I really enjoyed my time with Ninja Gaiden 3 earlier this year but the upcoming Wii U version blows it away by fixing almost every single complaint people had with the original.
Firstly, dismemberment is back and it looks and feels great. Weapons like the claws, sythe, and dual katanas all made an appearance in the demo. Collectable scarabs are here too.
The game now displayed combo and move information and gave out karma points during game play. You can spend karma on a system that lets you upgrade your skill with individual weapons, gives you more health, additional ninpo magic, and more. These upgrades can be bought at any time so long as you are not in combat.
I played the game with both the Wii U controller and the ‘pro’ controller. Both are pretty much the same. The Wii U screen has a scrollable move list with the corners being used to change weapons and access other menus. The problem with both controllers is the placement of the right analog stick. For years you’ve moved your right thumb down to change the camera angle. Having to move it up is tough to get used to. That aside, the game is still a blast to play and ran just a good as it did on Xbox 360 and PS3.
With all these improvements and changes it looks like Tecmo Koei has been listening to fans. However, it almost comes off as an apology or, and this is even worse, as if they were intentionally withholding features from the first version. Either way, this is definitely the definitive Ninja Gaiden 3 experience. It packs so much more into the game I really can’t go back to the original now.
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is set to launch sometime around the release of the Wii U this winter with all the features you missed the first time.
