KOEI Tecmo presented Ninja Gaiden in a manner suggesting two games for the price of one during the Developer_Direct. Shortly after revealing Ninja Gaiden 4, they announced the existence of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, which is merely a remastered version of Ninja Gaiden 2. The game is immediately available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series. This unexpected release is sure to please many players, and Fumihiko Yasuda, head of Team Ninja studio, addressed this announcement.
The simultaneous announcement and release of NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black alongside NINJA GAIDEN 4 on the same day may have surprised some people. The primary reason for developing NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black was to address the expectations of the most dedicated fans who might wonder: ‘What will become of Ryu Hayabusa?’ Additionally, we aimed to provide players with a quality experience while they wait for the release of NINJA GAIDEN 4. We selected NINJA GAIDEN 2 because it is widely regarded as one of the strongest action games in the series. Adding ‘Black’ to the title indicates to fans that this version represents the definitive edition, similar to how NINJA GAIDEN Black was for the first installment.
Fumihiko Yasuda acknowledged that the concept for developing Ninja Gaiden 2 Black emerged following positive feedback from players after the release of the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection in 2021. Many fans had expressed a desire to revisit a game like Ninja Gaiden 2, which is widely regarded as the best installment in the series. Remastered using Unreal Engine, this version was designed to satisfy both longtime players and newcomers, with developers incorporating enhancements from Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma while also refining the weapon upgrade system to better reflect the original version.
