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Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: Tecmo
Price: $34.99
Platform: Nintendo DS
Category: Action, Adventure
ESRB: “T” for Teen
Release Date: March 25, 2008

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is the first title in the series to appear on the Nintendo DS, and if you think about it, the warning bells should go off in your head. Compound these warning bells with the screeching siren that is the plotline taking place between the game for the original Xbox and the sequel on the 360; most gamers would be pretty wary of playing Team Ninja’s latest foray into one of the most lauded gaming series ever.

I can happily report to you that any feelings of trepidation you may feel when contemplating giving Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword a try is completely unfounded. As a matter of fact, this game made me happy that I actually own a DS – prior to that it has sat on my bookshelf since Phantom Hourglass collecting dust. So, when I received this blessing in the mail, I excitedly recharged the battery and commenced to play.

While fans of the series may notice some of the same characters and locations in Dragon Sword, it merely gives you a since of familiarity instead of receptiveness. The storyline is very interesting as it tells the tale of a time when Dragons and Humans coexisted in harmony until the Dark Dragon decided to take over the world. The dragons that sided with the humans forged a sword from their fangs and bestowed what became known as the Dragon Sword upon them. While the name of the sword may seem a bit unoriginal, it does not matter – they could have called it the “pointy thing made of teeth” and it would still have the same effect because that awesome sword slew the Dark Dragon and restored peace to the land.
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It has been a slightly busy week as far as game releases go, and while the majority of the more mainstream ones are reported, some have slipped through the announcement cracks. While Dark Sector, Viking: Battle for Asgard, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, Universe at War and Crisis Core: FF VII have been the media darlings of the week, included with these titles are some that you may have missed.

So without further ado, here is a list of all the games that hit between March 23-29, 2008:

DS
Backyard Baseball ‘09
Harvest Moon DS Cute
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword

PC
Australian Zoo Quest
Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath Expansion Pack
Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection
Escape From Paradise City
Guild Wars Platinum Edition
Guild Wars Factions Platinum Edition

PSP
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Warriors Orochi

PS2
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3

PS3
Dark Sector
Viking: Battle for Asgard

Xbox 360
Dark Sector
Universe at War: Earth Assault
Viking: Battle for Asgard

Wii
Obscure: The Aftermath
Octomania
Opoona

Tecmo has announced the release of the highly-anticipated Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS. The
title is the first handheld installment in the popular series, which has sold over 2 million units worldwide. Players will fight enemy ninjas and battle various fiends while taking on the role of Master Ninja Ryu Hayabusa and will uncover all the mysteries of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword’s brand new storyline. The portable experience promises to deliver the same excitement as its console counterpart and the game’s unique only-on-DS experience has earned high praise from 1Up, and if you have not read the review you can do so here.

Storyline:

Six months have passed since the Dark Dragon Blade Incident, the abominable attack on Hayabusa’s village. Just when calm had finally started to slowly settle over the nearly annihilated village, the story’s heroine Momiji is set upon and abducted by the Black Spider Clan, lead by the sorceress, Obaba. What exactly are their motives in carrying out such a dastardly deed? In order to rescue the kidnapped Momiji, Ryu Hayabusa commits himself to new battles.

The player maneuvers the main characters Ryu and Momiji to fight against the Black Spider Clan and the demons that lurk behind them. The story is organized into chapters, and as you solve the riddles posed at every turn you get closer to the core of the story.

Features:

• Innovative DS Stylus Functionality: Master your weapon - the DS stylus. Smoothly maneuver (slide, tap, up/down) and fight through levels with the intuitive operation of the stylus.
• Hold the DS Like a Book: Hold the DS with one hand like a book to assist in the operation of the stylus which allows players to view a wider range of scenes, including battle areas, maps and beautifully illustrated comic-book style cut scenes.
• Cast Ninpo, Ninja Magic, by Symbol Input: Using the DS stylus, draw various symbols to quickly execute numerous types of Ninpo.
• Visually Stunning Graphics and Scenery: Experience a full-scale action game showcasing dynamic camera work and an artful blend of detailed 2D and 3D environments with 3D characters.

To celebrate the launch of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword, the Nintendo World Store and Tecmo will be hosting an in-store event tomorrow, March 26th from 2 - 6 p.m. Participating guests will have a chance to test their ninja-stylus skills as they demo the game and Team NINJA’s director/producer Yosuke Hayashi will make an appearance for photo opportunities and to sign autographs. Information on the store can be found here.

Via: Press Release 

I’d love to have sat in on the concept meeting for this TV spot for the DS game, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. I can just imagine it:

“So what should we do? Should we show some crazy CG footage of ninjas and demons going at it?”

“Nah, why don’t we just get someone who’s into parkour and dress them up in a ninja outfit?”

“Genius.”

And it is. It really is. Though I wonder what they did with the footage of the guy going berserk with that sword…

Nintendo recently announced its DS and Wii line-up for the first half of 2008 and the respective months in which you can expect the games to hit stores. The gaming giant has promised consumers more than 80 DS and 65 Wii titles during the first half of the year, and 90% of these new games are third-party titles. Only 5 of the DS and 4 of the Wii titles are coming from Nintendo and I have posted the full list of upcoming titles below.

