Which Versions of the Ninja Gaiden Games Should You Play? All Ports Reviewed + The Master Collection

[@UltraPrimeHunter]

I hope you understand just how valuable you are to a group of people that need help when deciding how to play certain older games at their best. Such amazing content

[@jmj9524]

@Shin Shaman Everyone is different so called ground-breaking idiot just because they look at a video for guidance doesn't mean they are inept, I bet you can't even finish Ninja Dog difficulty.

[@Psych0boost]

@Shin Shaman It's called making an educated purchase, some people don't like wasting money on a game they could've gotten a better version of

[@MrVoland44]

@@Psych0boost funny thing is there no any "other version" for playstation or pc users. its only Xbox users have to choose from either original or sigma versions.

[@Noriega_Mxl]

I sucribed because Doofer comment... Also I played the Xbox Ninja Gaiden and defeated in max diff when I rented it on BlockBuster... so I maybe buy it on PC... I buy what I want, but I also like the info and opinions of others, wich, dont matter to me, I love Alone in The Dark, the buggy one...

[@Psych0boost]

@@MrVoland44 I’ve never owned an Xbox system but I was considering getting one if the vanilla NG games were better than these ports

[@ironalchemist2213]

This video aged like fine wine given the announcements of NG 2 Black and NG 4.

[@tonyrivera8996]

Now I wonder if they’ll remake 1 and 3.

[@F0R3C4ST]

@@tonyrivera8996 really wish they would remake 1

[@KVROACEGG]

​@@F0R3C4ST Yeah, we need a definitive version of 1, I hope they make it like black with the improvements of sigma with UE5 graphics.

[@umarrazvi]

@@tonyrivera8996 why did they start on 2 with remakes seems weird

[@El_Jengibre-3]

It’s a real shame Black is lost to the ages. It still ranks among the best action games ever made.

[@nemeru3352]

@@El_Jengibre-3 it's on xbox series x

[@toonbou7254]

about that

[@Wesche22]

@@toonbou7254 Just ran across this today as well lol

[@El_Jengibre-3]

@ wrong Black! NG2 is ok but can’t hold a candle to the original.

[@adambugner5049]

@@toonbou7254 about what?

[@hemangchauhan2864]

The amount of effort you've put into this video is incredible! Ninja Gaiden versions are some of the toughest to understand. Thank you!

[@lorenzovertemati4104]

for me the best versions are ninja gaide 1 black ninja gaiden 2 (original) ninja gaiden 3 razor's edge

[@boredstudent]

I played Ninja Gaiden II on the Xbox One. It's definitely better there than on the 360. That game had a lot of frame drops and screen tearing but it's heavily improved on the Xbox One. Well in my case it was the One X.

[@Trobott]

​@boredstudent im pretty sure he meant to play the 360 version through back compat

[@vemon117]

@@boredstudent I watched digital foundry do thier comparison and bro it's pretty much a free remaster lol

[@Vicioussensai]

Balanced…..as all things should be

[@mercedesplay_more_kof8488]

@@lorenzovertemati4104 And you would be correct.

[@SkyScourgeGod]

Wow, I had no idea how complicated the Ninja Gaiden series was in terms of all its versions. As of now I own Black on the OG Xbox and Master Collection on the PS4. From what I see here I definitely would prefer Black over Sigma 1 so it's a good thing I already own it. It's enhanced version on the One X and Series X in particular is especially good, an immediate improvement for sure. As for 2 and 3, the 360 versions of 2 and 3 Razors Edge seem to be a clear winner here. The PS3's input lag is an automatic turnoff and an unacceptable flaw, plus running the 360 versions on a One X or Series X seems to iron out the relatively small number of technical issues it had on the 360. The Master Collection on PlayStation is a fine HD compilation of the Sigma versions to, it improves on everything that was wrong on the PS3 versions with the PS4 Pro and PS5 handling it spot on. I'm definitely glad to have that one on disc. Thanks for your effort in this video, it was very educational.

[@crimsontide1980]

I didn't either, I had no idea, thats why this video is invaluable to people like me. Grew up in the 80s, so needless to say, Ninja Gaiden was a staple of my childhood. I did eventually beat the original but it took me a few years, a couple broken controllers, and a ton of curse words that led to my video game privileges being revoked temporarily. I played the 2nd one on NES a little but never finished it, same with the 3rd. Sometime in the late 90s I pretty much lost interest in gaming and went many years without playing any Ninja Gaiden games. Fast forward to 2005, a coworker talked me into hanging out with him at the midnight release of the 360. After a few drinks and some talking, I decided to buy myself a 360 as well, my friend convinced me it was the perfect time to get back into gaming. Ended up picking up Ninja Gaiden Black sometime after I discovered it was made backwards compatible, never owning an OG Xbox, so I had never played Ninja Gaiden Black or the original Xbox version. I went in not knowing what to expect and I was blown away by it. Was stuck on it for a while, very difficult game to say the least. I got about 80% through the game, set it down for a while, ended up lending the game to a friend later on down the road, never got it back, and honestly I kinda just forgot about it. I don't know why, but about 2 weeks ago out of the blue, I had the sudden urge to start playing Ninja Gaiden again. Think it was because I watched a Sekiro video that showed up in my algorithm? Anyways I've been trying to figure out which version to pick up, definitely want to start from the first one on Xbox. I honestly didn't know anything about there being an original, a Black, and a Sigma, let alone the other sequels and variations. I'm glad I watched this video because it broke everything down perfectly. I was at first leaning towards purchasing the Master Collection, but honestly now I think I'm gonna go back to the Black version, especially seeing as I have a Series X, so I'm sure it'll look much better than I remember, especially with 4K/60FPS upscaling. I haven't played the Sigma version, but from what I've seen and heard, doesn't sound like the definitive way to play. Other than slightly improved graphics, doesn't sound like there's any other advantages over the original and Black versions. And it sounds like the 360 versions of 2 and 3 are the best way to go, especially since they're playable on the Series X as well.

