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Ninja Gaiden 2 official, Rez and Ikaruga XBLA-bound

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Sep 12, 2007 12:36 am PT

Microsoft publishing Team Ninja-developed sequel for 360 in 2008; two Dreamcast classics coming to download service; Sakaguchi dates Lost Odyssey.

Well, that didn't take long. Just hours after Ninja Gaiden 2 screens appeared on the Japanese edition of Xbox.com, Microsoft has officially unveiled the game. Set for a worldwide release in 2008, it is being worked on by Team Ninja, developer of the 2004 Xbox Ninja Gaiden, the 2005 Xbox rework Ninja Gaiden Black, and the 2007 enhanced rework Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PlayStation 3.

Ninja Gaiden II

First look at Ryu's 360 debut.

Currently, Ninja Gaiden 2 is set for a worldwide release on the Xbox 360 sometime in 2008. However, unlike its predecessors, it won't be ported to other consoles down the line. Instead of being published by Tecmo, holder of the Ninja Gaiden license, the game is being bankrolled and distributed directly by Microsoft Game Studios. Exact terms of the publishing deal were not made public as of press time, nor were any details on the title's story or gameplay.

Tomonobu Itagaki, head of Tecmo-owned Team Ninja, was on hand at a pre-Tokyo Game Show event this morning in Japan to make the Ninja Gaiden 2 announcement. He was joined on stage by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series and founder of Mistwalker, the publisher of the 360-exclusive role-playing game Blue Dragon.

Though Blue Dragon hasn't been a commercial or critical hit in the US or Japan, Sakaguchi used the event to tout--and date--his latest 360 RPG, Lost Odyssey. The game will be released on December 6 in Japan, where the 360 runs a distant third to the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii in terms of market share. Lost Odyssey will then ship in the rest of Asia in January 2008, with a North American and European release the following month.

"Call my screens fake, will ya?"

Another famed Japanese game designer enlisted by Microsoft is Q Entertainment head Tetsuya Mizuguchi, creator of Ninety-Nine Nights and fan favorite Space Channel 5. Today Microsoft announced that another Mizuguchi-developed classic, Rez, is coming to Xbox Live Arcade. Though not dated or priced, when Rez does arrive, it will join two other Mizuguchi-developed games on the service: Lumines Live and the forthcoming Every Extend Extra Extreme.

Though it eventually was ported to the PlayStation 2, Rez was originally released for the Sega Dreamcast. Microsoft also announced today that another Dreamcast classic, Ikaruga, is coming to Xbox Live Arcade. Available "soon" according to Microsoft, the game will sport a "slow-motion" training mode and online co-op play for two persons.

Finally, Microsoft revealed two other titles for Xbox Live Arcade: a port of the PSP puzzler Exit (Taito) and the arcade shooter Triggerheart Exelica (Warashi). Three other games--the puzzle-platformer Braid (Number None Inc.), four-player RPG Castle Crashers (The Behemoth), and co-op focused actioner Schizoid (Torpex Games)--were confirmed for early 2008 launches.

"We continue to evolve our strong relationships with Japan's best and most innovative developers, and we're looking forward to delivering exclusive high-definition titles for consumers worldwide, this year and beyond," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, in a statement.

[UPDATE] For more on the game, check out GameSpot's on-the-scene report of the Ninja Gaiden II unveiling at Microsoft's Xbox 360 event in Tokyo.

795 Comments

  • Franzkill

    Posted Jan 2, 2008 3:07 am PT

    Still waiting for Chu Chu Rocket to be released on XBLA.

  • skee_uk

    Posted Dec 30, 2007 12:43 pm PT

    oh well i have to say this is the only game im pissed that wont come to ps3, looks like il have to buy it for my (makeshift footrest) *ahem 360 i mean

  • xxTact1kzxx

    Posted Dec 23, 2007 1:58 pm PT

    Can't wait till this game

  • Furan-San

    Posted Dec 9, 2007 4:26 pm PT

    NGII is GOD and I shall wait for ti as I'm waiting for NGDS.
    I'm playing Ikaruga for the GC and I'm getting my arse kicked. LOL

  • jake63

    Posted Nov 9, 2007 8:57 am PT

    Balls. After I spent forever finding Ikaruga on DC, now I can play it on HD (fingers crossed) and with a training mode? Again...balls.

  • 1337cole1337

    Posted Oct 28, 2007 10:51 am PT

    this and dmc4 = my life

  • hellpolice

    Posted Sep 29, 2007 11:20 pm PT

    I think this one will be a killer game! and quite possibly way better than Devil May Cry 4.

  • DarkSaGe654

    Posted Sep 28, 2007 2:13 am PT

    I'll state this without any hesitation, and all those gamers who played through and finished it, will undoubtedly back me up when i say that it f*cking felt damn good, like you'd accomplished something after you finished Ninja Gaiden/ Ninja Gaiden Black. It makes my blood boil, just imagining decapitating foes then dismembering the limbs in their own pool of blood in Ninja Gaiden 2. Definitely will be taking some days off of work when this comes out.

  • thomasonfa

    Posted Sep 23, 2007 12:54 pm PT

    Come on GIF, This is only the second build. Tomonobu Itagaki wanted to show the game was real. It going to be sweet, plus don't let your PC monitor lie to you, most people don't own HD PC monitors so you will not see the true quality of the videos. You should always keep that in mind about any game.

  • loljeroen

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 11:14 am PT

    Ninja Gaiden 2, FINALY the first one waz amazing and remember the games got a nother years worth of time to get finished, so hopefuly the grafics will get better

  • L2YoungGun

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 11:02 am PT

    Well I'm sure they will take your demands to heart.

  • GIF

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 10:56 am PT

    They aren't using the hardware, it looks no different than Ninja Gaiden on the first Xbox yet here they have 3 processors and a 512 mb video card. What is the problem here? I expect visuals close to if not on par with their cinematics.

  • BigDaddy973

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 10:32 am PT

    Meh!

  • hashmanalum

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 8:12 am PT

    It's like Kratos meets Manhunt with ninjas... Bloody =D

  • princeofgames90

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 5:04 am PT

    yeah its still early to judge the game visuals

  • Royboy58

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 3:35 am PT

    Septimus, you just stink, and this game is in its very early stages, so the visuals now wont do the game justice when it releases

  • Septimus

    Posted Sep 20, 2007 1:26 am PT

    Not impressed by the look of Ninja Gaiden 2. It seems as though they can't improve on the look they managed on the remake for PS3.

    I like the idea of Ninja Gaiden, owned the XBOX and PS3 one, may get this even, but when it actually comes to playing it, it eventually just pisses me off by having some really crap game mechanics, especially around boss fights (and respawning enemies is a pet hate).

  • KamalR

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 11:32 pm PT

    This game looks good can't wait to get this game for my XBOX 360

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 5:43 pm PT

    I wish it was on the PS3.

    Oh well, the screen are still awesome!

  • TranceKuja925

    Posted Sep 19, 2007 5:04 pm PT

    looks cool. just need a 360 and i can play when it comes out. and damn stop *****ing over whether the 360 is better or the PS3 is. keep your opinion to your self, i doubt anyone cares.

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