After about a dozen run-throughs of the newly released PLAYSTATION 3 demo version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, I've made up my mind. Ninja Gaiden Sigma is awesome.

The 983 MB demo contains the first chapter of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, ending just after your fight with nunchaku master Murai but also gives players a glimpse at playing as Rachel in the demo's unlockable Mission mode.

While Rachel's kill-em-all missions are a nice change of pace, they simply can't compare with the unmatched badassery of playing as Ryu Hayabusa. Rachel's slower pace and heavy weapon gameplay pales in comparison to the ninja-beheading ecstacy one feels when in total control of Hayabusa.

This is one of the few games that is so ultimately satisfying to play, dispatching your enemies in dozens of bloody ways, that you'll likely wear a "did I really just pull that off?" shit-eatin' grin with every level. The game's difficulty, however, will probably wipe that smile off your face around your first tank battle.

Fortunately for Ninja Gaiden vets, the demo offers a good deal of variety. Five weapons are already available to you, including the Nunchaku and Dabilahro, as are multiple tiers of difficulty, with an unlockable very hard mode providing a solid challenge.

Graphically, the game looks stellar, as it always has. Team Ninja has taken advantage of the step-up in processing power and turned in a 1080p masterpiece. While there are elements of the visual presentation that harken back to their original Xbox heritage, the reworked textures and subtle lighting and shadowing effects hide any minor flaws the game has.

Personally, I prefer the layout of the DualShock/SIXAXIS to any of the Xbox controllers, so the game's controls felt even tighter this go 'round. However, some players may miss the force feedback used to great effect in Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black.

Here's the short of it: Ninja Gaiden is, and will be for some time, the bar by which action games are set. If you've never played the two Xbox titles and are considering any upcoming releases for your PS3 library, make sure Sigma is on it. As someone who passed on the Ninja Gaiden Black update, the game still feels fresh, with enough new content to warrant a new go with the whole game.

That said, if you've played through both versions of the title already, you may have a hard time reaching into your wallet and dropping an additional sixty bucks. It's essentially the same game at higher resolution with prettier graphics.

PlayStation diehards, though, who've never touched an Xbox controller? Don't you dare miss out on this game. I'll behead you myself and I'll suck out your glowing orbs. Michael McWhertor