How old is Sonic the Hedgehog?

When Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was announced at the 2024 Video Game Awards, the game received a lot of mixed reactions. While long time fans were excited to see a new entry in this long running franchise (and by the Blasphemous developers no less), others were left confused.

Ninja Gaiden? What IS Ninja Gaiden?

Well today I am going to take you on a quick journey through the history of this legendary video game franchise, the games connected to it, and discuss the overall plot. Ninja Gaiden actually has quite a bit going on, and currently has two trilogies and possible timelines. 

To keep this as simple as possible, we will only be focusing on "major" video game entries in the franchise, and will cover exactly what you need to know to catch up. There will be minor plot spoilers here and there, but nothing that will ruin playing the games.

Ninja Gaiden Arcade & Ninja Gaiden NES

When Ninja Gaiden first released back in 1988, the game launched as two versions. Developed by Tecmo, the original title was an arcade game, while the second was a "home console" edition for the NES. While both games shared the name Ninja Gaiden, they were fundamentally different, with two separate stories. The arcade release was a beat 'em up styled game, but the NES release was an action platforming game. Both became known for their challenging gameplay, but the NES version especially was infamous for how hard it was. (You couldn't simply insert more coins to brute force your way through it.)

Despite the arcade version coming first, at that time a story wasn't fully established, nor was the ninja given a name. It wasn't until the NES release that we learned he was none other than Ryu Hayabusa, and that his story truly began.

Ninja Gaiden for NES follows the story of Ryu as he sets out to America to avenge the death of his father. Initially this is his one and only goal, but eventually he gets wrapped up in a conspiracy that threatens the entire world. After meeting a strange woman, who is later revealed to be a CIA agent named Irene Lew, Ryu learns of the Demon Statues, the evil they were used to seal away, and the mysterious “Jaquio” who wants to release said evil.

The story of the NES entry in the series is pretty interesting. It had impressively detailed cutscenes for its time, but it sits in a very strange place within the timeline; especially now. Later entries borrow elements from the overall plot, but also possibly retcon the game in general. However, Ragebound does in fact take place during this same period of time, making the original story relevant once again. 

But the question remains: how will this impact the rest of the series?  

Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos

The sequel to Ninja Gaiden arrived in 1990 with the subtitle The Dark Sword of Chaos. Once again it was an NES game, and it had a story that took place not too long after the original. This time around Ryu sets out to save Irene, and goes up against Ashtar, the evil lord who was truly behind Jaquio’s actions.

Like the first game, Ninja Gaiden II was a challenging platforming game with a strong focus on its story. It featured visual upgrades, improved level design, and enhanced controls, but didn’t sacrifice the series’ difficulty. It was a solid sequel, and it helped pave the way for the future.

Ninja Gaiden for Atari Lynx

Ninja Gaiden II wasn’t the only game in the series to arrive in 1990. The original Ninja Gaiden arcade game received a port for the lesser known console the Atari Lynx. The game was rebuilt from scratch, but ultimately was very similar to the arcade game. This was the first time it was released on home consoles, allowing fans to experience the game outside of the arcade. Thanks to this release Ninja Gaiden III would also eventually receive an Atari Lynx port, but not until 1993.

Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom

The final entry in the main trilogy was Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. Once again it released on the NES, and arrived in 1991. This would actually be a busy year for the Ninja Gaiden series, but it all began with III.

This time the game begins with Irene’s apparent murder by a Ryu Hayabusa look-alike, which sets the real Ryu out on an adventure to clear his name. While Ninja Gaiden II’s plot was a bit more straight forward, III brought back the elements of mystery, and wasn’t quite as clear cut. Gameplay wise it once again proved to be a challenge, but the US version was especially difficult. While the original Japanese release allowed players to continue once they ran out of lives, the US version put a limit of five continues into play. Once all the continues were used, it was game over.

Although Ninja Gaiden III was the end of the original trilogy, it wasn’t the end of the series.

Ninja Gaiden for Game Gear

Simply titled Ninja Gaiden, the next entry also released in 1991 was exclusive to the SEGA Game Gear. 

Despite not having a unique name, this was a completely new entry within the series, with a brand new plot and new stages. It of course still followed the story of Ryu, but instead of having a plot revolving around Irene, it focused on Ryu going after the people who attacked his village. The game was limited by the Game Gear’s capabilities, but it retained as much of the classic gameplay as possible.

Ninja Gaiden Shadow

Another 1991 release, Ninja Gaiden Shadow also released on a handheld, but this time on Nintendo’s Game Boy. 

Like the Game Gear release, the title was limited by the Game Boy’s power, but incorporated gameplay improvements that were introduced in Ninja Gaiden III. Some gameplay mechanics were simplified, such as the removal of power ups, but a grappling hook was added to make up for it. Once again the story brought Ryu back to America to take on one of Jaquio’s servants, except this title was actually a prequel to the original.