[@MrKevosmin]

I played the original Black , I now have Sigma for the PS3 and play it on the super slim but do you think I should get master collection for the PS5 ? (And I’m also glad that you can play Black on the Xbox Series)

[@believeintheshield1896]

The only Ninja Gaiden game I ever played was the one on the Nintendo DS, that game was seriously fun

[@Tweaked818]

i agree , it was really good. ninja gaiden 2 on the 360 is also another banger

[@phantombrush4336]

U should most definitely play the trilogy in this video good sir

[@papapingas1797]

U talkin bout dragon sword my bruh

[@NozziesNephew]

@@Tweaked818 aa!

[@Umbasa0nion]

I hate you because you reminded me. You really are evil.

[@lawlestest]

6:25 this blew my mind, i was freaking out over those motorbike ninjas, i never once thought to "throw" them off. I just kept blowing through healing items trying to hit them off.

[@LillyBoe56]

Same, I feel so dumb now

[@SlashingLennart]

Same lol

[@TylerSmith-sd2oc]

I did flying swallow on them that was pretty hard still lol

[@hamstsorkxxor]

Just nipo them. They deserve it.

[@L0U149]

Hint for ninja gaiden, always save heals for bosses and always be maxed on heals

[@boredstudent]

I wish they used Nimja Gaiden Black for the Master Collection instead of the Sigma version. But at least they used Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge instead of the base game. That game improved on mostly everything that the base game lacked.

[@drlight6677]

I very slightly prefer Sigma 1 over Black just because of the extra content, BUT, Rachel's chapters should've been an entirely separate standalone campaign like Ada's in Resident Evil 4, there's no reason her chapters should just be game interrupters during Ryu's campaign, that was a really dumb decision on Tecmo's part to intertwine the two. And Sigma 2 I have a love/hate relationship with because i love the new content and tag mission mode but loathe all of the bad changes the game made (which were due primarily to Japanese ratings and the PS3's hardware limitations with gore removed/enemy count neutered, i also thought it was dumb to remove all keys and stuff to snuff the exploration elements).

[@Dusuke17]

These videos seem very hard to do. You nailed it! Your comparisons are neat and technical. Congratulations for this amazing work.

[@thegamewin100]

Its mostly time consuming the editing takes so freaking long id imagine

[@senormarston]

Bro, XBox backward compatibility really deserves praise. It's so good to be able to play games that had some perfomance issues in original hardware better on the XBox One, One S/X or SX/SS and without paying any extra dollar over it. I played XBox 360 Ninja Gaiden I & II on my XBox One X and now I'm deciding if I play Ninja Gaiden III of the XBox 360 or XBox One remastered

[@hunter_arg4721]

-Ninja Gaiden Black (2005) -Ninja Gaiden II (2008)

[@RaengStinger]

Usually when these videos come around they are phoned in badly informed vids, but this one was seriously fantastic. Regarding the first game all the footage was correct, all the information was correct and great overal quality. The information on the second game is a tad wonky. Sigma 2 wasn't made on the NGII engine, but on the NGS1 engine. Ryu also got a new model, which wasn't covered (never knew why they did this though). It also notes that the Blade of the Archfiend was removed from NGS2 which is weird. Interesting to finally see visual proof that the Sigma 2 release has more input-delay than the vanilla release. All together a *great* video, seriously. PS: hey Stinger is in the sources! Nice

[@JmanRising]

It’s always nice to see more quality in depth Ninja Gaiden coverage on KZbin instead of just DMC and God of War videos. By the way your in depth Ninja Gaiden coverage is still one of the best.

[@MadDragonify]

Always happy to see your input Royta

[@rodolfomaciaslopez8552]

Yeah, I was thinking about the blade of the archfiend, that was not removed from Sigma 2,instead obtained way late in the game

[@WrackPharmd]

You explained this very clearly and succinctly. This was exactly what I was looking for. Now we have NG2 Black to check out.

[@Kmaaq]

Wow, the amount of work put into taking a massive amount of info and distilling it to this video is obvious. I applaud you for this!

[@eyeguydojima7131]

Thanks for the comparisons. I've just been getting back into the games with NG Black and I was hoping someone would compare the other versions. I guess I'll finish Black, then play NG 2(360), and finally NG3 Razor's Edge.

[@neverenoughgames72]

Excellent choicess. The 3 best out of the series no doubt. Although 2 is my favorite of them all, its a reason to buy a 360 alone.

