, jump X Y and repeat Dragons: use bow and use the Black hole ninpo when they dont move Elizebeth: IDK I just spam X Y in the air with eclipse scyte Do exactly the same for the same bosses, use ninpo to kill the enemies to stay 1vs1 Dagra-Dai: Eclipse Scythe, X Y in the a ir when he is in the ground use art of interno to kill the enemies he call IDK how to call this boss: let the aimbot hit the weakpoints, don't aim yourself, hit and dodge jump 2 times to one side and shoot again (No damage) Archdemon: Lunar staff use the combo X Y in the ground land and block, wait for tus attack, dodge and again, if he uses the lazer use a ninpo, if he stands in the center use the izuna drop combo (No damage)

[@dc7981]

Things like this is why I find the bosses in NG lackluster lol

[@Jerichords]

Speaking of going full Drakengard, how about a Drakengard trilogy critique sometime?

[@melodymate2934]

Kbash's videos are like a beacon in the fog, god bless

[@peliparado94]

Ninja Gaiden 3 is a pretty solid candidate for most disappointing video game release of all time. He played the Razor's Edge version here which is miles ahead of the original, but the original was just God awful in every aspect. Felt like everything you did triggered a qte so you were just mashing buttons all the time.

[@ChristopherToro]

Been playing these games (including the sigma titles) since I was 12 and you got everything right, every little complaint and praise is very accurate. I'm still a massive fan of NG2 sigma or not, since Momoji :D

[@basalisk593]

I love these games but they are so unforgiving lmao

[@JustE-in6to]

After watching your devil may cry and this you’ve got my sub

[@clutchcake7717]

NG maybe not have the best stories but it’s still underrated as hell

[@shersingh49]

Ninja gaiden 2 is one of the best games I've played. Felt so satisfied and proud when I finished it after several rage quits.

[@BenGenio]

Did you play Ninja Gaiden Black?

[@artificialcarrotcake2897]

I dunno man, most of your points are so highly subjective and dependant on your playstyle.

[@boss862]

artificial carrotcake completely agree. I guess Ninja Gaiden results may vary lol

[@30yovegan34]

@La Folle Deus Ex

[@agreedboarart3188]

Nonsense. A KZbinr said it therefore it is indubitable fact.

[@LeoRex13]

I really like your critiques, and am excited by this spike in productivity! Quantity AAAND quality!? A rare wonderful beast ;)

[@boss862]

This video came up in my recommended and if I'm being honest, I think you should research more into a video game's mechanics and see how other people accomplish levels or tackle challenges because I saw you doing some weird things regarding the platforming and re-guarding. I found your points very subjective and not representative of most people's opinions of these games. Also mentioning the female representation in the game is largely due to the Japanese male demographic that plays these type of games. It's not so much his doll fetish as much as he is just trying to please his fans in Japan that love that type of stuff (Japan is still a little behind lol). I really appreciate the effort given to the video overall but a more accurate title would be "My critic of Ninja Gaiden".

[@30yovegan34]

WELL HE'S A BIG FAMOUS KZbinR, WHO ARE YOU?? ᶦᵐ ᵏᶦᵈᵈᶦⁿᵍ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃᶜᵗᵘᵃˡˡʸ ᵐᵃᵈᵉ ᵛᵃˡᶦᵈ ᵖᵒᶦⁿᵗˢ

[@DSan-kl2yc]

That's BS. Japanese don't have a single fetish like that. That's much more of an American style. That's probably is either itagaki, or the designer's choice. Which isn't wrong. It's just their flavour.

[@shuttheup589]

So a review of art (something subjective) isn’t supposed to be subjective? You call him voicing his opinion subjective, but him mentioning other people’s opinions apparently isn’t? Also ‘japan is a little behind lol’ and thinking that all of them think the same and all of them having the same fetish is just wrong and close minded

[@ShoXwavee]

Every Ninja Gaiden video is worth watching

[@ninjaboy196]

I feel like you'd enjoy Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix.......for the gameplay at least. Just ignore the trash pile of a story.

[@somacruzmiroku]

Not just 2 but also 3 for combat of course like you said just void out the story 😂 it would also be nice if he took on the entire series lol

[@ninjaboy196]

@@somacruzmiroku I personally think 2 Final Mix has the tighter feeling mechanics in combat, and in general is a better game than 3. But I would watch the shit out of Kbash reviewing the 3 main games.

[@somacruzmiroku]

ninjaboy196 oh I see what you mean but just go check out some kh3 combo or style videos on the data battles I’d put both games in the same spot in terms of combat but that’s just me and yeah it would be nice to see him play the main 3

[@JCOdrjones]

The story of 2 is dope, shhh

[@ninjaboy196]

@@JCOdrjones I guess the story was at least manageable by that point, I often forget that with where it's ended up. But as someone who's put hundreds of hours into KH2 over the past like 10 years since it's been out, the story has never been the first...or second...or third reason I've booted it up again and again.

[@seanthebaptist6757]

I love Ninja Gaiden so much. One of my all time favorite franchises.

[@radpunk5144]

Man, if you thought Ninja Gaiden was not hard, then what is a hard game for you?

[@billyboleson2830]

On normal mode...yeh it ain't hard

[@cheekyguy3991]

There was an enemy in ninja gaiden 1 called fiend doppelganger which is a boss fight where you fight yourself with specific weapons. However, you could only fight them on hard mode.