Falling into the latter category is a little franchise by the name of Lost Planet, which sought to combine third-person shooter action and Mecha brawls against the backdrop of a sci-fi dystopia. Over the course of less than a handful of entries and a handheld spin-off, the franchise faded into obscurity. This begs the question – what the hell actually happened to Lost Planet?

Lost Planet was a bit different from other action games by Capcom, one of those being that the game was exclusive to Microsoft’s Xbox 360, as opposed to most of its other titles which found a home on Sony’s PlayStation 3. The game is set against a futuristic dystopia, wherein the planet Earth has become uninhabitable due to factors such as pollution, wars, and global warming – and humanity is on the lookout for alien planets to colonize and potentially, inhabit. Upon stumbling on the alien planet, the expedition team comes face to face with an alien race by the name of Akrid – and you embark on a long and arduous journey to help in colonizing this hostile planet.

While the story setup isn’t anything to write home about, it formed a solid basis for an enjoyable and action-packed gameplay loop nevertheless. As protagonist Wayne, you have the ability to wield different kinds of weapons – from rifles to grenade launchers to miniguns – to defeat a multitude of enemy types. On top of that, you could also use a grappling hook to reach higher vantage points or hack a VS which is essentially a Mecha to wreak havoc upon your adversaries. You also have to keep tabs on your Thermal Energy at all times, as it will deplete constantly in the face of adverse weather conditions and you have to keep recharging it through the use of heat generators or killing enemies.

Apart from the fun single-player offerings, Lost Planet also offered a decent suite of multiplayer options as well – which mixed the game’s thermal energy management systems with standard game modes like CTF and free-for-all – resulting in an experience that was as addicting as it was fun.

Lost Planet released in December 2006 in Japan followed by January of 2007 worldwide, and critics and fans unanimously praised the game on account of its fun gameplay and engaging multiplayer mode, and it stands at a respectable rating of 79 on Metacritic. As mentioned before, Lost Planet was originally an Xbox 360 exclusive – but the game would soon be ported over to PC and PlayStation a few months later in the form of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition which added a few new bells and whistles to the game’s multiplayer offerings. Lost Planet also enjoyed a great commercial reception, selling over 2.8 million units in lifetime sales for both versions of the game.

Following the breakout success of the first game, the developer already began laying plans for a sequel. New ideas would be added into the mix, such as a fleshed-out co-op mechanic for the single-player campaign that would allow players to work together and share important resources like Thermal Energy as a team to overcome new threats. Apart from that, the game would also have a change of scenery from the first game, among a slew of other things. Lost Planet 2 finally released in 2010, although unlike its predecessor – the game was released on both Xbox 360 and PS3, which was followed by a PC release a couple months later.

While Lost Planet 2 had a few neat ideas that were an improvement over the original, the game was criticized on account of some of its bizarre game design choices, particularly with regards to the interface and encounters. All in all, Lost Planet 2 was met with a lukewarm critical reception – and the game stands at a rating of 68 on Metacritic, which was still respectable albeit lower than the first game. Over on the commercial front, the game sold 1.5 million copies in around a year – which was obviously lower than what the developer had projected.

The developer also produced a handheld spin-off for the franchise in the form of E.X. Troopers that released for the PS3 in 2013, which added new elements such as a melee fighting system and a jetpack among others. The game didn’t have a strong critical or commercial reception, and at least the latter of these problems can partly be attributed to the game being released in Japan only.

For the third mainline game in the franchise, development duties shifted to Spark Unlimited. This prequel would veer away from its predecessors as it incorporated some role-playing elements into the mix, such as side-quests and crafting equipment among others. In addition to this, the game would also add an element of survival horror into its gameplay – as the camera jutted really close to the protagonist’s shoulder and the mission environments felt claustrophobic.

Lost Planet 3 finally released in 2013 for all major platforms, but failed to really impress critics once again. The new direction for the series was criticized by players as it made for a repetitive gameplay experience that goes on for way longer than it needs to, and the gameplay mechanics didn’t boast much depth either. Between having the series’ lowest Metacritic score of 61 and the game being developed by an external studio not previously involved with the franchise, Lost Planet 3 flopped on a commercial level as well. Unsurprisingly, there’s little to no information available with regards to its sales figures.

With three commercial failures to weigh against one breakout success, the developer naturally put the series on indefinite hold after Lost Planet 3. Rumors of a franchise revival started doing the rounds as the developer had allegedly pitched a potential Lost Planet 4, but the management refused since the investment needed for the project would be too risky for a niche franchise. Jump to the current day, and it seems highly unlikely that Lost Planet would be resurrected once again – and that’s a shame because these games could end up being a lot of fun when they were firing on all cylinders.