[@EpsiIonEagle]

@@neverenoughgames72 All playable on Series X too and they look phenomenal

[@gradyparrott6909]

This was an incredible video, utterly invaluable for those of us chronically anxious about which version of these games to play.

[@howdidigethere4874]

16:04 I freaking knew it. All that time spent in forums arguing that there IS more input lag on the Sigma version but too lazy to prove it.

[@ranulphshieldwield7631]

Im not the only one then. Its freaking hard to reverse wind because of the delay.

[@dexterboy2736]

And I thought I was a bad player

[@LyRaLex]

but he also uses a third party controller... probably because the original dualshock3 controller aren't available anymore and the old ones have dead batteries which don't hold a charge anymore.

[@zanegandini5350]

@@LyRaLex The batteries are pretty easy to replace though, I've done it myself before.

[@bergonath8851]

@@LyRaLex My decade old DS3 still holds 16+ hours (with vibration off). I'm honestly shocked how well it hold up after years of heavy use.

[@yhajime]

Thank you so much for this video! I've been wanting to get into Ninja Gaiden for YEARS now but I rarely see anyone making great comparisons with good information compiled as great as you did. I think it's finally time for me to get into it. Thanks again for clearing up confusion, amazing vid!

[@kanoamisawa9901]

Cutscenes were beautiful in the Ninja Gaiden series. The cutscene with docu and the burning temple was breathtaking. I hope this comes out in a collection for PS4 and 5

[@WukongWilson]

Incredibly well done. I watched one review of all ng games that refused to differentiate between sigma and vanilla versions at all and was massively upset with it. Vanilla 2 and sigma 2 are two DIFFERENT games almost as much as vanilla 3 and 3RE are different games. That reviewer was sent a free copy of master collection so he could do the review of ALL ng games by team ninja and I’m sure that’s why he didn’t differentiate because he didn’t want to shit all over the MC

[@harlannguyen4048]

Which reviewer was this?

[@paperluigi6132]

That’s why Austin is the goat. Square gives him free copies of one or two versions for some games he reviews, and he still goes unbiased and does thorough research.

[@BobbyDirt]

Anyone still not sure which one to get…get Black. Black is the best version.

[@Perrylayne105]

Yes

[@jessecarman-fr4zf]

NG Black, NG2 (original), and NG3 RE are absolutely the ones to get on xbox. Playstation players are unfortunately stuck with the sigma games. Sigma 1 is good, but sigma 2 cuts too much content for me to justify playing it.

[@VoicedAgate]

@@jessecarman-fr4zf ninja gaiden 2 black is now the go to for ninja gaiden 2.

[@parsashirali8957]

@@VoicedAgate ive heard the original on x series is still the best way to play it but black is MUCH better than sigma

[@jbakes17]

Always love your breakdown videos and seeing all the minor changes. I love being informed of stuff like this. Thank you for your hard work

[@FloweringKnight]

At least for Ninja Gaiden 2, we know what version to play now.

[@2067792332977602]

So let me get this right, we actually got sigma 2 plus on the master collection, but it has no gore option? What the hell?!

[@60fpspeasant84]

Probably because the no blood Asian/Japanese version was used.

[@Kevfactor]

i heard they were going to patch blood back in.

[@mikahoolwerff3563]

@@Kevfactor I haven't heard anything regarding it. But regardless you can mod it

[@weenuktuguy283]

@@mikahoolwerff3563 you must assume everyone uses a fcking pc lol.

[@mikahoolwerff3563]

@@weenuktuguy283 well, no but considering console players have the option of picking the version of the game that has for example the gore while pc player do not. its totally fair game to suggest a gore mod for pc players. and besides, jeez man dont get so offended. its just a bloody suggestion

[@marbles8641]

There is one other major difference between Ninja Gaiden/Black/Sigma and that is Enemy I-Frames, and certain moves (specifically the Swallow). In the original, Swallow would destroy most enemies and bosses. To counter act this, bosses were given more i-frames and dodges around such attacks in Black. Leading to various videos showing people clearly hitting the bosses in black (Alma) and the boss just ignoring it as if it didn't hit. Sigma seemingly found a middle ground between this, either less s or less dodge animation, but it feels like your attacks hit more.

[@drlight6677]

In Sigma 2, because enemies are buffed they're a lot tougher to delimb and the flying swallow can sometimes take forever to decapitate them, especially on Master Ninja difficulty. In vanilla NG2 flying swallow makes the game a decapathon

[@oscarandrade1643]

So the definitive way to play these games is all backwards compatible on the Series X. Ninja Gaiden Black,Ninja Gaiden 2 and Ninja Gaiden 3 Razors Edge!!!

[@DonYoGi8331]

Is 3 worth it? I've been curious. And does it have the same gore and dismemberment as 2?

[@mikiryates6075]

@@DonYoGi8331 Idk about the gore but the original NG3 was bad from what I’ve heard but NG Razors Edge is way better.

[@DonYoGi8331]

@@mikiryates6075 guess I'll try it out. I heard it was flooded with QTEs tho.

