Ninja Gaiden II Xbox listing hints at backward compatibility revival

Ninja Gaiden II may be on its way to Xbox One, given a newly-published store listing for the Xbox 360 classic. A fresh Xbox Marketplace store page has surfaced for the 2008 hack and slash action-adventure, serving up the full digital game, tagged with an April 16, 2019 release date. While published under now-defunct publisher Tecmo, its addition to the digital catalog indicates news lies ahead for the title.

With Microsoft winding investments in the Xbox 360, few games are added to the platform's severed digital store today. Debuting full digital downloads for previous titles in 2019 often hints at a backward compatibility arrival, making Ninja Gaiden II a likely candidate for the Xbox One's next titles. While the game is yet to surface on the Xbox One's integrated storefront, keep an eye out in the hours ahead.

Microsoft is preparing its Inside Xbox live show for 5 PM ET on April 16, where the firm is expected to discuss the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition console, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, alongside upcoming Xbox One games. A surprise release of Ninja Gaiden II could be near, following up last year's Ninja Gaiden Black for the original Xbox.

Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.