NES Review: Ninja Gaiden II: Dark Sword of Chaos. Ryu Hayabusa returns in this classic

Get Ninja Gaiden II: Dark Sword of Chaos for NES via AmazonAs promised, here is our second Classic Game Review, following up last week, with a review of the sequel, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. As a young kid, I remember this game fondly, and it has always remained one of my favorite NES games of all time, even now. So how does Ninja Gaiden II hold up today, and is at as good as the first Ninja Gaiden game? Find out below.

Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
Platform: NES
Also Available On: Super NES & Xbox (unlockable in Ninja Gaiden & Ninja Gaiden Black)
Released: 1990
Players: 1
Genre: 2D side-scrolling action/platformer
Save: In the original game – none. In the SNES & Xbox versions – password
Made By: Tecmo
Country of Origin: Japan

Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos is the sequel to the original NES hit, Ninja Gaiden. It’s an action platformer in the same vein as the first game, with only some slight refinements and additions to the gameplay. The game has you going through many more unique environments, some of which seem to fit the storyline well, some of which do not, but nonetheless, the game is just as fun, just as difficult, and just as cool as the first game.

The cinema scenes are once again in full effect here. And the music is just as good if not better than the first game, with several cool new tunes. Only two power-ups has been added, a downward fireball, and . . . in what has to be one of the coolest power-ups ever, the Red Ninja power-up will add “Phantom Ninjas” to your aresenal. You can have up to two Phantoms and they will follow behind you and mimic your every move, as well as stay in the air when you jump and land on the ground, allowing them to be used to attack flying enemies. Although you don’t necessarily control them, you can manipulate them by moving Ryu around and getting them in a position to damage the enemy. The greatest part of the Phantom Ninjas though is the fact that when you use a power-up, so do they. This will come in handy throughout the game, making things much easier for you. Especially if you can position one shadow facing left and one facting right, effectively allowing you to destroy enemies both in front and below you, because like the first game, enemies will attack from all directions.

Ninja Gaiden 2 BossNinja Gaiden II is more forgiving than the first game, and thus a bit easier. But only a bit. It is still a game of skill and still extremely frustrating and is not for the faint of heart. You will die a lot, and if you can actually get through the last bosses in one go (that is, without dying once), consider yourself an action platforming god.

The game’s storyline is less compelling than the first games and thus less interesting, choosing to follow-up the ending of the first game by focusing on a mysterious new character (who is very cool looking), known as Ashtar, the Empire of Darkness, who weilds the Sword of Chaos (of the game’s subtitle), and his confrontation with Ryu Hayabusa (which happens quite early into the game) who goes after Ashtar when he is told by a new character named Robert that Irene (the girl from the first game) has been abducted. The game mainly focuses on diologue between these two instead of a whole backround history on the why and how like the first game.

The levels are all pretty unique though, including an ice stage (one of the most difficult stages) where you actually can slide across the ice, and a snowy mountaintop where the wind will blow left or right and push you in that direction (which can be used to jump onto platforms you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to jump to). The bosses are all fun and cool as well, just like in the first game.

The cinema scenes are all very well done and there are some really cool moments, with the opening being one of my favorites ever. And fans of the first will certainly be pleased with some of the twists in the storyline here.

I do wish however that these games contained some secrets. There are no secrets to be found save for a few hard to reach power-ups and/or better ways to beat a level by jumping on platforms in a different order or whatnot. But there are no real secrets to be found. No breakable walls, no going through anything to find a hidden room. Etc.

In the end though gameplay is king and Ninja Gaiden II still rules in that arena. The only real addition to the gameplay is the ability to climb straight up walls (no kick jumping necessary) which is nice but almost makes the game feel too refined and less skillful. In the end though the game is just as hard, so you can’t really fault it.

For any fan of the first game, and even if you’ve never played the first one, Ninja Gaiden II: Dark Sword of Choas comes highly recommended. You won’t find many action games of this caliber, and the game definitely has to be experienced at least once for your life to be considered complete. Good luck conquering it though.

Graphics: 9.0
Sound & Music: 9.0
Replay Value: 7.5
Ingenuity: 8.0
FUN FACTOR: 9.0