[@mikiryates6075]

@@DonYoGi8331 Yeah QTEs are still a big issue in that game

[@DonYoGi8331]

@@mikiryates6075 then again I might just stick to playing NG2 on series X lol.

[@theXXaftermath]

Wow, this was super comprehensive! I got mine for PS5 & I enjoyed them a lot; Razor’s Edge not so much, though. Thank you for making this video!

[@SonGoku-yb3zm]

Wait what, not Razor's Edge. You mean story right cause as far as gameplay RE blows the first two out the water. It's allot smoother and oh god, don't get me started on that camera. The camera in the first two were horrid where once you used flying swallow or sometimes izuna drop etc. You couldn't see behind you at all. You had to make it a point to learn the timing of when you are going to be attacked, shot at etc to maneuver. The camera in RE was brought farther out so you can actually see everything that is happening around you of almost every character attacking you etc

[@theXXaftermath]

@@SonGoku-yb3zm Personally, while I thought Razor's Edge was a decent game in general, I found it to be too repetitive. I found Sigma 1 & 2 to be more engaging in it's fights. Needless to say, Razor's Edge is WAY better than the vanilla version.

[@SonGoku-yb3zm]

@@theXXaftermath Wow, really. Now for me personally, the fights were more engaging and intense in RE. Unless we’re talking about combat alone but if what you mean as far as in regards to the story, environments, bosses etc made the fights more engaging, than yes I totally agree. That’s what I was referring to in my first comment when I said, story wise as well. I guess I should’ve elaborated on that little bit. For me, if 1&2 had the smooth combat and camera of RE, they would be some of the best games ever made.

[@theXXaftermath]

@@SonGoku-yb3zm Yes I was referring to the environments & bosses of the first 2 games. I do, however, like the fights with alchemist. That was tight as hell. I also agree with your concluding sentence, for sure.

[@darkenedpsynoid]

You probably won't read this at all but did you have any audio obugs in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for the PlayStation 5 because my version,the audio sounds like it's underwater

[@Director_Bison]

I just want to mention, that while I'm not sure about the PSVita version of Sigma 1+, in the Master Collection Ninja Dog mode actually is still in Sigma 1, and it's actually possible to have Hero Mode and Ninja Dog Mode on at the same time.

[@sniperz123]

I only watched the original NGII portion regarding the different specs for different console versions. Man! High quality knowledge and content summarized for the audience. No doubt the same quality will apply to the rest of the video. Well done!!

[@RegalPixelKing]

It's such a shame that we couldn't get NG Black or the OG NG2 in the master collection. It means that the most accessible way to play this trilogy has a worse version of the first two games. Mods can maybe fix up a few aspects of the PC version, but I won't be holding my breath. That means to play the best version of these games in their best quality possible, either an Xbox Series X or Emulation for PC is required, and PlayStation players are shit out of luck.

[@MegaDeox]

From this video, clearly there is no "worse" version, just a different one.

[@MrVoland44]

well, NG1-2 Xbox exclusive after all

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

@@MegaDeox ng2 is clearly a superior version though as ignoring the gore there were lots of other changes made to the gameplay as well. Also input delay like dmc 3 hd version so major oof there.

[@thrillainthemanilla1409]

@@MGrey-qb5xz Lmao no the gameplay changes do not make the sigma versions worse. And the input delay was on a ps3 not a PS4/PC/PS5.

[@NTGoten]

@@MegaDeox Sigma 2 is trash.

[@cdm966]

I found your channel while trying to look for more information on the pixel remasters in FF, and was blown away by the detail those videos went into with each specific port and remake of those games. Long story short, I don't care about Ninja Gaiden, never have had any interest in the modern ones, yet here I am watching a near 30 minute video on the subject matter, mainly because seeing the differences between versions of games is just really interesting, and having it being presented in such a comprehensive and digestible way is great. Seriously can't wait to see your new videos

[@Psychof1st]

You missed one very notable difference between Ninja Gaiden 2 (xbox 360) and Sigma 2(PS3). Sigma 2 removed nearly all projectile weapons except standard shuriken and the bow & arrows. A level 2 charged/essence lvl 2 with the windmill shuriken was badass! I think damage was somewhat increased and/or modified. And had greater chance of instant dismemberment and even decapitation for instant kills. Even on some big enemies like the Van Gelf! Exploding shuriken lvl 1 charge threw 2 shuriken. And lvl 2 threw 3 shuriken. And you could hit 2 or 3 different enemies. Exploding shuriken were used to destroy the giant fans in the sewer. So, in Sigma 2 that responsibility got passed on to a fully charged bow shot. I don't remember off hand what the other projectiles did when charged. But, a bunch of cool stuff missing in Sigma 2 makes NG2 on an Xbox series X/S the best version to play. Also, (maybe intentional?) your release timeline left out Dragon Sword. The stylus based Nintendo DS game.

[@ninemugetsu]

Thank you for this video! Its great to have an easily accessible resource when it comes to explaining the difference between these games. I do wish you mentioned emulation when it comes to the first 2 games, its not perfect but with emulation constantly improving it eventually becomes a great way to experience games. Ninja Gaiden Black has been running great on Xemu for a while now, only issues being a few minor graphical bugs and some slowdown when attacking (the latter which can be aleviated). As for Ninja Gaiden 2 it has more issues, mainly audio randomly cutting out, however other issues like the Chapter 12 crash can be fixed with canary patches and theres also some guides on youtube of how to add the DLC.

