I had virtually no interest in this game before playing the demo. Even after my first run through the demo I was like, Bah, button masher.

Then I learned some moves, exercised some skill, and unearthed the beauty of the gameplay. Now I' m playing a little demo more than some of my full titles.

Who else is all over this game?

I heard there was a camera issue in the demo, although I haven' t played it myself.

Anyway, after TWO solid years of delays, it better be good. It better be better than good. I' ll play it at some point, but I' ve got so many games piled up on me right now, I don' t even know how to go about finishing them all.

Well, delays don' t always translate into gaming goodness.

I direct the jury' s attention to exhibit A: Brute Force

However, I still think Ninja Gaiden is going to rock, and the latest previews seem to point in that direction.

And it' s not just about quality. The list goes on and on:

Morrowind- 6 months

Brute Force- over 1 year

Ninja Gaiden- over 2 years

KotoR- over 2 years

DoA: XBV- 8 months

Sudeki- going on 1 year

Fable- over 2 years

Hyped games just can' t seem to come out on time for this system, and while delays will always be common, the LENGTH of these delays should not be tolerated. Ninja Gaiden was in OXM in November of 2002, and an anticipated release date of that holiday season. They couldn' t even get it out for 2003 holiday season!

So I reiterate: it had BETTER be better than good.

Well, I wouldn' t say Xbox has a monopoly on delays. Nintendo still wears the crown in that department.

Anyway, if the reviews from reputable sources are any indication (Gamespot, IGN, GMR), Ninja Gaiden is one of the best action games ever. I' d say that' s better than good.