With the atmosphere of a major sporting event, and a palpable buzz in the air, the Ninja Gaiden Master Tournament World Championship commenced on Saturday at the Tokyo Game Show 2004. Playing to a packed Microsoft booth, five competitors from across the globe—three from America and Europe and two from Japan—squared off in the ultimate Ninja Gaiden battle.

Playing Gaiden's uber-tough Master Tournament, the five competitors raced through a string of supernatural boss fights. The goal? To beat all of the bosses and score the most points in the time allotted.

The event was not short on pageantry. Each of the five contestants was given a rousing, Michael Buffer-style introduction by one of the two Tournament hosts before heading to the gaming area, on raised walkways above the booth. The jumbotron at the back of the massive stage broadcast the action as the virtual warriors went to war. A full lightshow and a pair of gorgeous Xbox-bedecked booth babes accompanied the action.

As the Tournament raged on, the action was called by the two show hosts, who were joined by the man behind the game, Tomonobu Itagaki. Dressed like a rock star in blue jeans, shades and a snakeskin jacket, Itagaki answered questions and provided commentary throughout the tourney.

In the beginning of the battle, the competitors were fairly even. The monitors were a jumble of flying ninjas and blood, as the bosses fell one by one. But time has a funny way of separating the master ninjas from the… er… garden variety ninjas. By the halfway point, it was obvious that this was a two-man event. The proud competitors? The American ninja Derek Ian Edwin Kisman (better known by his gamer tag "Snapdragon"), and the Japanese ninja Yasunori Otsuka.

As the battle drew to its final moments, Snapdragon finished his fight first, besting the ultimate boss before anyone else. The room waited with baited breath as Yasunori Otsuka methodically attacked. He too, finished within the time allotted, but the question remained—who scored more points?

All of the contestants were called to center stage as Itagaki and the hosts recounted the battle. Then, the big moment came… and Japanese competitor Yasunori Otsuka walked away with the ultimate title of master ninja. Visibly nervous, the young gamer accepted his prize and shook hands with Itagaki. Source: IGN