I don’t want to judge this collection for what I wish it contained (it already has three great games with tons of content), but by calling it a “Master Collection,” the game loses a couple of points due to false advertising.As a franchise, there's a similar play style between all of the Ninja Gaiden games. However, buyers beware that these are only the Sigma versions of the modern Ninja Gaiden Trilogy. And the original should be required playing, as it is one of the original Xbox’s finest exclusives. If you enjoy third-person action games, the Ninja Gaiden Sigma Trilogy still holds up today. They all look, sound, and play as well or better than any other versions that have been released.
The three games found in the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection are great, especially the original (the other two are more of the same). Thankfully Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge was only an improvement on the original, featuring all DLC and several minor enhancements. Again, it comes down to personal preference as to which version is better, but only the Sigma one is found in this Master Collection. Meanwhile, fallen limbs and foes also disappear much more quickly. Sigma 2 also has toned down violence, where blood spray is not only lessened but replaced by purple mist. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 has an increased resolution and a better framerate than the Xbox original, but to achieve this, it can’t have as many enemies or polygonal objects on the screen. Both versions have their pros and cons, but only the Sigma version is offered in the Master Collection. In addition, overall, it was a much easier game. Ninja Gaiden Sigma also removed some content like cutscenes, chunks of levels, and costumes. Ninja Gaiden Sigma adds Rachel as a playable character in three new levels, adds extra weapons and spells, improves graphics, and makes several in-game quality of life improvements (such as more save points). Many consider this to be the definitive version of Ninja Gaiden. Ninja Gaiden Black expanded the story mode, added new enemies and bosses, modernized the camera controls, included a mission mode, designed extra costumes, and made other tweaks to enemy AI and controls. This is a potential issue because the first two Sigma games were remakes and not necessarily upgrades in every way. What will probably upset most post-2004 Ninja Gaiden fans is that playing the Xbox versions of the first two games isn’t an option. I think the title of “Master Collection” is a bit misleading. Still, when reviewing something like the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, it’s essential to inform the potential buyer of exactly what they’re getting. The Ninja Gaiden Sigma Trilogy is still three great versions of three great games. I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a bad thing. It does not contain the classic NES trilogy or the Xbox versions of Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden II. This collection should’ve been called the “Ninja Gaiden Sigma HD Trilogy,” as that better explains what you’ll find within. I mention all this history because the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection only contains three of these games: Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. Another Japan-only mobile game followed in 2012, and finally, in 2014, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z was released to very little love for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Ninja Gaiden 3 was released for the Xbox 360 and PS3, then was updated as Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge for the Wii U. A prequel to Ninja Gaiden II – called Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword – was released for the Nintendo DS the same year. Ninja Gaiden II was released for the Xbox 360 and was remade as Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for the PS3.
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Ninja Gaiden was upgraded and released as Ninja Gaiden Black, then remade and released for the PS3 as Ninja Gaiden Sigma.
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In 2004 the series saw a rebirth, starting with Ninja Gaiden X, a Japan-only mobile phone prequel to the NES trilogy, and Ninja Gaiden, a Devil May Cry-inspired third-person action title for the original Xbox. Ports aside, the NES game had two excellent sequels made in the same style, and these three games are often referred to as “The Ninja Gaiden Trilogy.” This trilogy received sequels for the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System and a prequel for the Game Boy. It is still heavily played by speedrunners worldwide and is a shoo-in for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The original game was an arcade beat ‘em up in the style of Double Dragon, but it was Ninja Gaiden for the NES that perfected the action-platforming formula and pioneered quality cutscene storytelling.
Ninja Gaiden is one of the greatest action franchises in the history of video games.