Ninja Gaiden II - Xbox 360 Exclusive

Get ready for the news of your life, Xbox 360 gamers: Tecmo and Team Ninja have revealed that they're working on Ninja Gaiden's sequel, Ninja Gaiden II. What makes this news item twice as exciting is that the two companies are working hard on creating the sequel solely for Microsoft's Xbox 360 system. That's right, Ninja Gaiden II will be an Xbox 360 exclusive.

Right, we all know that during the process of developing a big title such as Ninja Gaiden II, the game's developer and publisher can very well decide to not go with just one platform, but for now, the game is being exclusively tailored for Microsoft's machine. Here's what we found via xbox.com:

Guide Ryu Hayabusa on a mission to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. Armed with an assortment of ninja weaponry, help

Ryu to skillfully maneuver through a world fraught with peril and danger. Ninja Gaiden 2 features an all-new gameplay engine, new auto-health regeneration system, levels, adventures, enemies, and thrilling combat with an extensive assortment of ninja weaponry, representing a true evolution of the highly popular franchise.

Then, a great array of gameplay features follows, along with three razor sharp screenshots (which we've made available below). Take a look at some of the most important features and see where improvements to the franchise are said to occur:

Exhilarating ninja action - Assuming the role of a ninja warrior, experience the new "finishing blows" system that combines gore with fast action and a well-honed combat system. In addition to a variety of brutal new primary weapons and enhanced versions of previous favorites, Ninja Gaiden 2 features both land and water-based action with advanced on-water battles providing a beautiful counterpoint to the land-based action.

Easy to play, hard to master - Ninja Gaiden 2’s new auto-healing system featuring semi-permanent damage restored at save points is the natural evolution of the franchise’s distinctive gameplay, and introduces a new twist to managing health. Featuring a newly implemented auto-healing functionality and save point system, as well as an extensive story mode and multiple difficulty levels available from the start of the game, the gameplay is accessible to more casual players and challenging to even the most demanding gamers.

Massive content and engrossing story - The themes of revenge and friendship in Ninja Gaiden 2 give rise to a series of dramatic events to create a truly compelling story. From Tokyo to New York and to the Netherworld, the story leads you through a 30-hour story mode as you skillfully maneuver Ryu Hayabusa through a demonized world fraught with peril and danger. In addition to the single-player campaign, upload Karma scores to Xbox LIVE leaderboards and participate in an all-new Master Ninja Tournament.

We've left the graphics part out because, needless to say, the game already looks promising (check out the three screenshots below) and given that its predecessor didn't look half bad either...

So, happy about the news? You should be, although you can't exactly go outside and scream not knowing how long it's going to take them to finish it and ultimately, if it's going to be a good game.


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