Rather than making yet another review going over why you should or shouldn't play Ninja Gaiden 2 Black over Ninja Gaiden 2 on 360, I'm instead going to list all the changes I can think of that Black made in comparison to Sigma, specifically the version of it that's included in the Master Collection, for people that have played that version of the game and are curious about this one, or are on the fence between choosing NG2B or NG2S.

Gameplay aspects
- Delimb rates have been slightly buffed
- Enemy health pools have been slightly nerfed
- Spawns have been tweaked in select areas (most noticeable on Warrior difficulty)
This affects which, how many, and where enemies spawn; There are more enemies overall
- Weapon upgrades can be purchased at any Muramasa shop for Yellow Essence, rather than for free at select shops, with the cost depending on the difficulty
- You are no longer weapon level locked based on which Chapter you're on
This means that you can theoretically have your weapon on Level 3 as early as Chapter 1, rather than on Chapter 10
- Master Ninja difficulty has been rebalanced, with damage from enemy grabs being drastically reduced
- The two Buddha statue boss fights from Chapter 1 have been removed, and the Statue of Liberty boss fight from Chapter 4 has been removed as well, this naturally also means that their associated cutscenes have been removed, too
- The mid-boss in Chapter 10 now has enemies spawn when taken half-health
- Ayane has been slightly buffed, along with hers and Rachel's Chapters having further reduced health for enemies
- Talisman of Rebirth can now be toggled to not be used automatically, and you're given the choice between using it or not upon a Game Over
- The HUD now shows which Ninpo Ryu has currently equipped
- All weapons are shown in the shortcut menu in a set pattern and in a straight line, rather than showing only the last three used and scrolling the others
- Left and right dpad now opens projectile and Ninpo shortcuts respectively
- The display of projectile weapons can now be disabled
- Gore and dismemberment from the 360 and Vita versions have been restored, including uncensored cutscenes
- The purple mist in Sigma 2 that emanates from enemies (instead of blood) and disappearing body parts (instead of delimbing and beheading) can be toggled back on, individually of each other
- The cutscene after the mid-boss in Chapter 10 is now slightly longer because of the return of gore and enemies, as Sigma 2 removed the beginning of it
- Cutscenes added in Sigma 2 now have gore for the first time ever
- The UI has been completely redesigned, being both more intuitive and snappier, and the primary colour has been changed from blue to red, similar to the 360 version
- New Game now displays which difficulties you have finished
- You can start New Game+ on any difficulty you've finished, which lets you start with all weapons and all Ninpo already unlocked, but at level 1
- The title screen now has a Continue option that loads your latest save
- The Chapter Challenge menu now always shows when you have a checkpoint save on a difficulty, rather than only telling you when you select the proper Chapter and difficulty
- The grayscale monochrome filter from the 360 version is now included
- Because of the removal of the Buddha and Statue of Liberty bosses, Tag Mission Ultimate Ninja 3 has been replaced with a brand new mission
- Tag Missions have been further balanced, especially noticeable in Master Ninja and Ultimate Ninja difficulties, with bosses having lower health in many missions
- Online ranking for Tag Missions have been removed
- Ninja Race mode and its associated achievements have been removed
- Certain costumes have been removed, reducing the total amount from 27 to 13
(Ryu 7 -> 4; Rachel 8 -> 3; Momiji/Ayane 6 -> 3)
- Because of the above, unlock conditions for costumes have been changed
- The comic book-styled animated prologue has been removed

Technical aspects
- Additional camera options
- Certain objects that used to obstruct the camera are now see-through
- Specific wall run sections now use a fixed camera
- New subtitle options, such as Speaker Names, Sound Effect Captions, and Size
- Essence colours can be changed between four different presets (intended for colourblindness)
- Load times are effectively faster when installed on a SSD, due to forced loading animations being shorter
- Cutscenes can be skipped before they are even shown to the player, rather than having to wait approximately 2 seconds after they've started before you can skip them
- The game now only has slowdown when under 30fps, rather than when under 60fps
- Addition of a Photo Mode

PC port aspects
- More resolution options beyond 720p, 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p
- Ultra-widescreen support (21:9, cutscenes are locked to 16:9)
- 30fps cap and up to 120fps support
- Cutscenes can be capped to either 30fps or 60fps, independent of gameplay fps, but no 120fps support for cutscenes
- Mouse and Keyboard support
- Fully rebindable controls for gamepads, alongside presets
- PlayStation prompts are now supported

For the sake of classifying as a review, in my personal opinion I find Ninja Gaiden 2 Black to be a straight improvement over Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 in the grand scheme of things. How it compares to the original 360 version will be up for debate, but this is by no means a bad version of the game, and I strongly recommend it, particularly to newcomers.

However, if you do not own either version of the game, it is worth pointing out that buying this one game is slightly more expensive than buying three other games, with the Master Collection. Your decision will essentially boil down to how interested you are in Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Explained for Newcomers.

