This is the best play order for the Ninja Gaiden games

Hannan Mundia Published 29/01/2025

Ninja Gaiden Master Collection screenshot

With Ninja Gaiden 4 set to bring the once-dormant gaming franchise back into the spotlight, newcomers may benefit from learning the ideal order in which to play every mainline Ninja Gaiden game.

Many lifelong fans consider the Ninja Gaiden games to be iconic. While the original game that started the series was a 2D action side scrolling platformer, the modern iteration is made up of 3D hack-and-slash action games that countless players grew up with. The last mainline game in the series came out in 2012, after which the game series went dormant.

The fourth numbered mainline game in the iconic series is finally releasing soon. But before Ninja Gaiden 4 releases, newcomers and long-time fans wanting to refresh their memories of Ryu Hayabusa’s adventures will likely want to know which games they must complete to understand the upcoming game’s story, and the best order in which to play them.

What’s the best order to play the Ninja Gaiden games?

The best order for players to experience the streamlined modern Ninja Gaiden story would be by playing the three numbered modern games in order, as well as playing Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword in the middle of that trilogy.

The Ninja Gaiden games aren’t necessarily remembered for their stories. Each individual game gives players a streamlined recap of previous games and some general callbacks. But players don’t have to play each previous game in the series to enjoy the new ones.

Still, every game introduces different characters in Ryu Hayabusa’s life, whether friend or foe, and playing each game will help in keeping track of them all. The original Ninja Gaiden games aren’t part of the revamped modern timeline. Thanks to this, 2004’s Ninja Gaiden is the first chronological game in the modern series.

Ninja Gaiden black key art

Those who want to experience the proper chronological modern Ninja Gaiden timeline can follow the order below.

Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Ninja Gaiden 2
Ninja Gaiden 3
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z (optional)

It’s important to note that each numbered Ninja Gaiden game has multiple versions. For example, Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden Black, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma all follow the same narrative. The differences lie in additional characters or chapters that are unnecessary in understanding the overall series narrative.

The easiest way to play the three numbered games is to play the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection. The collection includes Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. All three versions of the modern numbered Ninja Gaiden titles are considered the most complete, streamlining the process for players who might be confused about the different versions. It’s also purchasable on Microsoft Windows via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, making it the most accessible way to play the numbered games no matter the platform player have available to them. Those who want a more modern experience can also play Ninja Gaiden 2: Black instead of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. The Black version is essentially the same game with modern Unreal Engine 5 graphics incorporated.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is canon, but it likely won’t play a role in Ninja Gaiden 4. There are multiple reasons for this assumption. For starters, it’s unknown when Ninja Gaiden Z actually occurs. It also primarily features different characters that are largely separated from the other games. It was received horribly and is considered to be by far the worst game to bear the Ninja Gaiden name, so it’s unlikely that it will be brought back up.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is a different matter. Chronologically taking place six months after the first Ninja Gaiden and being the only game to feature a fight against the Dark Dragon, players will likely benefit from playing the title if they want to fully understand the Ninja Gaiden mythos. The problem is it’s stranded on the Nintendo DS. Players should at least watch the game’s cutscenes online if playing the game itself isn’t possible.

Hannan Mundia

About Hannan Mundia

Hannan Mundia is a lifelong gamer. Don’t believe us? Just ask him. But don’t ask how many hours he’s spent playing. He’s been gaming since the age of three, and much of his live revolves around video games and the video game industry. Whether it’s a classic Legend of Zelda game from Nintendo, the newest Bethesda RPG, or something else entirely, you can bet that Hannan is ready and willing to play it.

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