Ninja Gaiden 3 to reboot series

By Fred Dutton Published 5 November, 2010

Plus, Dead or Alive: Code Cronus axed.

Ninja Gaiden 3 looks set to completely reboot the franchise, according to Team Ninja boss Yousuke Hayashi.

Speaking in an interview with Japanese mag Famitsu, kindly translated by Andriasang, Hayashi said, "We're developing it with the idea of restarting at the beginning, saying 'We'd like to make the action game that's most interesting for the current era.'

"With this meaning, it's going to be a game that's not bound by the past more than necessary. Of course, we will be valuing the past, but in a good meaning we'd like to make it into a game that's not tied down by the past."

Hayashi also offered a little cryptic commentary on the reveal image shown at Tokyo Game Show earlier this year, posted below.

"He seems to be doing something with his right hand. Also, there's something not normal about this hand. It's covered in blood, but there's something unnatural regarding the blood."

Our guess? Looks like he's been picking his nose with his samurai sword. That'll learn him.

Elsewhere in the interview, the Team Ninja boss also revealed that the mysterious Dead or Alive: Code Cronus project had been axed. Announced way back in 2005 by Hayashi's predecessor Tomonobu Itagaki, it has been "officially canceled". Apparently "it was just at the framework level."

1
Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (29) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • des #1 2 years ago

    hmm

  • Ranger101 #2 2 years ago

    He's scorpion from Mortal Kombat.

  • chessboxer #3 2 years ago

    Use the Sigma engine please.

  • Feanor #4 2 years ago

    At least Ninja Theory aren't involved.

  • andywilkie35 #5 2 years ago

    I love the word "reboot"

    Oh no wait its just a lazy way of saying "our last game was shit"

  • tomjoadsghost #6 2 years ago

    Would be nice if they could release some details of what code: chronos was actually going to be, its mean canceling it without even dispelling some of the mystery that surrounds it.

  • kalinichenko #7 2 years ago

    Dont forget PC gamers,they need love too

  • photoboy #8 2 years ago

    I'm not sure I particularly care if they reboot the story. Two loosely connected games is hardly a mythos to worry about losing. I suspect though that it's the gameplay that's being rebooted here, so we can probably expect regenerating health, frequent checkpoints, non-ridiculous difficulty, Iraq/Iran war setting, iron sights, night vision bombing flights, multiplayer perks... oh sorry, I got confused and started listing all the features devs have been copying from Modern Warfare of late... ;)

    Whatever they do, I hope it's more like the first, as I thought that was really excellent while the sequel was a bit of a bore.

  • RedSparrows #9 2 years ago

    Just make it more like 1 than 2 and you're sorted, GOTG. NEXT.

  • rivuzu #10 2 years ago

    A series with only two games does not need a reboot. Fucking spinwords.

  • Santino #11 2 years ago

    I'm hoping they keep the combat engine (best in the genre by a mile imo) and keep it to fighting other ninja type enemies.

  • Rajin #12 2 years ago

    Why do people intend on keeping saying that these games are ridiculous difficult?( I completed Ninja Gaiden Xbox on normal. Sigma on hard and Sigma 2 on normal)

    These games require skill(minus ninja gaiden 2 on the 360, that one was just plain lame) Even my brother has gotten so far as 3/4 of the game while he is all but goodl at it(he randomly bashes his way through combined with healing items).

    I fear the worst for the future if people push developers towards a more easy game(that includes a easy-hard mode yes, something i see way more often these days)
    Edited by Rajin at 05/11/10 @ 18:54

  • Seth. #13 2 years ago

    Well I easily completed the first on very hard and I suck at multiplayer fps or even fighting games, so it probably doesn't have anything to do with reflexes or anything. I think no matter how many times people died in this game they still failed to realize that it's not supposed to be played like a combo based hack and slash game. For instance the black ninjas were ridiculously easy to kill using the counter attacks but did people do this, no, they "threw the game in disgust" because of how "tough as nails" they thought it is. Though it was the game designer's fault that they didnt include some type of proper tutorial and you had to figure everything out yourself.

