Contributors

• Special thanks to GameFAQs user Sonasa for playing while I took notes, informing me on the correct usage of "Naginata", giving me the heads up about the time in the 2nd to last fight, and for proof-reading this FAQ. You're awesome to the max bro!

• Also thanks to Mike C. for sending me the Wii Controls.

Version History

• May 17th, 2012 - Started FAQ
• Version 0.1

• May 19th, 2012 - Finished FAQ
• Version 1.0

• May 19th, 2012 - Submitted FAQ
• Version 1.0

• June 8th, 2012 - Minor update. Moved Contact Information to the top. Fixed some spelling errors. Added and changed a few sentences. Added Closing section. Changed spacing format to draw the eyes to sections more naturally. Changed how I breakup my email address. Previously I had it reversed, but since it was clickable, I think it may have been confusing if one were to glance over it. Bolded some words.
• Version 1.1

• July 14th, 2012 - Added FAQ to Neoseeker.com. Changed email. Again. Slight addition to Closing. Moved "Special Thanks" to the top. Added what sites are currently hosting. Small addition to Contact Information section. In addition to email, users can PM me now. 43kb
• Version 1.2

• January 23rd, 2013 - Minor grammatical changes. Added Wii controls. Updated all enemy and boss HP and DAM tables to incorporate some newer (and most welcome) formatted FAQ changes. Added link to a "Let's Compare" Youtube video in the How To Obtain Your Copy section. 46kb
• Version 1.3

Future updates

• Sword power up testing. Does the Flying Bird Flip sword slash do more than 3 damage?

• Breakable items: Is every item random? Are there static spawns?

Contact Information

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my FAQ. Hopefully you enjoyed reading the guide as much as I enjoyed making it. If you'd like to use this FAQ on your website, all you have to do is ask for permission and I will more than likely give it to you, provided that you do not alter the contents of the FAQ and your website is not lewd or offensive. If you want to contact me with questions, comments, suggestions on what to add, punctuation corrections, information corrections, or whatever else, please do so through a private message.

Introduction

Ninja Gaiden was released in the Arcades in 1988 by Tecmo. It features Ryu Hyabusa, the main protagonist of the Ninja Gaiden series, clad in Ninja garb and kicking bad guy butt. One of the early 'beat-em-ups' in gaming history, and being an arcade game, it was designed to eat the quarters of players through its sheer difficulty.

How To Obtain Your Copy

The first, and most expensive way, is to buy a pre-built Arcade Cabinet. These cost a pretty penny, but what better way to show you mean business than with a custom built arcade machine? If you already have a cabinet, all you'll need is the Ninja Gaiden board. Outside of eBay, I wouldn't know where to find one. But honestly, is there a better way to show that you are a hardcore gamer to the max than owning your own Ninja Gaiden arcade cabinet? I didn't think so.

"Too expensive," you say? Well, I understand how you feel. You're a savvy customer. You don't need an excessively large cabinet that takes up a good amount of space. Luckily for you, Ninja Gaiden was released on the Virtual Console for the Wii in late 2009. Available for 600 points, or six USD.

Still not quite what you're looking for? Well, then. I've saved the best for last. The arcade version of Ninja Gaiden was included in the smash Xbox release Ninja Gaiden Black. Not to be confused with Ninja Gaiden that was also released for the original Xbox, which for all intents and purposes, is the exact same game with a few minor changes. Confused? Don't be.

Ninja Gaiden, for the Xbox (the original Xbox), was the first release of the modern day Ninja Gaiden games. It received a great reception and was lauded for its challenging gameplay. Ninja Gaiden Black was released a year and a half later, and while still being very much the same game, it included many changes as well as some new additions. Think of Black as an update. It included tweaked enemies, a harder difficultly, as well as an easier one, new enemies, a semi-new weapon, and challenge missions. Both of these games included either the classic NES or Arcade games. Ninja Gaiden included the unlockable Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3 games that were originally released on the NES console. Ninja Gaiden Black includes the 1988 Arcade version of Ninja Gaiden. If you have yet to play either of these, I highly recommend picking up at least one version.

