"Remember how your fingers used to hurt back in 2004? Remember how many times you’ve shouted at your TV because Murai was too hard to beat? Remember Rachel? Four years later, Tomonobu Itagaki, now ex-executive producer at Team Ninja, strikes back once more with Ninja Gaiden II, the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed 2004 Ninja Gaiden for the original Xbox."

"I'll say this for Ninja Gaiden II -- it's got great combat.

Slicing up ninjas, demons and dinosaurs-on-fire in this new Xbox 360 game is a demanding and rewarding task. Both you and your enemies are fast and furious. Your ninjutsu is powerful, but you're constantly challenged to use it wisely. The gruesome decapitations and dismemberments, complete with body parts that lie around after you finish your opponents off, are intense.

The problem is, the game's designers seem to have focused ..."

"Bottom line, Ninja Gaiden II is a very good action title that has a repetitive yet satisfying combat mechanic. It doesn't look or feel quite like the masterpiece Itagaki stated it was, but it will provide you with several hours of a bloody good time."

"Ninja Gaiden II is easily one of the best action games on Xbox 360. The depth in combat is as exciting as ever and the new gameplay additions and changes only add to the experience. The game has been focused from its predecessor into a more pure action affair, for better or for worse, but the formula remains the same -- frustrating camera and all. It's challenging and rewarding. It looks great in motion and it feels great to know you're the one at the helm, directing this bloody dance. It has..."

"The story plays out across 14 beautifully rendered levels in different locations around the world, taking full advantage of the power on offer in the Xbox. The scenery at times is breathtaking, but this being a fighting game, there is little time to admire the background as the enemies come thick and fast."