Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Last updated
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z.jpg
European box art
Developer(s) Spark Unlimited [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) Koei Tecmo
Director(s) Toby Gard
Masahiro Yasuma
Producer(s) John Garcia-Shelton
Shinsaku Ohara
Kohei Shibata
Designer(s) Cory Davis
Artist(s) Richard Smith
Shinsuke Komaki
Hirohisa Kaneko
Writer(s) Bryan Keithley
Composer(s) Grant Kirkhope
Series Ninja Gaiden
Engine Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s) PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Microsoft Windows
ReleasePlayStation 3, Xbox 360
  • NA: March 18, 2014 [1]
  • EU: March 21, 2014 [2]
  • AU: March 25, 2014
  • JP: March 27, 2014 [3]
Windows
March 21, 2014
Genre(s) Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s) Single-player

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is a 2014 action-adventure game and a spin-off of the Ninja Gaiden franchise. It was published by Tecmo Koei and developed by Spark Unlimited. [4] Comcept's Keiji Inafune conceptualized the game, providing character designs and creating the character of Yaiba. [5] The game was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows worldwide in March 2014. [6]

Contents

Gameplay

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is a third-person hack and slash video game that features elements similar to previous titles in the series. Players can run, jump, block and attack enemies using Yaiba's blade. A score multiplier on the right-hand of the screen accumulates the player's hit-count on the enemy. The "Ultimate Technique" mode seen in other titles has been replaced by a mode called "Bloodlust" which, when activated, allows Yaiba to destroy multiple enemies around him in quick succession.

Plot

The game follows the exploits of the powerful ninja Yaiba Kamikaze. Yaiba was once part of a clan that tested the abilities of its ninja by putting them up against a highly skilled member; in this case it was Yaiba they had to face. However, after growing weary of his work, Yaiba eventually decides to massacre his own clan and leave the survivors to their deaths. At one point he meets with the franchise mainstay Ryu Hayabusa and decides to challenge him, claiming that he is the weakest foe Yaiba has encountered thus far. During the battle he discovers otherwise as Ryu slices Yaiba's left arm and eye, killing him.

Later, Yaiba is discovered by a mysterious organization known as Forge Industries, led by Alrico del Gonzo, brings him back to life and restores his lost body parts with mechanized duplicates, thus turning him into a cyborg, with a female scientist named Miss Monday as his navigator. Yaiba learns that a zombie outbreak has begun and that Ryu has been searching for the source of the infection. He decides to work with the Forge Industries that resurrected him in order to exact his revenge against Ryu, agreeing to help put a stop to the spread of zombie infection.[ citation needed ]

Upon finally encountering Hayabusa again one last time, and managing to defeat him, Yaiba finds out that Forge Industries has been manipulating every event, such as unleashing the zombie outbreaks and using him as a tool and self-destruct bomb to kill him and Hayabusa to further the organization's plan. Yaiba decides instead to sacrifice himself to destroy the bomb and spare Hayabusa's life in order for him to save his disciple, Momiji. Upon his revival by Miss Monday for the second time, she too defects Forge Industries due to Del Gonzo's attitudes and manipulative nature, having unleashed the zombies for his own purposes of seeking immortality.

Once Yaiba landed in an abandoned, yet zombie infested Forge Industries building, Yaiba finds a portal to what appears to be an Aztec-themed alternate dimension and found the real Del Gonzo, who seems to be in a dying state inside a tube. Though unable to stop Del Gonzo from transforming into the embodiment of the Aztec god of the underworld, Yaiba manages to find a weak spot to make him mortal again. While Del Gonzo tries to escape from Yaiba's wrath, Miss Monday appears in person and kills Del Gonzo for good. With the portal to the real world closing, Yaiba and Miss Monday barely escape. In the end, Yaiba and Miss Monday decide sell the data of curing zombification. Unknown to them, Hayabusa is observing them.

Development

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z was unveiled on September 19, 2012. [4] It was revealed that, along with Team Ninja, Keiji Inafune would be involved as the director of this new Ninja Gaiden title. On June 6, a new trailer appeared on GT.TV that featured a full motion video sequence, along with a short snippet of real-time gameplay. On October 8, it was announced that Ninja Gaiden Z would be released on Microsoft Windows through the Steam platform. This would make it the first time that a Ninja Gaiden title was released on the platform in the history of the franchise. [7]

Canadian comic book artist James Stokoe created several art pieces for the game, displaying them at the New York Comic Con. [8] The game is also complemented by a tie-in webcomic, published by Dark Horse Comics. It was drafted by writers Tim Seeley and Josh Eamons, and illustrated by Rafael Ortiz. The comic was released as a free download on Dark Horse's website on January 23, 2014. [9] [10] The first issue, part one of three, is available to download free on Dark Horse's site.

