<s>
is	O
an	O
action	O
adventure	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
and	O
published	O
by	O
Tecmo	O
for	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
control	O
Ryu	O
Hayabusa	O
,	O
a	O
master	O
ninja	B-Application
,	O
in	O
his	O
quest	O
to	O
recover	O
a	O
stolen	O
sword	O
and	O
avenge	O
the	O
slaughter	O
of	O
his	O
clan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
Tecmo	O
's	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
series	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
continuity	O
as	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
's	O
Dead	B-Application
or	I-Application
Alive	I-Application
fighting	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tecmo	O
developed	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
for	O
five	O
years	O
,	O
targeting	O
a	O
western	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Making	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
's	I-Application
internet	I-Application
connectivity	I-Application
,	O
Tecmo	O
promoted	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
with	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
international	O
online	B-Application
contests	I-Application
;	O
record-breaking	O
numbers	O
of	O
players	O
competed	O
for	O
places	O
in	O
the	O
live	O
final	O
held	O
at	O
the	O
2004	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
was	O
critically	O
acclaimed	O
and	O
sold	O
362,441	O
copies	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
month	O
of	O
release	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
Japanese	O
sales	O
were	O
poor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
released	O
two	O
packs	O
of	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
were	O
also	O
incorporated	O
into	O
a	O
reworked	O
version	O
,	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Black	O
(	O
2005	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
as	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
,	O
with	O
extra	O
content	O
and	O
graphical	O
improvements	O
;	O
this	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
portable	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
as	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
Plus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
was	O
followed	O
by	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
II	I-Application
(	O
2008	O
)	O
and	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
2012	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
:	O
Master	O
Collection	O
on	O
June	O
10	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
develops	O
its	O
narrative	O
thread	O
through	O
the	O
actions	O
of	O
its	O
player-controlled	O
protagonist	O
,	O
Ryu	O
Hayabusa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
keeping	O
with	O
his	O
ninja	B-Application
persona	O
,	O
his	O
character	O
can	O
interact	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
environment	O
to	O
perform	O
acrobatic	O
feats	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
running	O
along	O
and	O
jumping	O
off	O
walls	O
,	O
swinging	O
from	O
pole	O
to	O
pole	O
,	O
or	O
running	O
across	O
water	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Access	O
to	O
these	O
regions	O
are	O
obtained	O
by	O
fighting	O
enemies	O
,	O
finding	O
keys	O
,	O
or	O
solving	O
puzzles	O
,	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
mechanics	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ryu	O
's	O
movements	O
are	O
directed	O
using	O
the	O
console	O
gamepad	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
control	O
system	O
,	O
which	O
comprises	O
the	O
left	O
thumbstick	B-Device
,	O
two	O
attack	O
buttons	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
block	O
button	O
,	O
was	O
described	O
as	O
fluid	O
and	O
responsive	O
,	O
and	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
was	O
regarded	O
as	O
having	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
deeper	O
combat	O
engines	O
among	O
Xbox	B-Application
games	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
comparing	O
well	O
to	O
the	O
action-adventures	O
God	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
and	O
Devil	B-Application
May	I-Application
Cry	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eric	O
Williams	O
,	O
the	O
designer	O
of	O
the	O
God	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
combat	O
engine	O
,	O
explained	O
that	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
prohibits	O
players	O
from	O
stopping	O
or	O
changing	O
attacks	O
in	O
mid-stroke	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
,	O
God	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
allows	O
players	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
,	O
and	O
Devil	B-Application
May	I-Application
Cry	I-Application
grants	O
this	O
freedom	O
to	O
certain	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Williams	O
said	O
that	O
,	O
compared	O
to	O
those	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
the	O
combat	O
system	O
in	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
was	O
harder	O
to	O
master	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
it	O
lets	O
players	O
fight	O
their	O
computer	O
controlled	O
foes	O
on	O
equal	O
terms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
features	O
a	O
large	O
selection	O
of	O
weapons	O
for	O
Ryu	O
to	O
wield	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
advantages	O
and	O
disadvantages	O
that	O
affect	O
the	O
