BACK IN BLACK

NINJA GAIDEN 2 BLACK gives a makeover to an action game classic

- By Scott McCrae

There aren’t enough games like Ninja Gaiden in the world. I relish struggling through punishing combat in games that give me the tools to battle in a way that’s typically reserved for flashy cutscenes. Intense enemy encounters and rhythmic timing mixed with Tony Hawk-style experimentation just hits that sweet spot – and I don’t think any game mixes both of these in their most extreme forms more than Ninja Gaiden 2.

Back in 2004, Ninja Gaiden demanded a more defensive approach to combat than contemporaries like Devil May Cry. Pulling off carefully timed strikes and flashy wall-runs between precision blocking was excruciatingly punishing but an exhilarating exercise in disciplining my fingers. Then Ninja Gaiden 2 threw that out the window and stuck a brick on the gas. Excess is the name of the game. Enemies shoot out fountains of blood, relentless offence is key to survival, and everything is faster. If Ninja Gaiden 1 is a long-form symphony, then Ninja Gaiden 2 is a two-minute punk banger.