“The flame of my life is about to go out,” reads the message. “The fact that this message has been posted means that my time has finally come. I am no longer in this world. (I have entrusted someone important to me with this final message).”

“My life was a continuous battle which I kept winning. I caused a lot of trouble for others too. I take pride in having fought to the end, and having followed my convictions. I have no regrets, but I am deeply sorry that I could not deliver new works to my fans. I’m sorry. So it goes.”

Itagaki had worked with Koei Tecmo on a wide range of projects, from its classic Ninja Gaiden series to the Dead or Alive fighting games, as well as a host of different spin-offs. He had left the company a few years ago, announcing the founding of his own company, Valhalla Game Studios, which was also eventually dissolved before he founded Itagaki Games back in 2021. His focus with his own companies was to work on new IPs for PC and consoles.

He had originally joined Tecmo back in 1992 as a graphics programmer where he originally worked on Tecmo Super Bowl. The development of the first Dead or Alive game, which at the time was developed for the same arcade hardware as Virtua Fighter, is noted as being the first major breakthrough in his career.

In 2001, Itagaki had taken up the role of the leader of Team Ninja, and 2004 saw him becoming an executive officer of the company. Along with having worked on all mainline Dead or Alive games up to the release of Dead or Alive 4, Itagaki also worked on projects like Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, Super Swing Golf, and horror title Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly.

He also had a hand in the creation of Ninja Gaiden, which came about from his desire to develop a title that featured violent gameplay. This resulted in the release of Ninja Gaiden on the original Xbox. He also worked further on the title to then release it as Ninja Gaiden Black, before eventually also making Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword on the Nintendo DS. He left Tecmo just before the release of Ninja Gaiden 2 in 2008, suing the company for withholding his bonus payments.

Itagaki is survived by his wife and daughter, the latter of whom he has credited as being a major inspiration behind the development of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. While he has worked on several titles throughout his life, the most recent game released with his name in the credits is Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time from 2020, where he served as the Supreme Advisor. Before this, Itagaki had also worked on 2015’s Devil’s Third as the director.

In the latest issue of Famitsu (translation by Hansuke21 on Twitter), studio president Fumihiko Yasuda spoke about the development of Rise of the Ronin, which he’s also producing and directing. He revealed that development is occurring right next to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s updates and DLC, with a release still on the cards for next year.

Interestingly, Yasuda also expressed interest in releasing a new game in 2025 and hopes to reveal more “when we can.” “The development team’s growth will be slow if we keep repeating the process of releasing one game over several years. We have a plan to release a game every year.” Yasuda also reiterated that there aren’t any plans to reboot Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is out on March 3rd for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC. It also launches on day one for Game Pass with a free demo currently available on all platforms.

Rise of the Ronin and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Fumihiko Yasuda: The development for it is right next to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Updates and DLC production. We also planned to release the Rise of the Ronin in 2024.

— ハオ(ハンスケ) (@Hansuke21) March 1, 2023

Fumihiko Yasuda: "We want to release a new game in 2025. We hope to tell you about it when we can.

The development team's growth will be slow if we keep repeating the process of releasing one game over a number of years. We have a plan to release a game every year.

— ハオ(ハンスケ) (@Hansuke21) March 1, 2023

Remarks about reboot of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series:

Fumihiko Yasuda: The statement that plans are underway to reboot NINJA GAIDEN and DOA was misinformation (lol). 1/2

— ハオ(ハンスケ) (@Hansuke21) March 1, 2023

Fumihiko Yasuda: I only said that I cherish both of these series.

I can't really say any specifics about them at this time, but when the time comes, I would like to be the first person to talk about it.

— ハオ(ハンスケ) (@Hansuke21) March 1, 2023

“It goes without saying that when speaking about the development of our past and future projects, both of these important titles cannot be left without mention. However, there are no details or information to share on either of these franchises at this present time,” said Lee.

“Like many of our dedicated fans, we share the enthusiasm for the return of these beloved titles. And we will be sure to provide a proper update if and when that day arrives.”

Lee’s statement is interesting, considering Nick Baker of XboxEra was told that PlatinumGames is developing the Ninja Gaiden reboot. Team Ninja didn’t address the same, so time will tell if it’s true.

The last mainline title in the Dead or Alive series was Dead or Alive 6, which was released in 2019 and ran on a new engine. Ninja Gaiden’s last major title was Ninja Gaiden 3 in 2012, followed by an updated version, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, later that year. There’s also Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection which was released in June 2021 and included Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 and 2 and Razor’s Edge in one package for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Check out our review here for more details.