way	O
the	O
player	O
approaches	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
flails	O
and	O
staves	B-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
string	O
together	O
long	O
sequences	O
of	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
also	O
provides	O
Ryu	O
with	O
magical	O
spells	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
ninpo	O
spells	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inspired	O
by	O
the	O
1980s	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
series	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
(	O
NES	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
2004	O
version	O
was	O
originally	O
set	O
in	O
a	O
re-imagined	O
game	O
world	O
based	O
on	O
another	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
creation	O
,	O
the	O
Dead	B-Application
or	I-Application
Alive	I-Application
(	O
DOA	O
)	O
series	O
of	O
fighting	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
interviews	O
with	O
Tomonobu	O
Itagaki	O
indicate	O
that	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
games	O
are	O
prequels	B-Application
to	O
the	O
NES	O
series	O
and	O
that	O
both	O
possibly	O
share	O
a	O
single	O
continuity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
of	O
the	O
Dead	B-Application
or	I-Application
Alive	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Located	O
mainly	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
the	O
fictional	O
Western	O
Asian	O
nation	O
of	O
the	O
Vigoor	B-Application
Empire	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
draws	O
on	O
Heian	O
period	O
structures	O
for	O
its	O
Japanese	O
locales	O
—	O
a	O
ninja	B-Application
fortress	O
and	O
village	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
mountains	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
the	O
Vigoor	B-Application
Empire	I-Application
,	O
with	O
its	O
capital	O
city	O
of	O
Tairon	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
blend	O
of	O
architectural	O
types	O
from	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
hidden	O
underground	O
level	O
features	O
statues	O
with	O
the	O
heads	O
of	O
cats	O
,	O
walls	O
covered	O
with	O
carvings	O
,	O
hieroglyphics	O
,	O
Aztec	O
pyramid	O
and	O
a	O
labyrinth	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ryu	O
Hayabusa	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
super	O
ninja	B-Application
"	O
,	O
is	O
the	O
protagonist	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
primary	O
player-controllable	O
character	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ryu	O
has	O
a	O
long	O
history	O
with	O
Tecmo	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
the	O
star	O
of	O
the	O
1990s	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
series	O
and	O
has	O
been	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
DOA	O
roster	O
since	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
provides	O
a	O
backstory	O
to	O
Ryu	O
's	O
appearance	O
and	O
character	O
as	O
seen	O
in	O
the	O
Dead	B-Application
or	I-Application
Alive	I-Application
series	O
,	O
being	O
set	O
two	O
years	O
before	O
the	O
first	O
DOA	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
not	O
a	O
player-controlled	O
character	O
in	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
,	O
in	O
a	O
few	O
sections	O
of	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
remake	O
she	O
is	O
controllable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ayane	O
,	O
a	O
young	O
female	O
ninja	B-Application
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
DOA	O
regular	O
cast	O
members	O
,	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
guide	O
throughout	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
by	O
supplying	O
advice	O
and	O
objectives	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
is	O
continued	O
in	O
the	O
sequels	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dragon	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
,	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
started	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
"	O
Next-Generation	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Project	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
then	O
planned	O
to	O
move	O
the	O
project	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
console	O
for	O
further	O
development	O
and	O
release	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
was	O
abandoned	O
when	O
Sega	O
announced	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
product	O
line	O
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
this	O
point	O
,	O
Tecmo	O
decided	O
to	O
release	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
as	O
a	O
launch	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Sony	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
2	I-Device
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Itagaki	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
had	O
other	O
plans	O
;	O
the	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
Leader	O
was	O
impressed	O
with	O
the	O
software	B-Application
development	I-Application
kits	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
and	O
pushed	O
for	O
his	O
team	O
to	O
develop	O
for	O
the	O
Microsoft	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
kept	O
silent	O
on	O
this	O
change	O
in	O
direction	O
,	O
and	O
surprised	O
both	O
the	O
games	O
industry	O
and	O
fans	O
when	O
they	O
announced	O
at	O
E3	O
2002	O
