Ryu Hayabusa returns in Ninja Gaiden 3, due this March for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. While the game's single player campaign will continue the story of Hayabusa's conflict with the Black Spider Ninja Clan, Ninja Gaiden 3 also takes the battle online with a number of multiplayer modes.

Ninja team deathmatch? It's in there, and it could be awesome! To prove it, Team Ninja has released a multiplayer vignette, along with a bloody mess of new screenshots and images of the game's Collector's Edition

Possibly taking a few cues from the Assassin's Creed games, Ninja Gaiden 3 will offer online multiplayer for up to eight players. Team Ninja is promising "various modes," though only Team Deathmatch and Battle Royale have been confirmed so far. Players will be able to customize their character's appearance and skills, unlocking new features as they go.

Enough talk, it's time for action! Check out the Ninja Gaiden 3 multiplayer vignette below.

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Based solely on the vignette, the multiplayer arenas for Ninja Gaiden 3 look tightly contained, likely to encourage plenty of up close and personal encounters. The game's designers claim that Ninja Gaiden 3's combat has been influenced by Dead of Alive, so the decision makes sense, though let's hope there is plenty of variety in the settings.

However successfully it turns out, multiplayer is a cool addition to the game. That said, Ninja Gaiden 3's single player mode is unquestionably its main draw. Most fans just can't wait to prove themselves against one of the most legendarily difficult series in the history of games.

Take a look at some fresh screenshots of Hayabusa doing what he does best: mercilessly cutting down foes.

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Finally, Tecmo Koei has released images of the game's previously announced Collector's Edition. Among the many bonuses available in the package is a downloadable demo for Dead or Alive 5. A two character demo will be available to players who pre-order Ninja Gaiden 3 (Hayabusa and Hitomi from GameStop, Ayane and Hayate from Amazon), but the full four character demo will only be available as part of the Ninja Gaiden 3 Collector's Edition.

Take a look at images of the Collector's Edition, and screenshots from the Dead or Alive 5 demo, below.

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Ranters, what do you think of the addition of multiplayer to Ninja Gaiden 3? What about the contents of the Collector's Edition?

Ninja Gaiden 3 releases March 20, 2012, for Xbox 360 and PS3. A Wii U edition will release at a later date.

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