Still, might as well justify the recommendations now that you brought it up.
A brutally hard experience, but a rewarding one. An action beat-em-up considered to be one of the best of the genre for good reason, with smooth controls and a block/dodge mechanic that takes time to master alongside the absurd amount of moves at your disposal at any one time, you never feel unfairly matched. Also helps that the game still looks good (60 fps to boot) and that the controls are fast and responsive. If you have an Xbox, this is not a game to miss.
The complete opposite of Ninja Gaiden: Black in terms of what it aims for. This one is a stealth game in which the first level is to punish the evil merchant. Play it 6 million times :^) The tension of leaping around behind your foes back before disposing of them never leaves you as there is no minimap warning you of foes; you are very much on your own. The music also helps to punctuate the feel and the camera is flexible enough so that you can get a feel for your surroundings. One of the better console stealth games.
Namco's answer to the mascot platformer was one of the best platformers released on the PlayStation and one of the best platformers ever. The main concept of grabbing your enemies and chucking them is used to great effect both inside and outside of combat and its applications in combat and platforming are even combined in some instances, making what lesser developers would have resigned to a gimmick into one of your primary tools for traversing the increasingly difficult levels and, like most platformers, there's a secret level to be had. It's not easy and it'll test your skills to the limit. The plot of the game, despite its apparent simplicity, is very good and it even wraps things up exceptionally well, as no spoilers for you fag, go and play the game.
While it may be easier than the first, and it may be a case of more of the same, that does not mean that the game is worse; an all new location with all new worlds to explore ensures that the game will stay fresh in your mind long after you have played it. Like the first game, the soundtrack is A-grade, a diverse assortment of tunes, distinct from each other and changing depending on what part of the environment serves to assist the now immense backdrops; the PS2's power allowed Namco the ability to have larger environments and have larger environments they did. The game also has an action button allowing you to do silly, but cute actions and a 2 player mode, similar to Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It's not much, but it's another feature added to this stellar package.
This game is considered one of the best of its genre and for good reason. Everything from the cutscenes to the soundtrack makes the game feel cool and that's even before you begin to play. When you do, you're thrust into a combat system that never ceases to amaze with its depth and intricacies. Juggling enemies with pistols and parrying multiple attacks in succession are but stylish actions to do on the surface as you rain hell upon a glorious assortment of foes, each with their individual strategies and weaknesses. Not to mention the boss fights, especially those with Vergil, are some of the best in the genre. Similar to Ninja Giaden: Black, there are multiple difficulties, each changing more than just enemy health and damage; enemy placements vary and subsequently, your strategies better evolve with them. A true tour de force and a must play, just like all the others.