As for what happened to the series, it’s rather obvious. Ever since the release of the first game, the sequels didn’t quite hit the mark in their gameplay and story departments – resulting in an underwhelming critical and commercial reception over and over again. As a result, the developer had to put an end to the series since the investment didn’t bear any fruit. All that said, we do really hope to see the franchise return to the mainstream once again – but we can only wish for now.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The Ninja Gaiden series has seen better days. Once, with Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden 2, the series was the crest of the action game wave, with its technical mastery over the genre far beyond anything any other pretender could hope to achieve. And yet, since Ninja Gaiden 2, the series has been in a downhill slide.

Ninja Gaiden 3 launched, and was, well, a really poorly received game; Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z was a sort of reimagining of the series, but it also ended up not sticking the landing, with its reception not being particularly great either.

What I am trying to say is, no one has cared for the last couple of games in the series. Which is why it makes complete sense for Koei Tecmo to try and bring one of them to current generation consoles. Wait, what?

That’s what they are doing, apparently. At least, if the trademark filing for the brand that Koei applied for in the US is any indication. That, or they just really don’t want to lose the trademark for it for some reason. Maybe this is what Team Ninja meant when they suggested the series might eventually return (hopefully not, though).

If you are even slightly curious about this, I recommend that you turn away and go and play Ninja Gaiden Black instead. You can actually play it on Xbox One now, thanks to the magic of backward compatibility.

Remember Spark Unlimited, the company which developed Lost Planet 3 and Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, both which saw mediocre critical and commercial success? It was recently revealed via NeoGAF that the developer was auctioning office equipment, which prompted rumours of it shutting down.

Those rumours turned out to be true as former Spark Unlimited CTO John Butrovich stated to Polygon that, “It’s the end of Spark as a game developer.” All employees have been laid off and current projects have been cancelled. This included an unfinished free to play title, though current projects which still make money are now being handled by a trustee.

Spark Unlimited first came into its own with Call of Duty: Finest Hour which was the first console-based title in the franchise (based off of the PC version created by Infinity Ward) and served as the company’s highest rated game till date. The studio also created Turning Point: Fall of Liberty and Legendary for previous generation consoles.

He would emerge from the shadows many years later in an Xbox darling reboot, where its insane difficulty remains infamous to this day. While his new 3D adventures departed from the demanding platforming of his original outings in favour of more combat heavy designs, the common thread running through the series was one of being unafraid to make a player work for their progression, going from Ninja Dog to a master. However, much like Yaiba, the new protagonist himself in this loosely connected spinoff is not Ryu, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is not a Ninja Gaiden game.

"Rudementery platforming elements that might as well have been quick time events with how contextual they are break up the pace between fighting, which itself borrows it’s parts from most of it’s contemporaries except the series it’s actually spun off of."

The only real connection in fact, lays in the plot. You play as Yaiba, whose backstory isn’t overly explained outside of collectable, optional text exposition. The opening sees Yaiba and Ryu Hayabusa locked in battle, in a scene reminiscent of the opening to the NES classic. Yaiba does not emerge from this engagement as the victor, and is seen dying. Fast forward a few weeks, and Yaiba has been reanimated by a malevolent benefactor, with shiny new cyborg enhancements. Yaiba is hardly the only one back from the grave however, as legions of undead stiffs in all shapes and sizes are now roaming the streets. Of more concern to both Yaiba and his guardian however, is the presence of Hayabusa in this mess, whom both have reasons to want gone.

The inclusion of Hayabusa at all is the main and sole connection to Ninja Gaiden as a series, and the idea that this could have just as easily been a new property pervades the game just enough to constantly be at the back of your mind. Rudimentary platforming elements that might as well have been quick time events with how contextual they are break up the pace between fighting, which itself borrows its parts from most of its contemporaries except the series it’s actually spun off of.

While engaging the frequent rooms of cannon fodder zombies, and prevalent larger foes, Yaiba has a dash to move around, and three buttons to control his sword for quick slashing, huge cyborg fist for heavy attacks, and a chain sickle for area of effect. Healing is done solely through executing enemies in a significantly less skill based take on Metal Gear Rising’s Zandatsu system, though while that game had items and other ways to heal up and was thus more forgiving on screw ups, Yaiba leaves no such room.

"There is a ton of fun to be had in the standard encounters with the hoards, but whenever the game asks a degree of precision it quickly descends into frustration and repeated attempts. "

Executions can most reliably be done on the goons, which are completely absent from many of the boss fights and larger enemy encounters, leaving players with no respite against the damage they will take from the hard to read baddies. There is a ton of fun to be had in the standard encounters with the hoards, but whenever the game asks a degree of precision it quickly descends into frustration and repeated attempts. Subtle strategy can be employed with a basic rock-paper-scissors element system at play, though this is typically more difficult to take advantage of than it’s worth and leaves itself mostly relegated to basic puzzle solving as a result.