Ninja Gaiden (Master System)

The next entry in the series was an interesting one that often gets overlooked. Released in 1992 for the SEGA Master System, Ninja Gaiden (yes, once again) is a stand alone game that has little to do with the rest of the series. It borrows elements from the rest of the games, but it exists within its own timeline. The plot revolves around Ryu’s village being attacked, and ultimately Ryu becoming the last surviving member of his clan. This of course contradicts the story told in the rest of the series, but again, it is very much its own thing.

What makes this entry very unique however, is the fact that it only released in the PAL region. The Master System didn’t do very well, and the game itself wasn’t even developed by Tecmo. Even so, this was the first entry in the series to allow Ryu to jump off of walls, which is an ability that would become a staple later on.

Ninja Gaiden Trilogy

After the success of the series, Ninja Gaiden Trilogy released on the SNES in 1995. As the name implies, the game was a collection of the three mainline Ninja Gaiden titles. It was similar to other SNES collections out at the time, except without the graphical upgrades. On the plus side, the collection was based on the original Japanese releases of the games, which meant that Ninja Gaiden III retained its easier (unaltered) difficulty. Although, some aspects of the games were altered or censored, so the trilogy didn’t fully provide the original experience. 

This was the final “original” Ninja Gaiden game to be released, and from here on things got pretty crazy.

Dead or Alive 1 - 3

Although it wasn’t originally intended to be set within the same universe, the surprising fact is that the fighting game series Dead or Alive is strongly connected to Ninja Gaiden. Not only that, but this is where the current “modern” storyline begins, and it is deeper than what one might think. Now days Dead or Alive tends to have a certain “reputation” due to the volleyball games, other spinoffs, and the character costumes, but there really is more to it than meets the eye.

The original Dead or Alive is a 3D fighting game developed by Team Ninja for Arcade, PlayStation, and SEGA Saturn, and was inspired by the likes of Virtua Fighter (which the series would eventually crossover with). 

It's story follows the tragic events that befell a village of ninjas, and initially focuses on a young girl named Kasumi, who breaks the law and leaves said village in search of revenge. After her brother is left in a coma by her uncle Raidou, she enters the Dead or Alive World Combat Championship in hopes of taking him down. Unfortunately the punishment for leaving the village is death, so her best friend (and secretly half-sister) Ayane is sent to kill her… Except Ryu Haybusa would never allow that to happen.

It turns out that Ryu is best friends with Kasumi’s comatose brother Hayate, and he too decides to enter the tournament to keep an eye on Kasumi. However, things didn’t turn out quite as planned.

After the head of DOATEC (the company behind the tournament) is assassinated, Kasumi is captured, and project Alpha begins.

One thing that made Dead or Alive unique, besides its story, was the fact that its controls were made simple to use but hard to master. It mainly came down to throwing punches and kicks by organically holding the direction you wanted to point your attacks in, but it also included basic combo inputs as well. The character move lists weren’t insanely long like in Virtua Fighter, but there was enough for each character to require some practice to learn them all. The hold system however, that was something all its own.

While Virtua Fighter had combos to counter combos, Dead or Alive, beginning with Dead or Alive 2, opted for what is known as a “hold.” By hitting the hold button and directing the D-Pad, players could counter nearly any attack if it was done with perfect timing. All you had to do is know where the attack would land, and grab for it before it hit you. It was a simple system, but it also required knowledge of the other player; without understanding their move sets, you wouldn’t know what to expect to counter. Failing a counter would leave you open, so it was sometimes better to just block… Except even those who were blocking could be grabbed and thrown.

The original Dead or Alive released in 1996, with Dead or Alive 2 following it up a few years later in 1999. Unfortunately Dead or Alive 2 was released unfinished on PlayStation 2 after an early copy was used for full production, but it later received multiple enhanced versions on other platforms; with the DreamCast version often being considered the best. Dead or Alive 3 would eventually come to be in 2001 for the original Xbox, with Team Ninja completely dropping support for the PlayStation, and a collection titled Dead or Alive Ultimate would arrive later in 2004.

Each entry in the series continued to expand upon and evolve the story, and refined the gameplay and characters. Hayate would eventually return as well, and both he and Ayana would soon come to fulfill an even larger role within the overall story. 

Ninja Gaiden & Ninja Gaiden Black

After a long absence, and many years of Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden itself finally returned in 2004 for the original Xbox. Once again it was simply titled Ninja Gaiden, but unlike the games that came before it, it served as a reboot to the series. Rather than being a 2D platforming game, the series made its full jump into 3D, and it built off of Dead or Alive's mechanics to bring a completely new type of challenge to the series.