that	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
would	O
be	O
released	O
exclusively	O
on	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
gaming	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
fans	O
who	O
voted	O
on	O
Tecmo	O
's	O
poll	O
wanted	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
GameCube.Ninja	O
Gaiden	O
was	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
's	O
first	O
action	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
initial	O
concept	O
had	O
nothing	O
in	O
common	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
series	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
NES	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Analyzing	O
the	O
earlier	O
games	O
,	O
he	O
concluded	O
that	O
their	O
violence	O
appealed	O
to	O
players	O
,	O
and	O
included	O
gory	O
content	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
beheadings	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
game	O
to	O
retain	O
that	O
spirit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Itagaki	O
paid	O
homage	O
to	O
the	O
earlier	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
series	O
by	O
including	O
updated	O
versions	O
of	O
foes	O
and	O
special	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
based	O
their	O
3D	O
computer	O
models	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
pistols	O
of	O
the	O
henchman	O
upwards	O
,	O
on	O
real	O
world	O
material	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rather	O
than	O
import	O
the	O
motion	B-Application
captures	I-Application
directly	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
animators	O
used	O
them	O
as	O
templates	O
to	O
give	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
realism	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
characters	O
 '	O
exaggerated	O
movements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
Tecmo	O
released	O
a	O
demo	O
disc	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
February	O
26	O
issue	O
of	O
Famitsu	O
Xbox	B-Application
magazine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
2	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
than	O
originally	O
planned	O
,	O
Tecmo	O
released	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
released	O
,	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
contained	O
bloody	O
acts	O
of	O
violence	O
,	O
decapitations	O
and	O
grotesque	O
monsters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
this	O
had	O
the	O
potential	O
to	O
place	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
in	O
Germany	O
's	O
"	O
List	O
of	O
Media	O
Harmful	O
to	O
Young	O
People	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
have	O
meant	O
that	O
shops	O
could	O
neither	O
advertise	O
the	O
game	O
nor	O
sell	O
it	O
unless	O
by	O
request	O
to	O
customers	O
of	O
18	O
years	O
or	O
older	O
,	O
Tecmo	O
censored	O
the	O
European	O
PAL	O
version	O
to	O
obtain	O
a	O
USK	O
rating	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
year	O
later	O
,	O
Tecmo	O
managed	O
to	O
obtain	O
a	O
USK	O
18+	O
rating	O
for	O
the	O
uncensored	O
release	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Black	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Japan	O
's	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
Rating	O
Organization	O
(	O
CERO	O
)	O
rated	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
and	O
Black	O
,	O
on	O
their	O
release	O
,	O
as	O
18+	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
kept	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
project	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
aim	O
of	O
pushing	O
the	O
action	O
genre	O
and	O
their	O
first	O
such	O
game	O
as	O
far	O
as	O
they	O
could	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
packs	O
were	O
available	O
over	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
in	O
the	O
third	O
quarter	O
of	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hurricane	O
Pack	O
1	O
was	O
a	O
revamped	O
version	O
of	O
Story	O
Mode	O
;	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
tweaked	O
the	O
encounters	O
and	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	O
)	O
of	O
Ryu	O
's	O
foes	O
to	O
increase	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pack	O
introduced	O
additional	O
foes	O
such	O
as	O
humanoid	O
cats	O
,	O
giants	O
wearing	O
dinosaur	O
skulls	O
,	O
and	O
cyborgs	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
made	O
a	O
key	O
change	O
to	O
the	O
camera	O
system	O
by	O
which	O
the	O
on-screen	O
action	O
is	O
displayed	O
;	O
players	O
could	O
now	O
control	O
the	O
camera	O
and	O
change	O
its	O
viewing	O
angle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
later	O
compiled	O
both	O
expansion	O
packs	O
,	O
and	O
added	O
new	O
features	O
,	O
to	O
create	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Black	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
game	O
,	O
which	O
Itagaki	O
viewed	O
as	O
the	O
final	O
version	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
,	O
went	O
on	O
sale	O
on	O
September	O
20	O
,	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
upgraded	O
the	O
graphics	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
ported	O
it	O
to	O
the	O
(	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
on	O
June	O
14	O
,	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	O
became	O
an	O
Xbox	B-Application
Original	O
game	O
on	O
February	O
11	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Master	O
Ninja	B-Application