Yaiba rather proudly touted it’s cel-shaded “living comic book” art style before release, and pulls it off admirably. While not exactly a technical marvel to accomplish, the fame rate stays consistent and the environments typically pop out in a fashion not often seen in games today. Overall, it’s very reminiscent of Borderlands, right down to enemy introduction cut-ins, yet it does so without coming off as a straight aping.

"Ninja Gaiden Z is hardly a master of it’s craft, but it isn’t trying to be Ninja Gaiden proper either. "

About as much can be said about the writing in the game. While going into much detail would spoil some of the best moments to be found, The humorous dialog of Yaiba and the colourful cast around him provide some genuinely funny moments and overall keep the tongue in cheek environment consistent, and is one of the things the game simply nails. You never get the idea that Yaiba is taking itself seriously between the perverse gore, humor and undead shenanigans, and when you can laugh with the game, events can be laugh out loud hilarious.

Much like the relationship between Yaiba and Hayabusa, Ninja Gaiden Z is hardly a master of its craft, but it isn’t trying to be Ninja Gaiden proper either. Expecting a Ninja Gaiden game will leave players disappointed, but taking it on it’s own merits reveals an acceptable opening act.

Yaiba could really become something great with more polish and disconnecting himself from the Ninja Gaiden line. As it is however, players willing to stomach the frustrations beneath the surface should have a good time, just don’t feel bad about shambling over to it when it hits the bargin bin.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation  3.

Game Overview:

Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z is the latest entry into the Ninja Gaiden series but instead of being a sequel it’s a spin off. Players will take the role of Yaiba, as he faces against the series’s mainstay Ryu Hayabusa. In their initial battle, Yaiba is almost killed by Ryu. Fortunately for Yaiba, he is resurrected by an organization as he once again pursues his revenge against Ryu.

Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z is developed by Team Ninja along with Spark Unlimited and Comcept. It is published by Tecmo Koei. The game is now available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Check out the video walkthrough of Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z below and let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below.

For video game guides, tips and wikis, check out our gaming portal here.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, the newest installment in the long running action game series, and an attempted re-envisioning and re-imagining of it, launches today for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, with a PC version launching on March 21.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is a collaboration between comcept, the studio headed by legendary game designer Keiji Inafune, and Team Ninja, in collaboration with Spark Unlimited (who have previously worked with Capcom), the game, which uses a striking visual style, sees players take on the role of Yaiba, an elite ninja warrior and master in combat, and take on the legendary Ryu Hayabusa himself.

“Developed by the talented teams led by Team Ninja’s Yosuke Hayashi and comcept’s Keiji Inafune, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is an ambitious project, and we are excited to introduce this new type of ninja to Ninja Gaiden fans and newcomers alike,” said Amos Ip, SVP and General Manager of Tecmo Koei America. “When it comes to creating an exciting new property utilizing ninja and zombies as source material, there are no better experts than Team Ninja and Inafune-san.”

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for further coverage.

We caught up with Executive Producer of Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z, Yosuke Hayashi from Tecmo Koei Games to know more about the core gameplay mechanics, potential next-gen versions,  inspiration behind the change in the series’ direction and more.

Yaiba obviously seems to have a different feel to it, in a way, from the other Ninja Gaiden games. But in terms of gameplay, visual style, and actual new changes you might have made, just how different is it from the canonical Ninja Gaiden games we have seen so far? 

Yosuke Hayashi: YAIBA:NGZ is a brand new action game based within the NINJA GAIDEN universe so a direct comparison to any of the previous NG series doesn’t mean much from our view. 3 different parties working together, based on a new concept drawn up by Mr. Inafune is simply what YAIBA is about. Obviously one of the key principles we never neglected was in making sure this title would be of a standard that our great NINJA GAIDEN fans will be satisfied with.

"We see YAIBA:NGZ ‘s concept being somewhat different to the traditional NINJA GAIDEN series but as mentioned earlier on, we were careful in making sure the quality of the game play was to meet the satisfaction standard our dedicated fans will agree upon."

Ninja Gaiden 3 made some choices- in terms of design and otherwise- that were not really popular with the fans. Have you decided to do away with them completely or are you guys trying to improve upon those specific features to the best of your ability? 

Yosuke Hayashi: YAIBA:NGZ is an original action game based within a NINJA GAIDEN universe so there was no major changes when talking about our direction as to what we wanted to come up with. When talking about the concerns surrounding NINJA GAIDEN 3, we feel our stance was shown within NINJA GAIDEN 3: Razor’s Edge which our fans seems to agree upon looking at the numerous positive feedbacks we’ve received from them.