But of course, the two big franchises that many would argue the developer built its reputation around are Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, and both – especially the former – have been in heavy demand where series revivals are concerned, not least because it’s been so long since either franchise saw a new mainline release.

It seems, however, that reboots for both franchises are in the works. As reported by Ruliweb, at a recent panel at the G-Star conference held in Busan, South Korea, Team Ninja’s president Fumihiko Yasuda reportedly confirmed that Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive reboots are in the works, with the developer hoping to reveal new information soon.

Additionally, a slide shown at the end of the presentation also showcased screenshots from both franchises, with the slide’s headline reading, “the future of Team Ninja- reboot of popular series”. You can view the slide below.

Given how big Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive and how important the two series remain to Team Ninja, it doesn’t come as a shock that the developer has plans for both, though the fact that they’re being rebooted might catch some by surprise.

Team Ninja has, of course, acknowledged in the past that fans are hopeful of a Ninja Gaiden revival, and has stated on a number of occasions that it would like to develop a new game in the series.

Additionally, players in Saudi Arabia also noticed the addition of Max Payne 3 to the list, as shared in multiple Twitter posts. Dead or Alive 3 is dated November 15th for availability, while all others (excluding Max Payne 3) have been dated 10th November.

With Xbox’s 20th anniversary drawing closer. speculation suggests that these games could be added to the Xbox Backward Compatibility program. Another important point worth noting is that some of these games don’t even have proper box arts right now, and none can be purchased or downloaded as of now, so it might be best to keep expectations in check. However, those interested in checking out the full list of games can look below – courtesy of Xbox Era:

• Dead or Alive
• Dead or Alive 2
• Dead or Alive 3
• Manhunt
• Max Payne
• Max Payne 2
• Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee
• Red Dead Revolver
• Star Wars: Clone Wars
• Star Wars: Episode III
• Thrillville

https://twitter.com/IdleSloth84/status/1459138732838240259

Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi has confirmed to Dengeki (via Gematsu) that the studio is working on a PlayStation 4 title.

“We’re developing a PlayStation 4 title internally, so please look forward to future updates.” No other information was offered but the safe money is on it either being a new Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive title. It’s also likely that it will arrive on the Xbox One as well given the developer’s history with Microsoft (Ninja Gaiden 3 and Dead or Alive 5 both arrived on the Xbox 360 and PS3).

The question then remains: Which title was more successful to warrant a next-gen follow-up? The studio wants to get back to Ninja Gaiden but the third game soured many a player and critic alike with its horrible mechanics. Conversely, DOA5 didn’t light sales charts on fire but was received far more favourably.

As Hayashi says though, stay tuned for more updates in the coming months.

Director Motomu Toriyama  , who you will note was the one who took the town areas out Final Fantasy XIII because they were “too much work” and wilderness lead planner Yui Umeda, who has a job title that doesn’t even make sense, enthusiastically answered that yes, Lightning is bigger. In fact, she’s gone from a C-cup to a D-cup. We wish we were joking about this, but Toriyama actually instructed his team to make them bigger and even jiggle. Toriyama did clarify though that, “It actually depends on the wear you select. Sort of like supportive underwear.”

Classy.

Of course the world, which needed no reason to hate any Final Fantasy XIII game anymore, found some new ammunition. Square Enix was bombarded and criticized. What seemed like just some fun, if somewhat creepy additions in the form of costumes and poses – some which were throwbacks to previous Final Fantasy games like Cloud’s Buster Sword and SOLDIER outfit, and Yuna’s kimono – have turned out to be yet another insane dive into the worship that Toriyama has for the “goddess”.

Or has it?

Let’s be honest here: Tifa, even by the standards of the 90’s, wasn’t exactly anything less than gifted (and she wasn’t that old either). Ashe from Final Fantasy XII wore a mini-skirt hither tither, battling over-whelming beasts while some of us waited for the inevitable slip and peek. Even Vanille, from Final Fantasy XIII, was constantly revealing her inner thighs and indulging the shadier fans among us with her child-like antics. And don’t even get us started on Final Fantasy X-2, which was a menagerie of fan service in every serviceable form, from the interactions between the three girls, to their dresses, to the villainess’s dress and more.

But then, look at Lara Croft in the latest Tomb Raider reboot. She’s grittier, tougher and goes through far more torture than most mainstream males do (with the exception of Isaac “Did I Just Survive a Moon Being Dropped on Me?” Clarke). But even if her body is fairly more realistic and proportioned this time around, she’s still parading around in tight jeans and revealing an ample amount of cleavage.

