Ninja Gaiden 3 on Wii U in January

Nintendo has confirmed that Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge for Wii U will launch on January 11th, 2013 in Europe with new weapons and characters, a redesigned battle system and online multiplayer modes. A North American release is pending.

In Razor’s Edge, warrior Ryu Hayabusa must fight to lift a curse that threatens to destroy him. Whereas the original game included only three weapons for players to choose from, this new version offers six: Sword, Claws, Scythe, Dual Katana, Staff and Kusari-Gama, each with its own unique strengths.

The Wii U version of the game restores enemies’ ability to fight with severed arms or legs. In previous versions of the game, Ayane appeared only briefly in one cut scene - now players can help her progress through her own exclusive chapters using a special set of weapons and Ninpo attacks.

Using Karma points earned during gameplay, players can upgrade weapons and Ninpo, learn new moves, increase their HP level and unlock new character costumes. Also for the first time, players can use Ryu or Ayane to represent themselves in the game’s online co-op mode.

Using the Wii U GamePad, players can change weapons or Ninpo attacks, and also quickly reference the button inputs required for various combo attacks.

Ninja Gaiden 3 is also available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.