Tecmo isn’t known for making appearances at the Game Developers Conference, but that looks to be changing as they were around the other day showing off Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for the PlayStation 3. Producer Yosuke Hayashi from Team Ninja gave a presentation on the game and also held a little Q&A session with members of the press.
So what’s new? The biggest addition is the inclusion of online co-op. Ryu Hayabusa is now joined by Ayane from Dead or Alive and Momiji from Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword. The ladies won’t have their own story, they’ll just be joining Ryu on his main quest through the co-op.
The team also took into account a lot of user feedback, such as the camera issues and the difficulty level from the Xbox 360 version of the game. Yosuke described Sigma 2 as “The total, ultimate package. The one you’ll always remember.”
Other than that, you can expect new content such as new enemies, new bosses, old bosses from previous games and new weapons. In fact, there’s a new weapon in the trailer that you can check out after the jump. All this new content, however, doesn’t look like it will be making its way over to the Xbox 360 as downloadable content.
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I hate to be cynical sarcastic gamer guy but I'm drunk so here we go...
I LOVE IT WHEN DEVS wait 6 months to drop the definitive version of a game on a totally different system that I don't own. It doesn't bother me at all when they tell me this is the version you will remember although I won't remember it because I was too busy playing the alpha you shat on us.
I fucking hate companies that do this bullshit, they release an expanded version of a game months down the line and HAHAHA FUCK YOU to anyone who purchased the original and in this case, doesn't own a PS3.
I beat the shit out of NG2 in the 360, even did it on Master Ninja, I'd play pay 60 bucks for this on the 360 but of course it won't happen, what a load of horseshit.
Im a little sceptical that Team Ninja can improve that much on Ninja Gaiden 2 when you think that it is some kind of port of the 360 NG2. Or is this a totally recoded game with the same assets?
I really hope that some (or all) of this can make it as DLC for the Xbox version. Otherwise, once again, early adopters of a game willl be getting the shaft!
Ninja Gaiden 2 isnt that old when you think about it... All this is a little hard to believe.
So this is like a "Fuck you" to the people that bought the original version, whose comments they are taking into account to make this release better?
And developers wonder why people are quite hapy to rent/buy used/pirate games when this is the kind of treatment they get? Everyone who paid for the damn game should be entitled to the 'total, ultimate experience'.
Well its just an easy way to wring out some more cash from a game without spending too much. Take a game, shoehorn some bells and whistles into it and stick a "Directors Cut" sticker on it.
If this costs any more than a tenner it can fook right off.
"The team also took into account a lot of user feedback..." I'd like to know who the fuck complained about all of the streams of gushing blood. Why the fuck would you take that out and replace it with puffs of purple. Bull shit.
The mag has a quote from Hayachi saying, "Violence is not going to be one of the key selling points of this title... It's not all about how bloody it is." Instead they're going for "a much cooler, cleaner, sleeker look". So you won't see great big spurts of blood, but clouds of purple essence when enemies get dismembered.
I still don't understand why they toned the gore down either. Half the fun of NG2 is chopping up enemies (Werewolves especially) into little pieces, and it will look unnatural without the extra red and green spraying everywhere IMO.
Okay now, that's bullshit. Violence isn't a selling point of the game? FUCK THAT! Remember when NG2 originally came out and Itagaki practically had a boner for enemies jumping around on one leg and shit? THAT was awesome.
Did you guys really not see this coming (here is another surprise for ya expect star ocean TLH directors cut edition in 9 months or so). Devs do this to mask the fact fact that there game is a year late( add stuff that should have been in the original, claim your utilizing the full power of whatever console your porting over too, geve the fanboys something to fight over and get some free advertising, profit while most ignore the time difference) .
Well I'll be getting this, though I wanted blood instead of purple smoke.
So when Kunoichi get really good they wear less clothing? Which amazes me because I never thought Ayane could wear less and still take herself seriously.
