Oh man... This will be intense. But it brings a question up...

Whats harder Ninja Gaiden or Contra?

Superstar90

@Custom Reality: whats wrong with "more of the same"?

i hate it when a game releases and gets popular and then for the sequel they make huge changes that generally don't always work.

i mean, i suck at games like DMC and Ninja Gaiden but i wouldnt really want them to be anything else. Just like i love Ratchet and Clank for what that series is, and any changes it's made have been gradual and not trying to re-invent the series with each release

ArmyofJuan

@SG79:
The problem I've always found with Ninja Gaiden is that the game's AI makes it into kind of a dick. Enemies have invincibility frames in the middle of their block animations, they can reverse you mid-combo and hit you with unblockables you can't possibly avoid, their attacks ALWAYS have priority over yours, and pretty much every weapon but the Dragon Sword sucks. Ninja Gaiden enjoys beating you to the ground and kicking you a few times until you find the strategy that works.

And don't get me started on the Rachel segments in Sigma. Wow. That Gamov fight took my desire to beat the game from an 80% all the way down to, like, 5. Nothing kills my rhythm more than being forced into an unfamiliar boss encounter while using a character I already suck with!

Archaotic

@Sweet Tooth: You know if it red ringed then you can get it repaired for free, right?

Spartan1308

@Archaotic:
...blah. Accidentally double-posted because my old response didn't show up until now. D'oh!

Archaotic

@Xiedo:
No offense taken, though. I speed-ran DMC3 in like 6 hours back in the day, so I'm not exactly a newbie, but I'm no pro either. I just don't have the patience to get that good.

That and I get distracted by a new game, like, every other week. It's a hard life!

Archaotic

@Xiedo:

AI was better in DMC4 overall for standard enemies, but you're not mentioning that flaws that turned me off the game and steered me back to DMC3. The flow of the game itself, the uninteresting boss fights, and backtracking all add up to something not quite on par with DMC3. I'd still recommend Sigma over DMC4 as the current best action game to pick up for an HD console.

NG seems to stick to the formula and with the promise of a 30 hour story mode, it's going to be one hell of an action game. Too bad I won't be able to get it on time. Given the recent problems with my 360, I won't pick up another one for a while. It'll be hard though.

SG79

@Xiedo:
No offense taken! I speed-ran DMC3 in something like 6 and a half hours back in the day, so I'm not a newbie, but I'm no expert either. I just don't have the patience, haha!

Archaotic

@Xiedo:
Ah, give DMC a break. Just because the game isn't skin-meltingly hair-pullingly difficult doesn't mean it's not a competent game. They had to rumble with adding a new character with an entirely new gameplay mechanic, add real-time style switching AND balance the difficulty for both characters.

Sure, the game may be too easy for the top tier of DMC experts, but it's not a bad game by any means. And besides, the inevitable sequel won't have to worry about INTRODUCING anybody new, so everybody's precious dick-ripping difficulty should be back then.

Maybe I don't really see much of a point in playing games that are that hard, but declaring DMC's significance gone just because the game isn't as hard as what is commonly referred to as one of the hardest games of all time is kinda silly...don't ya think?

Archaotic

@Xiedo: I realize my "good DMC" players comment makes me look like an asshat. I am an asshat. Don't take it personally, please. :)

Xiedo

@Archaotic: Yes, DMC4 is a fairly big drop. Mostly because enemy DT has turned into a joke. Enemy DT was almost entirely what made DMC3 challenging. That and bosses. The bosses of DMC4 are generally wimps. Last of all checkpoints are now standard, rather than a "Special Edition" feature, but that's just a convenience.

I'd even say if Hell and Hell is the hardest mode it's just barely. It's Son of Sparda with 3 hits. Most (good) DMC players should be able to manage a lower difficulty with zero hits, no problem. HaH doesn't even save mission ranks. It's a joke mode.

Ninja Gaiden is looking like the last bastion of hardcore action games.

Xiedo

@Polywhirl: I founded funny that many youtubers called Nero "emo". it's too bad I can't get NG2 since my 360 is dead.

Sweet Tooth

@Polywhirl:
Well, Hell or Hell mode is a gimmick mode. It's Son of Sparda difficulty, but you die in one hit. DMD is still the "hardest" difficulty AI and enemy spawn pattern-wise.

But you're right, HoH is probably the hardest to beat.

Archaotic

@Polywhirl: Ahh...correction: Hell and Hell mode.

Polywhirl

@Archaotic: I believe DMD mode is no longer the hardest difficulty in DMC4. It's like "Heaven or Hell" now.

Polywhirl

@Xiedo:
Is Dante Must Die mode in 4 that easy? I've only played as high as Son of Sparda as of now, but that was a decent challenge for me, especially the Blitzes...

Archaotic

@DARTH_TIGRIS: I know. Sales numbers will gauge the true condition of the "hardcore" crowd today.

Itagaki did say he was toning the lower difficulties down and the higher difficulties up, in order to please both newcomers and vets. Which is far better than DMC4. It's like Capcom pulled a lever and dropped every difficulty two notches. Still fun and still more addicting than 99% of games out there, but I worry for that series.

Xiedo

Hey and I just finished up my re-playthrough of Ninja Gaiden Black in anticipation of this game. Sweet.

Nirolak

@KMatt: They can't help it. They're evil.

Cogito

You would totally think by now bad guys would learn to stop killing master ninja assassin badasses girlfriends, mentors, family, dogs, etc. It never ends well for them.

KMatt

@Sweet Tooth: The DMD and HoH modes were the same on the SE and original versions. DMC3:SE might be the only re-release of a game that I actually didn't mind playing through each difficulty all over again because the save-files didn't transfer.

Man, I'll definitely have to play DMC3 and/or 4 tomorrow.

Arttemis

@Polywhirl: "BRUTALLY HARD" doesn't really describe how hard DMC3(black label) was.

Sweet Tooth

@yashichi8bit:
Game comes out on June 3rd. Its been officially announced by MGS already.

As beloved (and beleaguered for those without skills and patience) as the first was, I'm kinda surprised how little people seem to be into this. This game should be a MAJOR release. Maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet for folks ...

DARTH_TIGRIS

Man, there's WAY too much gold coming out around the June period...

And it's still ages off before we get the demo...

*cough*... needs... demo... *gasp* *cough*...

Ultrasinc

Yay, a demo. Now I can play it for 20 minutes and not have to buy the real game!

Archaotic

I think I'm the only original Xbox owner on Earth who thought that one NG game was enough. I don't see the need for a sequel, but then again, I'm part of that 0.01% of fans who thinks so. It's a good game, but I don't see the series giving gamers anything but 'more of the same', only with buckets more blood.

Custom Reality

woooooohooooo

Fukanzen

Sweet. I get to turn on my 360 again.

sascha23

Hope the game itself comes out soon afterwards.

yashichi8bit

@Sweet Tooth: In my mind, it was the equivalent of "We'll finally make it as hard as Devil May Cry 3 on DmD mode was."

Polywhirl

@Sweet Tooth: I hope so - I'd love to have increased difficulty compared to the NG:Black even after taking into account the automatic health-regen.

Arttemis

I'm definitely downloading the demo, but I'm not sure I'm getting the game. I mean, GTAIV, SSBB, and MK Wii are all early to mid 2008 titles.

TheEngineer: Rocking the Goggles

Finally, my thirst for blood will be quenched.

Zangetsu89

Oh wow, I had no idea this game would be coming out this soon. I assumed it was ways off.

Mint

"Itagaki thought the first NG was way too easy for you" that line is stuck in my head and is the equivalent for "Here Comes The Pain"

Sweet Tooth