[@JinzoFiter]

How does one alleviate the slowdown for NGB on Xemu? Asking for the future; my current PC cannot emulate Xbox well (Xemu can't run, and CXBX-Reloaded barely runs Super Monkey Ball Deluxe with multiple big issues), and I do have a Steam Deck, but have heard mixed things about NGB running through Xemu on there. Someone on the NG subreddit apparently beat Black on the Deck just fine with 99% smooth gameplay, but plenty of others there report significant problems.

[@ninemugetsu]

​@@JinzoFiteriirc the main way to alleviate the slowdown is to add the xemu.exe to the nvidia control panel and disable triple buffering, I think disabling vsync in the xemu settings can help sometimes as well. Do wanna note that at the moment there is a WIP build of xemu that supports Vulkan, its not in the main builds yet but once its added I figure it should have much better performance

[@jaydenmay4255]

NG Black was by far the best of these titles with NG2 being a close second

[@dantealighieri4543]

Amazing video, it's the most complete compilation of all modern NG games that exist till date and it's straight to the point. Now, about the source code, it wasn't lost or anything like that, it's confirmed that it was a mistranslation and that it is spread across numerous systems and not organized. Still it pisses me off to know that on PC we only have access to the Sigma versions instead of Black and 2 natively.

[@harlannguyen4048]

What do you mean by numerous systems and not organized? That sounds very similar to them losing the source code.

[@dantealighieri4543]

@@harlannguyen4048 Maybe it means they have it in multiples old HDDS, devices, or something like but it's difficult to them to put to work. I don't have much information.

[@johnmecca9008]

WOW!! I really appreciate ur attention to detail on NG in this!! Definitely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ video. U grabbed another subscriber!!

[@Legobiy24]

Returning to this goated video with the release of 2 Black and the announcement of NG4!

[@Fender178]

Also with the PC version you have the modding community that can put stuff that is missing from the game back into the game such as the Ayane voice for the kunai tutorials. Which is why I would recommend getting the PC versions if you don't own the OG Ninja Gaiden Black and NG2 on Xbox.

[@2sallads]

Ninja Gaiden Black and NG2 360 played on a series x is THE definitive way to play those games.

[@wilkynacevedo4918]

I'm rather surprised by the detailed review and comparison ,I imagined it took you a lot of time to get it done 👍 and for that you just earned another subscriber Damn man , I only suscribe to the most famous channels out there and neglect hidden gems such as this one , I'm very glad I came across this video and I'm looking forward to see what else there is on the horizon...Thank you .

[@Artersa]

I began the video casually, once I saw the length, discussion of hurricane packs, and video excerpts from Bigalski I knew this would be one to sit down and really watch.

[@ShurikRubik]

*I really wished that Tomonobu Itagaki was or would be Executive Director of Ninja Gaiden 4. It is very unfortunate that Team Ninja passed down Ninja Gaiden 4 Project to other Studios most of us Hardcore Ninja Gaiden fans never heard of or seen !*

[@YouTubeCensors]

If Ninja Gaiden turns into a slow souls like, it will me emotionally.

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

Itagaki ain’t ever going back to Koei sadly

[@xSabinx1]

@@KZbinCensors we're not getting more ninja gaiden, souls like are the new norm, nioh and now wo long have taken over :'(

[@drlight6677]

@@KZbinCensors Nah, Nioh 1 and 2 was Tecmo's take on the Souls genre.

[@markwebster4996]

As always a great video! This channel is criminally under viewed

[@jhans22]

I was sort of interested in playing these games, but with all of the ports and remastered collection, had no clue which to pursue. This was extremely helpful.

[@mrchiledonut]

For some reason I got Black and Sigma mixed up slightly as I assumed Black took some aspects out that I loved from the original, but I went through it again last year (maybe two years ago) and noticed it was Sigma I was thinking about and Black just adds stuff to the original, making Black my favorite. I don't know why I thought that. Sigma on PS3 was solid and I liked some of the additions, but ultimately it lacked aspects like some music being flipped around or entirely omitted. I couldn't find the motivation to beat Sigma 2 on PS3 after I beat the Statue of Liberty. I didn't like it, but Ninja Gaiden 2 on 360 (and now, better than ever on Series X through back compat) is a great game. Oh, and I also didn't enjoy NG3 so didn't get very far in it, but think the theme song is good.

[@-DPKing-]

FANTASTIC VIDEO, I will say however I think you're wrong regarding the change in soundtracks at 7:05, I believe the one you showed to be "sigma" is still used in the original, it's just in the cut-scene at the start of the level

[@JakobeOG]

The first song for both is also in both. The menu theme changes on different load ups.

[@svartholstjornuson6215]

I really appreciate you taking an incredible amount of time putting this all together.

[@knjegovan9]

I just wish that the master collection kept the infinite weapon challenges in the original 2's mission mode and the option to remove your partner

[@masterxII7]

Yeah Vanilla NGII's Mission Mode was fantastic and really rounded out the game. Never liked the coop missions they were replaced with in NS2.