The three modern Ninja Gaiden games all have different versions-

1. Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden Black, Ninja Gaiden Sigma

2. Ninja Gaiden 2, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and now Ninja Gaiden 2 Black

3. Ninja Gaiden 3, Ninja Gaiden 3 Razors Edge.

All of the different versions have various game-play changes and differences. for example NG2 and NGS2 have different U.I, the weapon upgrade system is different and in NGS2 the blood is censored as purple mist among some other changes. But for the most part they're the same game.

Ninja Gaiden Black 2 is a remake of NG2S, a visual overhaul where they re-added blood and changed the weapon upgrade system back to how it was in OG NG2. (The better system)

Ninja Gaiden Black 2 is a great game just like all versions of NG2, but for new-comers I would recommend buying the Master Collection which comes with NG1 Sigma, 2 Sigma and 3 Razors Edge, 3 games for the same price with one of them being NGS2 which is essentially the same game as NG2B. That being said, if you REALLY want too start with NG2B, that's fine to.

Hope this helps clear up any confusion for those wondering if they should start here!

Oh I have missed you, welcome back ninjas.

As for the game, so far so good, feels like ninja gaiden with better graphics, will update if I find any issues later.

• Gore is back on the menu along with limbs flying around. Dismemberment behavior is pretty much exactly how it used to be. Can be turned off, if you insist.
  
• Surprising solid port with the ability to custom-map joystick and keyboard controls! UE5 yeah, but there are no hiccups at all. The shader compilation happens ahead. (The FPS limit is 120 btw.)
  
• New camera assists and camera tuning options made available. Helps numb the usual pain (just a little bit) with the 3D Ninja Gaidens if you choose to, ha!
  
• Same OST. Same voices from what I can recall - Japanese at least. Same in-game notes. This is all so spectacularly nostalgic!
  
• The combat is still airtight, deep, and world-class as it used to be! Flying Swallows and Izuna drops all day with the right meatiness and impact.
  
• Difficulty appears to be somewhere between the insanely brutal OG NG2 and the easy af Sigma 2. Playing on Warrior. (Hard.)
  
• Gives the "what Sigma 2 should've been" vibe as in no ultimate charging with the bow, no "Tests of Valor", no underwater battles, no incendiary shuriken, and no single-player Mission Mode in sight. Only the same/similar tag missions from Sigma 2.

OG Ninja Gaiden 2 is quite possibly the greatest 3D action game ever made, at least in terms of combat depth and unique weapon mechanics. Sure, it's rough around the edges with at least a couple obscenely cheap sections. (Oh, I f'n loathe the OG jungle with its projectile spammers.) I'm glad Team Ninja respects the OG's vision a bit more albeit not living up to the "definitive edition" claim. In other words, the OG (chiefly in the Series X with auto HDR) continues to be the best version of this uncompromising one-of-a-kind hardcore yet intensely rewarding experience in video gaming history.


Sweet start to 2025 with this shadow drop. Can't wait for NG: Ragebound, and NG4 later this year. Glad to be alive in the Year of the Ninja!

Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360) is one of my all-time favorite games. I loved everything about the original: the intense combat, the challenging bosses, and the wide variety of weapons. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the Sigma version because it toned things down and removed the blood and gore. This change altered what made Ninja Gaiden unique, turning it into just another casual button-mashing action game. So, if you didn’t own an Xbox, the Sigma version was the only legal way to experience this game until Black came out.

Sadly, this new release is a remake of the Sigma version, but it's understandable since the source code for the original Xbox 360 version is lost, which is a real shame.

That said, this version is amazing! The gore and blood are back, and the combat is significantly harder than in Sigma, though it’s still easier than in the original 360 version. The graphics look fantastic, and the combat feels incredibly smooth and satisfying, bringing back that thrilling difficulty fans love.

This is the best modern version to play. If I had to rank each version, it would be: Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360) > Ninja Gaiden II Black > Ninja Gaiden II Sigma.

Overall, if you’re a fan of action games, you should try Ninja Gaiden II Black.

Not the "Definitive" Ninja Gaiden II experience as advertised, but it's a solid remake/remaster and the best NG game on PCs. It's more of a shiny and heavily edited Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. We're missing NG+ mode, NG II DLC Missions, Ninja Race, tests of valor, incendiary shurikens, the windmill shuriken, the gatling spear gun, and a plethora of costumes. Blood, gore, and dismemberment are nice additions to be returned to the game, and weapon upgrading using essence is like the original, too, but enemy spawns are somewhere in between vanilla 2 and Sigma 2; they're not as bombastic as the original, but not as barren as Sigma. I'd say this package is wonderful for those that grew up with Sigma, or those new to the series, but hardcore fans of the original Ninja Gaiden II on Xbox 360 will probably find themselves disappointed. Maybe mods will do the work for Team Ninja. But hey, at least it's better than the Master Collection.

tl;dr: Fun game. Missing stuff.

