Preview: Ninja Gaiden II for the Xbox 360

Years ago, the first Ninja Gaiden was released for the Xbox and to universal, critical acclaim, becoming arguably the most popular Japanese-made Xbox title released in the United States. Why was the game so popular even in the U.S., where sword-wielding ninjas are not exactly the most well-received characters? Simple. The series redefined the action-brawler genre, delivering amazingly rich graphics, a mix of action/adventure as complex as any action game, and weapons-based battling as intricate as any fighting game. It's also probably why the game went on to spawn a number of follow-up efforts, including the remakes of Ninja Gaiden Black for the Xbox and Ninja Gaiden Sigma, recently released for the Playstation 3. Now, three years later, the highly-anticipated "real" sequel to the original, Ninja Gaiden II, is set to be released on the Xbox 360 in early 2008, proving to not only match, but surpass, its predecessor. Once again a Microsoft exclusive, Ninja Gaiden II is made by the same developers that have created the entire franchise, Team Ninja, the same guys that develop the popular Dead or Alive fighting series. Those of us who were lucky enough to try out the original demo at the recent Tokyo Game Show found ourselves impressed, but desperately wanting more. Thankfully, the latest demo of the nearly finished game has provided four complete levels and has given a major glimpse into the new and exciting world of Ninja Gaiden II.