Product ReviewsNinja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (Nintendo Entertainment System, 1990)

For the second time: Is it Gai-den or Gay-den?

I'll come right out and say it, I'll take the original Ninja Gaiden 8 bit games over the remakes on the Xbox, 360 and PS3 any day. Playing in 3D is just too disorienting and you don't know what direction you are going. This is a simple problem solved by playing Ninja Gaiden or in this case Ninja Gaiden 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos for the NES. Both games are great but Ninja Gaiden 2 shares the same basic flaw: Enemies re-spawn way too easily, way too often and some environmental effects will knock your butt over cliff edges and into spikes and flames and crap that will kill you instantly. Yes, this game actually features environmental effects. You have wind, you have a stage that goes from being dark to light when there's a lightning flash. Difficulty aside though, the game is excellent. It is very challenging but it may frustrate you to the point of insanity. Still, it is a very enjoyable experience and a necessity if you are any kind of retro gamer.Read full review...

Ryu Hayabusa is at it again

If you're looking at this game right now, you're probably familiar with Ninja Gaiden on the NES. So what you're asking yourself is probably: Will this game kick my ass? Is this game as fun as the original Ninja Gaiden? Is this a good price for this game?

Yes. Not quite. And hell yeah!

Ninja Gaiden II is, of course, an incredibly hard and taxing game. Only the most elite will finish this game. Myself, I haven't even reached the halfway point yet. I grew up on the original Ninja Gaiden and the frustration is legendary. Don't fret, though. Every time you hear that game over music you're ready to go once again. Unlike modern games, most times you can only blame yourself in this game. The controls are TIGHT. When you make a mistake, YOU made the mistake. The game does not cheat you. It's hard as hell, but if you're in a complete zen state and press your buttons accordingly, you will win.

The major drawback here is that during certain sections, it require PERFECT execution. This can get frustrating, but the gameplay is fun enough that you will retry certain areas many times before finally calling it quits. The game is incredibly fun as well as incredibly difficult. That's really the only complaint I can level at this game. It's just so damn difficult, and that's why it only gets a 4 star from me. I can understand a difficult game, but the developers of the NES Ninja Gaiden series wanted actual ninja perfection in being able to complete the games. It's fun, but most will never see the ending cutscene.

The cut scenes. Wow, unlike most games Ninja Gaiden actually has a decent story running through the games. If you play well enough your treated to little cut scenes (that are amazing for their time) that actually give you a real story to care about. The graphics in this game are great. The music in this game is great. The controls in this game are great. It's just that damn difficulty.

If you're a glutton for punishment, or just can appreciated a well designed and entertaining NES game, Ninja Gaiden II is probably for you. The game will challenge you. The game WILL piss you off. The thing is, though, you're lying if you say you didn't have a good time during the process. NES lovers need to own a copy of Ninja Gaiden II!Read full review...

Very Hard But Very Fun

Ninja Gaiden II is a great action/platform game, although it is not as good as the original. The reason why the first one is better is simply because this game is much more difficult, to the point where it becomes frustrating. This is mostly due to enemies constantly re-spawning.

If you have played the original Ninja Gaiden, this one plays almost exactly the same except that Ryu can now climb up walls so that it is easier to maneuver on them. There are also some new powerups which are cool. Other then that, the game looks the same, sounds the same (except for different music), and pretty much plays the same. This is not a bad thing considering Ninja Gaiden is one of the best NES games. There are also some environmental effects such as rain that pushes you in the direction it is moving in, and lightning that lights up the level for a few seconds. If you have never played the first one, Ninja Gaiden II is a fast paced, brutally challenging action game. You storm through several levels using your sword and a number of powerups to kill enemies. It is a pretty straight forward game but it is a lot of fun.

If you are an old school veteran, you will love this game, otherwise you will probably get so frustrated that you will end up hating the whole series. If you have not played the first one, I would recommend doing so before buying this game.

Pros:
- Fast paced action.
- New power-ups.
- Great level design.

Cons:
- Can be painfully frustrating.Read full review...

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Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: retro_game_cases

Hard nostalgic hit !

Love NG, and NG2 is great too! Will be playing this for hours and days. Lost track of time tonight, and couldn't pull myself away from these games.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: vg_fanatic

Ninja Gaiden II

Follows close to the original, this time you start with throwing stars, the game is outstanding, as difficult as the first, just less spawn straps that get you everytime such as the first game does. The cartridge itself is immaculate worked immediately out of the box. Thank you it's greatly appreciated. Wonderful nes game to own.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: jjgames

The best game in the trilogy!

Pretty amazing game! Decent, albeit simple story, fantastic, fast-paced gameplay, killer soundtrack, great graphics... what else can I say? One of the best games on the console!

The game has great features

The ninja gaiden game is a great game and the graphics are great. The game is of good value and it is a very compelling game.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: the-video-game-...

awesome game

1 of my all time favorites!!!!! still pretty much unbeatable just like i remembered lol

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: retro_vintage_more

Challenging and fun!

This game is engaging and fun, and while it is definitely less challenging than the first Ninja Gaiden, it is a very rewarding play and beating it will leave you feeling accomplished. If you are feeling like Megaman games are too easy and want to up your platforming game, try out Ninja Gaiden II.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: buriedtreasures