Instead of being like a typical action game with a handful of melee combos, Ninja Gaiden provided an entire fighting game style move-set for Ryu Hayabusa, and threw in enemies that always had to be taken seriously. Even the weakest of grunts could easily kill you if you weren't careful, and every enemy type had its own strengths and weaknesses. While Ryu begins the game only with his classic Dragon Sword, players can unlock many other weapon types throughout the adventure, and each one comes with a complete massive move-set of their own.

The game's levels were also designed to be a bit more open ended, with connected areas rather than typical stages, and they forced players to fully master Ryu's abilities just to survive. Ryu has a wide range of movement options available to him, and it is this mobility that allows him to take on any challenge. When the game feels unfair, or players find themselves dying the moment they walk into a room, it is actually a lack of skill that got them killed, and not the game being cheap.

Although the original Ninja Gaiden was already a solid entry, Ninja Gaiden Black released a year later to improve upon the series' new formula. Ninja Gaiden Black is essentially the same game as Ninja Gaiden, but multiple gameplay changes and balances were applied to it, and new harder (and easier) difficulty modes were added in for good measure. These new modes also included new enemies to take on, offering fans of the original game some new surprises.

Dead or Alive 4

When the Xbox 360 first launched near the end of 2005, Team Ninja was at the ready. Dead or Alive 4 was their first title for the next generation of hardware, and released in the West right before the new year. As with the titles that came before it, the game featured new characters, new stages, balance changes to the existing character's move-sets, and made use of Xbox Live for online play. The game was also the first mainline entry in the Dead or Alive series to receive an M rating by the ESRB, which would become the standard moving forward. (When it comes to numbered entries at least.)

Once again, the game progressed the plot even further, but it was really the online play, new characters,and other changes that helped make this the "best" entry within the series. 

And that is how it would remain for roughly six years.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma

After the success of the original "modern" Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black, Team Ninja returned in 2007 with yet another version. Dubbed Ninja Gaiden Sigma, the game was a PlayStation 3 exclusive that completely rebuilt the game from the ground-up. Not only was this version a remake, but it was also Team Ninja’s first game to release on the PlayStation after the Dead or Alive 2 incident. This is due to the creator of Dead or Alive, Tomonobu Itagaki not being involved with the project, as his focus was elsewhere at the time.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma released to a mixed reception. The game added more content, such as new weapons and an additional playable character, but it also lost quite a bit in the process. As the game had to be redone, not everything from Black transferred over into Sigma, which included not only boss weaknesses and other smaller gameplay mechanics, but even full cutscenes were removed. The game's puzzles were also stripped away, but new areas were added to the map making the game larger overall. New gameplay mechanics, such as the ability to fight on water, were added, and the game's graphics were completely overhauled to make use of the PS3's power. 

In the end, the final product was something that took away something for everything that was added, and that resulted in a split among fans. Many would continue to say that Black is the definitive edition, while Sigma remained an okay substitute for those only with a PlayStation 3. Meanwhile those who were mainly experienced with Sigma, could possibly prefer it as it was all they knew. This version would later get ported to the PlayStation Vita in in 2012, with a handful of alterations and extras added in; mainly in the form of costumes.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword

Following the release of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, the next game in the series was a return to Nintendo; something that hadn’t happened since the release of the Trilogy on SNES. It was Team Ninja’s first Nintendo game, and the only modern Ninja Gaiden to receive a T rating.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (or NG:DS) was the one and only Ninja Gaiden game to be released on the Nintendo DS. Released in 2008, the game served as a sequel to the first modern Ninja Gaiden, and was played by holding the DS sideways like a book. From there, the game was controlled by using the touch screen to navigate Ryu anround pre-rendered environments, and fight enemies using his Dragon Sword. 

It was an interesting experimental title, like many DS games during that point in time, but it managed to retain the modern Ninja Gaiden style. However, it was nothing compared to what came next.

Ninja Gaiden II

Ninja Gaiden II was the long awaited sequel to Ninja Gaiden, and was the first to be released for the Xbox 360. The project was lead by Tomonobu Itagaki, and was the final game he would work on as a part of Team Ninja. With his distaste for what happened with Dead or Alive 2, a PlayStation version was not planned, and the game was advertised as the ultimate action game for the current generation of hardware.

Building upon Ninja Gaiden Black, the game employed a wide range of skills and abilities for Ryu Hayabusa to make use of, and mastering said skills became key to surviving the game. Like the title before it, Ninja Gaiden II was a very challenging title, and its harder difficulty settings quickly became infamous among fans. Some of these settings were so challenging, you could die in less than half a second of the game loading up for the first time!

Of course, the game was still never "unfair." It still mixed fighting game elements in, with enemies having different strengths and weaknesses, and mastering Ryu's move-set and understanding these weaknesses allowed players to easily dispatch anything that got in their way. It was a steep learning curve, sure, but it was a perfect example of "practice makes perfect."

