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Summary
DiehardNinja Gaidenfans are mixed aboutNinja Gaiden 2 Blackdue to some of the similarities it has with the infamous Sigma version of the game, such as its reduced enemy count and missing features.
Ninja Gaiden was already in for one of its best years in decades when the2D side-scroller Ragebound was announced at The Game Awards, but it just got a whole lot more impressive last night.Not only are we finally getting Ninja Gaiden 4 later this year, but we’ve also alreadygot a remake of Ninja Gaiden 2 titled Ninja Gaiden 2 Black to tide us over until then.
Ninja Gaiden from Tecmo is now available through Nintendo Switch Online, and it’s a classic that deserves to be replayed.
While more casual fans of Ninja Gaiden like myself were over the moon to instantly be able to jump back into a shined-up version of the series' best game,that reaction has been a lot more muted for more diehard fans.
Team Ninja confirmed that the remake would combine features from the original games and its PS3 re-release, Sigma, which is where the problems lie.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Is Basically An Improved Remake Of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
For those who are unaware, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is a re-release of the original game that was ported to the PS3 a year after the Xbox 360 version’s release.
While Sigma does add some content that wasn’t in the Xbox 360 version (such as new playable characters),it infamously changed a lot about the game and made it much easier overall.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is the version of the game that’s included in 2021’s Ninja Gaiden Master Collection, which was also a controversial choice at the time.
While Ninja Gaiden 2 Black mercifully doesn’t replace the blood and gore with purple plasma, it does keep a lot of the changes that were made in Sigma.
This hasn’t gone down all too well with veteran fans, who have deemed it an upgrade to Sigma that still isn’t as good as the original Xbox 360 version.
Over on Ninja Gaiden 2 Black’s Steam page, the game currently has “Mostly Positive” reviews, with almost all of the negative responses having to do with the Sigma similarities.
One review from Joey Asagiri calls it a “massive improvement” over Sigma, but still laments the reduced enemy count and increased health, missing features like Ninja Race and Tests of Valor, and the checkpoint placement.
Other negative reviews have alsopointed out all of the changes made in Sigma that are still present in 2 Black, while also pointing out that Unreal Engine 5 has added some input lag and performance issues.
For newcomers or more casual fans, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black seems like a great jumping in point, but those wanting the original game might be a little letdown.
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