Ninja Gaiden 3 to reboot series

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."