Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Gets Special Edition, New Screens

The blood is going to flow and the bodies will indeed hit the floor when Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z arrives on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 March 18 and, to celebrate the fast-approaching carnage, Tecmo Koei is celebrating with the announcement of a Special Edition for the game, a limited run that will include a few physical and digital goodies at no extra cost.

It seems like every game has to release with a “Special,” “Collectors” or “Hardcore” edition these days but, in the case of Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, it looks like that super-special version of the game is more of a way of saying thank you to the fans than trying to wring a few extra quarters out of their pockets. The Yaiba Special Edition will be in “limited supply,” according to a statement from Tecmo Koei, and will be available wherever fine video games are sold.

If you can get your hands on one of these Special Editions, you’ll be rewarded with a full-color comic book by Dark Horse, some exclusive Yaiba-themed DLC costumes to use in Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, as well as an original soundtrack for the game that comes digitally with the PS3 or on-disc with the Xbox 360.

Born of a diabolical collaboration between Team Ninja and comcept’s Keiji Inafune, Yaiba turns the familiar Ninja Gaiden series on its ear, replacing realism with eye-popping comic book visuals and violence with…well…more violence. But this time it’s with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

In Ninja Gaiden Z, the titular Yaiba has returned from the dead as a cybernetically-enhanced ninja with loads of new gadgets perfect for taking out baddies. Yaiba’s last encounter with Gaiden’s typical hero, Ryu Hayabusa, left him a divided man; by which of course I mean Hayabusa cut the dude in half. Yaiba always has vengeance in the back of his mind but, before he can focus on his old nemesis, first he’s got to take out a few hundred zombies that have mysteriously appeared and started running amok. And remember how I said the mood would be lighthearted this time around? Well, that fact is perfectly illustrated by Yaiba’s diverse set of weaponry, including his trusty sword, a cybernetic arm that can turn into a razor chainsaw (among other things) and even the ability to use his enemies’ bodies in his quest for blood. Can you say “zombie arm nunchucks?”

And just in case you were wondering, the answer is yes, Yaiba will be running into Hayabusa in this over-the-top romp, some of which can in a bunch of new screenshots showing off Ninja Gaiden Z’s unique style. Check out a selection of said images below.

Ryan Winslett

Staff Writer for CinemaBlend.