As loyal ninjas, one of our favourite activities is debating the nuances of every version of this series ever released and forever debating which is best. However, in today’s gaming landscape, any Ninja Gaiden remaster or port is a gift to be savoured.

Keep those Izuna Drops clean my ninjas.

I’ve always been a Ninja Gaiden fan – actually, since Ninja Gaiden 2004 for the original Xbox. Played it a lot, as well as Ninja Gaiden Black, the ultimate version of the first installment.

I spent years regretting the fact it had never come out for PC, or the fact that it had been abandoned by Team Ninja. And then, the Master Collection arises in 2021 and now we’re caught by surprise with the announcements of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and the long-awaited Ninja Gaiden 4.

“Black”… this term holds a lot of weight in the Ninja Gaiden series, and it’s got to be respected. At all costs. Unfortunately, that’s not what necessarily happened about Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. I mean, the game is alright, you’ll have fun anyway, but old school fans know exactly what being a “Black” version means. NG2B didn’t live up to the name it bears.

In NG’s universe, it means ultimate. Supreme. Best. Untouchable. Unsurpassable. Ninja Gaiden 1 Black has better graphics, more areas, more modes, more enemies, more weapons. Seeing the name Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, at the very least I expected something like that.

That’s actually the Sigma version with enhanced graphics (beautiful, by the way). To be honest, while it’s true that the Sigma version of the game is being used instead of the original (due to lost code), I actually think that’s a positive. I played the original one and the number of enemies that swarm you is downright unreasonable, a joke. It takes forever for you to progress through the game due to the hordes. Therefore, being Sigma is good in my opinion.

However, now we’re talking about BLACK. They didn’t add anything extra. No new areas. No new weapons. No new enemies. No tweaks to the story or gameplay. Nada.

There are those who stand for Ninja Gaiden in its entirety, but let’s be honest, the gameplay sometimes sucks in key moments. The camera betrays you. You frequently don’t hit the enemy you really want to. They could implement a system to target specific enemies. They could have made the game more responsive. You press buttons and nothing happens sometimes, or else you are staggered but the enemy not.

They could have expanded some areas, rerouted a few others that are walking simulators. Also, they could have added or reordered the save statues, some of them are quite poorly placed. For the tag missions, they could have made it an online feature, first picking a human player and in case none is found, a CPU helps you.

Man, so much could have been done. It feels like a missed opportunity and disrespect for a game that so many hold dear. On the flip side, there are still things to appreciate.

Not at all! That’s Ninja Gaiden, dude. The game’s awesome! Some fans complained about removed content. That’s not entirely true – I mean, there's removed stuff, but things that in my opinion should really be cut. For example, the statue bosses. Dude, I’ve always found those bosses cringe, ridiculous, unnecessary, alien, immersion-breakers. I don’t miss them at all.

The graphics are beautiful now. They also added the option to ‘try again’ after you die in a boss fight, and the choice whether you want to use the talisman of rebirth or not –something that really comes in handy.

It’s a good hype-builder for the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4, but it seems to me they didn’t give the product the attention it deserved and they have no idea what “Black” means. If I had a product, I’d want to present its best version to my customers and would want them to fill it with never-ending praise, so more and more people buy it. Team Ninja/Koei Tecmo seem not to give a flying “that word” for that.

Is it worth it? Well, yes. But not for that price tag. Wait for sales, or get the Master Collection instead. If you’re a long-time fan and don’t mind spending some money, purchase it then, but be prepared for an underwhelming experience depending on your expectations.

It’s still an awesome game anyway, although Ninja Gaiden 1 is my favorite one by many miles for being the most fun, coherent one.

Shut up and take my money.

Peak is back

EDIT: Someone asked if there's kbm support, there is

Seems to be an awesome blend between the OG version and the sigma version:
- Gore and yellow essence weapon upgrades back.
- Annoying statue bosses from sigma gone.
- Even some original NG2 moves are back (like the lunar staff X+A X X Y inzuna drop combo) etc.
- The other character missions are back and manditory in the regular campaign, which is the only thing I don't like.
I see a lot of complaints that this version is more based on the sigma version in terms of difficulty/enemy spawns. This is true, BUT I really don't mind myself. Even though I grew up on the original version, it had a lot of annoying bits as well which makes replays a chore at times. Beating sigma on master ninja is still hardcore af so I don't mind (beat the original NG2 on master ninja once, never again lol). Overall I'd say this is a really good final version of the game.

PERFORMANCE: Alright, could be better. I'm running it with a 1080ti with AMD rts on balanced and I generally get between 50 and 60 fps without frame gen (though I have to note my older cpu is probably bottlenecking in fights). There is a noticable difference in input delay with frame gen so I avoid that like the plague. Around chapter 4 I did get pretty nasty frame drops in some bits, and the game gets a bit dotted and ugly when AMD fsr is doing heavy lifting. Let's hope they bring out an optimization patch or something.