The following Nintendo titles are slated for the first half of the year, but have yet to have a release date or month announced: Mario Kart Wii is scheduled for a Spring release, and Wii Fit will be released sometime during Q2; Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers in Darkness for the DS during Q2.

The following third-party titles from LucasArts for both the DS and Wii are scheduled for a spring and summer release respectively: LEGO: Indiana Jones and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Wii Titles

January

• Endless Ocean (Nintendo)
• No More Heroes (Ubisoft)
• Samurai Warriors: Katana (KOEI)

February

• Baroque (Atlus USA)
• Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (Ubisoft)
• Dream Pinball 3D (SouthPeak Games)
• Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore (Konami)
• London Taxi: Rush Hour (Destineer)
• MX vs. ATV Untamed (THQ)

March

• Alone in the Dark (Atari) —- UPDATE: Coming in May
• Destroy All Humans: Big Willy Unleashed (THQ)
• Ninja Reflex (EA)
• Nitro Bike (Ubisoft)
• Okami (Capcom)
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• Target: Terror (Konami)
• Worms: A Space Oddity (THQ)

April

• Pro Evolution Soccer (Konami)
• Wild Earth: African Safari (Majesco)

May

• King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga (SNK Playmore)
• Speed Racer (Warner Bros. Games)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney Interactive)
• THE DOG Island (Ubisoft)

June

• Catch of the Day (EA)
• Cooking Mama Cook Off 2 (Majesco)
• DeBlob (THQ)
• Rygar: The Battle of Argus (Tecmo)
• Wall-E (THQ)

DS titles are listed after the break.

Source: GamesInsudtry.biz

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March 2008 sees the return of the Ninja Gaiden series to a Nintendo game system. Anyone who remembers the heyday of the NES has fond memories of the series original ports from the arcade and of course Tecmo’s legendary Football titles. Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword looks like an interesting experiment - integrating the pointer control scheme into fast-paced ninja stealth killing.

Various directional movements and taps with the DS stylus will activate Ryu Hayabusa to run, jump, attack, and cast Ninpo (Ninja Magic).  Certain combinations of movements will allow players to perform special attacks like the “Izuna Drop” and the “Cicada Slash” which were made famous in the Ninja Gaiden console games.

 “Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword brings a new level of gaming action to the Nintendo DS,” says Yoh Watanabe, Tecmo’s Marketing Manager.  “There’s currently a demo available on the DS Download Station and I urge everyone to try it out and you’ll know what I mean.”

Those of us looking forward to trying this title can go out and pre-order now for the March release date.

If you want a chance to play Super Mario Galaxy or Super Smash Bros. Brawl, get your tickets for the E for all Expo in Los Angeles and get to the Nintendo booth. These two games will be available for the public to play test for the first time Oct. 18-22 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Not only will Nintendo be showing off Galaxy and Brawl, there will be many other games for the Wii and DS to test drive including new titles as well as old favorites. Daily Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournaments are planned as well with participants getting free Wii-themed T-shirts. A different shirt will be offered for each day of the show.

Read the full game line up, barring any last minute changes, after the break.
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New screenshots for the upcoming Nintendo DS Ninja gaiden game have surfaced and they definitely look good. The DS still has the best library game as far as portable gaming goes and it does not look like they are slowing down at all. Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is one of the few games that will fully utilize the capabilities of the DS stylus.

More shots follow the break.
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Ninja Gaiden was reborn a few years back on the Xbox. The game was universally praised for its excellent visuals and challenging game play. Some would say that it stands arguably as the best 3rd-person action game of all time. So how do you take such a remarkable series and port it onto a handheld? You reinvent it. With a completely stylus-dependent control scheme, Team Ninja is bringing unrivaled innovation to the Nintendo DS. To get you ready for the game’s launch, here is an assortment of media and updated game information. While not all of this information is new, this article serves as a collective on all current information about the game. Like Michael Jackson in Disney World, get ready for hype overdose.

Game: Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Platform: Nintendo DS
Players: 1
Release Date: TBA 2007

Recent News: Team Ninja designer, Tomonobu Itagaki, has said that he hopes to have Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword done sometime in Autumn.

Video Footage:

A few weeks back, Sony distributed their ” SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA PREVIEWS ROBUST SOFTWARE LINE UP FOR PLAYSTATION® PLATFORMS” . Although most of the news included is out there, I haven’t seen the full word for word document many places. The full statement in it’s entirety is listed below after the break. I think the PS3 is definitely headed for some good times in the future. Many critics have been extremely tough on the system, but only time will tell. They are obviously behind the curve right now, but I feel like the Nintendo Wii will eventually lose it’s hype and it will just be Sony and Microsoft on the field at that point.

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Tecmo’s event in Japan has produced the the first footage of ‘Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword’, to be released in September 2007. No word yet on more details for the DS - so you will have to just enjoy this for the present.