Tournaments	O
were	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
three	O
online	B-Application
contests	I-Application
held	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
and	O
Tecmo	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
took	O
place	O
over	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
,	O
and	O
were	O
open	O
to	O
participants	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
Japan	O
,	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Winner	O
selection	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
scores	O
achieved	O
through	O
playing	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
or	O
its	O
Hurricane	O
Packs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
two	O
tournaments	O
formed	O
regional	O
qualification	O
stages	O
for	O
a	O
live	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Master	O
Tournament	O
World	O
Championship	O
,	O
held	O
on	O
September	O
25	O
at	O
the	O
TGS	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Competition	O
for	O
places	O
was	O
intense	O
,	O
with	O
both	O
tournaments	O
breaking	O
records	O
for	O
online	O
participation	O
in	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
events	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	O
Ninja	B-Application
Tournament	O
3	O
started	O
on	O
September	O
27	O
and	O
lasted	O
26	O
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rankings	O
were	O
decided	O
by	O
scores	O
obtained	O
while	O
playing	O
Hurricane	O
Pack	O
2	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
prizes	O
were	O
Tecmo	O
apparel	O
and	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
marked	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
official	O
tournaments	O
for	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
,	O
although	O
Microsoft	O
have	O
retained	O
the	O
ranking	O
boards	O
for	O
players	O
to	O
upload	O
their	O
scores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tecmo	O
has	O
built	O
up	O
a	O
line	O
of	O
merchandise	O
around	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
of	O
the	O
merchandise	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
that	O
associated	O
with	O
the	O
various	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
game	O
launches	O
or	O
given	O
as	O
prizes	O
in	O
the	O
Master	O
Ninja	B-Application
Tournaments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kotobukiya	O
,	O
a	O
figurine	O
maker	O
,	O
includes	O
1/6	O
scale	O
plastic	O
figurines	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
characters	O
in	O
their	O
range	O
of	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tecmo	O
published	O
two	O
additional	O
versions	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
:	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Black	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Application
and	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Itagaki	O
deemed	O
Black	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
final	O
version	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
,	O
Tecmo	O
subsequently	O
ported	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
as	O
Sigma	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tecmo	O
announced	O
at	O
E3	O
2005	O
that	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
was	O
working	O
on	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Black	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
exhibited	O
a	O
working	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
the	O
TGS	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	O
is	O
a	O
reworked	O
compilation	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
and	O
the	O
two	O
Hurricane	O
Packs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
contains	O
more	O
costumes	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
,	O
and	O
swaps	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
's	O
unlockable	O
NES	O
games	O
for	O
an	O
arcade	B-Application
version	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
key	O
feature	O
of	O
this	O
version	O
is	O
its	O
two	O
new	O
difficulty	O
settings	O
—	O
the	O
easy	O
Ninja	B-Application
Dog	O
and	O
the	O
very	O
hard	O
Master	O
Ninja	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Itagaki	O
added	O
Ninja	B-Application
Dog	O
after	O
receiving	O
complaints	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
being	O
too	O
hard	O
in	O
its	O
default	O
incarnation	O
,	O
although	O
he	O
believed	O
that	O
,	O
with	O
persistence	O
,	O
any	O
player	O
was	O
capable	O
of	O
completing	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hence	O
he	O
ensured	O
that	O
those	O
players	O
selecting	O
Ninja	B-Application
Dog	O
would	O
be	O
subjected	O
to	O
gentle	O
mockery	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
—	O
players	O
on	O
this	O
difficulty	O
setting	O
receive	O
colored	O
ribbons	O
as	O
accessories	O
,	O
and	O
Ayane	O
treats	O
Ryu	O
as	O
an	O
inferior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
compensation	O
,	O
Itagaki	O
made	O
the	O
other	O
difficulty	O
settings	O
harder	O
than	O
in	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
feature	O
of	O
Black	O
is	O
its	O
Mission	O
Mode	O
,	O
which	O
comprises	O
50	O
combat	O
missions	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
which	O
is	O
adapted	O
from	O
the	O
custom	O
game	O
designed	O
for	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Master	O
Tournament	O
World	O
Championship	O
final	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