According to Wikipedia, Ninja Gaiden was also released for a wide variety of other platforms. These include: Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Atari Lynx, DOS, and the ZX Spectrum (<--- Haven't heard of that? Don't feel bad, neither have I.)

I managed to stumble across a really cool "Let's Compare" video on Youtube from the user GamingHistorySource. It shows all of the various iterations of this game. Definitely worth the look if you have the time. You can find it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-jcfMcUFAE

Controls

If you are playing this on the Arcade, then I must congratulate you. A working Ninja Gaiden Arcade Cabinet, at this point in time, is definitely hard to come by. But, if you are indeed playing this on an Arcade, you probably don&#65533;t need any direction here since each button is clearly labeled, unless you just have the board installed into a different cabinet. But for the truly curious, I will include it nonetheless.

Arcade

Xbox

Wii

Advanced Moves

Power-ups

Scattered throughout each stage are breakable items such as; electric signs, crates, barrels, transformers, telephone booths, etc. Items and power-ups are hidden in these breakable items. The catch is, the only way to break these items is by throwing or knocking an enemy into them, or being knocked into them yourself. You cannot attack these items to break them. Also be aware that all of the power-ups appear to be random. Here is a list of the items and their functions:

Enemies

Bare Handed with Hockey Mask

These are the most common fodder throughout the game. They will try their best to lock you into a 3 hit combo, and when they do, it will take one health away per three hit combo (2 health in Stage 6). These guys will also be one of the easiest out of all of the enemies to fight as they have the least amount of reach. Guillotine Throws are particularly useful. Just be careful when you land after a Guillotine Throw, as you are left vulnerable for a second.

Dual Baton Wielding

The Dual Baton Wielding guys are basically the same as the above, except well, they have batons. These guys only need to hit you twice to knock you down and take away one health. Your main strategy here is to use the hanging leg kick whenever you can. If it's not available, kite the enemies to one side and try your best to triple hit them. The key here is to let the enemies come from above or below you, not from the left or right. You should be able to get the first hit most of the time with a little practice. When there are very few enemies on screen or close together, the Guillotine throw works very well too.

Barehanded Martial Artists

Barehanded Martial Artists fall right in the same category as the other enemies. They will try to lock you into a three hit combo, dealing actual damage on the third hit. For their third hit, they will do a dropping leg attack. Other than that, treat them as you would the other barehanded enemies.

Guy carrying a Log

These guys have one attack: Log Swing. It has more range than any minor enemy. They even have a very good chance of hitting you when you try to jump toward them. Their attack will immediately knock you down, and it will do one damage (2 in Stage 6). Compared to other enemies, these guys have a bit of start up time on their log swing, so you have a little more time to land the first hit. Just be careful when approaching them head on, as their lengthy log allows them to hit you before you can get within striking distance. Coming from above or below will let you get close enough to attack.

Ninjas

The Ninjas are probably the easiest enemies in the game. It's important to note that these guys only take one hit to kill in the first stage. Not a three hit combo, but just one single hit. They aren't particularly different than any other enemy and the same tactics from above work just as well. Guillotine Throws are particularly useful when it's a one-on-one situation or when you have just a few enemies left with some space (that goes for most enemies, too).

Naginata Samurai

Wielding a long Naginata, the Naginata Samurai can be a bit of a challenge. They only show up when you cross on a railing. Since you fight them on a railing, your options are to charge head on or hang on a railing and kick him. Alternatively, you can avoid him entirely if you just stay a level above him or hang from a level below him. Standing on the railing below him or hanging off of the railing that he is on will result in you getting hit. If you want to kill him, you'll want to use the hanging leg kick. He will greatly out-space your head on attacks, and you will not be able to hit him before he is able to hit you unless you hit him while you are flashing.

Motorcycle Rider

The Motorcycle Rider only appears in two stages: The second and fifth. These guys only have one attack: Ride into the wind. All right, all they do is try to ram you with their motorcycles. A Guillotine Throw is the proper way to dispatch them. After you throw them, their motorcycle can careen into breakable objects, or at the very least off the screen. They will occasionally pop a wheelie trying to get you, but they're still easy to doge with vertical movements.

