The History Of Ninja Gaiden: Why The Blasphemous Devs Are The Perfect Fit

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is the latest entry in a long-running series that has been around for 36 years. Koei Tecmo has brought main protagonist Ryu Hayabusa to arcades, the Nintendo Entertainment System, original Xbox, Xbox 360, PC, and more. Not only is Hayabusa a star of his own franchise, but he has been a staple of both Dead or Alive and Warriors Orochi. The ninja’s fast-paced, precise action will easily be elevated by Blasphemous devs, The Game Kitchen.

While many games bear the Ninja Gaiden brand, continuity can get very convoluted. The original arcade title was not intended to be a franchise, and offers very little setup. Hayabusa was only meant to be a part of the ensemble cast in Dead or Alive. When the fighting game exploded, though, Koei Tecmo attempted to reconcile the storylines of the third-gen and sixth-gen titles. It is now up to each player to decide if the publisher succeeded.

Fast Paced Action From Arcade To Consoles

Can The Real Ryu Hayabusa Please Stand Up?

The very first game to be named Ninja Gaiden was the 1988 arcade beat-em-up. You play as an unnamed ninja (or two, with a second player) hired by the United States government to rescue the president from the relatives of Nostradamus. Most of the game's story occurs in the USA. To stand out from other arcade games, the ninja can perform many moves through button inputs and motions, similar to fighting game franchises like Street Fighter.

The real hallmarks were the three NES titles, which gave Ninja Gaiden a more cohesive plot, and many regard them to be above the reboot titles. Ninja clan leader Jo Hayabusa - renamed Ken in English - challenged a rival ninja in an open field, but died as the two warriors leaped at each other. This very scene is referenced in the Ragebound trailer, indicating the events are important.

Jo’s son, Ryu Hayabusa, seeks to avenge his father’s death. Through his search, he meets CIA agents Foster and Irene Lew, who lead him to the killer, Bloody Malth and, in turn, his master, the Jaquio. The death of the Jaquio sets up Ninja Gaiden 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos. Another dark lord, Ashtar, believes Hayabusa is the only obstacle in his way of world domination. Ashtar kidnaps Irene and challenges Hayabusa to battle him. After killing both Ashtar and a revived Jaquio, Ryu and Irene start a new life as a couple.

The planned original final title was Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom. Foster schemes with a man named Clancy. The two want to take over an interdimensional rift and utilize its power. They manipulate Hayabusa, but Irene comes to his rescue and allows the ninja to defeat them. Outside a few ports, Ninja Gaiden was mostly finished.

However, one of the key programmers for the games was Tomonobu Itagaki. While developing the first Dead or Alive, he decided to include Hayabusa as an Easter Egg. Dead or Alive was praised for its fighting mechanics, but it was also criticized for its over-sexualization of characters like Kasumi and Tina Armstrong. But, with the success of Dead or Alive 2, Microsoft and Tecmo were onboard for a Ninja Gaiden revival on Xbox.

The 2004 Ninja Gaiden reboot was originally meant to be a new continuity, featuring more gore and links to Dead or Alive, including cameos by ninja Ayane. But, Ninja Gaiden 2 has a small nod to the NES games. The secret agent, Sonia, is revealed to just be an alias for Irene Lew and that she will cross paths with Ryu again. Eventually, a shared timeline was made showing that the NES games occur after all the Ninja Gaiden 2004 and Dead or Alive games.

The Future With Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

A Brand New Series Or A One-Off Game?

The announcement of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound wasn’t too shocking. It had been revealed for months that a new Ninja Gaiden title was in the works. But, the big news was the choice of the developer, The Game Kitchen, famous for the beautiful soulslike Blasphemous and its sequels. This implies that the action will be very tight, filled with challenging boss fights, and tons of secrets.

The main question is if The Game Kitchen will be following the same continuity or bringing in new ideas. From the trailer revealed at The Game Awards, there is a depiction of the duel between Jo and Bloody Malth, though neither combatant visibly dies. Ryu still wears his iconic design from the 2004 series, but doesn’t take to the field himself. Instead, he appears to be the mentor to a new hero, Kenji Mozu.

Will players only control Kenji throughout the whole adventure? Hopefully, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound includes a means of unlocking Ryu Hayabusa with a unique and powerful moveset. Blasphemous had a variety of skins, so giving Kenji the appearance of Ryu or Jo may suffice.

Everything We Know About Ragebound

Ryu Hayabusa Is Busy, Meet Kenji Mozu

Besides the trailer, a statement on publisher Dotemu's website about Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It clarifies that Ryu Hayabusa is currently visiting the United States to fulfill Jo’s will. During his absence, demons begin to invade Hayabusa Village. Kenji Mozu, a student of Ryu’s, is the first to take up arms and battle the demonic hordes.

According to the publisher, The Game Kitchen wants the best of both worlds. The NES games were standalone levels, but Ragebound could be a more open world with fast travel. Platforming and powers should be important, while also having deadly boss fights with spectacular moves. From the gameplay footage, the game seems to be on track too.

In the first shot, Kenji effortlessly slashes through two red demons, along with a visible kill meter in the upper right. In the next scene, Kenji dodges a shuriken thrower, slashing a different enemy above, and then slamming back down on the first attacker. Next, Kenji deflects a projectile and rushes his assailant. Afterward, Kenji uses his attacks to launch himself towards a bridge hanging above. In the fifth scene, Kenji is completely surrounded, but dances around enemies to score 13 kills.

The trailer bounces to many more examples of action and platforming. One of the main things to notice is the number of enemies that dress similar to Bloody Malth and other foes from past Ninja Gaiden titles. The final scene ends with Kenji confronting a large monster, which teases the intense confrontation found in Blasphemous. Hopefully, more footage will be released of the actual battle.

Source: Dotemu/YouTube, Dotemu