After 17 years, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black means I can finally recommend another version of the pinnacle limb-slasher

Yeah, yeah, Ninja Gaiden 4 looks pretty cool I guess. But, announced alongside Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, why get too excited about a new game I know little about, when I can get excited about yet another playthrough of a game I know I love? Though, admittedly, as fantastic as the original game is, it's been a tough game to be a fan of, and a tricky one to introduce to others across the years.

This might shock modern gamers, used to cross-platform releases as the standard, but even back in the Xbox 360 and PS3 era there weren't only vast differences in things like release dates – but ports could vary wildly between the two dominant HD platforms. Few games exemplify this quite so drastically as Xbox 360's Ninja Gaiden 2 and the PS3's Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.

Back in black

The original Ninja Gaiden 2’s brilliant premise amped up the violent, fast-paced action Ryu Hayabusa had already become known for by forcing him to deal with legions of enemy ninja at once. Limbs could be cleaved from them easily, opening even hulking foes up to one-hit finishers – but they also became more dangerous while vulnerable, eager to take Ryu with them. Its action was and still is electric – it’s been in my regular replay rotation for years, and can go toe-to-toe with the character action greats like Devil May Cry 5 largely because of how unique its approach to group fights feels.

The PS3 version added extra levels with new characters and new bosses. A definitive version, then? Unfortunately not. With fewer enemies on screen at once, and spongier health bars to attempt to accommodate the difference, it awkwardly cut down the brilliant premise of the original Ninja Gaiden 2. Crowd Control: The Game doesn't work quite so well when crowds are more small assemblies of like-minded enemies whose pesky limbs are very keen to stay attached. (It also removed the vast amounts of blood spray in favor of a strange purple aura). Annoyingly, 2021's Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection remasters featured a Ninja Gaiden 2 based on this compromised version.

At the very least, the original Ninja Gaiden 2 has remained available via backwards compatibility on Xbox One. But, for as much as I adore it, the original game isn't without some problems. Fighting at range is clunky yet hard to avoid due to plentiful projectile spam and flying foes, and enemies can be annoyingly grab happy. It's aged well in many other ways, but not quite well enough to be able to recommend it without some caveats.

Despite still being built on Sigma 2’s foundations, though, Ninja Gaiden Black 2 feels like the perfect remedy – its gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 overhaul and slicker menus making it feel like a fantastic modernization from the off, but it also makes some smart choices to bridge the gap between the Sigma and Sigmaless divide. It feels a lot closer to the spirit of the original, while ditching some of that version’s annoyances too.

For example, enemy groups are still based on the reduced numbers in Sigma 2, but now they feel more aggressive, jumping collectively into the fray together at once, nodding towards that claustrophobic feel of the original. With blood back in the game, and what seems to be a better chance to dismember, Ryu’s slashes and strikes pack plenty of impact, and limbs go flying easily. Even though they’re less spongy than in Sigma 2, fights end up feeling more chaotic – which all adds to the joy.

Even on normal difficulties – while noticeably a bit easier than others past (harder ones are available) – there's plenty of tension. The feeling that one wrong move may see an enemy grab you and explode themselves, or that one wrong combo may end up with Ryu's health bar turning into a fine mist is ever present. Importantly, though, the sense of danger, stickier foes, and ability to open them to one-hit kill chains, means that Ninja Gaiden Black 2 zeroes in on the unique cadence of the original.

Some of the additional bosses from Sigma 2 don’t reappear here, which feels like a conscious – and smart – choice. Battling a massive buddha statue and the statue of liberty might be kind of funny, but Ninja Gaiden 2’s mechanics weren’t designed for wailing on the vulnerable hands of gigantic foes God of War style. Ninja Gaiden Black 2’s pacing is better for losing them, and keeping those epic brawls coming at you fast is vital for keeping the action flowing.

It results in a game that feels meticulous, a Dragon Sword honed to a fine point. Would I like enemy groups to be a bit larger? Sure, I will always say yes. But for the first time, Ninja Gaiden Black 2 has sold me on the changes Sigma 2 made, by adjusting them to make a lot more sense. I’ll always recommend checking the original out, but I understand getting grabbed five times in a row by Alexei is annoying, and that spending five minutes against waves of demons in a single Test Of Valor can feel repetitive.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black makes its enemy encounters always matter, always feel like they could tear you apart – but reinforces that you have the tools to do the very same, and that with just the right combination of blade twirls yourself, you can literally tear an enemy squad coming at you ten-to-one limb from limb without wasting a single action. Missed the original? Ninja Gaiden 2 Black's got your back.

On a nostalgia kick? Check out our best Xbox 360 games list!