Honestly, the game industry is incredibly sexualized, because the core belief – that game developers are catering to males – will always exist. However, great games always have their say as well – whatever we may say about Croft’s exposure, she was part of an excellent adventure. And no amount of fan service could excuse the fact that Final Fantasy XIII was an awful game (Final Fantasy X-2 less so but still). It’s not hard to make money by pushing a mentally strong heroine either, and in fact, it can be argued that games like Portal 2 did better than games with male heroes.

However, it’s important to look at Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII’s attempt to sexualize or fetishize as just an attempt to cater to the more “devoted” fans of the character. Heck, why else would they include a Cloud costume and Yuna costume? It can’t be because of the insane exposure those offer. In the same way, there are plenty of costumes within the game that help conceal or expose Lightning as much as the player wants.

As for the new “physics” adorning Lightning’s assets? Well, is it as exaggerated as Dead or Alive? Is it any more ridiculous than Saints Row? Can it be viewed as a means to cash in on players’ whims to see the female anatomy jiggle? Does it matter? It’s there, and honestly, it would be a whole lot weirder if they didn’t move at all, even if Lightning was a C-cup.

Regardless, the debate is just that: a debate. We can argue over whether Square Enix is committing a travesty when it’s nowhere near as overt as Dragon’s Crown’s sexuality. We can also argue about the developer doing everything in its power to make the game a success, which includes fan service in all its forms and a new “open world” approach. Or we can just argue that the Final Fantasy XIII series at this point has gone way paste its expiration date.

Because when people want to trash your entire game over something like increasing your heroine’s breasts by one size – or even the other way around, where people are reluctant to rush to game’s defence because it’s just another in a line of f**k-ups – well, it’s time to wrap it up, move on and try something else, no?

Dead or Alive 5 is the perfect game for newcomers to the series, yet it’s not unfamiliar to those who have been with the series a long time. All the typical DOA mechanics and shenanigans that you know and love are still here, but they’ve been broken down to their core in a lot of ways and explained thoroughly for the newcomers.

The tutorials are a perfect example for this. They’re very informative and detailed, and they teach you everything from basic moves like punching and kicking to some of the most complicated moves you can pull off, progressing gradually and at a deliberate speed. It’s even enjoyable if you’re a DOA fan. It’s just too much fun.

The fighting in the game hasn’t changed much from what we know already. The strikes, holds and throws collectively form a rock, paper, scissors system, where strike beats throw, throw beats hold, and hold beats strike. It’s a fun system that forms checks and balances, and it creates lots of opportunities to formulate strategies, yet not so much so that arcade fighter fans cannot have fun.

Then there’s the campaign mode. The story in the campaign mode, which is supposed to be what the purpose of the campaign is, is downright ridiculous. Sure, it provides a few laughs sometimes, but it’s poorly written and tacky. The corny voice acting doesn’t help. However, it isn’t really about the story. Playing DOA for story is like playing Assassin’s Creed for the horse-riding. It’s stupid. The story, in Dead or Alive, needs to serve the purpose of bringing you from one fight to another, and here, it does that perfectly.

The fights can often get a little crazy- the maps are often dynamic and they’ll cause you to rethink your movements and your attacks, lest you want to get trampled by a train or electrocuted by a… wall. The action on the screen can often get pretty intense, and the game usually handles that well, but the frame rate dips often times, which can be a real hindrance and irritant. It’s not a deal breaker, but it sure comes in the way of your enjoyment sometimes.

It’s good to know, then, that the visuals are top notch otherwise. The art style is great and ambitious, and so are the character models (you know). The arenas and maps have been created wonderfully, and even on a technical side, the visuals are pretty impressive.

There are some other modes in the game, as expected, including arcade, time trial and online. These pretty much explain themselves, and I guess you don’t need me telling you that they’re all well done and extremely fun. Especially the online mode. It isn’t the best you would see in a game, heck, even in a fighting game, but there’s something satisfying about beating your friends and/or strangers to death with fighting mechanics that are as good as they are in DOA 5.

Ultimately, Dead or Alive 5 is a great game. Team Ninja isn’t completely over its obsession with accentuated breasts and making them bounce like rubber balls against a concrete wall, but that really isn’t an issue, is it? Either way, the gameplay here is solid, and if you are a Dead or Alive and/or fighting fan, you should definitely pick this game up.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3.