[@darkenedpsynoid]

For real yo like trying to do these challenges with an AI companion that get their ass kicked very quickly makes for very piss-poor challenges and yes I wish I could get rid of my partner cuz I'd rather do it by myself..... it was fine when you're able to actually connect with friends online to play NGS2..... but nope they just gave us the same s*** but just took away the ability to have a human companion with us which is garbage this collection has more lows thab it does highs...... also bring back the real gore and decapitations please it makes no sense good censor these games at all

[@harlannguyen4048]

From what I've heard, the Master Ninja trials were rebalanced to be actually doable with the AI partner since apparently they were impossible to finish on the original Vita version.

[@bradmarthafocker4285]

Great video! If not fully comprehensive, it was very informative and served the purpose of helping choose which version of each game is most desirable.

[@xonpk]

Revisit this clip after many years prepared for Ninja gaiden 2 Black remake

[@zlatkonikolic4530]

Very good video that gives information in that big complex universe of versions thx!

[@LeoJay]

The PC port is just...Damn this just beyond insulting.

[@Xephez]

Yeah i was actually surprised to see that on here..so I guess ill be Either Ps5 or Xbox..surprisingly enough the switch didn't look that bad

[@Imjustabilly]

Your comparison videos are the best!

[@szeltovivarsydroxan9944]

3:26 OK, whatever version that is, I'm buying this one.

[@lucasnooker]

Wasn't sure about the concept of this video but I have to say the amount of work you have put in here is admirable. It's a high-quality video. I left a like for that reason. Good job! :)

[@Blacklightning95]

Team ninja seems to always add and take away features from their games. If they make ng4 I hope they get it right.

[@pedrol5004]

@@robanderson19 yeah this sucks, the best way to play em is with xbox series x retrocompatibility

[@Jason-ip6wq]

They aren’t making that they’re making a new final fantasy/nioh type game

[@pedrol5004]

@@Jason-ip6wq well final fantasy and nioh are completely different how does that work?

[@Jason-ip6wq]

@@pedrol5004 here’s the game kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKCQfnZ9rb-WqbM

[@alinepiroutek8932]

Sounds like Pokémon

[@GSPsvita]

Very nice and complete video , I have the vita versions , and I'm pretty happy with them , every now and then I start a master ninja run .I even got the Nintendo Ds game .Great action adventure games , but my all time favourite will forever be ninja gaiden 2 on the NES 🙂 hope they'll made a new game in the future , even if it is a reboot 🙂

[@stormbringer8856]

Excellent video. I've always wanted to see all the comparisons collated into one guide. Well done.

[@SC-mp1lh]

The Ninja Gaiden games are without a doubt my favorite action game. So amazing.

[@April-o4l]

I was so confused watching ninja gaiden black stuff because i have the 04 version which never accessed the tournaments. Watching speedruns was really befuddling. Glad for this video!

[@RATTLESNAKE209]

13:49 well that settles it

[@jonathancrews169]

Excellent video and great way to give folks out there a view on which one to play or what the differences are for what they have. Another difference I do remember in the original and black to run on water is to walk into water then repeatedly press A button, if not he will just fall in water to swim around or submerge. In sigma it does the water walk for you as soon has you walk into the water, in order to swim you would have to hold A and press down to submerge.

[@seantae]

Even though they’re pretty long games and I think I know a lot of the changes made between versions, it’d be awesome to see a video about Persona

[@slick2649]

This ^

[@elmo1639]

👍nice vid. This is the most unbiased take on the franchise I've watched to date. I don't know why, but team ninja seemingly tries to avoid anything that original lead creator Itagaki (NGBlack & NGII) had his hands on. Fan preference had always been in favor of Black & NGII being the best version's. Yet they went against the grain and made the Sigma's the canonical version's. How do you "lose" both of the favorites? Then again, maybe including those two in the "master" would not have been cost effective in the cash grab

[@hemangchauhan2864]

I wish you would have elaborated on NGII vanilla a bit more.

[@Timic83tc]

@@robanderson19 what's the itagaki incident

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

@@Timic83tc same old shit,developer claiming he was denied bonuses and then the company tried to get rid of him while he was making ng2,same thing happened to the guy who made gta 5

[@xin0]

@@MGrey-qb5xz Itagaki said his team were not paid bonuses for shipping DOA4 on time for Xbox 360 as a launch game. The head of Tecmo fought against him, and Itagaki rushed NG2 and called it his swansong game. After shipping NG2, he and few teams left Tecmo.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

@@xin0 ignoring the damn(this is not a censor word right) awful bosses it really speaks volume of itagaki and his team seeing how much of a blood pumping experience ng2 was,i wonder what a non rushed version looks like,maybe better bosses and yeah i don't miss the puzzles,slowed down the game

[@Cobble_Stone]

Mate, this is an incredible video. Many info there. Great job!

[@azim2k10]

So instead of getting master collection best to get the original xbox versions to play on series x?

[@johnygiant]

Absolutely wonderful all-encompassing video. I will share and inform everyone that asks about these.

[@bergonath8851]

Were you testing the PS3 versions at 1080p upscale mode? I remember that adding significant lag compared to the native 720p mode.

