When Ninja Gaiden came out of Xbox back in '04, it was both lauded as the best ninja game ever made and decried by all but the ardent as exceedingly difficult, frustratingly so. Ninja Gaiden II for Xbox 360 is more forgiving -- still tough as nails, but sensibly so, where button mashing combat suffices more often than not (along with the requisite die lots, try again motif), while getting a handle on the delicate, rhythmic combos comes with time and is all the more satisfying for it; something ventured, something gained... Gaidened.

As "epic adventures" go, Ninja Gaiden II doesn't, though it pretends at it quite nicely. But to call Ninja Gaiden II anything more than a flat out brawler is misleading. Sure, it's suppose to play out as an action/adventure, complete with hokum plot, sweeping (befuddling) camera work, faux-sprawling (linear) level design (A to B, beat boss/gang, next... only cleverly disguised as big and sprawling because it neglects to actually tell you where "B" is), perplexing purpose (boss battles give a whole new meaning to "stab in the dark"), and a rambling assortment of platform-hopping, bauble collecting tasks, but all that is just sloppy window dressing for what is otherwise a delicious hack n' slash game, smooth, slick, menacing and sexy as ever.

And holy violent: a big time, multi-weapon gore fest, this game is soooo not for kids it isn't funny. Well, it is funny in that macabre-catharsis sort of way, but to be clear: limb hacking galore, blood-spurting decapitations, gut chucking gore, gore, gore. It's enough to make you forget that Ninjas are suppose to be all about stealth and trickery and defensive combat. Bah, go crazy.

Ninja Gaiden II TIP: In Chapter 4 of Ninja Gaiden II, slice through a breakable straw wall in the Statue of Liberty museum and you'll find a silver Xbox that will restore you to full health.