Back Playin' Black

Ninja Gaiden Black is undoubtedly one of the finest action games ever created. Sure, it has some downfalls, such as screwy platforming elements and some cheap attacks, but for the most part it's pure action gaming goodness. I've been playing it again on my 360 (it's not that badly supported) and I realized that this game plays, looks, and feels better than 90% of what is currently being considered "next-gen."





The game is a true example of what a developer can achieve if they are willing to take some pride in their work and take the time necessary to fully take advantage of a system's hardware. I really can't wait to see how Ninja Gaiden 2 turns out, I just wish they'd put crap like DOAX 2 on the backburner for a while to get NG2 out first.

Does everybody remember how when the initial screenshots were released that many people were claiming that the screens were doctored or not real-time? I couldn't believe how beautiful the game was the first time I fired it up (original Ninja Gaiden, and later Black) on my Xbox. I was even more surprised to see how well it held a high framerate.





For anybody that's been hesitant to give this game a go on the 360, it's fully playable and still really fun. During this release drought, and boy is it going to be a long one, there isn't really anything better to play if you haven't experienced this game. Summer is a great time to tackle your backlog or revisit old favorites, make sure to include Ninja Gaiden Black in your lists.