I'll never forget the first time I saw Ninja Gaiden. It was 1988, and it had this great attack called the "Flying Neck Throw," beautiful graphics, and destructible environments. But more quarters than I care to admit, I guessed that "Gaiden" must mean, "Painfully Difficult," since I couldn't get very far at all, and subsequent games in the series have had the same reputation for beautiful graphics, fluid gameplay, and extreme difficulty. But how does the latest, Dragon Sword, compare?

This game is beautiful. Both the captivating cutscenes and the in-game graphics show not sign of blockiness. I had no idea that DS could do graphics like this. It's too bad this is a handheld game, because it's beautiful enough to enjoy as a spectator.

That said, this game takes advantage of the DS as fans of swordplay could only dream of. Players hold the DS sideways like a book, which my big hands appreciate. Ryu, the main character, moves via the stylus, the buttons and D-Pad only being used for blocking, but the real charm of this game, even better than the graphics, is the attack method. To unleash your sword on an enemy, simply slash at a nearby enemy with your stylus. Slashing in different directions (vertically, diagonally, etc.) causes different attacks, but honestly, the effect is so fast, you can't tell the difference. Tap on a distant enemy to throw a shuriken, and tap a power-up icon, followed by tracing a Japanese symbol (like in Ubisoft's Tigerz), for a special attack. You'll also use the microphone on occasion. (Tip: when you have to yell into the mic, blowing hard will accomplish the same if the kids are sleeping.)

While this game has kept the beauty of its predecessors and improved on the control, it has toned down the difficulty considerably. It's still unquestionably a challenging game, but frequent save points and healing opportunities actually make it possible for less experienced gamers to enjoy and progress through the game.

In addition to the combat, the game also includes unique puzzles, from going to certain areas in a certain order to finding a way to wake up a sleeping character. I found this to be the most challenging part of the game and frequently spent a lot of time running around, trying to figure out what to do next.

When I handed the game to my 12-year-old daughter to play, she rolled her eyes, not being a fan of ninjas (she thinks I'm ninja-obsessed), but she gave it a try and hasn't taken it out of her DS yet. She says it has just the right amount of challenge, not too easy, but giving a sense of accomplishment when accomplishing each goal. She complained that it frequently accidentally jumped while attacking, but that wasn't a big deal. She also found the maps a bit confusing.

The game also has an online feature, but only allowing for posting scores on a worldwide scoreboard, letting you know how far you are behind everyone else.

This game is rated "T" and for good reason. Being a ninja game, it's violent, and some parents may have reservations about kids acting out the slashing action. Some of the "boss" monsters are a bit grotesque as well. Also, one of the villainesses just barely wears her costume, a few whispy lines covering only enough to avoid the "M" rating.

For those old enough to play it, this is one of the best games the DS has to offer. It has a balanced challenge level, the gameplay is intuitive, unique, and fun, and it's absolutely beautiful. If you or your teen enjoy adventure games, nothing about this game will disappoint you.