Whenever anyone brings up Ninja Gaiden on the internet, you will more likely than not hear them talk about the original, or maybe the modern games (and maybe even Dead or Alive if you are one of THOSE people). Which is a shame too, because the other Ninja Gaiden games, for the most part, still hold up pretty well, even if they may not be as good as the original, at least, in terms of the original series.

After the success of the original Ninja Gaiden on the NES (and not so much the arcade version), a sequel, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, was released two years later, and I am happy to say that it is a great follow up to the original. I wouldn't say that I like it more than the original game, because that one I have more memories with, but on an objective level, I would say this game is better than the original, but only BARELY.

The story is once again pretty complex for an NES game, once again helped out by the cinematics, which are just as great as the original game, the graphics are still pretty good, even if they are practically identical to the original game, the music is once again a banger, the control is practically the exact same as the original, and the gameplay is more of the same fantastic, fast, and frantic ninja gameplay we come to expect from this series.

If I were to describe this game, I would say it is Ninja Gaiden again, except with more stuff to mess around with. Not only are there more stages, bosses, and different level hazards to put the player to the test, such as wind, flashing lights, and ice (by the way, fuck ice physics), but there are also new weapons and power ups that you can mess around with, such as one where you can make up to two clones that follow you around and attack things at the same pace as you. All of this make the game much more enjoyable, fun, and yes, difficult then the original game.

This game, in terms of difficulty, is even more difficult then the original. Not by much, but it is a noticeable increase, and once again, it can get annoying, but not enough to make me give up. And again, like the last game, whenever you die at the bosses in the last act, you get sent back NOT to the beginning of the act, but the second part, which isn't as bad, but considering that the final act has five parts, it is basically the same punishment. So it is good to see that nothing has changed between installments.

Overall, while I still prefer the original over this, I would consider this a fantastic follow up of the original game that in some instances is even better than the original, with plenty of threats and challenges to take on that the original made so iconic.

Game #55

Reviewed on Apr 04, 2023


1 Comment


1 year ago

i have no idea where you got the idea of this game being harder than the original from. there's so many broken powerups that wipe the floor with everything. the shadow jutsu shit alone makes this game way easier than og and the final boss is comparatively a cakewalk because of it