On December 13, 2013, it was announced that Beck from Mighty No. 9 would become a bonus playable character in Ninja Gaiden Z in the form of downloadable content. This was a deal struck between Comcept and Tecmo Koei, as Keiji Inafune is spearheading both titles. [11]

Release

Reception

The Xbox 360 version received "mixed" reviews, while the PC and PlayStation 3 versions received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [12] [13] [14] Most of the criticism was focused on the repetitive gameplay, the difficulty and the level design.[ citation needed ] EGMNow gave the Xbox 360 version 5.5 out of 10, saying, "As a side project to the main series, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z offers an interesting shift in tone and a main character with a lot of promise, but the combat and puzzles feel too rote and unpolished to deliver on the strong potential of the concept." [31] GameZone gave the game 3.5 out of 10, saying, "For those that had hoped for a true Ninja Gaiden experience with Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, you definitely got something with the challenge to match the old games. The problem is that this isn't the right kind of challenge. It isn't rewarding or fun, it's just annoying. For those that thought this would be a chance to play a Ninja Gaiden that wasn't too hard, stay a[s] far away as possible. Yaiba isn't worth losing a controller or your sanity over." [32] Edge gave PlayStation 3 version a score of two out of ten, saying, "Basic combat is dismal, turgid stuff, yet accounts for almost all the action." [33] In Japan, however, Famitsu gave the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions a score of all four nines each for a total of 36 out of 40. [17]

Slant Magazine gave the PS3 version two stars out of five, calling it "A clueless game that has lost sight of what made its digital ancestors genre classics, cheapening itself by unwisely choosing style over substance." [30] The Escapist gave it a half-star out of five, calling it "a dismal waste of a good idea. Painfully unfunny, graphically abhorrent, and straight-up disheveled in the combat department, this manages to be one of the worst games of the last generation, right at the very end of it." [29] Metro gave it a score of one out of ten, saying that it was "Not just the worst game of the year but such a wretched failure of an action game that it's in the running for the worst of the generation." [34]

It was ranked at #46 on the list of the 50 worst games of all time by GamesRadar+ in 2017. [35]

Notes

  1. ↑ Additional work by Team Ninja and Comcept.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomonobu Itagaki</span> Japanese video game designer

Tomonobu Itagaki is a Japanese video game designer best known for creating the Dead or Alive series and also reviving the Ninja Gaiden franchise in 2004. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.

Ninja Gaiden is a media franchise based on action video games by Tecmo featuring the ninja Ryu Hayabusa as its protagonist. The series was originally known as Ninja Ryukenden in Japan. The word "gaiden" in the North American Ninja Gaiden title means "side story" in Japanese. The original arcade version, first two Nintendo Entertainment System games and Game Boy game were released as Shadow Warriors in PAL regions. As of 2008, the series has shipped over 7.7 million copies.

Dead or Alive is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo. The gameplay of the series is primarily composed of fast-paced hand-to-hand combat in a 3-Dimensional playing field that began with the first game released in 1996, followed by five main sequels, numerous updates, spin-offs, printed media, a film adaptation, and merchandise.

Tecmo, Ltd., was a Japanese video game corporation founded in 1967. It had its headquarters in the Kudankita district of Tokyo. Its subsidiary, Tecmo Inc, was located in Torrance, California. Prior to 1986, Tecmo was formerly known as Tehkan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiji Inafune</span> Japanese video game producer, illustrator, and businessman

Keiji Inafune is a Japanese video game producer, character designer, game designer, and businessman. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.

<i>Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom</i> 1991 video game

Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom is a 1991 action-platform game developed and published by Tecmo. It was released in Japan on June 21, 1991 for the Famicom and in North America on August of the same year for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The NES version was not released in Europe. It was later ported to the Atari Lynx by Atari Corporation and released in 1993 in North America and Europe, the European version retaining the North American Ninja Gaiden III title. It was also re-released as part of its Ninja Gaiden Trilogy Super NES compilation in 1995 in Japan and North America. Long after, it was released for the Virtual Console service in North America on February 18, 2008 for the Wii and in North America and Europe on November 28, 2013 and January 23, 2014 respectively for the Nintendo 3DS. It was designed by Masato Kato, who took over for Hideo Yoshizawa—designer of the first two games in the NES series.

