Status ElectronicJourneys Oct 16, 2025
RIP Itagaki-san, creator of maybe the greatest character action game ever made. I should find a way to finally play Devil's Third to pay my respects.
Ninja Gaiden Black (2005)
Expanded Game of Ninja Gaiden
4.19 from 176 ratings
431 members have it in their collection · 10 playing now · 121 backlogged · 94 wish listed
How long? Main story 24h (from 3 logged playthroughs)
Details
- Developers
- Team NINJA
- Publishers
- Tecmo
- Genres
- Adventure, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up
- Themes
- Action
- Franchises
- Ninja Gaiden
- Series
- Ninja Gaiden
Release dates
- Sep 20, 2005 (North_America) Xbox
Related
Expanded versions
- Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Jun 2007)
Rating distribution
5 stars
80
4 stars
56
3 stars
34
2 stars
5
1 star
1
Community All Reviews Statuses
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Status shoma Dec 22, 2024
Great game, satisfying combat, great production value with graphics, animations, levels and enemy design all being excellent. I loved being able to combine dodging and wall-running with parrying, something DMC separates into different styles, although in later games you can switch them without pausing.
Unfortunately this game gave me a tic and shortened my lifespan probably by a good year. …
Great game, satisfying combat, great production value with graphics, animations, levels and enemy design all being excellent. I loved being able to combine dodging and wall-running with parrying, something DMC separates into different styles, although in later games you can switch them without pausing.
Unfortunately this game gave me a tic and shortened my lifespan probably by a good year.
An example of character action excellency but certainly not for the faint of heart.
Status SIGINT Sep 23, 2024
Like DMC3, I enjoy the combat of this now more than I did several years ago, but find the levels of the game to increasingly be kind of a slog to get through. Particularly Chapter 7 (catacombs) really took the wind out of my sails and was just not enjoyable anymore after my enthusiasm had already started dipping - and …
Read moreLike DMC3, I enjoy the combat of this now more than I did several years ago, but find the levels of the game to increasingly be kind of a slog to get through. Particularly Chapter 7 (catacombs) really took the wind out of my sails and was just not enjoyable anymore after my enthusiasm had already started dipping - and I see lots of similar complaints online about later levels as well despite how much people love this game overall. Smaller annoyances like the camera and enemies that instantly spawn at save points also add up over time. I think I only properly start to like this kind of game with Bayonetta 1, but haven't played that in forever so am not really sure (I'll replay it at some point). Anyway I think I'll drop it again but did get much further in.
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Status Chovus May 9, 2019
Played during free trial of xbox game pass and beat on normal difficulty. I had already beaten the sequel (Ninja Gaiden 2) and found that to be the most frustrating game I have ever played. Black was still fairly frustrating but felt far more fair. I liked the setting, violent nature and especially the semi open world which allowed me …
Played during free trial of xbox game pass and beat on normal difficulty. I had already beaten the sequel (Ninja Gaiden 2) and found that to be the most frustrating game I have ever played. Black was still fairly frustrating but felt far more fair. I liked the setting, violent nature and especially the semi open world which allowed me to backtrack significantly. I made use of that to farm health whenever I needed.
I am fundamentally not a fan of this type of game for 2 reasons. The first is camera angle and controls; I would do much better with a first person camera and typical FPS controls. Trying to use ranged weapons in this game is especially painful. The second reason is I do not like playing the rogue class with dex and agl as primary stats (especially without the all important stealth); as a paladin I would rather have heavy armor, massive shield, magic protection and magic healing.
I mostly used the dragon sword and learned a few moves for it. Used flying swallow a lot, and the one where you jump straight up and then straight down with an attack at each point. I found most of the game (including bosses ) to be doable, though I had my fair share of deaths. The most frustrating part were the god damn ghost fish. Tried as I could and even looked up online and was not able to reliably kill them without taking damage. There was that part at the end of the game where a health farming and save point was on one side of a ghost fish gauntlet, and a series of difficult fights and the final boss on the other side. I spent quite a bit of time going back and forth though that gauntlet trying to face each new fight at full health, and the amount of times that those ghost fish interfered with that... bastards.
I cannot remember if I did anything other than story mode. Despite being a good game and reasonably enjoying it, I would not but this game or be inclined to play it again.