The Ninja Gaiden series has been both a popular franchise and an iconic one. Starting in 1988, the action game pioneered the over-the-top combat style, where it wasn't just downing enemies but also how stylish players could be doing so. This gave way for them to play these games rather aggressively, because the main character, Ryu Hayabusa had a very acrobatic way of fighting, all while dodging enemies that would come his way. Although Ninja Gaiden has changed over the decades, the core gameplay has remained the same and has helped the hack-and-slash genre become popular.

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The series is known for its difficulty, so when players beat a Ninja Gaiden game it would be a big deal because that's not a feat someone can casually do. The combat of Ninja Gaiden is one of the most influential play styles in gaming and has inspired other games to use that way of fighting. However, while many games have tried to emulate that iconic combat style, some have failed, and others have done a good job of taking it and bringing in their own flair. These games do just that, making a great game with hints of Ninja Gaiden's combat, in turn, they are enjoyable to play.

5 God Of War

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A series just as iconic and important as Ninja Gaiden, but with a heavier feel to the combat. The older God Of War games replicated Ninja Gaiden's combat but made sure to not be a carbon copy, which was a good decision. Much like Ninja Gaiden, combos matter, and when players get into one, they can chain attacks better and fight better. This has made the earlier God Of War games fun to play. With Kratos's Blades Of Olympus, players could easily be creative with how they fight enemies, a quality that is taken out of Ninja Gaiden.

This alone has made Kratos a rather powerful God. Plus, in the later games in the series, the combat gets faster and more dynamic. On top of that, the combat is heavily stylized in God Of War which makes fighting a highlight in those games, this is something the Ninja Gaiden games have done well, especially in the later games in the series.

4 Bayonetta

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The combat style of Bayonetta borrows heavily from Ninja Gaiden and does it quite well. Players control a witch named Bayonetta whose hair can transform her into a weapon that can do quite a lot of damage. However, she doesn't have a sword, so that's one of the differences between the two, but still that doesn't change how the combat is. Much like Ninja Gaiden which forces players to dodge, jump and deflect enemies, Bayonetta does this as well. With the same speed and aggression, players can easily mow down enemies coming at the player.

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One of the reasons why Bayonetta 3 is considered an excellent game, is that it takes everything from Ninja Gaiden, and its own influence, and makes a full action game. Where when players are fighting and doing combos, they feel powerful but also makes them fight in a more dynamic way. This way Bayonetta is an immersive experience, even for players who don't normally play these types of games.

3 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance plays nothing like the rest of the Metal Gear games, where it's a somewhat slower experience that relies on players using stealth mostly. However, in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the hack-and-slash combat style of Ninja Gaiden is very much evident. Much like the other games on this list, the combat in this game is quick, and players need to be moving all the time in order to take down enemies. Featuring Raiden, who has one of the most interesting arcs in Metal Gear, the game has a complete feel to it.

A combat style that fits how Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance plays, a main character that is strong enough to fight that way, and a story that's surprisingly deep, makes Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance a fun game to play. On top of that, unlike Ninja Gaiden, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is easier to play and can act as an access point for players to jump into games that or Ninja Gaiden or like games like it.

2 Vanquish

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The look of Vanquish may make players feel like it's not like Ninja Gaiden and that does make sense because it looks different. However, from a combat perspective, Vanquish plays a lot like Ninja Gaiden in the way of how mobile, and flexible they can be. Much like Bayonetta, players have ranged weapons rather than a sword, but it's how they fight that matters. They'll be dodging, sliding, and diving all over the place, much like Ninja Gaiden.

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On top of that, Vanquish is a hard game to play, so the combat needs to reflect that difficulty, and the game does it quite well. When there are so many enemies on screen at once, players will need to rethink how they fight. Because a robot suit alone will never be enough for players to defend themselves. They'll need to fight more aggressively, dodge everything and be two steps ahead of the enemy. Plus, much like Ninja Gaiden, players have to be fast and can't sit still until each area is cleared.

1 Devil May Cry

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The Devil May Cry games are probably the best game series in the genre to replicate the combat of Ninja Gaiden. However, Devil May Cry doesn't really reinvent the wheel, it just makes it smoother. Gameplay-wise, this is evident since players will need to fight in many ways to take the demons on, and the combat can become difficult much like Ninja Gaiden. Dante in Devil May Cry wields a sword, so he can perform some over-the-top feats like keeping enemies airborne for combos.

This play style has made the Devil May Cry franchise one of the most iconic games to feature great sword-fighting mechanics. Although the reboot of Devil May Cry changed Dante's look and personality, the combat stayed the same but felt more fluid due to the game being on more powerful hardware. Both Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry have done the stylized hack-and-slasher right, which is why both series are still very popular.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is available now on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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