so i got NG:Black today.

it came with a t-shirt as a preorder bonus, which i had not been aware of, but hey, free stuff is always cool :D

i haven't really been able to play as much as i would like, and am only up to Chapter 3. but here's what i've noticed so far.

INITIAL OPTIONS
The only modes you can choose from at the start are to start a new game on Normal or Hard difficulty. Game saves from the original NG game don't carry over.

GAMEPLAY
(note: all these observations come from Hard mode. i am not sure if things are the same on Normal.)
The game is--so far--almost identical to Hurricane Pack #1. the only thing that i couldn't find was Intercept; i'm not sure if it's something you have to buy or win, like counter attack, or if it is usuable at the start and i'm just off on the timing. i haven't played HP#1 for awhile now and i can't remember how it was incorporated at first, lol. i think Ayane tells you about it in a kunai scroll near the beginning. since all of the scrolls are the same as in the original game (and not the ones from HP#1) that may explain it. (barring me sucking hard, naturally.)
Murai comes with respawning white ninjas now, though they only come in pairs. the fight is basically the same though--maybe even a little easier. Murai has a tendency to drop his guard when he's near a ninja goon, and you can often hit *both* of them with the same combo. But you can't break his guard with ultimate techniques! :o
Smoke bombs are found in chapter 2. they're uh...kinda lame.
And that's basically it for now.

STORY/GRAPHICS
couple of new additions, even at this early point:
+the beginning of chapter 1 opens with Ryu ambushing a Shadow Clan ninja.
+Ayane is found injured in the Hayabusa village house. you take the bow from her, and not from the dead ninja downstairs.
+after chapter 2 and the scene with Ryu suiting up, but BEFORE the CG cutscenes of the airship, Ayane gives a little blurb that explains the difficulty getting into Vigoor.
the graphics are improved slightly. basically textures are much more defined, so things that looked a little flat or pasted on--like the buckles on Ryu's outfit--pop out more and look more realistic. Murai looks like he has a scar & stubble now...there are lots of little details in the game that weren't there before.

i'm hoping i'll have enough free time this weekend so i can play more than three levels at a time ^_^;;

also, feel free to clarify/confirm/correct anything you see above if you've got the game. ^^

Ah, thanks. I had planned on getting this *eventually*. It's great that the story's a bit different this time around. I'm thinking, with the graphics, that they brought the new effects from DoA2U in, which is a plus. I'm a bit disappointed that the saves don't carry over, but it seems for good reason, so I won't hold it against them.

Quick question: how much did you pay for it? I'm definately not willing to shell out 50 for this...

it's going for $29.99.

i'm ok with the game saves not being playable, but i was kinda hoping that if you had completed saves on the original it would affect how much would be unlocked on NGB. like you could try out master ninja difficulty or mission mode if you had cleared v. hard or something.

I heard after you go back to the menu few time,s you gt a COMMING ATYTRACTION Moive......for doa4 DUH!

Baought it, played it,

Sound is mich im proved, new cinimatics are better and cooler, Smoke bomb is very usfful, its hard to find the Lunar but, its my Ayane ;) Also if you shoot Ayane with a bow, she dies.

Thats all in the first 2 chapters!

i too own it. just got it and starting now. i love it more than ng

arrrrh. damned delayed european release dates.