Ryu Hayabusa is a beloved character. The famous protagonist first introduced to the world in Ninja Gaiden for the NES. At the recent Xbox Developer Direct, a new character was introduced as a lead protagonist of Ninja Gaiden 4. Fans were suitably distressed and questioned if Ryu’s time in the limelight might be coming to an end.
The Ninja Gaiden franchise had been neglected for a long time. However, that dark period is finally over with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound at TGA and more recently with the announcement at Xbox’s Developer Direct. Fans are getting Ninja Gaiden 4 and have already received a remake of Ninja Gaiden 2.
As shared by the folks over at The Gamer. In an interview with 4Gamer, Yuji Nakao discussed the reveal of Yakumo, Ninja Gaiden 4’s new main character. Nakao confirmed that more time would be spent with Yakumo. That doesn’t mean that fans won’t get to spend time with Ryu, quite the contrary there are parts of the game where players will get to experience a very familiar Ryu Hayabusa with move sets similar to those from Ninja Gaiden 2. Here are two excerpts from Yuji Nakano’s interview with 4Gamer.
“What I want to emphasize is that this is not a game where Ryu Hayabusa is replaced by Yakumo, but rather a game where you can control the great super ninja Ryu Hayabusa and the new protagonist Yakumo and experience fierce battles with enemy ninjas.” ~ Yuji Nakano (Translated with Google)
“There will be more Yakumo. However, Ryu is not pinpointed, and there is a volume that allows you to fully experience his character and strength. Ryu continues the feel of “2” as a base, and can fight using a variety of techniques such as Izuna Otoshi and Hien.
On the other hand, in the Yakumo chapter, you will develop new ways of fighting as you progress through the game, creating a flow that allows you to gradually understand the system.”~ Yuji Nakano (Translated with Google)
So it’s clear that fans of the series can relax somewhat. Ryu isn’t going to be absent from the game and while there will be a new character with new moves, it’s not something to lament. After all, if the company kept making the same game, fans might eventually lose interest. Improved iterations in the series with a greater diversity of characters, move sets and play styles will likely attract new players and help keep the series alive.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black received an update yesterday. If you’d like to find out more click here.
