TheNinja Gaidengames are some of the most beloved action games out there, with games going all the way back to the original Nintendo Entertainment System. A new special edition in the series,Ninja Gaiden: The Master Collectionreleased earlier this year – though itdoesn’t touch the original games, it adds a lot to three of the 3D entries in the series.
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Ninja Gaiden Sigma,Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, andNinja Gaiden 3are all included in theNinja Gaiden Master Collection. The remaster comes packaged with the typical additions of a collection like this, including better visuals and effects, it also took away some of the things that made the three games special to some players.
6The Game Uses The Sigma Versions Of The First Two Games
Ninja Gaiden BlackandNinja Gaiden 2were originally games on the original Xbox system. When the games were ported to the then-modern PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems, they were given graphical improvements and some minor extra content and rebranded with theSigmatitle
However, fans of theNinja Gaidenseries have been eagerly anticipating remasters of thefirst two titles in their original form.Sigmachanged a lot of cutscenes, music, mechanics, bosses, and even puzzles in the game. ThoughNinja Gaiden Sigmais by no means a bad game, fans of the series tend to prefer the un-remastered version.
5Five Different Characters Are Available To Play
While Ryu is the iconic main character of just about everyNinja Gaidengame, theNinja Gaiden Master Collectiongives players the ability to play as one of five characters. These characters can be swapped anytime, even in the middle of a fight, if theplayer wants to change things upcosmetically for a little while.
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The four characters are Momiji fromNinja Gaiden 3, Ayane fromNinja Gaiden 2, Rachael fromNinja Gaiden Sigma, and Kasumi also fromNinja Gaiden 3. Most of these characters were originally included in DLC, and theNinja Gaiden Master Collectionalso includes just about all of the DLC from the three included games.
4The Graphics Get A Major Overhaul, Including 4k Resolution And 60 FPS
TheNinja Gaidenseries hasn’t seen a good remaster in a long, long time. Technically,Ninja Gaiden Sigmawas the first to remaster an olderNinja Gaidengame, as it built upon the foundation ofNinja Gaiden Blackfor the original Xbox. No matter how one looks at it nowadays, though, the game still needed a facelift to survive in the modern age.
TheNinja Gaiden Master Collectionnot only collects three of themost iconicNinja Gaidengames in one place, but it also gives them major improvements like 4k resolution, ultra-high-quality textures, an unlocked FPS, and other features that turn it from a blotchy mess to a clean, crisp experience worthy of a ninja.
3The Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 Didn’t Get Special Treatment
Most games that get remastered nowadays are made with the most modern consoles' capabilities in mind.Ninja Gaiden The Master Collectiongoes against the grain, though, and has been optimized for just about every console it is available on – the only exclusion is the 60 FPS feature from the Nintendo Switch version.
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Games likeThe Elder Scrolls Online,The Witcher3, and other modern classics have already seen free content updates to bring them up to par specifically for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Because of the age of theNinja Gaidengames, they can be made more beautiful by orders of magnitude with a few simple tweaks that every console can take advantage of.
2There’s No Turbo Mode In Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
One of the draws of theNinja Gaidenseries is its incredibly fast-paced and precise combat mechanics. Dodging, parrying, timing attacks, and keeping on one’s toes are just the start to the complex and punishing swordplay in the games. Some die-hard fans of the series were enamored with the inclusion of a Turbo mode inNinja Gaiden Sigma 2tospeed things up even more.
One of the few things thatNinja Gaiden The Master Collectionactually removes from its included titles is this faster-paced mode. The games already play very fast, that much is for sure, but it’s still a disappointment to fans who felt rewarded for figuring out the exact inputs and strategies needed to get past this near-impossible game mode.
1Online Play Isn’t Enabled In Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Or 3
Another element of the games included inNinja Gaiden The Master Collectionisthe ability to play onlinefor specific events and activities. InNinja Gaiden Sigma 2, for example, players could take part in Tag Missions. InNinja Gaiden 3, Ninja Trials could be completed with friends online too. Unfortunately, this online functionality was removed for the remastered collection.
Fans of the series don’t exactly know why the functionality was removed, either, as modern systems are more than capable of online multiplayer and backward compatibility. As it stands, though, players will have to embrace the fact thatNinja Gaiden The Master Collectionis an entirely solo experience, even though online-only modes such as these are still available in the game.
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