So... this is Ninja Gaiden 2 but with boobs and co-op? The only thing that I would buy this for is the ability to play as Ayane, but otherwise co-op seems like a sort of odd addition for Ninja Gaiden.
They listened to feedback about the difficulty level? So, what, PS3 owners will get a dumbed down NG2? Fuck that. The high difficulty is what makes Ninja Gaiden what it is. Some enemies and challenges are so god damn hard that you feel a sense of accomplishment when you finally win like, "Holy shit, I actually beat that motherfucker."
I emailed Destructoid with a link to an Eurogamer interview where Hayashi says the game will not be as bloody as the first NG2. Apparently, purple mist will be coming out of defeated enemies (demons?).
Looks like they were faithful to Ayane's fighting style. I will get this, as my copy of the original is so buggy it's consistently freezes my 360 at the kitchen section after the steaming door...
I must be in the minority because I really don't care about the blood. There really was too much of it; it crossed from "damn!" to "ok, there isn't even that much blood in the guy" pretty regularly and once it reaches self-parody levels it stops having the same impact.
Looking more and more like the word exclusive is becoming synonymous with the word rushed... or perhaps inferior?
Not good for those who just have the 360. I'd be pissed to if it were me. Sure you get it sooner, but the people on the other side of the fence get it better... If I could choose one, I'd pick better.
As far as the whole blood thing, sounds like hearsay until I see proof of it. And if it is true, I'm still putting the chips down on the PS3 version. Really - if you prefer an inferior version of a game with less options because the liquid coming out of a character is red instead of purple... well, that just confuses me. Sounds a bit like sour grapes. But to each their own I suppose.
Its great that your mommy and daddy are doing so well in today's economy but some of us have other financial responsibilities and can't really drop 600 bucks on a PS3, I don't know how this makes us babies but hey, internet.
This is bullshit to anyone who purchased the original and I'm tired of companies doing this.
Considering that we PS3 users had to wait over a WHOLE FREAKING YEAR to get our hands on Ninja Gaiden 2, I think it's fair that we get to enjoy some new goodies with it. If it was a straight port, there's no way we would want to pay $60 for it, and there's no way they would sell it at a bargain price because porting is too costly these days. The best option in situations like this, is for publishers to refurbish a game with new content and then sell it for full price.
Also, don't act so hissy when you're already getting exclusive downloadable content for GTA4 and Fallout 3. Us PS3 owners will probably never get to touch that stuff, so don't whine when you see us getting some new content for a port of a year old game.
The sad thing about quality items is that you have to pay for them. Do what I did and save up. It took me a while, but it was worth it. I actually sold my 360 and goozexed the games to build up my PS3 library. That's a good way to catch up on all the games you missed. I'm actually glad my 360 kept breaking, I would have never bought a PS3.
I'm not here to get into a console war or anything. That's just my opinion and my own personal experience. And I can totally understand your discouragement. And it seems like it is getting to the point where I HOPE a game gets a timed exclusivity on the 360 because by the time it gets to the PS3 the bugs are worked out and/or it has more content than it started with.
And how is microsoft going to handle this? Either they stop with the timed exclusives (which will benefit Sony) or leave things the way they are (which benefits those of us who have a PS3). The only other option is to buy the game off completely, but if they could do that I think they would've have done if from the beginning. It's a weird situation.
@Demtor: I was thinking that the "Purple Essence" was the coverup for blood in the trailer, I mean, it seemed to spurt out of people when they got their limbs removed... I think it's just a censored trailer (i.e. they cut away from Momiji when she starts her obliteration technique). Hopefully.
@Kyosuke: Cool it. Now you know what it's like when multiplat games get exclusive DLC on the 360. Can't we have nice things on the PS3, too?
Uhhh...co-op isn't going to be available in the story mode. Co-op will only be available in some new mission mode. I repeat, you WON'T be able to play the campaign with a friend.
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Contest:
2:00 AM on 03.26.2009
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I LOVE IT WHEN DEVS wait 6 months to drop the definitive version of a game on a totally different system that I don't own. It doesn't bother me at all when they tell me this is the version you will remember although I won't remember it because I was too busy playing the alpha you shat on us.