While Ninja Gaiden Black featured a connected world, Ninja Gaiden II opted for actual stages, with each one being completely different from the last. This allowed for a larger variety of environments, and enemy types to go along with them. Another major addition was the dismemberment system, which not only made the game bloodier, but changed gameplay up quite a bit. Cutting of an enemy's limbs is one way players were able to use crowed control to keep threats manageable, but at the same time it makes enemies much more dangerous (as they like to grab Ryu when in such a state). Ryu can pull off a finishing move to put these enemies out of their misery, but doing so could possibly leave him open to be attacked by others. It is a fine balance between when you should kill an enemy or when you should keep combos going, and the better you fight the higher your score is when you complete a stage. It is a system that gave players a reason to try to get better, while they also progressed towards the higher difficulty modes in the game.

As for the story, the game continues to focus on Ryu Hayabusa, but this time he teams up with a CIA agent named Sonia. After a mysterious woman named Elizebet teams up with the Black Spider Ninja clan to steal the Demon Statue from Ryu's village, they set off on an adventure across the world to prevent an ancient evil from being awoken. While it is never directly stated within Ninja Gaiden II, it is strongly implied that Sonia is none other than Irene Lew, but the game makes it very clear that this is Ryu's first time meeting her.

And this is where the series possibly retcons itself.

The story of Ninja Gaiden II heavily pulls from that of the original Ninja Gaiden. It features the Demon Statues as a central plot point, Ryu's (very much alive) father plays a role, and we have a mysterious CIA agent coming to Ryu for help. Plot wise it implies that the Modern Ninja Gaiden titles take place before the original games; however, Ryu meeting Irene for the "first time" twice isn't possible. One could argue that maybe Irene disguised herself in the original NES title, or it could be a simple case of retconning the original story. At this moment in time nothing has been officially confirmed, and it is always possible that the original Ninja Gaiden on NES will have its story revised as well.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2

About a year after Ninja Gaiden II came out on the Xbox 360, Team Ninja released Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. Once again, Sigma 2 was a PlayStation 3 exclusive, and was a completely reworked version of II. This new version featured a more stable framerate, it fixed glitches, and made other general quality of life improvements across the game. It also added in new playable characters Ayane (Kasumi's half-sister and one of the major main characters in Dead or Alive along side Ryu and the other ninja), Momiji (who was introduced in Dragon Sword), and Rachel (a major character from Ninja Gaiden who was also briefly playable in the original Sigma). Overall it was a more "complete" version of Ninja Gaiden II, but it once again suffered from the same issues as the first Sigma.

Sigma 2 greatly cut down on the blood from Ninja Gaiden II, purple mist sprayed from enemies who were dismembered, limbs no longer remained on the ground, and cutscenes containing such violence were censored. In short, if the scene was bloody, the blood was removed. The karma score from the original was also removed from the main story missions and placed in the stage-select challenge mode, the extra challenges in stages called "Tests of Valor" were completely removed, the extra mission mode was replaced with a co-op mission mode, puzzles and keys were once again removed, and many other general changes were applied to the game. Some bosses were removed where new ones were added, and enemy placement was also altered to make the game easier. It is changes like these which once again caused a split within the fanbase, with many agreeing the original is better, with others liking the improvements made to Sigma 2 instead.

Like Sigma before it, Sigma 2 also received a Sigma Plus 2 version for the PlayStation Vita in 2013. This version removed the online co-op (which made the co-op missions impossible, thus making it impossible to get all of the trophies), and allowed players to re-enable the blood and gore.

Dead or Alive Dimensions

The next major release within the overall series was another unexpected one. With the release of the Nintendo 3DS, Team Ninja announced that they would be bringing Dead or Alive to the handheld in 2011. This wouldn't be a simple port however, but instead a completely new DOA built off of the four mainline games that came before it.

Titled Dead or Alive Dimensions, the game featured a large character roster, gameplay balances and revised move-sets for each of them as well, and online play. It also included multiple costumes for each character; however, a large chunk of them were limited to a daily login event when the game first launched, and were missable. Those who did not attend the event couldn't unlock them, and to this day they cannot be recovered by normal means.

Putting this aside, the game offered multiple gameplay modes for players to enjoy, and there was an extra photo mode where players could pose and take pictures of their favorite characters. These images could then be saved to the SD card on the 3DS, and shared with friends. This did cause some issues however...

With Kasumi and Ayane being roughly 16 to 17 years old, the ability to take pictures of them was pulled into question in Sweden. Due to the characters being underage, it was decided that it would be better to cancel the title, and refund those who had purchased it. This extended to Denmark and Norway as well, making it so fans in these regions could not purchase the game. Of course the game didn't violate any laws in the rest of the world, and was given a T rating by the ESRB in the US.

As for the game's story, Dimensions featured a "visual novel" style recreation of Dead or Alive 1 through 4. It was mostly told through 3D models frozen in still images, but it added a lot of extra dialogue and context to the story as a whole. 

