Ninja Gaiden could get Euro makeover

Last week, rumors began circulating that the Euro release of Tecmo's Xbox-exclusive ninja action title Ninja Gaiden would undergo some nips and tucks to its most violent scenes. Specifically, the Web reports stated that the European release of the game would not feature the graphic decapitations that occur after hero Ryu Hayabusa executes certain fatal blows.

Responding to GameSpot's inquiries about the potential for censorship, Tecmo's John Inada said, "Ninja Gaiden is being published by Microsoft Europe, so whatever happens over there is their issue, and we'll have to follow their direction. As you know, most of the European countries have much more strict standards against the use of violence."

"All we're trying to do is to be able to publish Ninja Gaiden in every European country," he added, "and if we have to make minor alterations to fulfill that objective, we will."

Released last week in North America, the newest iteration of the Ninja Gaiden franchise has proven to be a critical success. So for now, while Microsoft ponders the game's content and how to edit, if at all, stateside gamers have the complete, unedited version to play. Said Inada, "The good news for the American and Japanese gamers is that they got a genuine original version."