[@Geraldb78]

Thank you. I recently purchased the physical Switch copy on PlayAsia with out any research, but your video confirmed it was a great buy.

[@v1deo.hunter.d317]

What the hell is with taking gore out of 2? I can't believe they kept that purple nonsense for the master collection, that's awful. Especially considering how razor's edge brought the gore back big time, it seems even more out of place now

[@thestigsdutchcousin]

They used the Sigma versions as basis for the master collection. The source code for Black and 2 is apparently lost forever, which is a damn shame. My personal recommendation would be: get Black and 2 and play them via backwards compatibility on your Xbox One or Series S/X.

[@v1deo.hunter.d317]

@@thestigsdutchcousin yeah but sigma 2 plus which they used for 2 has the option to include gore and they took it out for the master collection, they should have turned it on and turned off the option for that purple nonsense

[@goranisacson2502]

@@v1deo.hunter.d317 My guess is that they used the code for regular Sigma 2 as a base when making the game, and then added Sigma 2 Plus's bonuses in terms of what was easiest to add. I might be misremembering, but it sounds like it was just some extra skins, a difficulty mode and blood, right? I'd guess that it was far easier for them to go back to regular Sigma 2's sourcecode and implant the skin-textures from Sigma 2 Plus and basically copy+paste some enemy HP and AI tweaks if you select Hero Mode, than add new blood effects which would necessitate them to write code and calculations for how the extra fluids would work in various areas of the game, as a time-saving / cost-cutting measure.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

@@thestigsdutchcousin yeah they lost the versions that itagaki made only,not the sigma versions that released only a year apart. Pretty sure xbox owns part of the source codes as well seeing as how they did a better job in upgrading black and 2 then the master collection.

[@thestigsdutchcousin]

@@MGrey-qb5xz Agreed. On my Xbox One X they play like a dream and look insanely good.

[@BlueScarabGuy]

This is super useful. I wasn't sure whether or not Master Collection was worth playing, since it was just added to Game Pass. As a casual fan, I think the Sigma versions will do just fine for me, and I do own Black and vanilla 2 as well if I wanna go back and see the differences.

[@LRon-ef7ni]

I just ended up buying NG 2 360 version for my Series X. I never liked the idea of a censored NG2

[@blagd]

Great vid. Thanks man.. I only played the original on Xbox and never completed it but enjoyed it at the time. I needed this video more than I knew I did haha

[@chrismorrison5301]

I don't understand the input latency problem on PS3 as it's usually pretty good in most games. Could be difficulty they where having with CELL.

[@drlight6677]

A lot of it too is because Sigma 2's framerate on PS3 is all over the place, during a lot of intense battles it drops down into the upper 40's which is a big no no in games like that.

[@TheJ-manT800]

Well done comparison, The removal of the Online co-op Team Missions in MC is the reason why I didn't buy this. Why they remove things is beyond me. I guess players didn't like the online play. Perhaps NG is meant to be a solo experience.

[@darkenedpsynoid]

I was upset with that decision as well there's more Lows in this collection than there are highs..... I loved being able to have a friend with me while playing NGS2 but I guess koei tecmo cant shill out a little bit of money to keep the server open smh.......

[@TheJ-manT800]

@@darkenedpsynoid I hate the PS+ even if U play the game that way, you're not guaranteed to find someone else who's playing as well. I hate that I have to re hook my PS3 just so I can play online.

[@darkenedpsynoid]

@@TheJ-manT800 but didn't they shut down the servers for NGS2 for ps3

[@TheJ-manT800]

@@darkenedpsynoid Not sure haven't been on PS3 to find out

[@andrevaldez2810]

I liked the addition of new character but i will never understand the lack of the older feautures

[@evil_cupcake2386]

Thanks for the video. I always wondered what was the basis of hate for Sigma and Sigma 2. Looks like there was, at least for Sigma 2. But I still can't say that I dislike Sigma versions. It was the only way for me to play them at the time, since I could afford only one console and I chose PS3. And while Sigma 2 may have many changes, it's still dope to play, if you have never touched Ninja Gaiden. I still remember the day when I bought Sigma 2 as my first rebooted Ninja Gaiden game. This game teared my arse to pieces many times and when the credits rolled I said "never again I will touch this game". Buuuuuuuut... as soon as credits ended, I tried the new game again holy hell it felt a lot easier. The best thing about Ninja Gaiden is that these games are not letting you to bypass it's difficulty, they make you play better. And as soon as you get that flow, you just can't get enough of it. It's actually broke me to the point that I don't enjoy Devil May Cry games that much. I still enjoy them, they are still dope, but the combat mechanics of Ninja Gaiden is something else.

[@paperluigi6132]

While I'm still getting the Master Collection, I think the best case for NG 1 and 2 is for them to get definitive versions, with all (or at least most) of the content exclusive to every version of the game. Also, I'd like to request Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne.

[@diegoSantos-hx2eq]

Excellent analysis of all versions since the 1st NG of the xbox and each platform were released and also with each control🎮 reacts precision, you deserve an award.

[@jessea4438]

Black, 2 Original, and Razor's Edge.

