Battle of the Blades: Ninja Gaiden (Black) vs. Shinobi

[Takumaji]

I've been playing both games a lot during the past few weeks. They are both fairly challenging and have very good graphics, but contrary to what has been said about the games already, they have very different engines, even tho there are some moves here and there which bear some similarities (e.g. aerial attacks, wall runs, etc.).

Presentation of NGB is amazing IMO, graphics are very lush and the light effects create a nice atmosphere, it's also not too polished, there are a lot of dark spots and the level design itself isn't as straight-forward as in Shinobi. Textures in NGB are cool as well, for ex. in the enemy city in chapter 4 after you've beaten Dynamo on top of the airship, everything looks correct and in place. The city also is quite large, there's a lot of stuff to see (tho not to interact with) there.

However, Shinobi has more style than NGB. I can't really put my finger on it, there's something "serious" in Shinobi that gives me a whole 'nother experience than NGB, which basically plays like an action-oriented fencing game with a technical kick. The combos an special attacks you can perform in NGB are cool, same goes for Shinobi but some of the advanced combos in Shinobi need more skill to use. I also found some of the bosses in Shinobi harder than in NGB.

I really can't decide which game I like better. NGB, even tho it offers quite some technical depth, is more of the pick-up-and-play type while Shinobi requires a bit of training. I currently play NGB again but somehow I feel that Shinobi has more lasting potential and more replayability.

Well... I guess I'll add some more NGB vs. Shinobi banter later on, let's hear what you guys have to say first.

 

[Mushiki]

Ninja Gaiden destroys Shinobi.

Why? Mostly because of production value.

Shinobi just looks like a cheap effort to bring back a classic franchise, while Ninja Gaiden clearly shows that there was a lot of money and time put into it.

This affects the games in every level - sure, Shinobi has some good points, but when you start to notice that all the stages, textures and enemies are identical, you realize it was developed as a "cheap" game and nothing else.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Shinobi series, but I seriously believe that the PlayStation2 rendition should have never existed.

 

[Mr.Nemoperson]

NGB, even tho it offers quite some technical depth, is more of the pick-up-and-play type .

Try playing on Ninja Master mode. I couldn't even get past the first level and I was trying for a good hour or so. That shit issssss hard! And this is coming from someone who beat it on very hard and cleared all the missions.

I never bothered with Shinobi cause it got panned pretty badly by the critics and gamers alike.

 

[Mark of the Wolves]

I liked Shinobi more. It of course doesn't look great, but it is fun as hell to play. They are really similar games to me though...you know same formula.

 

[k'_127]

Ninja Gaiden


Shinobi had a nice fighting engine, but everything else was dull.

the only thing that bothered me with NG was that you lose all power ups and items when you finish the game.

 

[DangerousK]

Since I already have the first Ninja Gaiden release for X-Box, is there any reason to pick Black up?

What are the differences between the two releases outside of the original arcade game being included on Black?

 

[Lastblade]

Since I already have the first Ninja Gaiden release for X-Box, is there any reason to pick Black up?

What are the differences between the two releases outside of the original arcade game being included on Black?

Just going by what others said (since I don't have the original NG).

Different cinemas, different enemies placement, tweaked enemies, Hurricane pack 1 & 2 included (as Mission mode), new costumes, tweaked fighting engine (no intercept), new difficulty setting (Ninja Dog for Newbies), tweaked camera.

If you are a fan, you should buy it. If not, wait for it to drop below $20.

Although I love Shinobi, NG(B) destroys it. The fighting game-like engine in NGB alone is way better than Shinobi.

 

[DangerousK]

Just going by what others said (since I don't have the original NG).

Different cinemas, different enemies placement, tweaked enemies, Hurricane pack 1 & 2 included (as Mission mode), new costumes, tweaked fighting engine (no intercept), new difficulty setting (Ninja Dog for Newbies), tweaked camera.

If you are a fan, you should buy it. If not, wait for it to drop below $20.

Although I love Shinobi, NG(B) destroys it. The fighting game-like engine in NGB alone is way better than Shinobi.

Thanks for the info.

I definitely agree that NG destroys Shinobi.

Not that there is anything completely wrong with Shinobi, but it lacks a lot of the polish that Ninja Gaiden has.

It's fun, but it felt a little bit like a rush job at the time it came out...the graphics really could have used some more work. Ninja Gaiden is just a fucking masterpiece top to bottom.

 

[smuf]

Ninja Gaiden is superior to Shinobi in every single way, it would have been a better match if you would have picked Devil May Cry 3 vs Ninja Gaiden.

 

[Megid Master]

I really dislike both Shinobi and its spin off Nightshade on the PS2. I would much rather play The Revenge of Shinobi on megadrive. I played Ninja Gaiden for days when it was released and stopped playing Shinobi after 3 levels.

 

[BIG]

Original Shinobi > 'Gaiden series.

But yeah,NGB owns next-gen Shinobi for free.

B-

 

[black_wizardd]

Haven't played any of the current-gen NG series but I have played Shinobi and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's not brilliant, just a solid, enjoyable game.

Edit: RoS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PS2 Shinobi.

 

[Shino]

i am a huge fan of both games, ninja gaiden has more depth, with the cinemas,

resident evil style puzzles, and story. i think everyone forgot how harddddd

shinobi is. maybe 3 times harder than ninja gaiden, i remember one boss on the

roof, i chased him around for 3 hours before i kick him off. shinobi definately has a

hardcore engine, that takes skills to master. i remember shinobi in the arcade is

one of the best game evar

 

[Stinky-Dinkins]

Ninja Gaiden (Black) is a better game. Liking Shinobi more is one thing, but after playing both of them it's clear which one is better.

 

[jro]

Shinobi is built around a single fairly unique gameplay mechanic, whereas NG/NGB are pretty damn phenomenal in all areas, especially gameplay. It does take a lot of skill to get really good at tate-ing every boss and difficult situation in Shinobi and Nightshade, but there's just so much more depth to NG, overall.

I'd still rank NGB among the top 5 or 10 games released this generation, and Shinobi wouldn't be in my top 100.

 

[hermegildo]

Ninja Gaiden (Black) is a better game. Liking Shinobi more is one thing, but after playing both of them it's clear which one is better.

Exactly.

There's no doubt that Ninja Gaiden is the better game, but there's something about Shinobi that's really likeable. It could be the old-school feeling, but I really enjoyed playing it. As I've said before, your sword actually draining your energy works wonders for this game, as it's always pushing you to go faster and faster. It's also a pure action game whereas Ninja Gaiden is more action-adventure in comparison.

Mushiki should start looking at what lies beneath a game's production values so he can enjoy them more.