Score
Gameplay:	7
Graphics:	8
Sound:	6
FunFactor:	5
PlasmaFactor:	8
Overall:	6.8

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword Review
June 16, 2008 by Dallas Pursley

 

Let's get this out of the way right from the start.  Team Ninja knows how to milk every bit of graphical power out of any platform they develop for.  This becomes obvious quickly as <i>Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword</i> is one of the prettiest DS titles to ever grace the dual screens.  It's also widely known that the DS doesn't normally play host to great action titles-- outside the Castlevania series—but thankfully Team Ninja's first portable Ninja Gaiden brings some of that much missed action to Nintendo's wondrous handheld.

 Gameplay 

The game begins with you in control of Momiji, a Shrine Maiden and ninja in training, as she spars with Ryu.  Soon, she's kidnapped by the Black Spider Clan and you take control of Ryu as you begin your search for her.  Taking place six months after the events of Ninja Gaiden, Dragon Sword is meant to fill in the blanks between the first game and its recently released sequel.  It's aptly named as well, because during the course of your adventure you're given insight on the true nature of Ryu's iconic sword.

Team Ninja has chosen to take a hint from titles like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass by giving Dragon Sword near total touch screen control.  This makes for some fun and addictive swordplay as you control Ryu's sword attacks by slashing across the touch screen with your stylus.  And what sort of Ninja doesn't have any sort of ranged attack?  Tapping on an enemy will launch one of your (eventual) three ranged weapons.  Jumping is handled by swiping your stylus vertically on screen, and doing so twice will allow a double jump.  This would all be for nothing if the touch screen was unresponsive or too sensitive, but luckily for you, it's neither.  The touch controls are just right.  I say, "near total touch screen control" because hitting the standard DS buttons causes you to block. 

Just like its bigger console siblings, Ninpo is an important aspect of the game.  Tapping an icon in the upper corner of the screen brings up a Sanskrit letter that you trace.  Doing so initiates one of several different powerful Ninpo effects. If you're a fan of the console versions and you're looking forward to that bone crushing challenge the series is known for, then you'll need to play through the game once to unlock the higher difficulty setting as the standard two offered at the outset offer little resistance.  It's quite easy to plow right through the game in an afternoon with little effort.  And, outside of places that require you to wall-jump, you'll probably never leave the ground.  At the highest setting, the game becomes the challenge you're after.  You can easily die if you don't play defensively.

Team Ninja has tried to take full advantage of all the hardware capabilities the DS has to offer.  It makes use of the touch screen with its controls, the dual screens with its Castlevania like map on one side and the action on the other, and it even manages to make limited use of the microphone at parts.  Other things found in Gaiden's larger console versions are not there in Dragon Sword.  Ranged weapons are limited to only two real types, with a variant on the second.  In addition, there is no other main weapon than your sword.  I suppose this makes sense because the game is named after Ryu's chosen weapon.  Still, the option for variety in dealing death would have been nice. 

That brings us to Dragon Sword's biggest downfall, variety.  It's just not there and while you'll have great fun hacking through hordes of fiends, doing so to the same ones over and over starts to get old by the end of the game.  And no, changing the color of the enemy and making it a little tougher does not count as variety.   The areas that you'll visit also feel and look close to the same with little changes here and there thrown in for good measure and what's worse is that even the bosses are repetitive.  Be prepared, you'll be facing dragons of various colors way too often.  The maps are also incredibly small, with very few rooms to them.  This makes for chapters that are so short you can easily knock out more than two or three in less than twenty minutes. 

Graphics 

Did I mention that the game is pretty?  Well, it is, putting many other DS titles to shame in terms of pure eyeball bliss. Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword simply looks slick.  Character models are rendered in 3D while backgrounds are pre-rendered, ala Resident Evil.  Both are detailed well, with attractive special effects and nicely done cut-scenes. The game is played in a Hotel Dusk-style manner by holding the DS vertically which puts your map on one side and the game on another.  It's quite amazing that Team Ninja milked so much graphical "oomph" from the DS.  With all that pretty going on, it's a shame that most of the game is spent in areas that are rather barren.  You'll spend quite a few chapters underground, making the backdrop for all that glorious fighting a very dull one.  Boss fights can be heart thumping events though, as most of the bosses take up a good portion of your screen which gives them a very intimidating appearance. 

Sound 

Musically, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword doesn't really shine. Although there are a few stand-out pieces towards the end, most of the game is what you'd expect.  Still, the sounds aren't out of place and don't distract.  Plus, the chance of you actually caring about what the music sounds like when you're neck deep in fiends is a small one.

PlasmaFactor 

If there was one thing that could be considered the Plasma Factor for Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, it must be the combat.  Although it does get repetitive, it's still a lot of fun to use the touch screen for attacking.  I dare say that it even has an addictive quality to it as the action is fast paced. It does lack that level of violence its console brothers have but you don't really notice that when you're rolling, dashing, slicing, jumping, and diving down to deliver swift and wondrous death to all fiends in your way. 

Conclusion 

Even with its faults, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is a fun distraction for an afternoon.  The title will draw in Gaiden fans simply because they'll want to see this part of Ryu's story and to experience his brand of combat in a new way.  The more casual players will enjoy the game as a good quality action title for their DS at the very least and may even make them curious as to what they've been missing on the home consoles.  Since the title is so short, I can't recommend buying it though.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't play it, as Dragon Sword is well worth tracking down as a rental.