The plans for Koei Tecmo & Ninja Gaiden have remained to bring the series back to the spotlight. Previously, the publisher announced a reboot is underway for the franchise alongside Dead & Alive. This past December, The Game Kitchen unveiled a return to form title ‘Ninja Gaiden Ragebound‘ with plans to release this summer.
As for the 3D installments of the series, Koei Tecmo previously released the Master Collection for fans to re-experience the definitive games that reignited the series. Additionally, plans from Tomonobu Itagaki also planned to make moves as well. The original director for those titles did confirmed a new effort to bring new games in cooperation with Xbox is on the way.
And with the recent Xbox Developer_Direct that took place this week, fans are excited as to what will be present. During the presentation Koei Tecmo & PlatinumGames revealed Ninja Gaiden 4. Not only that, Ninja Gaiden II Black is available today. You can watch the reveal trailer in the video below:
“Fans have long been asking us for a new NINJA GAIDEN game. Koei Tecmo’s President, Hisashi Koinuma, and PlatinumGames’ CEO, Atsushi Inaba, share a close relationship, which led us to explore a collaborative development effort. PlatinumGames had the expertise we felt was ideal for working on NINJA GAIDEN, and with support from Microsoft’s Phil-san [Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming], the three companies were able to take the next step towards creating a brand-new NINJA GAIDEN,” Fumihiko Yasuda, Team Ninja head says.
“A significant amount of time has passed since NINJA GAIDEN 3, and players will find themselves arriving in a gruesomely transformed Tokyo. One of the key themes of this story is the return of the Dark Dragon, which has plunged the city into chaos. Within these unsettling conditions, Yakumo will have to face off against his foes, as well as the formidable Master Ninja himself, Ryu Hayabusa,” producer Yuji Nakao added.
He continues: “In NINJA GAIDEN 4, we wanted to blend old and new elements. Tokyo in this game has been drastically transformed by the influence of the underworld., which is why it appears this way. Rain is a major visual theme in this game. For example, we’ve put a lot of effort into how characters look when drenched, how raindrops hit the ground, and various other effects.”
“This simultaneous announcement and same-day release alongside NINJA GAIDEN 4 might have caught some people by surprise,” Yasuda says about the Unreal Engine 5 release. “The biggest reason for developing NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black was to address the concerns of core fans who might be wondering, ‘What’s going to happen to Ryu Hayabusa?’ We also wanted to give players something to enjoy as they wait for the release of NINJA GAIDEN 4.
“We chose NINJA GAIDEN 2 because it stands as one of the most solid action games in the series. We added ‘Black’ to the title to signal to fans that this is the definitive version, much like NINJA GAIDEN Black was for the first game. […] This version is crafted to satisfy both those who played the original and newcomers discovering it as a current-generation action game. We’ve meticulously incorporated some of the additions of NINJA GAIDEN Sigma 2 while staying true to the challenge and feel of the original 360 version, including its signature gore and violence. We’ve also adjusted the weapon upgrade system to more align with the original release.”
How excited are you for Ninja Gaiden 4?
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is out now for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is listed for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC with a fall 2025 release window.
Source: Xbox Wire