Play Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword Online

Summary

Playing Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword feels like flipping open a comic book with Ryu Hayabusa literally dancing on the screen. The DS is turned sideways, giving the left screen to a crisp area map while all the action lives on the right. Stylus controls are the real star: a tap fires a projectile, a hold sends Ryu sprinting, and drawing a straight line across an enemy unleashes a precise horizontal or vertical slash. Jumping is as simple as swiping up, and casting ninpo means tracing a Sanskrit symbol that instantly powers up Ryu’s magic. Even though the weapon list is trimmed, the iconic Izuna Drop returns and a quick back‑and‑forth slide triggers those satisfying Ultimate Techniques. At roughly six to seven hours the adventure is short, but reviewers praised its vibrant graphics, intuitive touch scheme—earning it the 2008 IGN award for best DS action game—and an ESRB‑friendly approach that still feels gritty. It’s a compact, stylus‑driven thrill that stands out on the handheld.

Storyline

Dragon Sword picks up six months after the events of Ninja Gaiden. Ryu Hayabusa has rebuilt his mountain village and is training the young kunoichi Momiji when she is snatched by the Black Spider Ninja Clan. Their leader Obaba wants the Eye of the Dragon to awaken the ancient fiend Ishtaros, so Ryu is thrust into a quest for the eight Dark Dragonstones that power the Dragon Sword.

The first stone is found in the ruined monastery of Tairon, and each new stone leads Ryu across the Holy Vigoor Empire, battling hordes of fiends and confronting Obaba, now transformed into a fiend herself. After gathering seven stones, the trail brings him to the Black Spider hideout, where he defeats Obaba and opens a portal to the Underworld. There, Ishtaros holds a unconscious Momiji hostage and claims all eight stones, including the jewel in her crown.

The spirit of shrine maiden Kureha helps Ryu free Momiji and merge the Eye of the Dragon with the Dragon Sword, creating the True Dragon Sword. After a fierce battle, Ishtaros’s twin Nicchae tries to resurrect the dead emperor, but the Dark Dragon’s will destroys the ritual and a dragon bursts from the cocoon. Ryu slays the beast, Momiji awakens unharmed, and the two return to the village, ready to continue their training.