Major cutscenes from the original games were used as well, but the vast majority was completely new. The game took the previously known lore and turned it into something cohesive, that newcomers and long time fans alike could enjoy. Not only that, but the story itself also extended past that of Dead or Alive 4, with additional chapters serving as a bridge between 4 and the upcoming Dead or Alive 5. Even Irene makes an appearance, and officially confirms she was in fact Sonia. 

Gameplay wise, Dead or Alive Dimensions was nearly the perfect handheld DoA experience for its time. There were some balancing issues, such as Ryu having an insanely broken ranged attack, but overall the game played very nicely and was packed full of content. Nintendo's online couldn't compare to dedicated servers or the rollback netcode of today, but it worked. The offline arcade modes and challenge modes also offered more for players to do outside of the story, and it worked very well as a pick up and play title. Of course Dimensions wasn't the only fighting game to make the jump to the 3DS (Tekken 3D: Prime Edition would release that next year) but it remained as one of the top fighters on the console up until support ended. But of course, eventually this "side" game would be replaced by the true successor to Dead or Alive 4.

Dead or Alive 5

Dead or Alive 5 released in 2012 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and had a Plus version for PlayStation Vita in 2013. Like Dead or Alive 4, the game received an M rating by the ESRB, but was advertised as being a more "serious fighter."

With the tag line "I'm a Fighter," the game aimed to get away from the beach volleyball reputation it gained from the spin-off titles (Xtreme Beach Volleyball released in 2003, Xtreme 2 in 2006, and Paradise in 2010), and the skimpy outfits for female characters, and instead focused purely on the fighting experience.

The game featured sweet and dirt that would appear on the characters as they fought each other, and stages were much more dynamic, with some over the top hazards that could be triggered during each brawl. DOA5 also introduced a new "Power Blow" system which allowed players to send their opponent flying, which worked hand in hand with the new stage hazards. When put into a hazard, players were given a chance to counter using a quick time event, but it was more of a game of rock-paper-scissors where the correct (lucky) choice would win. It provided extra ways to deal damage during fights, but it could also be turned off for those wanting a pure "clean" fight.

Similar to Dead or Alive Dimensions, the story mode also now contained a full story (rather than being the typical arcade game styled story with limited dialogue), and was fully animated from start to finish. Story mode fights also contained their own challenges to complete while you did them, providing extra replay value outside of simply watching it again.

One thing that made Dead or Alive 5 so unique was also the inclusion of guest characters from the Vitua Fighter series; the very same series that inspired the original Dead or Alive in the 90s. Not only were these characters playable in the game, but they were included as cameos during the main story. Akira, Sarah Bryant, and Pai Chan, all appeared in the game, and contained similar move-sets to what was seen in Virtua Fighter 5, except simplified to fit Dead or Alive.

Ninja Gaiden 3

Ninja Gaiden 3 was the first modern Ninja Gaiden to not be directed by Tomonobu Itagaki, and, like Dead or Alive 5, was released on the PlayStation 3 as well as the Xbox 360 in 2012. Yosuke Hayashi was the lead on the project, after previously being the producer for the newer Dead or Alive titles.

Unfortunately, Ninja Gaiden 3 wasn't very well received.

The story of Ninja Gaiden 3 has series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa teaming up with Mizuki McCloud of the JSDF after the government asks for his assistance. Terrorists have attacked London, and strangely their masked leader is only requesting one thing. "Bring us Ryu Hayabusa." So Ryu comes to them.

After fighting his way through mobs of enemy soldiers, Ryu comes face to face with the man in a mask, and falls into his trap. Right before his eyes, Ryu's Dragon Sword vanishes, and the masked man puts a curse upon his arm. Ryu will now be overcome with the mace, and hate of all those he had killed, and it will slowly destroy him.

Now with no choice but to go after this strange masked figure who claims to be an "alchemist," Ryu departs on missions for the JSDF with his new goal of breaking the curse. With the Dragon Sword now gone, he is given Hayate's sword by Ayane, and eventually receives some unexpected help. 

While the story of Ninja Gaiden 3 is a bit more cinematic than what came before, it had plenty of issues holding it back.

Once again the blood and gore was toned back, and dismemberment was removed. Ryu's only weapon is also his sword, and the ability to upgrade weapons was removed. This means Ryu begins the game with his full move-set, and the combat never changes from start to finish. Special abilities such as magic were also removed, and instead replaced with a giant dragon attack that clears the screen. Using this ability is also what heals Ryu, so it is something players have to use quite often to stay alive.

Enemy variety was also cut down to only humans and dogs, with all of the demons, fiends, and monsters from past titles completely removed (with some small exceptions near the end of the game). The game also employed many forced walking sections, where Ryu walks at a slow pace as characters speak to each other. The main issue with this was the fact that dialogue often ended before you reached your destination, but you had to continue walking slowly to your goal. There are also forced scenes where Ryu slaughters soldiers who are begging for their life, which goes against Ryu's personality. Sure, he kills a lot of people, but it is all for the sake of the greater good. But not in this case.

