Over the past few months, fans have seen numerous games leak thanks to large part to games rating boards publishing their classification too early or video game retailers listing titles far before their release. Now, it seems another retailer has given us a peek at a title very likely to be announced within the coming weeks, a brand new HD remastered collection of one of the most brutal action game series of all time, Ninja Gaiden.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has been an infamous year for both delayed video game announcements and leaks, such as the Xbox Series S leak, which forced Microsoft to announce the system earlier than it likely wanted. This year, the surge in the amount of video game leaks also gave fans a much earlier look at games like Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time from the Taiwan classification board as well as Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit HD from Australian retailer Mighty Ape.
Due to the current track record from this year, the newest leak of Ninja Gaiden Sigma Trilogy from a Hong Kong retailer, spotted by an r/PS4 user yesterday, may have a bit more credence. The retailer lists the collection as a compilation of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge for both the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, with a release window of March 2021.
What's surprising is that this collection seems to be forgoing an Xbox One or Xbox Series X release, however this may be because Microsoft's consoles perform the weakest in certain Asian territories. Therefore, many companies avoid releasing games on Xbox platforms in these areas to cut manufacturing costs, such as how Bandai Namco passed on the Xbox version of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot in Japan.
Given that the Ninja Gaiden reboot series started out as an Xbox exclusive franchise, it would come as a shock if Koei Tecmo decided against releasing this remastered collection on any of Microsoft's platforms. Furthermore, if Koei Tecmo chooses not to bring the title to Xbox platforms, it may be because the Ninja Gaiden trilogy is available on them already through backwards compatibility.
While the Ninja Gaiden series has not seen any major releases since Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, the series has not yet died off either, with many of the franchise's characters making appearances in Koei Tecmo's Dead or Alive franchise and fans frequently requesting protagonist Ryu Hayabusa make his way to Super Smash Bros., however a Ninja Gaiden Sigma Trilogy collection could be exactly what the series needs to lead into a revival on the next generation of consoles. Given the resurgence in action franchises such as Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, and God of War, Ninja Gaiden could rival the likes of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and even Team Ninja's own Nioh with a return to its brutalizing take on reflex-heavy action combat.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Trilogy is rumored to release on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in March 2021.
