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Interview | Itagaki-san on Ninja Gaiden, a Nintendo DS Sequel, Possible Wii Version & More

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on 31.01.2008 at 03:54 User Icon

Posted by Jorge Ba-oh (jb)
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Itagaki-san on Ninja Gaiden, a Nintendo DS Sequel, Possible Wii Version & More
Interview by Adam Riley :: Thursday 31st January 2008

Ninja Gaiden originated on the NES, bringing the exploits of Ryu Hayabusa to the world in a thrilling trilogy of adventures. The series was propelled into the limelight once more in 2004 when Tomonobu Itagaki and Team Ninja resurrected the series for Xbox. But now all eyes are on the series’ d?t on Nintendo DS. Cubed³ recently got the chance to talk to Itagaki-san about various topics based on the DS title, whether or not a sequel will be forthcoming, and what the chances of a Wii edition are, plus much more. Read on for the extensive interview...

Cubed³’s Adam Riley: First of all, what was your reason for bringing Ninja Gaiden to Nintendo’s DS, rather than making a home console version using Wii’s motion controls?

Tomonobu Itagaki-san, Head of Team Ninja: I’ve been making games on stand-alone consoles for a long time, and I thought it would be fun to do a portable game for a change.

AR: How is the game coming along now – does it have an estimated release date yet? What are some of the major obstacles you have had to face because of the limited DS hardware? Or have there been any things on the DS that have pleasantly surprised you?

Itagaki-san: We are at a completion rate of 95 percent now. I believe that very soon I will be able to announce the release date for European territories.

AR: The game appears to use the DS touch-controls in one of the most interesting ways seen so far. Do you feel this new approach to Ninja Gaiden will still appeal to the fans of the Xbox game that wish to follow the story’s continuation?

Itagaki-san: Of course I do. In this game, the player will explore a side of the Ninja Gaiden universe that wasn’t completely expressed in the Xbox game. I think you will all be surprised at Ryu Hayabusa’s true nature.

AR: With so much focus on the touch-screen, what purpose will the second screen serve in the game?

Itagaki-san: As Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is played with the DS held on its side like a book, the upper screen will actually be on the left side for right-handed players. Don’t worry if you’re left-handed, though, as the game features the ability to swap screens to match the handedness of the player.

This sub-screen will be used during the game to display the map and other supplementary information, but that’s not what makes it unique. The storytelling in this game employs cutscenes that unfold as a kind of digital comic book, and this is where the two screens really shine. Believe me when I say that these cutscenes are amazingly cool. In particular I think players that like Japanese animation and similar media will get a thrill out of watching them.

AR: Will there be any extras included to ensure gamers are more likely to replay the game upon completion?

Itagaki-san: Of course there will. There are some puzzles that use the microphone, along with other hidden extras. I hope you will all try to find them.

AR: Have you given any thought to using the Wi-Fi Connection at all? If so, can you tell us what for?

Itagaki-san: Anyone who is familiar with Ninja Gaiden knows about Karma Challenges. Just like on the Xbox version, I would like everyone to compete to see who is truly the greatest Super Ninja.

AR: Whilst there have been over 20 million DS units sold in Japan, the general audience appears to buy mainly training games or RPGs. Are you apprehensive at all about how this high-speed action game will be received? And what has the feedback been like for Dragon Sword in Japan so far?

Itagaki-san: To be honest I’m not really that concerned about it. In my experience, I’ve found that those who worry about the denominator are usually those who have a very small numerator to begin with.

AR: What would you say to convince the average DS owner that they should definitely buy Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword?

Itagaki-san: If you consider yourself a true gamer, you owe it to yourself to play this game. If you don’t, you’ll be missing one of the breakthrough experiences in video gaming. This is an incredibly innovative piece of software.

AR: You have created this fantastic DS game engine, so would it be safe to assume it will not go to waste? Can the engine, and will it, be used for something other than Ninja Gaiden eventually?

Itagaki-san: It wouldn’t be surprising if it were, would it? I’ve already received a large number of such requests.

AR: The Dead or Alive series is now commonly associated with Microsoft’s Xbox. But considering the lack of fighting games on both Wii and DS, do you not feel there is a wide open market there, ready for you to take advantage of? Or would the Volleyball side be more appropriate on these systems?

Itagaki-san: That’s not really how I go about approaching things. Wii games should be designed to match the strengths of the Wii, right? Every game that I make includes two very important concepts: interactivity and speediness. I think that, were people to play DOA on the Wii, the vast majority of them would find that their arm would get so tired that they wouldn't even be able to grasp and hold a pen for quite a while.

AR: Finally, and obviously everyone is eager to know this answer – if Dragon Sword is successful, will gamers get their wish of Ninja Gaiden in any form, new or old, on Wii?

Itagaki-san: If I were to attempt that, I would need to fundamentally change the mechanisms of the core gameplay. This is not just a matter of simply using Nunchuk control. At any rate, I’ll go ahead and think about the possibilities, if for no other reason than to train my brain.

* * *

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jb Reply Quote Edit Delete #1

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Sweet! Nice interview Adam, what a nice chap Smilie

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tiamat1990 Reply Quote Edit Delete #2

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Cool interview. I don't think I'd like to interview him. He just seems intimidating...for some strange reason.

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Simez Reply Quote Edit Delete #3

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It's the shades. He seriously avoided part of your second question.

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Linkyshinks Reply Quote Edit Delete #4

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Great interview Adam, thanks. As a huge fan of the series since the NES game it would have been nice to have been able to submit a question that you could have asked him.

The game looks fantastic, I posted a preview up on the DS board and it looks to easily be the best DS game so far. A serious no nonsense game for the DS. I am getting the Japanese version in March no doubt.

tiamat1990 said:
Cool interview. I don't think I'd like to interview him. He just seems intimidating...for some strange reason.

I you were a woman you would have good reason to be scared Smilie

He's cool, not your typical developers guy. I have seen him clearly drunk on interviews in the past and even once saw him make a really sexual comment to a female interviewer that shocked me.

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fenixazul Reply Quote Edit Delete #5

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Where in that interview did he mention a possible Wii version of ninja gaiden?

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Mason Reply Quote Edit Delete #6

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Last question...while he doesn't confirm he would make one, he said he would think about the possibilities.

Great interview Adam!

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Jacob4000 Reply Quote Edit Delete #7

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Nice interview Adam! I'm looking forward to Ninja Gaiden for DS. Never played the series before, so I'll keep my eye on it. I played the demo at a shop the other day and it was good fun. Dunno about "best game on DS" though Linkyshinks. Smilie

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jesusraz Reply Quote Edit Delete #8

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Thanks guys - another 'big' interview after the recent one with the Tales Studio for Tales of Innocence Smilie

Sadly he skipped a few questions, like ones about Ryu being a character in Smash Bros.

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AR: Whilst there have been over 20 million DS units sold in Japan, the general audience appears to buy mainly training games or RPGs. Are you apprehensive at all about how this high-speed action game will be received? And what has the feedback been like for Dragon Sword in Japan so far?

Itagaki-san: To be honest I?m not really that concerned about it. In my experience, I?ve found that those who worry about the denominator are usually those who have a very small numerator to begin with.

This man's wise. And he also must make a Wii Ninja Gaiden. He just has to.

on 04.02.2008 at 22:57 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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FlameyFruit Reply Quote Edit Delete #10

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This game will sell well since everybody wants to be a ninja! jk =.=|||

Anyways,I see the chances of it on the Wii as it might act as another version of Red Steel. Since there hasn't been something like that recently, the likelihood is quite ... wut's the word?... (word meaning high)