Picture this: I'm walking through the "tutorial" level, waiting with sweet, sweet anticipation for the first fight to brew so I can lay some righteous smackdown upon the enemy. Suddenly, three ninjas corner me. I casually press a couple buttons, and die ten seconds later. Mouth agape, I am in utter shock.
That's what "Ninja Gaiden" does, though; it strips you of your hubris immediately. No fight will be easy, though there is a different way to dispatch every enemy you face. Leave your cockiness at the door, because you will die several times before advancing to the next area. What's great about the game is that you want to keep playing despite the extreme difficulty. And nothing is sweeter than destroying your opponents with ferocious efficiency, whether you leap off a wall to slice their heads off, or smash them down with a War Hammer, or bash the hell out of them with a Flail.
The gameplay is pure pleasure: Ryu has more moves than most fighting games offer, and the controls are continually quick and responsive with no slowdown whatsoever. Graphically, this may be the prettiest XBOX game so far. It is easily a must-own title.
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