improvements	O
made	O
in	O
the	O
Hurricane	O
Packs	O
carried	O
forward	O
through	O
this	O
game	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
camera	O
system	O
tweaks	O
and	O
new	O
boss	O
battles	O
,	O
the	O
Intercept	O
maneuver	O
,	O
introduced	O
in	O
Hurricane	O
Pack	O
1	O
,	O
was	O
not	O
included	O
in	O
Black	O
,	O
adding	O
to	O
its	O
increased	O
challenge.Ninja	O
Gaiden	O
Black	O
was	O
also	O
available	O
through	O
Xbox	B-Application
's	O
Game	O
Pass	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
S	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
X	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
removed	O
in	O
September	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Black	O
is	O
also	O
enhanced	O
for	O
the	B-Device
Xbox	I-Device
One	I-Device
X	O
console	O
,	O
which	O
improves	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
resolution	O
to	O
4K	O
UHD-levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
Tecmo	O
and	O
Sony	O
announced	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Itagaki	O
had	O
no	O
direct	O
role	O
in	O
Sigma	O
and	O
judged	O
it	O
a	O
flawed	O
game	O
,	O
although	O
he	O
acknowledged	O
that	O
Sigma	O
gave	O
PlayStation	O
owners	O
a	O
taste	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
the	O
original	O
version	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
movements	O
and	O
combat	O
system	O
are	O
directed	O
using	O
the	O
console	O
gamepad	B-Device
,	O
which	O
comprises	O
the	O
left	O
thumbstick	B-Device
,	O
two	O
attack	O
buttons	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
block	O
button	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
more	O
powerful	O
hardware	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
gave	O
Team	O
Ninja	B-Application
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
overhaul	O
the	O
game	O
graphics	O
to	O
use	O
larger	O
and	O
more	O
detailed	O
textures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2007	O
,	O
Tecmo	O
released	O
a	O
demo	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
game	O
mode	O
,	O
Survival	O
Mode	O
,	O
for	O
Sigma	O
over	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
PlusNinja	O
Gaiden	O
Sigma	O
Plus	O
is	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
on	O
February	O
22	O
,	O
2012.Ninja	O
Gaiden	O
Sigma	O
Plus	O
-	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
,	O
IGN	O
Like	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Blacks	O
"	O
Ninja	B-Application
Dog	O
"	O
mode	O
,	O
Sigma	O
Plus	O
features	O
an	O
easier	O
difficulty	O
called	O
"	O
Hero	O
"	O
mode	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
more	O
accessible	O
to	O
casual	O
gamers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
takes	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
additional	O
features	O
that	O
the	O
Vita	O
offers	O
,	O
including	O
gyroscopic	O
first-person	O
aiming	O
(	O
by	O
tilting	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
adjust	O
the	O
camera	O
angle	O
in	O
first-person	O
viewing	O
modes	O
)	O
,	O
back	O
touchpad	O
controls	O
(	O
tapping	O
symbols	O
using	O
the	O
rear	O
touchpad	O
will	O
allow	O
Ryu	O
to	O
boost	O
the	O
power	O
of	O
his	O
Ninpo	O
)	O
,	O
touch	O
screen	O
controls	O
(	O
players	O
can	O
go	O
into	O
first-person	O
mode	O
by	O
tapping	O
the	O
touch	O
screen	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
Plus	O
offers	O
new	O
sets	O
of	O
accessories	O
that	O
Ryu	O
and	O
Rachel	O
can	O
equip	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Greg	O
Kasavin	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
most	O
challenging	O
action	O
adventure	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
publication	O
named	O
it	O
the	O
best	O
Xbox	B-Application
game	O
of	O
February	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
Erik	O
Brudvig	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
sets	O
a	O
new	O
standard	O
for	O
third-person	O
action	O
games	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
length	O
,	O
depth	O
,	O
speed	O
,	O
and	O
gore	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
(	O
EGM	O
)	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
an	O
unmissable	O
instant	O
classic	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
declared	O
that	O
"	O
no	O
Xbox	B-Application
should	O
go	O
without	O
 [ Ninja ] 	O
Gaiden.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
enhanced	O
version	O
,	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Black	O
,	O
also	O
impressed	O
reviewers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
noted	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
the	O
best	O
visual	O
and	O
audio	O
presentation	O
on	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
and	O
praised	O
its	O
new	O
Mission	O
Mode	O
for	O
"[distilling]	O
the	O
game	O
down	O
to	O
its	O
purest	O
essentials.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
a	O
technical	O
point	O
of	O
view	O
,	O
critics	O
regarded	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
and	O
Black	O
as	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
the	O
available	O
Xbox	B-Application
software	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
;	O
the	O
console	O
hardware	O
had	O
been	O
pushed	O
to	O
its	O
limits	O
without	O
showing	O
significant	O
drops	O
in	O
performance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
and	O
Black	O
were	O
top-sellers	O
,	O
which	O
led	O
to	O
them	O
being	O
compatible	B-General_Concept
