Team Ninja
Latest
Dead or Alive 5 to use a DOA4-style four-point hold system
Ignoring any aesthetic peculiarities the franchise may be known for, the Dead or Alive series' calling card is its hold system, which allows players to counter incoming attacks and turn the tide of battle in their favor, provided they're skilled enough to do so.Dead or Alive 5 will use a four-point hold system ala Dead or Alive 4 (high, mid-punch, mid-kick and low) rather than the three-point system (high, mid and low) used in Dead or Alive 3, director Yohei Shimbori revealed on Twitter. "Four-point holds work really well for game balance, but I was worried that beginners couldn't pull off mid kick holds," Shimbori tweeted. "But all of the feedback we got from players with the Alpha Demo gave me the final nudge to go with four-point."The demo in question, distributed as a pre-order bonus and included in collector's editions of Ninja Gaiden 3, used a three-point grab system similar to Dead or Alive 3's. It's nice to know that Team Ninja still has time to think about DoA5's design from a balancing standpoint in between implementing costume-specific breast physics and integrating helicopter missiles into gameplay.
Kick Zack so hard his fro comes off in Dead or Alive 5
The only thing worse than losing your fro mid-fight is getting run over by a tiger. In this match between Lei Fang and Zack in Dead or Alive 5, there's plenty of both.
Dead or Alive 5 has costume-specific breast physics
Since the departure of Tomonobu Itagaki back in 2008, Team Ninja has attempted to shake its reputation as nothing but a stylish, sex-crazed gore factory. It attempted to give Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa a softer side, for one. Only two months ago, Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi said Dead or Alive 5 will rise beyond "sex and violence," instead pursing "a direction that contains emotional experiences that can move players."Now, in an interview with Famitsu, Hayashi has now revealed that Dead or Alive 5's voluptuous vixens will feature costume-specific breast physics. Furthermore, each costume will have varying levels of transparency. It sounds like a contradiction to Hayashi's previous statements ... that is, of course, until you realize that "move" is a very ambiguous term.
Ninja Gaiden 3's latest update brings Ultimate Ninja difficulty, demo
Ninja Gaiden 3's difficulty-boosting update has landed, as has a demo for people who may still be on the fence after reading our less than glowing review. The "Ultimate Ninja" difficulty upgrade is free until May 24, although its related Ninja Trials and customization items will cost you – specifically, $9.99/800 MS Points for the whole kit and kaboodle.Clan Battle multiplayer has also been updated with "an all-new shadow rule" and a higher level cap, changes ushered in via system update on the PS3 and through the downloadable "Ninja Pack 1 Lite" on the 360. Finally, the aforementioned single-player demo is available on both systems and features "all three weapons in a sample of the opening stage."
PSA: Ninja Gaiden 3 'Ninja Pack 2' DLC swings a big scythe today
Swords are a bit too inefficient for our liking. We enjoy weapons that can kill dudes by the dozen in one massive, sweeping motion. The Ninja Gaiden 3 "Ninja Pack 2" DLC adds an enormous scythe to Ryu's arsenal and the multiplayer side of the game. There's also new armor and headgear, and 20 new trials to conquer, for 800 MS Points ($10) on Xbox Live and $9.99 on PSN.%Gallery-151085%
Ninja Gaiden 3 review: To be blunt
Ninja Gaiden 3 is all murder and no execution. It places utmost importance on the periphery, neglecting the mechanisms of combat while splashing blood across the screen and desperately sniffing the air for just a hint of remorse from its protagonist. The franchise has never been more accessible as a result, and never more disposable.Ninja Gaiden's internal clockwork is still in there somewhere, albeit stripped of intricacy. The speed and fluidity of movement abolishes the perceived distance between thought and on-screen reaction, and there's a pleasant cadence of killing injured foes, one by one, after you've hobbled them with a barrage of sword slashes. And the Izuna Drop, which lifts a dance partner into the air before spinning them headfirst into the earth, remains one of the best (and safest) moves in any action game. If you're supposed to feel bad about all the unrestrained killing, as Ryu is meant to after a curse turns his arm into a veiny vector for his victims, maybe it shouldn't be quite as much fun.%Gallery-144412%
Metareview: Ninja Gaiden 3