  • RandomHero #14 2 years ago

    Hayabusa is fighting zombies/is a zombie.

    Mystery solved! ;)

  • davisorle #15 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • SG79 #16 2 years ago

    All the best and hopefully they deliver. At least they're not outsourcing it to a third rate developer.

    It's likely multiplatform too, since the "Sigma 2" engine was a multiplatform one made from the original Sigma and NGII engines.

  • Raiten #17 2 years ago

    This announcement slightly scares me, it almoste sounds like they might make the latest instalment easy enough, so that any drooling dimwit could play trough it without touching the controller.. tho can't realy blame them if they'd decide to do so. Afterall it's the direction where games have gone these days, no challenge or fun, people screaming to play on highest difficulty settings for "challenge", which still isn't challenching, let alone fun.
    If something in this series requires rebooting or rather fixing, it's the camera that refuses to keep up with you.

  • The-Bodybuilder #18 2 years ago

    QTEs galore.
    Bring back Itagki, I say.

  • Bander #19 2 years ago

    I predict the new game to be called Ninja Gaiden Xtreme Paradise. You can only play as a woman, all the opponents are women, you fight by bumping into enemies with your arse which you can upgrade by collecting new swimsuits, there's no blood and it'll be in 3D with jiggle controls.

  • metroid455 #20 2 years ago

    Argentlupine
    i agree ninja gaiden has always been stupidly difficult, why cant they be a little more like bayonetta? now that ive beaten twice, currently about halfway on infinite climax, i wont deny its difficult but its not cheap difficult like a certain team ninja game!!!!

  • evild_edd #21 2 years ago

    @thebodybuilder: my thoughts and fears exactly :S

    Just having an equivalent to NG1 with better graphics and (for the first time) not a completely shit camera system, and you have a sale!

  • Futaba #22 2 years ago

    Make a new DOA damn it! (And I don't mean one with volleyballs in it!)

  • SG79 #23 2 years ago

    @Raiten

    Mentor difficulty in Sigma 2 was balanced though, and MN was as brutal as it can get too. NGII was of course, broken, so even MN in that was a bit harder.

    Remember, Itagaki basically apologized for NGII in recent times. It really needed several more months of testing and polishing. NGB was tough but never cheap, and NGII was the total opposite.

    They've got enough feedback from Sigma 2's Acolyte and Warrior, so I can't imagine them making them as easy. If it's anything like NGS1 or NGB, we're in business... but with a better camera.

    What I'm worried about is turning it into a QTE fest or trying to make the setting realistic. By that I mean throwing the whole bizarre stories out the window and opting for modern day ninja setting.

    @ Scotty

    Err no, Sigma 1 was not exactly easy. Easier than NGB, but not the original version or NGII for that matter. Some parts were streamlined with fewer puzzles, and you could counter berserkers' attacks. However that was useful because they actually were a bit cheaper in the game.

    NGS2 on the other hand, definitely. Mentor was quite good, and MN was about as bad as NGII's, forcing you to spam UT's.
    Edited by SG79 at 06/11/10 @ 19:22

  • SteveHolt #24 2 years ago

    Since the NG2 haters have already posted in this thread, as a NG2 lover I just wanted to bring some balance and remind those who are interested in this game but are still on the fence: it is a fantastic action game, bloody fun, breakneck pace and master ninja is a great challenge.

  • super_monty #25 2 years ago

    Ninja Gaiden Sigma for PS3 was superb, NG 2 was all bright and sparkly and rubbish - so please reboot.

  • oupe #26 2 years ago

    Just make it more like 1 than 2 and you're sorted, GOTG. NEXT.

    This

  • Quint2020 #27 2 years ago

    A reboot seems a little ridiculous, it's hardly like the games had the most involving storyline....

  • s3y3 #28 2 years ago

    Call it whatever they like, just as long as it's a good game, I don't care.

  • Mr_Bogus #29 2 years ago

    Perhaps it'll have first person aiming.