The Ninja Gaiden series is a beloved gaming franchise that has transformed itself over the generations of gaming. It was at first an intense 2D side-scroller, but then became an intense 3D action game when the gaming world turned that direction.
The main character of Ryu Hayabusa is an icon in the eyes of fans and has been featured in fighting games and other titles over the years. And now, fans are eagerly looking forward to the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection that arrives in June. But a question that has dwelt among fans for a while is, “Will we ever get Ninja Gaiden 4?”
Japanese magazine Famitsu posed that very question to Team Ninja’s Fumihiko Yasuda in a recent issue and his answer is very much what you would expect: not committing, but not denying the possibility:
“We’ll see how the reaction to the Master Collection is and judge from there. If it’s a hit, there’s a good chance there will be one. Honestly, we don’t even have a plan yet, but often talk about it with the staff. After the development of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, we knew what the series needed, so we have a good idea of what ‘Ninja Gaiden’ is about. The nature of action games has changed over time, so we need to make sure that the game evolves with the times. Straight action games are also a big hit these days, and the number of people who enjoy those types of games are also increasing, so we’d love to do a ‘Ninja Gaiden 4’ someday. Ryu Hayabusa is also very important to Team Ninja and I think this game is an opportunity to show the world once again that Ryu Hayabusa is the best ninja in the world.”
A return to the “old ways” if you will, would likely make fans happy. Or, a new title that embraces the newer and infinitely powerful graphics engines of the Xbox Series X and PS5 might also please fans, it’s hard to say for certain. Both are also a possibility.
And it should also be noted that fans would love to have Ryu Hayabusa in Super Smash Bros Ultimate…just saying. Either way though, the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection arrives on all consoles and PC on June 10th.