Yikes, talk about a big bloody mess. Ninja Gaiden 3 missed the mark on a lot of the elements veterans expected from the series. Complaints include the game's notorious difficulty being diminished, compromised AI and -- maybe, worst of all -- that it's boring. Game Informer (60/100): "Ninja Gaiden 3 is not a complete train wreck, but it does suffer from a multitude of problems. The action can be fast-paced and engaging at times, but many design decisions significantly bring down the experience. Dumbed-down A.I., a limited arsenal, the series' notoriously difficult camera, no inventory/currency system, and an incoherent story combine to make this the most disappointing title in the series." Gamespot (55/100): "It does all the hard labor so that you don't have to. This forgettable action game may feed your bloodthirst, but the series' sharp edge has been dulled by Team Ninja's attempt to bring the master to the masses." Games Radar (30/100): "Ninja Gaiden 3 has completely missed the point of everything that made the series great. Challenging combat, weapon variety, engaging enemies and the series' legendary difficulty have all been cut out in favor of a bland story, flashy finish moves, screen nukes, and button mashing. If you found Ninja Gaiden's difficulty to be a barrier to entry, this game's accessibility won't make it a more attractive option. If anything, it'll leave newcomers wondering what all the fuss was about." IGN (30/100): "Ninja Gaiden 3 is a gash on the face of the franchise and one of the worst games the action genre has yet suffered. It has no consideration for its fans' wants or what a new audience may have enjoyed. It's a nightmare that's as easy as it is uninteresting, and it abandons what used to work for awful new ideas that don't work together. Under no circumstance should you ever waste your time on this self-indulgent and abysmal wreck. "%Gallery-144412%
Rumor: More Virtua Fighters discovered in Dead or Alive 5's demo code
Waiting for characters to be announced is so 2011, you guys. Nowadays, hackers figure out a game's roster by themselves, using nothing but a demo and sheer willpower. According to neoGAF user Sectus, alternate costume data mined from the Dead or Alive 5 demo has revealed the fighter's entire character list.Every character from Dead or Alive 4 supposedly returns, along with series newcomers Mila and Rig, and Virtua Fighter veterans Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan. Each character also has around 6 costumes, assuming this all checks out, of course. Jump past the break for the complete list of uncovered characters.
See Ninja Gaiden 3's new DLC weapons in action
Ryu Hayabusa could probably kill demons with a toothbrush if he wanted. If any of the new weapons in this DLC pack are indeed toothbrushes, we worry about those teeth.
Team Ninja unleashes a flurry of Ninja Gaiden 3 dev diaries
A good ninja must be able to take on many opponents at once. A good Joystiq reader must be able to watch a bunch of Ninja Gaiden 3 developer diary videos.
Ninja Gaiden 3 getting free DLC weapons, multiplayer stages
Following Ninja Gaiden 3's launch next week, Tecmo Koei will release some post-launch goodies: four different pieces of free DLC content. According to Famitsu, these include two new weapons and two new stages for multiplayer.The Eclipse Scythe and Moukinsou are a -- well, the scythe is a giant scythe. The Moukinsou are some giant claws that Ryu Hayabusa equips to his arms and legs. While the scythe is slow and powerful, the claws make for much more versatile and combo-heavy attacks.Clan Battle, Ninja Gaiden 3's four-versus-four online multiplayer mode, will be bolstered by two additional stages: a desert-themed locale and perhaps the most iconic stage of battle for the ninja, a submarine. We can't tell you how many epic ninja battles we've seen go down several leagues under the sea, in a metal tube. It happens all the time.Tecmo has yet to announce the release date of the above content.
Ayane whomps Hitomi in this new DOA5 trailer
Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi said that he and his team would be toning down the Dead or Alive franchise's trademark dependance on sex and violence, and from this trailer we're actually starting to believe it. It's still violent, sure, but Hitomi and Ayane almost look like human females.
Ninja Gaiden 3 to require online pass [Update: Confirmed!]
To become a ninja, one must learn -- the deadly arts of war, for example. Or how to wear those weird socks. Stuff like that.You can't be any geek off the street, and so Tecmo-Koei has decided to lock the online multiplayer of Ninja Gaiden 3 behind an online pass. So says a listing on Gamefly warning potential renters of Ninja Gaiden 3, anyway. Update: It's confirmed! Ninja Gaiden 3 will have an online pass, a Tecmo Koei representative has confirmed with Joystiq.We've sent our silent inquisitors to Tecmo Koei to secure confirmation on the matter. We'll let you know what we hear back. [Thanks, Josh!]
