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|genre = Action-adventure, hack and slash |modes = Single-player }} ''Ninja Gaiden'' is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Team Ninja for the Xbox video game console. It went through five years of development before its release by Tecmo in 2004, and had a number of expansion packs and two remakes, ''Ninja Gaiden Black'' and ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma''. The game follows the fictional story of Ryu Hayabusa, a master ninja, in his quest to recover a stolen sword and avenge the slaughter of his clan. Tecmo specifically targeted ''Ninja Gaiden'' at a non-Japanese audience, and despite difficulties in obtaining content ratings due to the game's graphic depictions of violence, it was generally well received, and 362,441 copies were sold in North America in the first month after its release. Nevertheless, the game had to be censored for release in some regions, and Japanese sales were poor, with only 60,000 in the four months following its release. Making use of the Xbox's internet connectivity, ''Ninja Gaiden'' was the focus of a series of online contests across North America, Europe and Japan. Record-breaking numbers of players took part, competing for places in the live final, which was held during the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2004. Team Ninja continued to update the game after its release: two Hurricane Packs were made available as free downloadable content that added extra content, gameplay challenges, and game engine improvements. These were incorporated into a reworked version, released in 2005 and entitled ''Ninja Gaiden Black'', that was regarded by the game's creator Tomonobu Itagaki and many players as the definitive version. In 2007, ''Ninja Gaiden'' was graphically enhanced on the PlayStation 3, with extra content, in the form of ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma''. This version was later released on the PlayStation Vita as ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus''. ==Gameplay== ''Ninja Gaiden'' develops its narrative thread through the actions of its player-controlled protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa. Viewed from a third person over-the-shoulder perspective, in typical action-adventure fashion Ryu starts the game with basic, low-level abilities and weapons that can be upgraded as he progresses, by discovering or buying items. In keeping with his ninja persona, his character can interact with the game environment to perform acrobatic feats, such as running along and jumping off walls, swinging from pole to pole, or running across water. The game world is made up of several distinct regions, most of which are connected via the city of Tairon, which functions as a hub. Access to these regions are obtained by fighting enemies, finding keys, or solving puzzles, inspired by the mechanics of the ''The Legend of Zelda'' video games.〔 Dragon busts scattered throughout the regions provide the means to save player progress, permitting gameplay to be resumed at a later time. Ryu's movements are directed using the console gamepad. The game's control system, which comprises the left thumbstick, two attack buttons, and a block button, was described as fluid and responsive, and ''Ninja Gaiden'' was regarded as having one of the deeper combat engines among Xbox games at the time, comparing well to the action-adventures ''God of War'' and ''Devil May Cry''. Eric Williams, the designer of the ''God of War'' combat engine, explained that ''Ninja Gaiden'' prohibits players from stopping or changing attacks in mid-stroke. In contrast, ''God of War'' allows players to do so, and ''Devil May Cry'' grants this freedom to certain attacks. Williams said that, compared to those two games, the combat system in ''Ninja Gaiden'' was harder to master; however, it lets players fight their computer controlled foes on equal terms.〔 ''Ninja Gaiden'' features a large selection of weapons for Ryu to wield, each with advantages and disadvantages that affect the way the player approaches combat. These include one-handed swords, such as the Dragon Sword and Kitetsu, which grant quick attacks, and a move called the "Flying Swallow", which allows Ryu to leap and slash through enemies. In addition these light weapons allow Ryu to smash foes into the ground and perform his signature Izuna Drop—a spinning piledriver. Heavy weapons, such as the Dabilahro and the Unlabored Flawlessness, are slow but cause more damage to opponents. With flails and staves, the player can string together long sequences of attacks. To engage distant foes Ryu can throw shuriken and shoot arrows.〔 In addition to using standard melee techniques, Ryu can employ essences—colored globes of energy that are released on the death of enemies and absorbed into Ryu's body when he comes into proximity with them. Essences have an important role in general gameplay, acting to heal Ryu, restore his magic, or increase his cash. However, in combat the player can cause Ryu to deliberately draw in essences, which can then be used to unleash powerful attacks known as Ultimate Techniques that allow Ryu to damage enemies without taking damage himself. These techniques deal heavy damage and make Ryu immune to injury for a short time. ''Ninja Gaiden'' also provides Ryu with magical spells in the form of ninpo spells. When activated by the player, these make Ryu cast fireballs, ice storms, or bolts of lightning. Functioning in a similar manner to the bombs or grenades of shooter action games, these spells allow Ryu to inflict heavy damage on enemies while potentially avoiding damage himself. But, dissatisfied with their programmed visual effects, the game's director Tomonobu Itagaki wanted to deter players from using ninpo. He therefore tweaked the game to award bonus points when players cleared stages without employing magic. For Ryu's defense, the player has two options. First, Ryu can stand still and attempt to block attacks. However, certain enemies can break his guard—either through particularly strong attacks or by grappling him. The second option is to make Ryu dodge, by rolling away from the attack in a maneuver called "reverse wind".〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Ninja Gaiden Walkthrough, Page 2 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ninja Gaiden (2004 video game)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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