Characters of the <i>Dead or Alive</i> series Fictional character

The following is a list of characters from the Dead or Alive video game series, created by Tecmo and Team Ninja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team Ninja</span> Japanese video game developer

Team Ninja is a Japanese video game developer, and a division of Koei Tecmo, founded in 1995 as a part of Tecmo. It was founded by Tomonobu Itagaki, and is best known for franchises such as Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive and Nioh.

Ayane is a fictional character in the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden franchises by Team Ninja and Tecmo. She debuted as a hidden unlockable character in the PlayStation version of the fighting game Dead or Alive in 1998, and has appeared in all of its sequels where she served as the protagonist of Dead or Alive 3, and has appeared in all of the series' spin-offs.

<i>Ninja Gaiden 3</i> 2012 video game

Ninja Gaiden 3 is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei. It is the sequel to Ninja Gaiden II, and was released worldwide for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 in March 2012. An updated version, titled Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, was released later that year, originally published by Nintendo for the Wii U, and later ported to multiple platforms.

<i>Ninja Gaiden</i> (2004 video game) 2004 video game

Ninja Gaiden is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo for the Xbox. It was released in March 2004. Set in the futuristic version of the 21st century, players control Ryu Hayabusa, a master ninja, in his quest to recover a stolen sword and avenge the slaughter of his clan. It was inspired by Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden series, and is set in the same continuity as Team Ninja's Dead or Alive fighting games.

<i>Ninja Gaiden</i> (NES video game) 1988 video game

Ninja Gaiden, released in Japan as Ninja Ryūkenden and as Shadow Warriors in Europe, is a 1988 action-platform game developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Its development and release coincided with the beat 'em up arcade version of the same name. It was released in December 1988 in Japan, in March 1989 in North America, and in August 1991 in Europe. It has been ported to several other platforms, including the PC Engine, the Super NES, and mobile phones.

<i>Ninja Gaiden II</i> 2008 video game

Ninja Gaiden II is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the sequel to the 2004 title Ninja Gaiden, making it the second 3D title in the series of the same name, and was released worldwide in June 2008. A reimagined and heavily altered version, titled Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 was released for the PlayStation 3 later in 2009, and was published by Tecmo Koei, followed by Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus for the PlayStation Vita in 2013.

<i>Dead or Alive 5</i> 2012 video game

Dead or Alive 5 is a 2012 fighting game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the fifth main entry in the Dead or Alive fighting series and the first to have a multi-platform release since Dead or Alive 2 as well as the series' first installment that was released for the PlayStation 3.

<i>Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword</i> 2008 video game for the Nintendo DS

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is a 2008 action-adventure video game released for the Nintendo DS, developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo. A main installment in the Ninja Gaiden series, it features Ryu Hayabusa as the protagonist. The game is the first portable video game title in the series to be developed by Team Ninja and the first game developed by this company to be released for the Nintendo system. Dragon Sword is set between Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koei Tecmo</span> Japanese entertainment holding company

Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game, amusement and anime holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Koei and Tecmo. Koei Tecmo Holdings owns several companies, the biggest one of those being its flagship video game developer and publisher Koei Tecmo Games that was founded in 1978 as Koei.

<i>Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2</i> 2009 video game for PlayStation 3

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, stylized as Ninja Gaiden Σ2, is a port of the 2008 Xbox 360 video game Ninja Gaiden II, and was developed by Team Ninja exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in 2009. It includes the entirety of the original story mode as well as various changes to the game's design, along with updated textures and a 720p resolution. The game changes Ninja Gaiden II in a similar, but not identical way to how Ninja Gaiden Sigma changed the original Ninja Gaiden. A port for the PlayStation Vita, titled Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus, was released in 2013.

<i>Ninja Gaiden 3: Razors Edge</i> 2012 video game

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Wii U from November 2012 to May 2013, and subsequently released by Tecmo Koei for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in April 2013. It is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden 3 that includes all downloadable content from the original title, as well as additional enhancements made to improve the game. The game can be considered an equivalent to the Ninja Gaiden Sigma games, as it makes several changes to the original title.

