TheNinja Gaidenseries has been both a popular franchise and an iconic one. Starting in 1988, the action game pioneered the over-the-top combat style, where it wasn’t just downing enemies but also how stylish players could be doing so. This gave way for them to play these games rather aggressively, because the main character, Ryu Hayabusa had a very acrobatic way of fighting, all while dodging enemies that would come his way. AlthoughNinja Gaidenhas changed over the decades, the core gameplay has remained the same and has helped the hack-and-slash genre become popular.
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The series is known for its difficulty, so when players beat aNinja Gaidengame it would be a big deal because that’s not a feat someone can casually do. Thecombat ofNinja Gaidenis one of the most influential play stylesin gaming and has inspired other games to use that way of fighting. However, while many games have tried to emulate that iconic combat style, some have failed, and others have done a good job of taking it and bringing in their own flair. These games do just that, making a great game with hints ofNinja Gaiden’scombat, in turn, they are enjoyable to play.
5God Of War
A seriesjust as iconicand important asNinja Gaiden,but with a heavier feel to the combat. The olderGod Of Wargames replicatedNinja Gaiden’scombat but made sure to not be a carbon copy, which was a good decision. Much likeNinja Gaiden,combos matter, and when players get into one, they can chain attacks better and fight better. This has made the earlierGod Of Wargamesfun to play. With Kratos’s Blades Of Olympus, players could easily be creative with how they fight enemies, a quality that is taken out ofNinja Gaiden.
This alone has made Kratos arather powerful God. Plus, in the later games in the series, the combat gets faster and more dynamic. On top of that, the combat is heavily stylized inGod Of Warwhich makes fighting a highlight in those games, this is something theNinja Gaidengames have done well, especially in the later games in the series.
4Bayonetta
The combat style ofBayonettaborrows heavily fromNinja Gaidenand does it quite well. Players control a witch namedBayonettawhose hair can transform her into a weapon that can do quite a lot of damage. However, she doesn’t have a sword, so that’s one of the differences between the two, but still that doesn’t change how the combat is. Much likeNinja Gaidenwhich forces players to dodge, jump and deflect enemies,Bayonettadoes this as well. With the same speed and aggression, players can easily mow down enemies coming at the player.
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One of the reasons whyBayonetta 3is consideredan excellent game, is that it takes everything fromNinja Gaiden, andits own influence, and makes a full action game. Where when players are fighting and doing combos, they feel powerful but also makes them fight in a more dynamic way. This wayBayonettais an immersive experience, even for players who don’t normally play these types of games.
3Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeanceplays nothing like the rest of theMetal Geargames, where it’s a somewhat slower experience that relies on players using stealth mostly. However,inMetal Gear Rising: Revengeance,the hack-and-slash combat style ofNinja Gaidenis very much evident. Much like the other games on this list, the combat in this game is quick, and players need to be moving all the time in order to take down enemies. Featuring Raiden, who has one of themost interesting arcsinMetal Gear,the game has a complete feel to it.
A combat style that fits howMetal Gear Rising: Revengeanceplays, a main character thatis strong enoughto fight that way, and a story that’s surprisingly deep, makesMetal Gear Rising: Revengeancea fun game to play. On top of that, unlikeNinja Gaiden,Metal Gear Rising: Revengeanceis easier to play and can act as an access point for players to jump into games that orNinja Gaidenor like games like it.
2Vanquish
The look ofVanquishmay make players feel like it’s not likeNinja Gaidenand that does make sense because it looks different. However, from a combat perspective,Vanquishplays a lot likeNinja Gaidenin the way of how mobile, and flexible they can be. Much likeBayonetta,players have ranged weapons rather than a sword, but it’s how they fight that matters. They’ll be dodging, sliding, and diving all over the place, much likeNinja Gaiden.
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On top of that,Vanquishis a hard game to play, so the combat needs to reflect that difficulty, and the game does it quite well. When there are so many enemies on screen at once, players will need to rethink how they fight. Because a robot suit alone will never be enough for players to defend themselves. They’ll need to fight more aggressively, dodge everything and be two steps ahead of the enemy. Plus, much likeNinja Gaiden,players have to be fast and can’t sit still until each area is cleared.
1Devil May Cry
TheDevil May Crygames are probably the best game series in the genre to replicate the combat ofNinja Gaiden.However,Devil May Crydoesn’t really reinvent the wheel, it just makes it smoother. Gameplay-wise, this is evident since players will need to fight in many ways to take the demons on, and the combat can become difficult much likeNinja Gaiden.Dante inDevil May Crywields a sword, so he can perform some over-the-top feats like keeping enemies airborne for combos.
This play style has made theDevil May Cryfranchise one of the most iconic games to featuregreat sword-fighting mechanics. Although the reboot ofDevil May Crychanged Dante’slook and personality, the combat stayed the same but felt more fluid due to the game being on more powerful hardware. BothNinja GaidenandDevil May Cryhave done the stylized hack-and-slasher right, which is why both series are still very popular.
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collectionis available now on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
