Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is a portable version of one of its generation's toughest action games, and on PlayStation Vita it kept everything that made the original an uncompromising experience. Ryu Hayabusa once again sets out against a demonic conspiracy, this time backed by several playable companions, and from the first minutes the game demands that the player learn its precise combat rhythm. This isn't a game you can button-mash your way through; every fight requires focus and a good knowledge of your own equipment. The series has a reputation as one of the genre's most demanding, and this version doesn't let up on that at all.

The combat system ranks among the most elaborate in the genre. Each of Ryu's weapons has its own strings of attacks, blocking, dodging, and counterattacks are essential, and once an enemy loses an arm or a leg, its behavior instantly changes — maimed opponents throw themselves into suicidal attacks. Battles pit the player against large numbers of enemies at once, mistakes are punished mercilessly, and the difficulty is high even on the base setting. The port added an easier mode for newcomers, reworked enemy placement, and missions that let you play as characters outside the main storyline. Alongside Ryu, you also get to play as Ayane, Rachel, and Momiji, each with her own arsenal and pace, which expands the game with several standalone segments.

Technically, this involved trade-offs: resolution and the number of enemies on screen had to be scaled back, and smoothness isn't always ideal — noticeable in a game built around reflexes. Still, the sense of power remains — the animation, weapon sounds, and movement speed are still exceptional, and the drum-and-orchestra soundtrack keeps pushing the pace forward. Contemporary reviews treated it as a decent but technically compromised port of a big action game; genre fans forgave it, since nothing else that demanding existed on the console. Besides the main storyline, there are also single-player challenge missions that make the whole package feel more like an arcade trainer than an adventure. Today it's mainly of interest to players who want portable action that forgives not a single mistake.