Helicopter Thugs

While the Pilot doesn't actually serve any purpose (doesn't do damage and you can't hurt him), this tandem duo is particularly faster than anything else. On the flipside, one hit will kill this enemy. Unique to the third stage, the guy hanging on the rope ladder is the one to be worried about. He will swoop in for an attack, but at the same time, this is when he is vulnerable. Timing is really the key here and the same rules from the other enemies apply here. Use vertical spacing to your advantage and time your single hit right before he gets near you.

Water Abomination

A unique enemy only found in stage four, the Water Abomination is only found in the water. Duh. Their only "attack" so to speak is a charge across water. The way to get past them is to use the Hanging Kick and then cross to the next pole when there is a break in their spawning. They are really more of a hazard than they are an enemy. The biggest threat they pose is when you are trying to cross multiple swing points.

Enemy HP and Damage Values

Minor Enemy HP

Boss HP

Player Damage Values

Walkthrough

Since you can only go one way in this game, it's going to be pretty hard for you to get lost. So instead of providing directions on how to get through the stage, I will try my best to provide strategies for enemies. I will also provide a list of power-ups and their locations. The locations for the items will go in order of breakable items that appear throughout the stage.

General Strategies for all enemies

Exploiting the AI is the key to pretty much all games. It's no different here. A few things to keep in mind when you are trying to kill the baddies:

• Do NOT run straight at the enemies to attack them.
• Try to get above or below them and let them close the gap. You'll have a better chance of hitting them if you aren't moving.
• Don't let the enemies sandwich you; Try your best to keep them to one side.
• Utilize the hanging leg kick whenever possible; it has more range than enemies have when trying to hit you (ie. you can hit them when they can't hit you), it does 3 DAM, it knocks enemies down with just one hit, and there are a ton of encounters that you can solely rely on this move to get you through the fight. Abuse this move to make the game easier and more managable.
• Enemies have better range than you (i.e. they can hit you when you can't hit them).
• The Guillotine Throw is a great way to get an enemy off you; be aware that it will leave you open after you perform it and you are liable to get hit if there are other enemies around.

Useful Information and Tips Regarding General Gameplay

• The red squares at the top of the screen represent your health. The sword icon underneath that represents your remaining lives.

• Most power-ups appear to be random. In different playthroughs, from one barrel, I've received nothing, a hexagon, and a clock. It does appear that there could possibly be some static spawns. More testing is required.

• Once you get knocked down, you will lose at least one health. When you get up, your character will be slightly transparent and flashing. You are invincible during this time. It only lasts for around two seconds, so make the most of it.

• In the early stages, most enemies will have to land their three hit combos to damage you. But once you get to stage 6, all enemies only have to hit you one time to knock you down. They will also do 1 - 2 damage with their attacks.

• Power-ups only last for five seconds on the ground before they fade. So if you see one you want, make a beeline for it.

• Vertical spacing is much preferred to horizontal spacing. Most of the enemies' attacks will miss if you are one or two steps above them. However, being two steps to the left or right will, you will find yourself still getting hit.

• The stage timer counts down from 99, but it is not in actual seconds. It takes just about 3 real seconds for it to count down one place in the game.

• When swinging between multiple grab points, you need to press the grab button each time you want to grab onto said point.

Stage 1: San Francisco, California

Breakable Objects

Enemy Strategies

The enemies encountered in the first stage are obviously the easiest. The first stage is designed to teach you the mechanics of the game while not presenting too much of a challenge. All enemies have 5 or less HP and deal 1 or less damage. The Boss of the stage is the exception to HP since he has twelve. Keep an eye open for the sword power-up, as it will make this stage (and the later ones) a lot easier. You main strategy here is to try and keep the enemies to one side of you, not letting them sandwich you. Make use of your Guillotine Throw to break objects. Fewer enemies will be on screen at once, so this is the best stage to get acquainted with reacting to the enemies. Be careful when you get to the pipe section, as the Naginata Samurai will hit you if you are on the same level, hanging from the pipe he is standing on, or if you are standing on the pipe directly under him. If you are standing on a pipe above him, he will not hit you. He can also potentially hit you completely off the level, costing you a life.

