Ninja Gaiden is a legendary franchise. One of the classic frustrating, but rewarding, action platformers from the NES era, its intense difficulty has earned it a place in video game lore. When Ninja Gaiden was rebooted in 2004, the series shifted over to the character action genre, more in the vein of Devil May Cry or Bayonetta with a big focus on the action. With the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection bringing the reboot trilogy to modern consoles, it appears that the game is going to be upscaled nicely as some performance specs have been revealed.
The Ninja Gaiden series follows protagonist Ryu Hayabusa in his efforts to retrieve the Dark Dragon Blade and avenge his clan, who were slaughtered by fiends. The game hits pretty standard plot beats, but makes up for that with a robust combat and movement system that allows for high-flying, fast-paced combat. When the reboot trilogy was initially released, all three games were well received by critics and fans alike. With fans wondering if a new Ninja Gaiden could be on the way, this collection should at the very least fill that void for now, while also introducing newcomers to the classic franchise.
While the game will be available across the major console brands, those who play Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection on PC or Xbox Series X (through backwards compatibility) will be able to enjoy the game in 4K Ultra HD and 60+ frames per second, if the product listing on Microsoft's website is to be believed. Xbox has been touting its FPS Boost technology used to upscale Xbox One games on the next-gen consoles, so it would seem that the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection will make use of this on Xbox Series X and perhaps on the Series S as well.
Getting video games up to this new benchmark seems to be the standard many developers and fans are aiming for. Fans have showcased classic games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time running at 4K and 60 frames, and collections like this upcoming Ninja Gaiden pack appear to be trying to hit these numbers as well.
A number of titles from Bethesda that have found their way onto Xbox Game Pass are also making use of the FPS Boost technology on the Series X and S. With processors able to handle the increased workload, and displays that operate in 4K with higher refresh rates, next-generation consoles will push performance levels as high as possible to give fans smooth game action.
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection will be released on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Microsoft