Tecmo confirms Ninja Gaiden slippage

Tecmo has officially confirmed that Xbox exclusive third-person action title Ninja Gaiden has slipped to 2004, revealing that the Japanese version of the game will be released on February 26th and followed by its American (and presumably European) offspring in early 2004.

Although the delay has been mooted for some time, Tecmo general manager John Inada still took the time to explain the decision. "I can tell you that Ninja Gaiden, as it stands today, is more than complete by most other publishers' standards, but we are proud of the fact that we're allowed to place the quality before the fast buck," he said late last week.

He continued. "To stay true to Tecmo's lofty philosophy, we chose this extra time to further fine-tune and enhance the game. We must maintain the highest of standards. Consumers buying Ninja Gaiden will be in for a very special treat when the game is released next year. We plan to give them the best gaming experience."