Is Ryu a real Ninja

Ok, I picked up Ninja Gaiden II the other day (that being my motivation to finally finish the first one) and while sitting around casually enjoying the bloody combos, and frustratingly bashing my head in during the Tests of Valor, I realize: "Wait a second are'nt Ninjas suppossed to be stealthy?" Sure Ryu can pull off semi-teleportation combos on enemies, but they ALWAYS seem to know where Ryu is and ALWAYS get the drop on him. Also Ryu rarely sneaks anywhere opting to just loudly kick the door in.
These habits and others have brought Ryu's ninja-ness into question.

Snake is more ninja than him, 'nuff said.

I think Ryu would be a ninja in the sense of stealthiness if he wasn't produced by Tomonobu Itagaki. Why? Because that dude wants his Ryu to look as cool as him and bad ass. Srsly, Tomonobu Itagaki is one bad ass mofo with those shades.

Agreed on both points.

I was thinking the exact same thing when playing Ninja Gaiden Black.

I picked up Ninja Gaiden 2 the other day as well. And I actually thought the exact same thing. But then I thought "Why be stealthy when you can just destroy anyone you come across?" If no ones alive then there's no one to notice you.

I have to agree with biketough on this. He's also running around in a stereotypical Shinobi shozoku, albeit it a rather unique variation, but anyone who sees him will say, "Hey look, a ninja!" A real ninja wouldn't do something like that, a real ninja wouldn't be caught dead in a safety orange jumpsuit either, but that's beside the point. Ryu doesn't need to hide the fact that he's a ninja because no one he comes across will reveal his secret. When it comes to Ryu, you're either an ally or you're dead.

Ryu can be considered a ninja if you refer back to the nes versions of ninja gaiden. Just look at what he can do in those specific games.

That is a pretty good reason for Ryu not to be stealthy, but just think how much more effecient he would be if he directed dome of his destructive powers into stealthy assasinations. I bet he could excecute at least eight members of a group of enemies, at once, before they even realize he's there.

Yeah but he's usually fighting like 20 enemies at a time. And most are demons. You can't sneak up on demons.

I wish I was a Ninja.

I'll admit he's not completely traditional but think about it a ninja by definition.

a member of a feudal Japanese society of mercenary agents, highly trained in martial arts and stealth (ninjutsu), who were hired for covert purposes ranging from espionage to sabotage and assassination.

Now stealth is not first among the list and really how many assassinations does he complete so I'd say yeah he's a real ninja.

i say no he seems more like a samurai to me. yes ninjas can do all that fancy up in your face shit but the motto of the ninja is unseen, unheard, unknown. raging in face first like that is a LAST resort usually reserved for the escape after an assassination.

This.

It's too bad Itagaki is such an a-hole. Didn't he sued Tecmo or something?

Yeah he is that is why he's so bad ass! A few other Tecmo employees are suing Tecmo for the same reason, it looks like it wasn't Itagaki who was at fault, or was it? o.O

Team ninja is suing them because they are owed over 30 hours of overtime each for 6 months and they haven't been paid that's why they are pissed.

Can't really blame Team Ninja for wanting to do that.

I recall Itagaki calling him a "super ninja" in some interview or something. I guess super ninjas have evolved into tanks.

Is it wrong that I think of Ryu as being the dude on Street Fighter running around yelling "HADOKIN!!!"?

Sure, Ninja gaiden is one badass game, but street fighter ryu would whup his ass. My brother always played Ken because that was his actual name and I would always pick Ryu. I miss those days =(

If i remeber right the are two kins of ninjas the stealty and the one like Ruy. I mean some time you have to take action and just bust in and kill all (like Ruy) or you take the back door and kill them stealty.

Dude, Ryu Hayabusa redefines the definition of "ninja" by opening up a Kratos-like can of whupass. All we see ninjas are these assassins in the dark who serve their clan heads and true masters, but Ryu is like, "Fuck that, I got my girls and I ain't letting the world go down into chaos, not on my turf." So what if a ninja's buff and a berserker? He's got the mask, the moves, and the speed. As long as he can accomplish the mission, everything's all good. Then again, many of his opponents aren't even human, which then stealth and assassination techniques will do no good.