Overall, Ninja Gaiden 3 wasn't a horrible game by any means, but it was "generic" by Ninja Gaiden standards. It was flashy and had a bigger story, but spongy enemies, no upgrades, no additional weapons, and the lack of many other features really held it back. It was the worst of the three for sure, and there was no saving it... 

Or was there?

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge

In yet another surprising release, Team Ninja announced that Ninja Gaiden 3 would be coming as a launch title on Nintendo's new Wii U console. This wasn't simply Ninja Gaiden 3 however, it was Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge.

Razor's Edge was a complete revamp of the original Ninja Gaiden 3. It reused the original game's story and levels, but everything else was changed for the better. It reintroduced the upgrade system which allowed you to make Ryu stronger and unlock new moves, it brought back multiple weapon types, it removed the "forced killing" sections of the story, and the game allowed players to keep fighting and running at full speed during the old walking segments (with a few exceptions). Stages were also slightly updated with additional hidden areas to find, and the challenges from the original Ninja Gaiden 2 made a return as well. Some of these challenges even featured bosses from older Ninja Gaiden games! Of course these challenges wouldn't be anything special if they constantly featured the same enemies, but thankfully that was fixed as well.

Not only did Razor's Edge bring back the blood and gore, and the dismemberment system, but it brought back most of the enemy types from past games a well. Fiends and other monsters were mixed into the stages, with special ones (such as bosses) also appearing in the challenges. With the multiple weapon types, upgradeable move-sets, and even the return of magic, each enemy once again had their own strengths and weaknesses, and (just like in the old days) understanding that became key to survival. Mixed in with the multiple difficulty modes, and other new and returning gameplay mechanics, Razor's Edge brought back what made fans love the series, and was a complete turn around.

But its changes didn't end there.

Razor's Edge not only improved the main game, but it featured a full chapter select mode, which allowed you to play through the entire game as other characters. Previously characters like Ayane only had a single stage dedicated to them outside of mission mode, but here every one of them has full access to the game. Ayane herself also received additional missions during the main story, where she actually teams up with Irene, but even these stages can be accessed by other characters. This included Momiji (who was playable in Sigma 2), and Kasumi, who previously only had a cameo appearance in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. All four characters play differently (Ryu more so with his multiple weapons), and they all had their own upgrade trees to level up.

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge was also one of the Wii U games that supported Gamepad Play, where a TV wasn't needed to actually play the game. As long as players were close enough to their Wii U console, they could stream it to the controller's screen. Besides this, the screen was mainly used for quickly accessing and navigating menus, but it also had an added "secret" motion control feature built in. The same motion control function found in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, where shaking the controller would shake specific parts of a character's body...

Although the game was originally intended as a Wii U exclusive, it would eventually come to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2013. This version was identical to the Wii U release, except without the Gamepad features. However, there was one difference.

While the Wii U version of the game received the extra characters as a free update, which also unlocked them for challenge mode from the start, the characters are included in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version by default. (No need to update.) Although this may not seem like a major change, it actually alters the nature of how the characters are unlocked. Instead of simply having challenge mode open from the start, they must be unlocked by beating the main story at least once. Overall it isn't a major change, but those hoping to jump right in as Kasumi, Ayane, or Momiji will have to wait.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate

After the release of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, Team Ninja returned to Dead or Alive. 

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate released in 2013 as the so called definitive edition of the title. It contained all of the content from the original Dead or Alive 5, with the addition of new characters (including Jacky Bryant from Virtua Fighter), a large selection of new stages, and gameplay balances and changes across the board. The game backed off slightly on its previous stance on sexual content, and added an option for extra "physics" to be applied to the female characters. Along with this new "OMG" mode, new costumes were added to the base game, and additional DLC outfits were released later on.

Besides all of the gameplay improvements and new content, Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate also released with a Core Fighters version. This version was a free to play title which only contained Kasumi, Ayane, Ryu, and Hayate as playable characters, with the rest purchasable individually or as packs. It was a version of the game that allowed players to only buy what they wanted, without having to spend the full price on the main game. And if their favorite character was included in the fully free version? Then no need to purchase anything.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate also had an arcade version containing the main arcade and versus modes, but this was released only in Japan.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

In 2014 a weird entry within the series finally released. The game was called Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, and it was a game being lead by none other than Keiji Inafune.

After leaving Capcom, Inafune got to work on developing multiple games. Although he was mainly known for working on the Mega Man series, his next projects consisted of a Monster Hunter styled game called for the Vita called Soul Sacrifice, and a tank game called Bugs vs Tanks! as a part of the Guild02 series on the Nintendo 3DS. While these two titles were for handhelds, his third game was Yaiba for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Despite having the Ninja Gaiden name however, it was a very different animal.

