<s>
is	O
a	O
2009	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
FromSoftware	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
Game	O
Studios	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
plays	O
as	O
a	O
modern-day	O
ninja	B-Application
,	O
using	O
a	O
katana	O
,	O
twin	O
swords	O
and	O
broad	O
sword	O
as	O
the	O
main	O
weapon	O
to	O
the	O
hostile	O
creatures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
combat	O
system	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
or	O
Devil	B-Application
May	I-Application
Cry	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
chi	O
bar	O
is	O
used	O
up	O
when	O
"	O
ninja	B-Application
vision	O
"	O
or	O
ninjutsu	O
is	O
used	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Four	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
a	O
GUIDE	O
ninja	B-Application
team	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
young	O
Ken	O
Ogawa	O
and	O
led	O
by	O
his	O
father	O
Kanbe	O
,	O
is	O
dispatched	O
to	O
Tokyo	O
to	O
contain	O
a	O
massive	O
Alpha-worm	O
outbreak	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kanbe	O
runs	O
Ken	O
through	O
with	O
the	O
clan	O
's	O
'	O
Ninja	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
 '	O
,	O
narrowly	O
missing	O
his	O
heart	O
—	O
something	O
a	O
master	O
swordsman	O
could	O
only	O
do	O
on	O
purpose	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ken	O
goes	O
underground	O
and	O
eventually	O
finds	O
the	O
hive	O
,	O
however	O
he	O
is	O
unable	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
to	O
destroy	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ken	O
defeats	O
the	O
core	O
using	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
and	O
finally	O
brings	O
peace	O
to	O
his	O
father	O
,	O
then	O
the	O
hive	O
crumbles	O
along	O
with	O
every	O
trace	O
of	O
the	O
infection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
for	O
Ninja	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
initially	O
came	O
when	O
FromSoftware	O
tried	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
conveyed	O
the	O
same	O
intense	O
sequences	O
as	O
those	O
of	O
Hollywood	O
action	B-Application
films	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
categorized	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
cinematic	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
"	O
combining	O
a	O
mixture	O
of	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
elements	O
with	O
context-sensitive	O
commands	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
was	O
commonly	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
Otogi	B-Application
3	O
by	O
various	O
sources	O
before	O
its	O
official	O
announcement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lead	O
planner	O
Kazuhiro	O
Hamatani	O
noted	O
that	O
while	O
not	O
a	O
direct	O
sequel	O
or	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
Otogi	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
contain	O
action-adventure	O
elements	O
of	O
which	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
Otogi	B-Application
series	O
would	O
like	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
was	O
named	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Month	O
in	O
the	O
June	O
2009	O
issue	O
of	O
GamePro	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
rating	O
of	O
5/5	O
stars	O
.	O
</s>
