As the Xbox celebrates its 25th anniversary, IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey, a veteran of the platform since its early days, is sharing memories from its first quarter-century. This piece focuses on a pivotal moment: how one game helped legitimize Xbox in Japan, a market where it ultimately struggled.
The Early Days: A Western Console in a Japanese World
Remember the original Xbox? It was…a lot. The comically large console and the infamous “Duke” controller (later replaced by the more manageable Controller S) drew plenty of jokes. While Halo: Combat Evolved cemented Xbox’s place in the industry, it wasn’t enough on its own. Early consoles needed strong support from Japanese developers to thrive, something Xbox initially lacked.
Enter Tomonobu Itagaki, head of Tecmo’s Team Ninja. He believed in the Xbox’s power and saw an opportunity. Itagaki brought Dead or Alive 3, a fighting game that was exclusive to the Xbox at launch in November 2001. It was a bold move, and it paid off.
Ninja Gaiden: A Masterpiece Emerges
The buzz surrounding Itagaki’s next project, Ninja Gaiden, was palpable. This revival of the beloved arcade and NES side-scrolling action game promised a new level of challenge and spectacle. When Itagaki brought an early build to Official Xbox Magazine, the impact was undeniable.
Itagaki’s persona – long hair, sunglasses indoors, leather jacket, cigarettes – was as iconic as his games. With Dead or Alive 3, he had proven himself. Ninja Gaiden would take it even further. Through a translator, Itagaki explained the game’s combat and its commitment to pushing the Xbox to its limits. The result was stunning: beautiful graphics running at a smooth 60 frames per second.
Upon release, Ninja Gaiden received universal praise. OXM gave it a 9.6 out of 10, our highest score ever. IGN followed with a 9.4. Itagaki had squeezed every ounce of power from the Xbox, creating what many, including action-game aficionado Mitchell Saltzman, consider the greatest pure action game ever made. Its precision controls, replayability, and even its native widescreen support (when widescreen TVs were rare) have stood the test of time.
A Legacy of Innovation
While Itagaki himself never surpassed Ninja Gaiden (though Ninja Gaiden 2 was “pretty damn good”), its impact was undeniable. It showed Japanese developers what was possible on Xbox. Although the Xbox ultimately didn’t conquer Japan, it wasn’s for lack of trying. And thanks to Ninja Gaiden, we always have a reminder of what could be.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of Podcast Unlocked, as well as a co-host of Next-Gen Console Watch. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
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