Ninja Gaiden used the name and the main character, Ryu Hayabusa, of the 1990s series that ran on the Nintendo Entertainment System; those were, however, the only direct connections between the two games. The 2004 version of Ninja Gaiden had a new story that takes place in the settings of another Team Ninja game, the Dead or Alive series. An evil force has raided the Hayabusa village and stolen the Dark Dragon Blade from its care. The player controls Ryu in his quest to avenge the deaths of his clan and to reclaim the stolen blade. The game featured the use of many weapons and magic spells to destroy hordes of enemies.
Ninja Gaiden was the focus of an online series of matches that spanned North America, Europe, and Japan. Record-breaking numbers of players took part and the final took place at Tokyo Game Show 2004. The game continued to evolve in the three years following its release through content downloaded from Xbox Live and re-releases. Ninja Gaiden has also received much critical acclaim; several critics named it as one of the best and most difficult games ever made.