<i>Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate</i> 2013 Video game

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series, developed by Team Ninja, and released by Tecmo Koei for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013. It was followed by an Arcade edition later in 2013. It is the first arcade game to be released by Koei Tecmo since Dead or Alive 2 Millenium in 2000.

Level-5 Comcept, formerly known as Comcept Inc., is a Japanese video game developer company. Based in Osaka, it was founded on by former Capcom designer Keiji Inafune on December 1, 2010. The company was acquired by Level-5 in 2017. Their projects include Soul Sacrifice, Mighty No. 9, ReCore and Red Ash: The Indelible Legend. In addition to games on handheld and home consoles, the studio has developed multiple mobile games.

References

  1. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (March 17, 2014). "Out This Week: March 17, 2014". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ Koei Tecmo Europe [@koeitecmoeurope] (January 22, 2014). "Announcing the new release date for Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. It is now *21 MARCH 2014* across Europe! #Yaiba #TKfamily" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015– via Twitter.
  3. ↑ "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z". gamecity.ne.jp (in Japanese). Koei Tecmo. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Harradence, Mike (September 19, 2012). "TGS 2012: Team Ninja unveils Ninja Gaiden Z". PlayStation Universe. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  5. ↑ Ponce, Tony (June 18, 2013). "I met Keiji Inafune! We discussed Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z!". Destructoid . Gamurs. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  6. ↑ Scalzo, John (December 24, 2012). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z confirmed for release on PS3, Xbox 360". Warp Zoned. Archived from the original on December 28, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ Nunneley-Jackson, Stephany (October 8, 2013). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will release through Steam alongside console versions". VG247 . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  8. ↑ Romano, Sal (October 10, 2013). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z NYCC screenshots". Gematsu. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hinkle, David (October 10, 2013). "Dark Horse preparing Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z digital comic". Engadget (Joystiq). Yahoo. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Digital Comic Series Released". GamersHell. January 23, 2014. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  11. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (December 12, 2013). "Mighty No. 9 is making a cameo in Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z". Polygon . Vox Media. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  12. 1 2 "YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  15. ↑ Carter, Chris (March 18, 2014). "Review: Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z (X360)". Destructoid. Gamurs. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  16. ↑ Whitehead, Dan (March 21, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z review (PlayStation 3)". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 Romano, Sal (March 18, 2014). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1320". Gematsu. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 Vore, Bryan (March 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review". Game Informer . GameStop. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  19. ↑ Martinet, Al (March 31, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review (PS3)". GameRevolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on August 18, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  20. 1 2 VanOrd, Kevin (March 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review (PS3)". GameSpot . Fandom. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  21. ↑ Moore, Ben (March 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z - Review (PS3)". GameTrailers . Viacom. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  22. 1 2 Butterworth, Scott (March 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review (PS3, X360)". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  23. ↑ Prell, Sam (March 19, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review: Entrails from the crypt (PS3)". Engadget (Joystiq). Yahoo. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  24. ↑ Iwaniuk, Phil (March 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z PS3 review – You'll wish there was a harakiri button". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK . Future plc. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  25. ↑ Rudden, Dave (March 19, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z review". Official Xbox Magazine . Future US. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  26. ↑ Sliva, Marty (April 8, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden review: dirty rotten scoundrel (PC)". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 11, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  27. ↑ Growcott, Mat (March 21, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review". Push Square. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  28. ↑ Bailey, Kat (March 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Xbox 360 Review: The Anti-Ryu". VG247 (USgamer). Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  29. 1 2 Sterling, James Stephanie (March 20, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review – A Load Of Friggin' Crap (PS3)". The Escapist . Gamurs. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014.
  30. 1 2 Chevallier, Mike (March 24, 2014). "Review: Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z (PS3)". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  31. ↑ Harmon, Josh (March 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z review (X360)". EGMNow . EGM Media, LLC. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  32. ↑ Donato, Joe (April 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review: Hayabusted". GameZone. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  33. ↑ Edge staff (March 18, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z review (PS3)". Edge . Future plc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  34. ↑ Hargreaves, Roger (March 24, 2014). "Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z review – Z-grade material (PS3)". Metro . DMG Media. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  35. ↑ GamesRadar+ staff (August 9, 2017). "The 50 worst games of all time". GamesRadar+ . Future plc. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.