Tecmo-Koei and Team Ninja released a new trailer for the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection today. Appropriately titled “Action,” the trailer shows off the many techniques, weapons, and ninpo skills Ryu Hayabusa can use to cut a bloody swath through his enemies. As you’d expect from Ninja Gaiden, the action looks fast, smooth, and utterly brutal.
The collection remasters Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden: Razor’s Edge in 4K and at 60 FPS and includes most of the previously released digital content. While missing DLC is always a concern when companies tout their remasters as the definitive versions of the games they contain, Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection has a different problem. It collects the Sigma versions of the first two titles, not Ninja Gaiden Black or Ninja Gaiden 2, making the collection incomplete at best and worse versions of the aforementioned games at worst.
While Ninja Gaiden Black is widely considered the definitive version of the original game and one of the best action games ever made, the original Sigma isn’t a bad title. It just isn’t Ninja Gaiden Black. The larger problem comes from Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, which toned down Ninja Gaiden 2‘s much larger enemy count, replaced the game’s blood with purple mist, changes certain abilities, and even removes entire sections of levels and boss battles. Sigma 2 does run better because of the removal of enemies in certain sections and add additional playable characters with their own levels, but reception to these additions were mixed at best, and the Ninja Gaiden community generally regards Ninja Gaiden 2 as the superior release. It’s not a stretch to say that Ninja Gaiden 2 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 often feel like completely different games.
It’s unfortunate that the Master Collection won’t feature Black and Ninja Gaiden 2 (Team Ninja claims the original games weren’t salvageable, though there are examples of other studios reverse engineering games thought lost with time and effort), but what’s here does look good. If nothing else, it will give players who have never played the original releases a chance to experience the series. Fortunately, those who want to play Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden 2 still have options. Both games are backwards compatible on Xbox One X and Xbox Series X, and have received significant technical upgrades.
For everyone else, Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection releases on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on June 10th. You can check out the “Action” Trailer below, courtesy of Tecmo-Koei.
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