Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword – Fun Yet Unusually Easy
Many games on the original Nintendo were far more difficult and frustrating than the games we have today, but without a doubt the Ninja Gaiden series were some of the most difficult games on the system. With a storyline far more epic than most games of its time it’s surprising that it took so long to see another title. Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox was the most challenging yet completable games that many ever played. Even though boss battles and puzzles could be epically frustrating the game kept you coming back for another try.
One of Ryu’s newest adventures in his quest to protect the world from the forces of evil took him to Nintendo’s handheld. With such an impressive pedigree how does the DS title stand up? Pretty well actually, though the challenge is significantly diminished. The choice to use the DS in the book format works quite well, with status information and the map being on the left hand screen and the actual gameplay taking place on the touch screen. Everything is done as you might expect with the stylus: slashing, jumping, etc. and it’s all very simple but fun.
On normal mode it’s not very difficult; in most cases frantic swiping with little thought of strategy will dispatch your enemies. Occasionally spike traps or wall mounted flamethrowers will require a little bit of discretion, but for the most part it’s the DS equivalent of a console “button masher”, maybe a stylus swisher? The Ninpo (ninja magic) is equally simple: tap the icon and it brings up a symbol (probably a real Japanese kanji or character) which you trace. If it took longer to do it’d simply be another annoying mini-game, but it doesn’t take anything away from the pacing at all.
Boss battles are very easy, in part because before every battle there’s a save point which refills your health and magic. It might take you a try or two, but their attack patterns are generally pretty limited. For the most part I found that hitting them with a Ninpo spell and then using a few ‘ultimate techniques’ at the appropriate time dispatched any boss in short order. Puzzles are generally pretty simple too, mostly using the appropriate Ninpo spell to light a fire/quench a fire/destroy a boulder or shooting a light at the right moment. Though the combat and puzzles are often quite simple, that doesn’t mean they’re not incredibly fun. Watching Ryu leap, slash and pummel his way through his enemies is incredibly enjoyable.
The graphics are top-notch for the DS. The textures and areas are about as detailed as they can get on the handheld. The enemies aren’t that varied, but since the game isn’t that long overall you won’t get too tired of fighting the same skeletons, ninjas and flying eyeball creatures over and over. There are a handful of extras to be unlocked, though unfortunately some of that requires the awkward act of yelling into the DS microphone.
Overall the game is quite excellent and while it’s a bit too short and often quite easy it’s a good time for fans of the series or anyone looking for a more fast paced action title.