The game followed a ninja by the name of Yaiba who was previously killed by Ryu Hayabusa at an unknown point in time. His body was then found by a group called Forge Industries, and he was resurrected as a cyborg. From that point on, he sets out on a mission to get revenge on Ryu, but to do so he has to fight his way through a zombie apocalypse that has suddenly befell Ukraine.

It doesn't make a lot of sense lore wise, and it really isn't meant to.

Unlike the other Ninja Gaiden titles, Yaiba is a very crude game, filled with a lot of blood and guts, and non-stop crude humor. From Yaiba's dirty mouth, to non-stop innuendoes. It is a stark contrast to the main series, and even the cell shaded art style makes it stand out from the others. And so does the gameplay.

While the main entries are all about Ryu's fluid movement mixed with challenging gameplay, Yaiba is mostly a pure hack 'n slash. Slaughter every zombie in your way, get stopped by a road block, kill more zombies, and move on. This is the pattern the entire game follows, except for the extra mode which transforms the game into an arcade beat 'em up. (Complete with badly translated dialogue.)

Like with the original Ninja Gaiden 3, the game wasn't as well received, nor did it fully feel like a Ninja Gaiden title.

Dead or Alive 5 Last Round

The final version of Dead or Alive 5 was titled Dead or Alive 5 Last Round, and it released in 2015 on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. Like with Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, this version also featured a Core Fighters edition, and once again featured a wide range of enhancements across the entire title. A new character named Honoka was added, Mai Shiranui from Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters became the newest guest character, and new stages (included a limited DLC crossover with the manga/anime series Attack on Titan) were also included. DLC from Ultimate was compatible with Last Round, but Last Round itself started its own trend when it came to such content.

While Last Round launched with over 400 costumes, the game became infamously known for its sheer amount of DLC that released over the years. With seven season passes (each being roughly $75), the game was packed full of costumes for players to enjoy, provided they were willing to pay for their favorites. In the end, Last Round became the DOA with the most content, and the longest supported game in the series.

Dead or Alive 6

Dead or Alive 6 released in 2019 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and once again slightly toned back the sexual content. The physics of female bodies were greatly reduced, most of the costumes were once again less revealing (with a handful of exceptions), and there was a limited selection on costumes in general. The game also didn't contain as much content as Dead or Alive 5, and it only received support and DLC for roughly another year after its release. It had a Core Fighters edition, but even with that it still didn't have the playerbase of Last Round. In the end, Dead or Alive 6 was seen as a failure compared to Dead or Alive 5.

As for the gameplay changes; Dead or Alive 6 replaced the Power Blow system from Dead or Alive 5, and instead incorporated a Break Gauge which could be used to pull off special attacks. It also allowed players to pick between the four point Hold system (the counter attack system) which had been the series standard, or the three point system last used by Dead or Alive Dimensions. Other than this, the game was nearly identical to Dead or Alive 5, with changes to move-sets and standard fighting game balances applied. The game did contain four new characters added to the mix, with one of which being Kula Diamond from The King of Fighters.

As with Dead or Alive 5, Dead or Alive 6 also featured a more cinematic story mode, which was mostly made up of cutscenes, and challenge fights in-between them. The story picked up shortly after the cliffhanger of Dead or Alive 5, and it ends on a similar note. This is the current end of the mainline Dead or Alive games, with Xtreme 3 Scarlet releasing only a few weeks after. A dating simulator titled Venus Vacation PRISM: DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme is also set to release in March of 2025.

Despite Dead or Alive 6's shortcomings, the game was an improvement to Dead or Alive 5 at its core, and future updates did improve the game from launch. DLC sold was a retread of many Dead or Alive 5 costumes, but additional characters were released as well. Sadly this was a case of a solid fighting game having its support dropped way too early into its lifecycle, and one that was overshadowed by its predecessor.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection

After nearly eight years since the release of Razor's Edge, Ninja Gaiden finally reappeared in 2021. This wasn't a new game however, but instead a collection titled the Master Collection. 

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is a bundle of all three modern Ninja Gaiden games. It contains Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, and was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Each game runs at a higher resolution thanks to newer console's hardware, but all online and multiplayer mission modes were removed.

This collection is currently the best way for newcomers to get into the series, and it allows for long time fans to be able to own them on modern platforms. The biggest drawback for some is the fact that it comes with the Sigma versions of the first two, but at this point most were expecting it to be the case. Ninja Gaiden Black and the original Ninja Gaiden II are still playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X thanks to backwards compatibility however, so Xbox players do have options on which versions to play. 

The Master Collection was the first time the Sigma versions have ever released on the platform though, so for some it was still worth purchasing to finally experience the PlayStation side of things.

