When Ninja Gaiden was announced as a handheld game, we frankly didn't know what was more surprising – the fact that the game is releasing on the DS and not the PSP, or that Team Ninja themselves were developing the game. It's not until you actually play the game on the DS that you truly understand how the game couldn't have been done on any other handheld console.
The plotline is as cliched to the videogame universe as can be. Ryu Hayabusa – the series' protagonist and ninja elite – once again leads the show, chasing after the Black Spider Ninja Clan, who have kidnapped his apprentice, Momiji. Right from the get-go, the game throws you headlong into the action, complete with over-the-top boss fights at the end of every level in true Ninja Gaiden style.
With Team Ninja themselves developing the game for the DS edition of the game, the quality of the overall product is top-notch. The biggest difference in gameplay in the DS version is that the movement and action are completely controlled by the stylus. All other buttons on the face of the DS are for the sole purpose of blocking. Striking across your opponent with the stylus makes Ryu slash him with his sword, and a series of these slashes are automatically turned into combos. If you want to throw a projectile instead, simply tap on the enemy and Ryu will toss a Shuriken in that direction.
The motion too is controlled by tapping at the location you want Ryu to move to, but you wouldn't even bother using that in a location with enemies, as by striking against them, Ryu will automatically run towards them before delivering the pain. There are a lot of stylus-based fighting combos that you learn through your journey and pick up more skills. There are also special Ninja Magic spells (Ninpo) that Ryu can buy or pick up, which can seriously save his ninja-butt in an overwhelming battle.
Activating Ninpo requires you to draw out a Kanji symbol in a limited amount of time, but thankfully the action pauses at the background while you're drawing the symbol. Unfortunately you can't use Ninpo too often as they require quite a bit of time and dead enemies to recharge. So its advisable to save these if you sense a boss battle coming up.
Don't let that bring you down as Ryu's signature Izuna drop (a kind of ninja piledriver) is always at your disposal and pretty easy to pull off with a little bit of practice. There's also an option to charge up Ryu's attack by scratching the stylus on him for a couple of seconds before he unleashes mayhem on all the enemies on screen.
Played this game....its awesome...
