Ninja Gaiden HP Vol 2: Hi-Res Screens

Thankfully, the Ninja Gaiden goodness keeps coming, with the latest Hurricane Pack and the Master Ninja Tournament finals on Saturday!

Tecmo recently announced the second wave of downloadable content for one of the best games so far this year, Ninja Gaiden.

Team Ninja leader Tomonobu Itagaki created on of the toughest games of this generation when Ninja Gaiden was released earlier this year, but the launch of Hurricane Pack Vol 1 added even more difficulty to the formula!

Speaking exclusively to Kikizo earlier this year, Itagaki-san revealed, "At first it was easier, but when the testers said "this is too difficult", I made it even more difficult."

And that defiance continues with Hurricane Pack Vol 2, but goes one better by offering all-new environments and enemies, not just "reskinned" models as seen in the first upgrade.

Released in the US at the end of this month, Vol 2 is an all-new mini adventure that according to Itagaki-san in an IGN interview, "can be completed in 30-40 minutes -- that is if you're a Master Ninja."

But he also warned, "Just because it's a short scenario, don't let your guard down because we didn't take it easy on you at all. In contrary, Monsters are evolved, enemy ninjas have new weapons, and the new "Shadow" enemies will attack you with skills you've never seen before."

As these hi-res screenshots show, there is a lot to be excited about for Ninja Gaiden fans until Ninja Gaiden 2 pops up sometime in the distant future (our current estimate is 2007 for next generation hardware).

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com