Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (1990)

Preliminary: Oh boy. The most consistent word mentioned about this game is hard. Nintendo hard. Difficulty. Etc. To top it off, I plan to play the original Japanese version, because they changed a lot about the gameplay for the international releases not just the graphics. And everything says it's significantly harder. Great. Ninja Ryuuken Den II - Ankoku no Jashin Ken, here goes nothing!

Oh great, bad momentum for mid-jump movement. I hate when platformers of this era don't allow you to at least changed the direction you're face in mid-air... And it seemed like you can't just crawl over the lip of a wall you climbed but seems you can. Just a bit clunky.

As mentioned in my rant of a status update, I hate that you can't just climb over the top of a wall you climbed. Like if you can climb walls you certainly should be able to just climb up here instead of having to do an awkward jump

That's the kind of stuff that makes me think of Ghosts n Goblins and other "gotchya" type platformers that people say are hard (indeed, they are), but it's via limiting your character's ability while having enemies capable of doing what you can't. Hard to explain, but just don't like when a game uses dated mechanics to increase difficulty, rather than matching the contemporary mechanics with clever level designs.

Yea nah I hate this. Bad controls that I am sure can be learned and loved but I'd rather good controls with excellent level design. Sorry, I know it's a beloved game but both Ninja Gaidens I could not click with, despite the neat Look and Sound.

The music is great and the background is soooo amazing so I want to push through this but uh, I cannot figure out how to climb over the top of platforms. Do I really need to jump at the top? I read the manual and all I can think of is I am supposed to hold A and go left or right, but that doesn't seem to work? Mind you I'm playing the Japanese version. Hm.

Like look at my character, you're telling me a ninja can't scale that. The closest thing the manual gets to this is this graphic which is very cool and ninja-like but you'd think he'd be able to just pull himself over the edge no? Is that asking too much? Or am I missing some very basic control for that?

Okay yea watched a video of someone who seems to know the game very well and he does what I do where you basically jump the other direction but change quickly enough to still land on the platform. Ridiculous that they didn't allow you to just climb up, tho I see how it can result in cool jump back and forth type situations.

The "Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 010 May 1990" ad for this game lists "Continue Option" as a feature. I love this whole playing through 90s games challenge. I know these things were big steps back in the day and I'm not at all trying to downplay it, I'm just fascinated by it all compared to the advances from a sequel expected in this day and age.

Looking forward to start this, though I haven't played the original and will check it out on YT beforehand

Played SNES trilogy version. I overall found this game to be so similar to the first that it seems like the developers were copying the success of the first game rather than innovating. Still, this game is mechanically better and a little easier.

I think the biggest problem I had with the game (other than the same annoying respawning enemies) were the clones following me around, which often camouflaged enemies or projectiles from me. Final boss was almost a direct copy from the first game, and the 2 previous bosses were the hardest part of the game.

7.1/10

Day 2:

So I fully expected today to be the last day I give the game. I'd make it to the same place I did last time, die repeatedly, give up, and write about it. Instead, I made it just a little further than last time...

The thing about games that generate their levels the same way every time, is that no matter how frustrating things get, or how impossible the sections seems, you can't help but "learn" every time you fail. I did, in fact, get stuck at the same place I did the other night. I decided to keep on pushing, and every time I'd change my game just a bit to adapt to the level. Eventually, I was able to consistently make it all the way through the second half of Level 3 without taking any damage. Eventually, I was able to take down the boss!

Serious Stage 2 Ghouls & Ghosts vibes here...

Stage 4 went from a fiery hellhole to the world's worst water slide. Just like the last level, I was eventually (albeit more quickly) learn the stage and make it to the boss!

The boss was interesting, but only took one death to learn it. Of course it helped that the second attamp had me with two clones and a better sub weapon.

The next stage was your obligatory ice level, where I made two failed attempts against the boss before finally calling it.

While the ability to learn and progress through the games levels still applies, it's absolutely EXHAUSTING. Every level is harder than the last, and even after this one there's two more that are even more difficult! Sure, I'd like to see the end of this game, mostly just to say I was able to beat a Ninja Gaiden game, but I'm just not sure I have the stamina for it.

I'll give it one more night to see if I can make any further progress.

Day 1:

I played for about five minutes last night, which was enough time for me to get used to the game enough to blitz through the first level pretty quickly tonight. The handling in Ninja Gaiden II feels a bit slower and looser than the fast, tight controls of the first one. Still, being able to finally climb up and down walls is awesome, and something I really wish I had the first time around.

I think I like the power-ups better this time around, too. Sure, the broken spin blade is gone, but that's fine. The after images are great, and every ability seems to have a use. After the first boss went down, I got my first cutscene. NG2 has a much more cinematic feel than the first one, and I'm digging it.

Getting through the mountain level was a feat. The wind mechanic made for some interesting moments but I don't think anything could have prepared me for the boss WHO THROWS GIANT FREAKING TARANTULAS AT YOU!!!

Spiders... man...

Stage 3 was awesome. The dark mountain with the lightning effects. This game looks really great. I spent several lives and continues getting through this part of the level, only to find myself at the second half...

This level can go straight to Hell.

Seriously, this is just stupid. Getting knocked around and off platforms, stairs that ruin jump timings... I finally had to stop after my controller started cracking.