I'm getting this instead of God of War 3. There, I said it. Go on, I crave the lashing of your cat o' nine tails.
I beat the shit out of NG2 in the 360, even did it on Master Ninja, I'd play pay 60 bucks for this on the 360 but of course it won't happen, what a load of horseshit.
I really hope that some (or all) of this can make it as DLC for the Xbox version. Otherwise, once again, early adopters of a game willl be getting the shaft!
Ninja Gaiden 2 isnt that old when you think about it... All this is a little hard to believe.
And developers wonder why people are quite hapy to rent/buy used/pirate games when this is the kind of treatment they get? Everyone who paid for the damn game should be entitled to the 'total, ultimate experience'.
At least I have the INFERIOR EDITION on the 360! YEAH!
If this costs any more than a tenner it can fook right off.
Simple. Buy a PS3. Or at least, get one next time your 360 RRoD's or E74's.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gdc-ninja-gaiden-sigma-2-goes-on-show
The mag has a quote from Hayachi saying, "Violence is not going to be one of the key selling points of this title... It's not all about how bloody it is." Instead they're going for "a much cooler, cleaner, sleeker look". So you won't see great big spurts of blood, but clouds of purple essence when enemies get dismembered.
What the fuck?
Well I'll be getting this, though I wanted blood instead of purple smoke.
I got the first sigma used and never beat it, think I will just pass on this one or get it used on 360. Blood and gore is a selling point for me.
And I still see blood coming off this ninja, just not the previous TURBO X-TREEM BRAH levels.
Not good for those who just have the 360. I'd be pissed to if it were me. Sure you get it sooner, but the people on the other side of the fence get it better... If I could choose one, I'd pick better.
As far as the whole blood thing, sounds like hearsay until I see proof of it. And if it is true, I'm still putting the chips down on the PS3 version. Really - if you prefer an inferior version of a game with less options because the liquid coming out of a character is red instead of purple... well, that just confuses me. Sounds a bit like sour grapes. But to each their own I suppose.
Its great that your mommy and daddy are doing so well in today's economy but some of us have other financial responsibilities and can't really drop 600 bucks on a PS3, I don't know how this makes us babies but hey, internet.
This is bullshit to anyone who purchased the original and I'm tired of companies doing this.
Considering that we PS3 users had to wait over a WHOLE FREAKING YEAR to get our hands on Ninja Gaiden 2, I think it's fair that we get to enjoy some new goodies with it. If it was a straight port, there's no way we would want to pay $60 for it, and there's no way they would sell it at a bargain price because porting is too costly these days. The best option in situations like this, is for publishers to refurbish a game with new content and then sell it for full price.
Also, don't act so hissy when you're already getting exclusive downloadable content for GTA4 and Fallout 3. Us PS3 owners will probably never get to touch that stuff, so don't whine when you see us getting some new content for a port of a year old game.
I'm pretty sure it is $400.
The sad thing about quality items is that you have to pay for them. Do what I did and save up. It took me a while, but it was worth it. I actually sold my 360 and goozexed the games to build up my PS3 library. That's a good way to catch up on all the games you missed. I'm actually glad my 360 kept breaking, I would have never bought a PS3.
I'm not here to get into a console war or anything. That's just my opinion and my own personal experience. And I can totally understand your discouragement. And it seems like it is getting to the point where I HOPE a game gets a timed exclusivity on the 360 because by the time it gets to the PS3 the bugs are worked out and/or it has more content than it started with.
And how is microsoft going to handle this? Either they stop with the timed exclusives (which will benefit Sony) or leave things the way they are (which benefits those of us who have a PS3). The only other option is to buy the game off completely, but if they could do that I think they would've have done if from the beginning. It's a weird situation.
@Kyosuke: Cool it. Now you know what it's like when multiplat games get exclusive DLC on the 360. Can't we have nice things on the PS3, too?