Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus – PlayStation Vita

To tell you the truth I was a bit skeptical when I bought this game because of the graphical slow down and other glitches mentioned on some reviews. However to my surprise the gameplay is as solid as ever, although the swordplay in this second installment is not as technical as the first one, it still require a bit of a parrying skills. Also, the existence of other types of weapons are more useful this time around because some weapons are more effective against different types of enemies.
As for the graphic, during my gameplay I only encountered slow downs two times, and it occurs when I use the phoenix ninpo during a scene with a lot of enemies. Other than that everything is as smooth as butter. Of course if you are looking for super detailed environment with complex shadow/light engine you won’t find it here, but IMO they got the job done, it is still a beautiful game to look at, and with a furiously fun slicing and dicing action you won’t even care.
Camera wise, it is serviceable, some issues but not a game breaker, if you ever play KH2 it is slightly better than that.
Another plus point is the addition of other gameplay mode such as the ninja run mode, which is fun for a short burst of action on the go.
What about the story? The Last of Us this is not, without spoiling too much it revolves around the resurrection of fiends, and of course as the ever reliable dragon ninja it is your sworn duty to send them packing.
Overall, I say buy this game, it has plenty of stuff to return to and it is a fun, console quality ninja action on the go!

I have been a Ninja Gaiden fan since the NES days and have played all of the current versions(xbox, xbox 360,PS3), including the the vita games.

The big draw for me with this game is the ability to play this game on the go, whether is during my commute or relaxing at home playing on the couch while I watch some TV.

If one of your main reasons is to have the option of playing this game on a portable device and you are wondering how it holds up , then go buy this game now.

If you care about which is the superior version, then I suggest the console versions.

These are my impressions of the portable version:

*Graphics are an improvement compared to Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus
– need to tweak Gamma, Brightness, and Contrast settings as the default makes the game appear a bit washed out.

*Gore and cutting Limbs are back in this version of the game. You can also disabled it if you like as well.

* FRAMERATE slows down when more than 4 enemies are in the screen. This is typical in tag missions. HOWEVER, you can WORKAROUND this issue by adjusting the 1st and 3rd person camera speed in camera settings to FAST. It somehows helps to make the game play much smoother even with gore turned on.

* BOW TARGETING in 1st PERSON has been FIXED in this version. No gyroscope controls are required to control aim. Now, you can switch to bow by tapping icon on lower left side on screen and it will auto aim to the nearest enemy. This was a pet peeve of mine in Ninja Gaiden Sigma + so I am glad they fixed this.

* You can adjust the camera like in the prior Ninja Gaiden Game.

*Tag Missions are available which are ideal for pickup and play in short bursts. However, no online co-op is available.
– You can switch between characters by pressing the down button.
– Costumes/weapons & difficulty modes are unlocked as you complete Story mode and missions.

* Story mode is same as PS3. However, they have added Hero Mode for people that want to play on Easy.
– You can replay chapters after you beat them. It lends well if you want to replay fav chapters.

*No japanese voice overs, Only offers japanese ( and other languages) for subtitles.

* Good replay value in spending good amount of hours in Tag Missions and Chapter Select after beating Story Mode.

Bottomline is that if are a Ninja Gaiden fan that wants to play it on the go OR someone looking for a fasted-paced, challenging action game, I strongly recommend this game.

If you don’t fall in one of those audiences and/or have already played it on consoles, then there is not much difference in this version to warrant a purchase. Probably just wait for a price drop if you still want to try it out.

I hope this helps those who are on the fence about the game.

Feel free to leave questions, if there is something you like to know more about.

The game itself was so fun. The original XBOX360 version was much tougher, and I don’t have the ps3 version but this Vita version runs very smoothly. Other than occasionally loading when progressing through a level, it’s not buggy at all. I honestly would have liked for Momiji, Rachel, and Ayane to have more levels but it all makes sense when you play through it. It’s just appropriate. Anyway, if you played the original Ninja Gaiden II and found it too difficult, Sigma+ is much less frustrating (at least in the story mode). While still a challenging game, it is very tolerable. The tag mode has seamless transitions between characters and the missions, ninja runs and score challenges give Sigma+ a much higher replay value than the original. I give it an 84/100 score.