Again, we see YAIBA:NGZ ‘s concept being somewhat different to the traditional NINJA GAIDEN series but as mentioned earlier on, we were careful in making sure the quality of the game play was to meet the satisfaction standard our dedicated fans will agree upon. At the same time, we are hopeful that this new crazy action game will be accepted and enjoyed by many of the players out there as well.

The combat looks fast and frantic but the frame rate seems to drop down during the intense scenes. Are you guys aware of this issue and will it be fixed in the final release?

Yosuke Hayashi: Obviously a yes to both questions and the frame rates are stable for the final product.

What can you tell us about the bosses in the game?

Yosuke Hayashi: Yaiba is after Ryu Hayabusa in the storyline and they will exchange path as you play along. This does mean Ryu will be appearing as a boss at some stage which I hope everyone will look forward to. 

"The unique aspect of the weapon system is that you can use the zombies or even parts of them as your weapon. As you progress through the game, new and different zombies will appear meaning more weapon variations for the players to consider."

Will the game have different weapon and skill set? Furthermore what can you tell us about the upgrade system? 

Yosuke Hayashi: The unique aspect of the weapon system is that you can use the zombies or even parts of them as your weapon. As you progress through the game, new and different zombies will appear meaning more weapon variations for the players to consider. In another word, all the attacks are not limited to player’s reflects and abilities but strategic thinking does become a key as well. The upgrade system will allow you to unlock new combos and many of the basic actions and functions players will be familiar with and require for an action game.

Do you have any plans to release Yaiba on the next-gen platforms?  If not, what was the inspiration behind keeping it exclusive to previous generation consoles? 

Yosuke Hayashi: Simply put, the development targeted the 2 hardware in mention when the idea began to take shape. Thus, hoping the title will be backed by many of our current and potential fans, we would definitely like to look into making it available for both PS4 and XBOne as well in the long run.

Do you see Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden becoming a sub-series in the future? Furthermore, do you think we will see a new Ninja Gaiden featuring Ryu anytime soon? 

Yosuke Hayashi: Our intention has always been to establish Yaiba in becoming a well known gaming character thus we’ve never seen this title being a simple spin off in anyway or at anytime. With this in mind, we would definitely like to develop a sequel if such opportunity is to arise and hopefully look into ways of getting him to interact more with Hayabusa as well in future.

Look, I’m as skeptical as any about the upcoming Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, the cyberpunk inspired take on the popular, long running action game series, especially given the recent installments in the series (such as the horrific Ninja Gaiden 3), but I mean, this one looks intriguing enough that I want to be cautiously optimistic.

The new developer diary that you see above talks about the range of new action moves that Team Ninja decided on for the upcoming game, and while again, your initial inclination might be to dismiss some of their more outlandish ideas, when you see how they seem to be working on it, you might be more willing to give the game a chance.

Especially considering that it does have not just Team Ninja working on it, but also Comcept, and… Spark Entertainment.

Okay, maybe we shouldn’t get all hyped just yet, but hey, who knows, this might be great.

While Spark Unlimited’s Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z has plenty to draw us in – mutant zombies and a cyborg ninja rendered in sharp cel-shaded detail – it some how felt as though it was missing that unique hook to truly grab us and never let go. Until Tecmo Koei revealed a new trailer for the bonus ‘Ninja Gaiden Z’ mode, which looks to pay homage to the original side-scrolling Ninja Gaiden games. Check it out above (and admire the ol’ 8 bit cut-scenes as well).

Ninja Gaiden Z will feature the game’s signature 3D art-style, but is relegated to a 2D perspective. It also implements the difficulty of the old-school titles, so don’t be surprised if you have yours handed to you on the first playthrough. The mode will unlock once you finish the original campaign.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z releases on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on February 28th 2014 in Europe and on March 4th 2014 in North America. Has this new retro mode motivated you to give it a shot? Let us know below.

Some games, such as DmC: Devil May Cry just didn’t live up to forecasts despite strong critical acclaim. Others like Lost Planet 3 have only sold 300,000 units across North America and Europe because quite frankly, nothing by way of marketing or positive critical response could save them.

These figures were revealed in the latest Investor Report, with Capcom previously forecasting that the game would sell 1.2 million copies. The current sales refer to units sold-in to retailers. So expect actual consumer sales to be much lower. Considering the overall quality of the series thus far – even Lost Planet 2 floundered on release – don’t expect Capcom to revisit the franchise in the near future. What does this say about the success of Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, another Spark Unlimited title, when it releases next year?

Check out our review of Lost Planet 3 here to find out exactly what went wrong with the game.