Ninja Gaiden 4 Brings Back Ghost Fish

Ninja Gaiden 4 will send shivers down the spines of OG Ninja Gaiden 2 fans as it brings back one of the most infamous and hated enemy types from that game.

As you'd expect from one of gaming's most infamous series, Ninja Gaiden is full of frustrating enemies that want to ruin your day. From the basic Black Spider clan ninjas who blow you up when you get close to death to Ninja Gaiden 3's fearsome T.rex boss fight, there are plenty of hated enemies to fight for a chance to take down Ryu.

That said, there is one enemy type in particular that has become the bane of my Ninja Gaiden 2 playthrough: the scary Ghost Fish. About halfway through the game, Ryu starts encountering ghost piranhas that are not only hard to hit because they fly, but they also constantly grab him and interrupt his combos. Basically they are a total nightmare.

Ghost Fish from Ninja Gaiden 2 returns in Ninja Gaiden 4.

At least it's not as bad as before.

Ryu battles the ghost fish in Ninja Gaiden 4.

Team Ninja clearly realized how much we all hate the ghost fish from Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden 2, as they didn't appear in the third game. So you can imagine how surprised I was when one of Ninja Gaiden 4's mid-game cutscenes showed Yakumo encountering a school of ghost fish and that Platinum had brought back his worst enemy in the series.

you're right. Ninja Gaiden 4 not only brings back Ryu, but it also brings back the ghost fish, now officially called “Eltus.” The Ghost Fish has seen a bit of a redesign in the seven years since Ninja Gaiden 2, but it's definitely the same bastard we've all been complaining about for almost a decade.

Like Ninja Gaiden 2, Eltus are fairly weak enemies that can be killed in a few hits, but they compensate for their weakness by attacking in groups and grabbing Yakumo or Ryu. Multiple Eltus may grab you at once, which will relive the OG Ninja Gaiden 2 trauma.

Thankfully it's not quite as bad this time around, as it only deals chip damage when latched instead of completely disrupting the combo. That doesn't stop them from suffering, but at least this time they feel like more of a wink to long-term fans rather than just a cheap foe.