Ninja Gaiden Ragebound 

And finally, after almost 37 years; Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is on its way.

Releasing later in 2025, Ragebound is the newest entry within the Ninja Gaiden series, and is the first to return to the classic 2D style. It is being developed by The Game Kitchen, and for once follows the story of a completely new character named Kenji Mozu.

Kenji Mozu is a student of Ryu Hayabusa, and is left in charge of defending the village as Ryu himself travels to America to avenge his father during the events of the original NES Ninja Gaiden. During his absence, a rift between the demon world and human world is torn open, and Kenji is forced to step up to protect not just the village, but the entire world as well.

At this time, this is everything currently known about the game. While its story is happening at the same time as the NES title, Ryu Hayabusa appears in his modern day outfit; something he changes into after the events of the first modern Ninja Gaiden... This only further adds to the confusion as to what the overall timeline actually is, and what events are now canon.

The Current Timeline

When looking at the overall timeline, it isn't fully clear what game goes where, but there are some indications on where the games might fall.

The first modern Ninja Gaiden is in fact the beginning of the current timeline. The game opens with Ryu Hayabusa in his standard ninja outfit, but changes over to his modern outfit after the intro chapter. Young Ayane is also featured in the first Ninja Gaiden, and implies the game takes place prior to Dead or Alive.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is the next entry within the main timeline, and takes place months after Ninja Gaiden. It serves as a bridge between the first two mainline entries, and introduced Momiji (who would be playable in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and future Dead or Alive titles.)

Ninja Gaiden II takes place roughly a year after the first modern entry, and is the game that is officially the first appearance of Irene (going by the name Sonia) in the reboot. Ayane is also slightly older, obviously, and the run away Kasumi makes a cameo appearance.

The next entry timeline wise is none other than Dead or Alive Dimensions. This retelling of Dead or Alive 1 through 4 made adjustments based on the modern Ninja Gaiden titles, and also greatly expanded the original stories. Sonia from Ninja Gaiden II appeared using her real name Irene, and it shows her and Ayane meeting for the first time. Ryu, Ayane, and Irene would go on to work together throughout the rest of Dead or Alive Dimensions, and Ryu himself would reconnect with Kasumi's brother Hayate. 

At this point the stories of both series become a lot more closely tied together, as a significant amount of events occur during the course of the first four Dead or Alive titles.

Following Dimensions, the next two titles are a little unclear in the timeline.

Dead or Alive 5 is a direct follow up to Dimensions, while Ninja Gaiden 3 is also in the same boat. Both games feature characters who are now slightly older, and have been updated to their current designs. Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge features chapters where Ayane teams up with Irene as well, further confirming it takes place sometime after Dimensions. Due to Ryu losing his Dragon Sword, Hayate also lends Ryu his sword for the time being, but it is eventually returned after the end of the game. Ultimately both games are interchangeable within the timeline, as one does not conflict with the other in any way.

The final, current, entry in the modern timeline is Dead or Alive 6, which serves as a direct sequel to DOA5, and once again features new character designs. Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z also appears to take place prior to Dead or Alive 6, but it has no official placement within the timeline; assuming it is even canon.

From this point on, the original titles are then drawn into question. From a story standpoint, it makes sense that the original games take place at the end of the timeline, but Irene herself is a major conflict. Ryu's dad is very much alive in the modern titles, while his death is what triggers the events of Ninja Gaiden NES. This is what leads Ryu to meet Irene for "the first time," but at this point he is already very familiar with her. (And so is Ayane.) 

With Ragebound using this point in time as its placement within the story, it is completely unclear on how this will work. It will be a retcon either way you look at it, with either Irene's involvement being altered, or this will be a different timeline that has nothing to do with the modern titles.

Where to play the Games Today

In today's world only a handful of entries within the series are easily accessible.

Ninja Gaiden Arcade has been released as an Arcade Archive title on PlayStation 4 & 5 and Nintendo Switch. It is also unlockable within Ninja Gaiden Black.

Ninja Gaiden Black, and Ninja Gaiden II are downloadable on Xbox consoles, with Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge being included in the collection. The collection is available on Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Nintendo Switch.

Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate and Dead or Alive 3 are downloadable on Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S, along with Dead or Alive 4.

Dead or Alive 5 Last Round and Dead or Alive 6 are both playable on Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 & PlayStation 5, and PC.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z can be downloaded on PC via Steam, or streamed to PlayStation 4 & 5 using PlayStation Plus Premium.

And there you have it

What you have just read is a complete breakdown and history of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive up until this point in time. Of course the series will always be changing as time goes on, and there are obviously many details about each game we did not cover here, but we hope you enjoyed learning about this series! Maybe you learned something new, or maybe you didn't? Whatever the case, feel free to leave your comments below! 

Thanks again for stopping by Netto's Game Room! Until next time!