with	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
for	O
all	O
regions	O
on	O
the	O
new	O
platform	O
's	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
attracted	O
criticism	O
for	O
the	O
way	O
on-screen	O
action	O
is	O
framed	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
camera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tecmo	O
attempted	O
to	O
address	O
this	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
manual	O
camera	O
controls	O
in	O
the	O
Hurricane	O
Packs	O
,	O
and	O
most	O
critics	O
judged	O
that	O
either	O
the	O
camera	O
frame	O
was	O
usually	O
acceptable	O
,	O
or	O
that	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
was	O
a	O
good	O
enough	O
game	O
that	O
its	O
flaws	O
could	O
be	O
overlooked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Consumers	O
purchased	O
1.5	O
million	O
copies	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
and	O
Black	O
by	O
August	O
2007	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
bulk	O
of	O
these	O
sales	O
going	O
to	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
NPD	O
Group	O
,	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
month	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
sold	O
362,441	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
August	O
2006	O
,	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
550,000	O
copies	O
and	O
earned	O
$27	O
million	O
in	O
that	O
country	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Between	O
January	O
2000	O
and	O
August	O
2006	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
100th	O
highest-selling	O
game	O
launched	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Application
or	O
GameCube	B-Application
consoles	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combined	O
sales	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
and	O
Black	O
reached	O
800,000	O
units	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
by	O
August	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Japanese	O
gamers	O
were	O
not	O
particularly	O
excited	O
—	O
according	O
to	O
Itagaki	O
,	O
only	O
60,000	O
copies	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
were	O
sold	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
the	O
four	O
months	O
following	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
critical	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
have	O
led	O
CNET	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
Asia	O
to	O
induct	O
the	O
game	O
into	O
their	O
halls	O
of	O
fame	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
games	O
gained	O
a	O
reputation	O
throughout	O
the	O
gaming	O
community	O
for	O
their	O
difficulty	O
and	O
attention	O
to	O
detail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Clive	O
Thompson	O
focused	O
on	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
in	O
his	O
Slate	O
article	O
examining	O
the	O
motivation	O
for	O
playing	O
difficult	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
,	O
in	O
his	O
opinion	O
,	O
strikes	O
the	O
correct	O
balance	O
between	O
challenge	O
and	O
reward	O
;	O
completion	O
brings	O
"	O
a	O
sort	O
of	O
exhausted	O
exhilaration	O
,	O
like	O
finally	O
reaching	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
War	O
and	O
Peace.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
CraveOnline	O
included	O
it	O
on	O
their	O
list	O
of	O
five	O
"	O
badass	O
ninja	B-Application
games	O
"	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
pinnacle	O
of	O
action	O
gaming	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
holding	O
onto	O
that	O
crown	O
for	O
an	O
entire	O
year	O
until	O
God	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
released	O
in	O
2005	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
true	O
video	O
game	O
classic	O
,	O
and	O
maybe	O
the	O
best	O
ninja	B-Application
game	O
of	O
all	O
time.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
same	O
year	O
,	O
G4tv	O
ranked	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
83rd	O
top	O
video	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
also	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
best	O
ninja	B-Application
game	O
ever	O
made	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
all-around	O
hardest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
sold	O
46,307	O
units	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
third	O
highest	O
selling	O
game	O
during	O
that	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
and	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Black	O
,	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma	O
has	O
received	O
positive	O
reviews	O
,	O
currently	O
holding	O
an	O
average	O
score	O
of	O
87%	O
at	O
GameRankings	O
and	O
88/100	O
at	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
58	O
and	O
46	O
reviews	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
varied	O
in	O
their	O
views	O
on	O
the	O
technical	O
aspects	O
of	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Sigma''	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
gaming	O
site	O
1UP.com	O
called	O
the	O
updated	O
graphics	O
"	O
a	O
gorgeous	O
reworking	O
of	O
the	O
modern	O
ninja	B-Application
classic	O
,	O
"	O
Pro-G	O
said	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
average	O
by	O
next-generation	O
standards	O
and	O
showed	O
occasional	O
"	O
tearing	O
,	O
jagged	O
edges	O
,	O
and	O
mismatched	O
collision	O
between	O
bloodstains	O
and	O
walls.	O
"	O
</s>
