Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
忍者龍剣伝II 暗黒の邪神剣
- Year
- 1990
- Developer
- Tecmo
- Publisher
- Tecmo
- Platform
- FC / NES
- Hardware
- Family Computer (8-bit)
- Genre
- Action Platformer
- Players
- 1 player
- Controls
- D-pad + A (jump) / B (attack)
- Series
- Ninja Gaiden series
Gameplay Screenshots
About This Game
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos continues Ryu Hayabusa's fight against the Jaquio's cult, this time against Ashtar and the Dark Sword itself. The cinematic cut-scenes between acts that made the first game famous are back, and the story is told with the same fast, panel-by-panel delivery.
The big mechanical addition is the split-clone technique: pick up the right power-up and Ryu is joined by up to two shadow clones that mirror his attacks and follow him up walls. Combined with the returning wall-climb and ceiling-cling, it makes the game noticeably more acrobatic than the original - and the designers answer with harder enemy placement and wind gaps that push you off ceilings. Its soundtrack by Ryuichi Nitta is often named the best in the trilogy.
- Shadow clone technique - up to two clones fight alongside Ryu
- Ceiling cling and wall climb across vertical stages
- Cinematic between-act cut-scenes in the series' signature style
- Nine stages including wind tunnels and a final confrontation with Ashtar
Version History
- Famicom Japanese version1990-04-06
Original release as Ninja Ryuukenden II.
- NES US version1990-05
The version on this page.
- Ninja Gaiden Trilogy1995
Super Nintendo compilation including this game.
Tips & Strategy
Bag the clone power-up early
The clone pickup is dropped by specific enemies in the first few stages. Carrying it into a boss fight triples your damage output for almost no risk.
Jump into wind shafts deliberately
Wind zones push you off ceilings. Hold toward the wall as you land rather than fighting the current - you keep the ceiling cling that way.
Back off before the spikes
Most instant-death moments in this game are preceded by a jump you cannot cancel. Approach at walking speed when a screen has been memorised.
Save sub-weapons for the act bosses
Shuriken and fire-wheel ammo is scarce. The act bosses all have a distance at which they cannot retaliate - find it before spending your stock.
Download Resources
Resource packs for this game are provided through the button below.
⬇ Coming soon