With over seven years since Ninja Gaiden’s last entry, we’re incredibly excited to bring fan-favorite ninja Ryu Hayabausa back to PlayStation 4 (and PlayStation 5 via backward compatibility) on June 10, along with Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection.
It’s been several years since the last game in the Ninja Gaiden series came out, we thought this would be a great opportunity to take a little trip down memory lane to see how Hayabusa has become such a renowned character in the games industry. Along with that, a selection of combat tips to help you overcome the challenges that await Ryu.
The origins of Ryu Hayabusa
Hayabusa first graced our screens in the 1988 arcade game, Ninja Gaiden, donning his classic blue ninja costume (which he also wears at the start of Sigma). On that first outing, he traveled across America on a side-scrolling beat’em up adventure to defeat an evil cult seeking to end the world. The game quickly became a hit around the world for its ruthless gameplay, prompting players to bring their A-game.
With the success of the series, Hayabusa would go on to star in a variety of different versions of Ninja Gaiden for home consoles, as well as the Dead Or Alive series where he became a mainstay of the ass, further increasing his popularity as the Ultimate. ninja in the tradition of video games.
Almost 20 years after the arcade classic was released, Ninja Gaiden Sigma has finally brought brutally challenging gameplay to PlayStation’s 3D battlefield, making its long-awaited debut on PlayStation 3. The developers of Team Ninja took inspiration from popular action-adventure games. and titles such as Onimusha, working through trial and error to create a unique identity for a modern 3D Ninja Gaiden experience. These games would challenge players with limitless fights, forcing them to improve their playing skills in order to progress – something very different from how the very difficult “masocore” style games of today (like the Nioh series), which provide various options outside of full combat to empower you. These modern Ninja Gaiden games set the pioneering standard for stylish action games with their ruthless yet rewarding difficulty level!
Combat Tips
With the series requiring you to hone your skills to complete the challenge, we thought it would be best to provide some tips and tricks for Ninja Gaiden veterans and newcomers alike, giving everyone a chance to battle with the collection.
Racing wall
The ultimate ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, has incredible agility – allowing him to run along walls and leap between them to reach high places. Make sure you familiarize yourself with this ability early on in the collection, as it will allow you to reposition yourself effectively in combat, and make it easier to access secret spots to find unique items outside of combat.
Flying swallow
Sometimes multiple enemies can ambush you at once! An ideal way to take them out is to use the powerful Flying Swallow technique. This ability allows Hayabusa to leap into the air and quickly slice through multiple enemies when he lands, in some cases beheading any that stand in his way. Once you master this technique, you can quickly recover and combine this with a flurry of other attacks.
Guillotine throw
One of Hayabusa’s old-fashioned techniques from the Ninja Gaiden arcade game, Guillotine Throwing, is making its way into these modern entrances! This popular ability is incredibly strong and allows you to take out enemies faster by grabbing their necks and throwing them into the ground or a wall. This attack is not only great for taking down enemies, but it’s also a great way to move enemies around the battlefield so that you have more leeway when the going gets tough.
Shurikens
As a “super ninja”, Ryu Hayabusa masters a wide range of different weapons to aid him in his adventure. One type of weapon that plays an important role in battle, and is a ninja’s weapon of choice, is the Shuriken. Not only can these projectile weapons briefly stun an enemy from a distance and open them up for the perfect shot, but they can be used halfway to help lengthen the number of attacks you can deliver to an enemy, creating unique possibilities in combat.
These tips should help you familiarize yourself with each game in the collection! As you progress through each title you will come across many powerful enemies, but keep your fearless ninja spirit and you will be able to defeat even the toughest enemies. Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection hits PS4 on June 10. Do you have what it takes to become a master ninja?
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