The Nintendo DS is gradually becoming the system of choice for many gamers. Despite its portability, the sheer quantity and variety of games is astounding. One genre, however, has been slightly disregarded on Nintendo’s handheld. I’m speaking of "twitch-reflex-3D-action titles"; while games such as Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass contain some of those elements, Link’s adventure could hardly be considered fast paced. Enter Tecmo, a company known for ambitious titles in the fighting genre. Not only notable for the Dead or Alive series, they also house one of action gaming's biggest names: Ryu Hayabusa of the Ninja Gaiden series.
Ryu has finally made it back to Nintendo with the release of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the DS. Is his homecoming worthy of your time? Quite frankly, yes, it is. Dragon Sword kicks off right where the Xbox title ended, filling in the story after "The Dark Dragon Sword Incident" and paving the way for Xbox 360's Ninja Gaiden 2. Those that haven’t played the Xbox version needn’t worry however, as Dragon Sword does an adequate job filling in what took place previously.
Graphically, Dragon Sword is a pleasure to look at. The utilization of pre-rendered backgrounds and sharp 3D character models work surprisingly well here. Even more impressive is the game’s boss battles, as they all take place in full 3D -- they push aside the top down view used in the rest of the game making for some truly stunning battles. The game’s presentation is also impressive, using comic book style cutscenes to flesh out the story. My only gripe here is the lack of voice acting in the cut scenes. With the strong emphasis on presentation, it feels almost insulting to have the voice acting limited to the occasional cackle, grunt, or sigh. The game’s soundtrack however, is rather good. Anyone that has played the Xbox title will immediately recognize the vast majority of songs; they have lost very little quality in the transfer. The music does an adequate job of setting the mood throughout Ryu’s adventure so headphones come recommended.
Ninja Gaiden is unique in the way that the game is played. Instead of holding the DS in a normal fashion, the screens are flipped so that the DS is on its side, much like a book. Depending on whether you are right or left handed, the screen can be flipped so that the touch screen is always at hand. On the touch screen, game action is controlled via the stylus while the other shows an area map. Speaking of the stylus, where Dragon Sword really shines is the controls. I was extremely skeptical at first knowing that the game would be completely stylus driven. However, after playing for about ten minutes, my worries were quickly laid to rest. Ryu’s movement is really easy to get used to. To attack an enemy, simply slice across them with a series of strokes to chain together attacks. Jumping is done by quickly slashing upward, which can be followed by a downward slash to finish enemies below. Several advanced combos are later learned in the game through technique scrolls which increase Ryu’s abilities. Projectile weapons and Ninpo attacks also ratchet up the game’s variety. Ninja stars can be thrown by simply tapping a foe on the screen in rapid succession while Ninpo attacks are activated by tapping an icon in the upper left corner of the screen. Upon activating it, time will freeze and you must trace the Ninpo’s Kanji symbol on the touch screen to unleash the move.
Ninja Gaiden has always been a series that is known for its often painstaking difficulty. Dragon Sword, however, is more forgiving in this area than its forefathers. While not a cakewalk, Dragon Sword is hands-down the easiest entry in the series. I died now and again, but not to the point of hopelessness evident in the NES games or the Xbox title. Thanks to unlockable difficulty levels, some of the series’ harshness remains; while this is good, it’s unfortunate that only "Normal" difficulty is accessible at the beginning. This most likely stems from the fact that the game was toned down for a slightly younger audience.
The flow of the game is heavily reliant on action, going from battle to battle with the occasional puzzle or wall climbing sequence breaking up combat. The central hub of the game, the Hayabusa Ninja Village, is another reprieve from battle where items can be purchased and villagers chatted with between missions. You’d think with all the fighting that the game would get quite repetitive after a while. Thankfully, it doesn’t, due to the highly addictive nature of the fighting system and the game’s overall length. The game’s length can be considered a gift or a curse depending on preference. Clocking in at about six hours for the average play through, Ninja Gaiden is rather short. However, this game relies heavily on action and fast paced combat. After beating the game, I certainly wanted a bit more. On the other hand, I felt if the game went on much longer the combat would start getting stale limiting my overall enjoyment of the title. The game has some collectibles as well, although they are by and large uninspired. Character profiles and a few other goodies are all that the collectibles entail, leaving little motivation to play again. However, if you are a high score enthusiast, online leader-boards have been included giving a little motivation for additional playthroughs. Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is the type of game that the DS needs more of. With a heavy emphasis on action and amazing production values, other third party developers could learn a lot from Tecmo.
