Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus

Ninja Gaiden's charm is undeniable, so this latest port of the game for PlayStation Vita can easily win your hardcore heart. The problem is the developers did nothing at all to solve the frustrating camera issues. Well, they also cut the original frame rate in half.

A competent and in many ways, impressive, action extravaganza. The gameplay and combat hold up well over time, but the technical aspects don't, and those same problems still exist, which is disappointing.

Fun and a solid challenge, but lacking in some respects, showing its age, sometimes unfair and with pointless Vita-specific controls. [Issue#217, p.81]

For the skim readers out there; there are two ninja launch titles for Vita. This one cuts the other one a new butt crack. [April 2012, p80]

A perfect PS3 port that could have been better if only it had been a little less perfect. Strange but true. [May 2012, p.113]

20 new trials - feats of skill that perfectly complement the flawlessly translated controlset. [Apr 2012, p.113]

When you get down to it, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus is the same game that was released a few years back, and if you need that on the go, this is the best way to fill the need. Or, if you need something pretty that can beat you up (like a hot MMA fighter), this will do the trick.

One of the most compelling purchases on the fledgling system - IF you haven't had to contend with the wandering hands of Spectral Doku before. But even if you have gone the full distance with Ryu Hayabusa, this is one shinobi saga that's worth reliving.

One of the oldest games to be revamped for the PS Vita's launch, but still an impressive, if frustratingly difficult, third person actioner.

Other than a couple Vita-specific features, an easier difficulty level, and a collection of trial missions, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus doesn't offer anything new. If you loved the original game enough to play through its numerous updates, then you may enjoy taking this new version on the go. However, action fans accustomed to the polished games of this generation may become frustrated with the eight year-old mechanics.

It's a really solid port, but lacks any bells and whistles to attract folks who might not be die-hard fans of the series. It's definitely worth checking out, but keep in mind that you're getting the same content here that was contained in Sigma on PS3 nearly five years ago.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus is a good port of a once great game. Returning fans will doubtlessly fall back in love with the combat, but will be dismayed with how poorly the rest of the package has aged.

Compromised on a technical level, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus is not as polished of a port as it deserved to be (and probably could have been if the publisher was not so adamant about shipping the game in time for the Vita's launch). Some solace is taken in the fact that, at the very least, we finally have a workable version of a 3D Ninja Gaiden game running in the palm of our hands, but it still leaves you feeling let down by the whole sloppy affair.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus is what happens when a classic is ported too often.

This game is a remake from a remake and therefore too expensive. The previous game on the PS3 is cheaper and has the same content. But if you don't have a PS3 then you can always look into this version.

Ninja Gainden, one of the best games of the last generation, has aged. The save spots don't fit a portable game, the touch screen add ons just detract from the combat, the camera isn't satisfying and the level design doesn't feel up to date anymore. But the combat is just as good as ever and every now and then it feels just like the good old golden ninja heydays of the last generation. To bad it's just to far between those moments.

This is simply a republished version of the Ninja Gaiden Sigma released on the PS3, only dampened in terms of gore, slightly easier, and not really perfect frame-rate or visuals-wise.

Feels like a game from a different era, and despite half-steps to make it more approachable, is painfully frustrating in ways that probably can't be changed without altering the core of the game. If you can get past that, NGSP is a deep, lengthy adventure, with combat that's still one of the best in 3D action gaming history.

There are so many aspects of this game to which I can say "if only"… if only the camera worked right, if only the controls were tighter, if only there were more to do than find keys and kill the same dudes over and over again. But the game is what it is, and the bad seems to outweigh the good at every turn.