Virtua Fighter's Akira playable in Dead or Alive 5
Fighting crossovers are all the rage these days, it seems. In a very unexpected announcement, Sega and Tecmo have revealed that one of Virtua Fighter's most iconic characters, Akira Yuki, will be playable in Dead or Alive 5.The crossing of Dead or Alive and Virtua Fighter would once have been considered anathema, laughable even. The good people at Sega and Tecmo seem to be aware of this, and have thus released a trailer along with the announcement (complete with stun palm of doom). Behold it above and believe.Now, if someone could just whip up another Fighters Megamix, we'd be all set.
Five straight minutes of Ryu Hayabusa messing dudes up in Ninja Gaiden 3, right here
Starting your morning with a murderous ninja (is there any other kind?) feels so right, especially when a giant flame dragon is involved. The five minutes of gameplay from Ninja Gaiden 3 seen above deliver on all of that and so, so much more. Bonus: We've dropped an extra Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus trailer just below.
Hayashi: Team Ninja taming its 'sex and violence' image in DoA 5
Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi says the studio's perspective has changed since Tomonobu Itagaki left in a huff in 2008, and even though most of its 200 staff are original team members, Hayashi is calling them his "new team." The most obvious shift is the new team's focus on creating an emotional experience, rather than eye candy, Hayashi tells Gamasutra."The old team was known for making games that just had two primary elements: Sex and violence," Hayashi says. "It was very obvious. The new team, we want to take it to a new level -- to a direction that contains emotional experiences that can move players."That's right -- Team Ninja wasn't emotionally invested in all the sexy gameplay you had together, and now it's looking for something more meaningful. Hayashi may find his new, more mature gaming experience in a Dead or Alive crossover with Virtua Fighter, a la Street Fighter X Tekken, Edge reports."In terms of collaboration titles, there are staff on our team who just love fighting games and if there was any chance to do that we'd actively, possibly do that," Hayashi says."The first 3D game I played was Virtua Fighter; that's the IP I respect most. Virtua Fighter was the father of 3D gaming, so it's very well respected."For now, one thing's certain: The women in Dead or Alive 5 will be more respectable, well-rounded (emotionally) than in previous titles. "We've always had the sex factor in the game; in the past, the female characters had to have big breasts, they had to have scanty dress," Hayashi says. "In DoA 5 especially, we're trying to focus on the real women that surround us: the voice of a female, the mannerisms. We are being realistic about it."
Ninja Gaiden 3 dev diary reasserts seriousness of ninja game development
Worried that the now Itagaki-less Team Ninja isn't still super, super serious about making a Ninja Gaiden game? The latest dev diary for Ninja Gaiden 3 should more than suffice at changing your mind.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus screens have a delicate touch
When Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus launches alongside the PlayStation Vita late next month, its trademark difficulty level will likely be responsible for hundred of broken handhelds. We recommend preparing yourself ahead of time by pantomime touching these screenshots and studying the Ninpo magic within.
Here's the Ninja Gaiden 3 collector's edition (with bonus screenshots)
There probably isn't a person alive who hasn't, at some point in their life, enjoyed the sight of a ninja flipping out and killing a bunch of dudes. It's universal, like how everyone enjoys warm blankets or shooting firearms. There's a special kind of person, however, that also has an affinity for extreme, debilitating punishment, which is why Ninja Gaiden 3 exists. NG3's collector's edition, which we first caught wind of last December, includes the game, an art book, a soundtrack, a figure set of Ryu Hayabusa and an eventual murder victim, as well as a download voucher for a four-character demo of Dead of Alive 5. Non-collector's edition pre-orders placed at Gamestop and Amazon will include a code for a two-character demo of DOA5, with Gamestop's demo including Hayabusa and Hitomi, and Amazon's featuring Ayane and Hayate (the four-character version includes both Amazon and GameStop's characters). The collector's edition will be available exclusively at Gamestop, indicating that Tecmo Koei truly understands the unique relationship it has with its players.%Gallery-144412%
Ninja Gaiden 3 multiplayer footage kills so many ninjas
Here's a video montage of Ninja Gaiden 3's multiplayer mode. As someone who's played it, I can say this video sums up my experience pretty well. I stabbed dudes; dudes stabbed me; occasionally I stabbed myself. Sometimes honor is more important than breathing.