[@Tommybotham]

Ninja Gaiden Black is the de facto version ANYONE and EVERYONE should play.

[@omega458]

yay lol i bought the pc version when it came out :D great video I love these ports reviews you have! keep it up

[@vallaurianv6024]

Amazing video! Thank you. I have to disagree with one thing you said. There is a wrong way of playing these - the Sigma versions are wrong. The Itagaki originals are peerless, particularly when played on Series x.

[@GamingNightsNeoMasaki]

It's a nicely done video for newcomers to understand the basic differences in each Ninja Gaiden. Doing this takes a lot of time. Just some minor mistakes: 5:02 Nintendo trilogy or SNES? The Cg cutscenes for NG04 were ok on the og xbox. sigma2 you can still get the blade of the arch fiend. NG3RE Ayane had two chapters. For the sigma series in Asia, KT wanted to lower the age restriction to let more people be able to purchase the game in JP, they censored the decapitation for sigma, sigma+, sigma 2, and Sigma 2+. This also applies to the master collection. So if you imported the physical copy of the master collection, your game will be censored. There is also a censored version of NG3RE for the switch if you bought a digital copy on the jp store with a cero D rating. THANK YOU! I bought the master collection on all platforms and I find the XBOX version controls were a bit off at times. I guess we still need to do further research.

[@thanksbetotap]

5:02 - It’s the SNES version of the trilogy, he said it right :)

[@thanksbetotap]

That’s great to know about the physical Asia version, though. Ugh, that sucks since I bought it.

[@GamingNightsNeoMasaki]

@@thanksbetotap He showed a clip of the snes footage, but it was nes version in ng04

[@thanksbetotap]

@@GamingNightsNeoMasaki The SNES versions were the ones that came with NG Xbox :) I used to think it was the NES versions myself.

[@GamingNightsNeoMasaki]

@@thanksbetotap maybe, since it did have the password system, but the music wasn't as bad as I remembered from the 16bit.

[@UWG3]

liked and subbed just because at 5:01 you showed me a game I played and quite enjoyed in arcades when I was 4 and never knew it's name so I couldn't look it up later in life. It never occurred to me to google Ninja Gaiden Arcade release🤦‍♂️ Thanks so much buddy.

[@chancemitchell4147]

Jesus, Ninja Dog mode sounds as scathing as “Easy Mode is now available.”

[@SuperSnakePlissken]

I for one have been playing this via Game Pass on my Xbox Series X and I have been having a fantastic time. I remember playing the OG Ninja Gaiden in 2004 on the original Xbox and enjoying the beauty of that game then. It is pretty impressive how well it holds up even after 18 years. The games are incredibly difficult but definitely worth playing if you enjoy challenge and amazing gameplay.

[@kbennett365]

I always seen the sigma versions inferior, considering they were on the Xbox first and both 1 and 2 had lot of differences for the PlayStation which I don't like at all, so its a shame we are stuck with those versions for the collection.

[@gamble777888]

Sigma 1 and Black are close, the gap is longest with NGII which is sooooo much better than Sigma II. If you own an Xbox there is literally 0 reason to get the collection over the originals.

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

Luckily there are excellent ways to play all the Xbox versions on the Xbox Series X with it’s FPS boost and Resolution boosts. Even Xbone X and Series S all give a good experience on modern hardware. It’s amazing what they’re doing with their backward compatibility.

[@GageMyers2000]

@@justanotheryoutubechannel who still says xbone lol wtf

[@theasthmatictraveller5050]

@@gamble777888 the collection is free on gamepass so I’d say that’s a reason to ‘get the collection’

[@gamble777888]

@@theasthmatictraveller5050 *Purchase the collection. If you are playing on gamepass than yea

[@MarkSynthesis]

This is an extremely comprehensive analysis of the franchise across platforms, thank you! It's an invaluable resource if you're like me and considering picking up the Trilogy release during the spring sale (but already have the, well, let's say better versions of NG1 and NG2 playable on Xbox Series X). Thank you again!

[@MrVariant]

3:40 that ninja gaiden NES trilogy interests me. I'll read up more on that. I liked SP on switch online so with save states or some help I'll have fun. I know these games are crazy difficulty. Ah well doesn't seem to be on this version

[@zaphero5518]

They're def interesting to look into as the SNES Trilogy thing in question is oddly a downgrade on the NES versions esp in visuals, and is sold for too much money on the second hand market.

[@Quieresbro]

Waiting to hear what you think of the new ones before I consider buying them

[@alecatttheman896]

Ninja Gaiden 2 on One X looks pretty nice

[@lapetus78]

13:50 that was very helpful, thanks for letting me on a detail i didn't know about

[@rietzhu]

Happy I watched this, as I can still confirm, the Original Ninja Gaiden Black is still, the best.

[@TuanNguyen-fd9ct]

Cry

[@astroboy6515]

Thank you for this video; im just now getting into Ninja Gaiden and I needed help deciding what versions to buy and try.

[@silentfanatic]

Thanks for the thorough coverage here. Totally forgot that Black was on the Xbox store, so I had to get that.

[@envythagod8699]

The giggle effect tho 👀

[@bassemmotaz7042]

nice work put into that video man .... i appreciate it