Japanese developer Yuke’s announced on November 10 that it was involved in the development of Ninja Gaiden 4, the latest entry in Koei Tecmo’s hack and slash series. The studio is known for developing the WWF and WWE 2K pro wrestling game series and several titles in D3 Publisher’s Earth Defense Force franchise.
Yuke’s most recent projects involve Arc System Works’s Double Dragon Revive, Full Metal Schoolgirl, and as now revealed, Ninja Gaiden 4. While core development of the game was handled by Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames and Team Ninja, Yuke’s worked on its platform compatibility and optimization.
The studio says it “leveraged game development technology and know-how accumulated over its long history” for the project, and given the praise Ninja Gaiden 4 has received for its performance across multiple platforms, it seems Yuke’s involvement was more than beneficial.
On a somewhat related note, Yuke’s has recently been attracting attention for its unexpected acquisition of bishojo visual novel game developer Aquaplus. Although nothing specific has been announced yet, the developer intends to make full use of Aquaplus’s talents to make up for where it lacks, such as scenario writing, music, and transmedia IP expansion (like anime adaptations and licensing).
