Team NINJA today revealed new information for NINJA GAIDEN® SIGMA 2 PLUS , the highly anticipated sequel to its PlayStation®Vita launch title that will be available on March 1st, 2013. Faster, bloodier, and more beautiful than ever, NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS brings the legendary action franchise to new heights with a deep cast, new costumes and weapons, exciting boss battles, and the introduction of the Hero play style that will give Ryu Hayabusa an edge in every fight. While gamers eagerly await the game’s arrival in stores, Team NINJA is sharing new images and information on characters, bosses, costumes, weapons, and gameplay to take players deeper into the ultimate ninja experience.

The addition of the popular“Hero” play-style first featured in NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA PLUS gives every player a chance to play like a hero. With this mode selected, Hayabusa will get temporary advantages when his health runs low, including auto-block, auto-evade, increased damage, and a higher chance to dismember enemies, allowing gamers the chance to turn around a tough situation without interrupting the fast-paced action.

NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS features a strong cast of characters, led by Ryu Hayabusa:

• Ryu Hayabusa: A young ninja of the Hayabusa Clan, Hayabusa is forced to face off with his long-standing rivals, the Black Spider Ninja Clan to prevent the resurrection of the Archfiend.[/*]
• Momiji: The last Dragon Shrine Maiden and an elder sister figure to the children of Hayabusa Village. In addition to her ceremonial duties, she has trained to the rank of a full-fledged kunoichi.[/*]
• Sonia: The alias of a CIA secret agent who attempts to track down Hayabusa to warn him of the plot to resurrect the Archfiend.[/*]
• Muramasa: A legendary master swordsmith and the owner of Muramasa’s Weapons and Tools, Muramasa also owns an antique shop in Sky City Tokyo.[/*]
• Elizébet, Ruler of Blood: The Queen of the Greater Fiends is deeply connected to the Black Spider Ninja Clan and works with Genshin on his schemes.[/*]
• Dagra Dai: This evil priest was originally a human philosopher who underwent a horrific transformation to become the Archfiend’s Infernal High Priest.[/*]

Players can look forward to a variety of memorable boss battles in the game. Team NINJA today unveiled images of the following pantheon of villainous bosses:

• Genshin: The enemy of the Hayabusa clan has joined causes with Elizébet, Queen of the Greater Fiends, in his quest to take out Hayabusa and his father.[/*]
• Alexei, Ruler of Lightning: One of the Four Greater Fiend Lords, he smites enemies with lightning-fast shocks and charges. Players should focus on evading his attacks before counterattacking.[/*]
• Volf, Ruler of Storms: Another Greater Fiend Lord, this lycanthrope werewolf’s immense strength means most of his attacks cannot be blocked. Players should jump or evade attacks and go in for damage as he recovers.[/*]
• Zedonius, Ruler of Flame: This Greater Fiend Lord attacks Hayabusa with high-damage hellfire and relentless close-range attacks. The key to beating him is reading his next move carefully.[/*]
• Black Dragon: After losing to Hayabusa once before, the massive Black Dragon is summoned by Elizébet to exact its vengeance with a devastating variety of attacks.[/*]

To face this murderous array of bosses, Hayabusa will employ an arsenal of deadly weapons. The legendary Dragon Sword is his most trusted weapon, providing deadly attacks and combos even at Level 1. The nunchuck-like Vigoorian Flail mercilessly assaults all enemies within reach, the Kusari-gama gives players a far-reaching weapon, and the Eclipse Scythe can slice through surrounding enemies with immense swings. The other playable characters are also well equipped, from Ayane’s Fuma Kodachi short swords to Momiji’s Heavenly Dragon Naginata and Rachel’s Inferno Hammer.

NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS brings the most intense, action-packed ninja adventure to PS Vita with stunning graphics, new modes, and plenty of blood. In the game, iconic super ninja Ryu Hayabusa returns to the Sigma series to battle from Tokyo to New York as players encounters vicious enemies while building an awesome arsenal of ninja weaponry. The action lights up the Vita’s impressive OLED screen with upgraded graphics and the game features an all-star cast with signature characters from previous installments. An intuitive control system uses the PS Vita’s front and rear touch screens and motion controls to give players full control, and the game features all the costumes from the PlayStation 3 version of the game as well as new outfits.

NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS is developed by Team NINJA and published by Tecmo Koei.