Game designer Tomonobu Itagaki has settled the 2008 lawsuit filed against his former employer and publisher Tecmo. As previously reported, the action sought some 148M Yen in damages stemming from unpaid contractual bonuses due after the completion of Dead or Alive 4. Proceedings started getting sticky when it was learned that the evidence submitted to the court by both sides included contradicting versions of the contract in question. Since the initial flurry of activity in 2008, little new information had emerged on the matter prior to the announcement of this resolution.

Itagaki offered this comment on the settlement in a statement given to 1UP.com. Read more »

Tecmo has announced that it will bring a version of its kinetic beat-em-up sequel Ninja Gaiden 2 (Xbox 360) to the PlayStation 3 this fall.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will feature PlayStation Network support and new content, according to a Kotaku report gleaned from Famitsu.

In addition to poster ninja Ryu Hayabusa, Sigma 2 will also allow players to mash buttons as Dead or Alive's Ayane. Read more »

The first game-expanding downloadable content for Tecmo's action title Ninja Gaiden II (360) will sell for a price of 800 Microsoft Points when it goes on sale July 25, according to a Microsoft release.

The Xbox Live DLC amounts to a Mission Mode which includes 25 self-contained high-score and survival stages. Read more »

As many as three dozen members of Team Ninja may be following former studio chief and Ninja Gaiden II (360) director Tomonobu Itagaki after his sudden resignation and lawsuit against parent company Tecmo earlier this month.

According to a report from 1UP, the departing team members will also serve Tecmo with a class action lawsuit over unpaid bonuses for previously completed games. In filing his own lawsuit last month, Itagaki claimed damages of more than $1.4M in unpaid bonuses. Read more »

Update: Shacknews has acquired the whole of Itagaki's statement regarding his departure and legal action, viewable here, in which he apologizes to fans of his games and calls the social responsibility of Tecmo into question.

The director further revealed that, as expected, he will not be involved in any future Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive titles. Read more »

Ninja Gaiden II contains more "fuck yes" and "aw fuck" moments than any three action games put together. In the course of Ryu's journey, you'll be both bad ass and just plain bad. And sometimes, if only for a moment, you'll hate this game.

For every brilliant action sequence, there will be another marred by a bad camera angle. After every gorgeous level, there will be another set in a dull, dreary cave. Following every exciting fight, there will be another boring cutscene that defies all laws of human decency. Read more »

Continuing its Spring Showcase blowout, Microsoft has released concept art and a number of screenshots from Team Ninja's slash 'em up sequel Ninja Gaiden II (X360), which is due out on June 3.

Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden 2 (X360) will be released in three weeks, and to mark the occasion Microsoft has released a launch trailer. The video runs for sixty seconds, and can be streamed below.

[Trailer removed at request of ESRB.]

Following last week's set of screenshots and movies, Microsoft today released yet more Ninja Gaiden 2 (X360) footage. No gameplay footage this time; instead these videos are from cutscenes and feature the characters Alexei, Elizebet, Genshin, Joe Hayabusa, Muramasa, Volf and Zedonius.

Read more »

In case you recently felt like you hadn't seen enough of Ninja Gaiden 2 (X360), today's set of media should help with that.We have two new screenshots galleries -- one, two -- as well as six movies from the Team Ninja developed action game.Ninja Gaiden 2 is currently scheduled for a June release.

Read more »

Do you like Huey Lewis & The News?

I only ask because, like Huey with Sports, Team Ninja has really come into its own with Ninja Gaiden II. The whole game has a crisp, catchy clarity that makes it hard to put down.

Continuing today's media blast, Microsoft had released a new in-game cinematic that reveals a bit more of Ninja Gaiden II's storyline, which apparently involves the CIA and a scantily-clad female known as Sonia.

Read more »

With a demo due out in May and the Read more »

A new post on the official website for Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden II (X360) reveals that a demo for the game will hit Xbox Live sometime in May.

Ninja Gaiden II is slated for a June 3 release in North America. Check out our interview with Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki for more information on the hardcore action title. Read more »

Fresh from the Game Developers Conference is this Ninja Gaiden II demonstration from developer Team Ninja.

As was announced earlier today, Ninja Gaiden 2 is slated for a June 3 release in North America on the Xbox 360.

Read more »