Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword

On Nintendo DS
Stylus-em-up
The Nintendo DS is probably about the last place you'd expect to see the graphically impressive, button mashing, Xbox hit Ninja Gaiden land its sequel on. Ok, arguably Ninja Gaiden 2 on the 360 is the true sequel but the tale told in Dragon Blade follows on from the original, no doubt filling the gap.
Canonical specifics aside, Dragon Sword is as true to its source as the touch screen allows. Opting for stylus controls over multiple button combos may seem strange for a series so reliant on the exact timing and machine gun inputs its legendary combat system requires, yet Team Ninja have managed to translate the core of the experience with little loss.
Held on it's side like a book, the action takes place on the right screen of the DS with the left on mid-action map duties and cut-scene breadth. Playing a little like the excellent Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Ryu Hayabusa is moved around the detailed pre-rendered environments by dragging the stylus across the screen – where you touch, he follows.
A swift horizontal or vertical slash sees him doing the same with his katana, while an upwards stroke makes him jump and quick taps fire shurikens. The DS' buttons are on block duty while quick swipes with the stylus during a block will result in evasive maneuvers.
If all that sounds a little complicated, don't worry – the single stylus controls quickly become intuitive and, in the true nature of the series, furious and frenetic. Extra moves like the famous Izuna Drop and Ultimate Techniques can also be activated with more complex maneuvers while Ninpo magic attacks require the neat tracing of a Sanskrit character on screen.
The visuals on show are certainly impressive for the DS, especially considering the rate at which it all runs. From the 3D character models to the gorgeous anime style cut-scenes, Ninja Gaiden is a delight to look at and also to play.
The intuitive and fluid combat system is a pleasure to use (to the point of writers cramp) and pulls together the exploration, puzzle solving and boss defeating with real Ninja Master zest.
8/10