Boss: Sumo Wrestler

The first boss, despite his size, behaves pretty much like the other basic enemies in this stage. You are also pitted against said basic enemies. Your goal here is to focus on the boss and then pick up the stragglers after he's gone. He has a three hit combo that will hurt you, but your best attack here is also the three hit combo or the Guillotine throw. Don&#65533;t attack from head on. Go above or below him and let him move up or down towards you. He has to be just about even with you to attack, so use this to your advantage. Also, don't let his minions surround you. Just pick your attacks and don't get too greedy and you should be fine. He also has a tendency to do a one arm jab when you try to jump at him, so a Guillotine Throw might be less effective here.

Environment

This stage is pretty straight forward. The only environmental hazard you will have to worry about is the hole in the pipe section with the Naginata Samurai. You can be knocked off by him if you are careless. Staying on the top pipe is preferable since the Naginata Samurai below you can't hit you.

Stage 2: Brooklyn, New York

Breakable Objects

Enemy Strategies

The enemies in the second stage are pretty similar to the first stage. You'll fight an additional type, the Motorcycle rider, but everyone else is a re-skinned version of something you've already seen. All strategies from above still apply here. There are plenty of opportune moments to hang kick enemies. Do so whenever you get the chance. The Motorcycle rider can be Guillotine Thrown. They will occasionally pop a wheelie, trying to hit you, but other than that, they're easy to dodge just by moving vertically. There still aren't a lot of enemies being thrown at you here, so you won't have to worry about getting sandwiched too often.

Boss: Biker Wrestlers

Not terribly different from what you've faced already. These guys get a unique double team move that looks pretty awesome. Their AI seems to be set so that they spread out on both sides of the stage in order to perform their double team move. This means that you generally only have to worry about one at a time.

In addition to these guys, two minor enemies will spawn as soon as the battle starts. It can be pretty easy to become overwhelmed, but a sword here can make a huge difference. If you don't have the sword, don't worry, it's still very manageable. Don't let them gang up on you, and don't get too greedy with attacking. If you think they are about to trap you into a corner, get out fast. Guillotine Throws do work here, but just like most other bosses, they have a tendency to hit you out of the air. Just keep in mind your vertical spacing and let them close the final feet of the gap while you start attacking.

Environment

No holes this time. The only thing to worry about here is moving traffic. There are two different parts where you have to dodge traffic: right at the beginning of the stage and shortly after. Thankfully, it's pretty easy. The cars come in a specific order and you have two options on how to get past. First you can wait for the cars to briefly stop and then cross the road. Secondly, you can grab onto the pole that is sticking out of the highway sign and swing across. You'll need to time your jumps this way too. You are (technically) safe once you make it to the white lines in the middle of the road, neither side of traffic can hit you. If you think you are about to get hit, jumping can save you, as the hitboxes are a little deceiving.

Stage 3: Las Vegas, Nevada

Breakable Objects

Enemy Strategies

You're fighting the same enemies in this stage that you have already fought in the previous two. The exception here is the Helicopter Thug. He's brand new, but a pushover with just 1 HP. One attack will send him crashing into the ground. I hate to keep repeating myself, but the hanging kick is the real winner in this stage. Almost every fight has an opportunity to use the hanging kick, save for a notable exception: After crossing the pipe section at the beginning, you'll drop down and fight six guys at a time. Keeping your back to the Casino sign will make the enemies come around to your front, allowing you ample opportunity to land your three hit combo, making this part much easier.

Boss: Three Claw Brothers

These guys look like a mix between Vega from Street Fighter and Phanto (the two-toned flying mask) from Super Mario Bros. 2, but that's where the similarities stop. These guys do their best to overwhelm you with their numbers. Attacking them head on is a bad idea since they have more range than Ryu. You must also be careful of their counter. When punching them, they have a chance of doing a back flip and then immediately lunging back towards the player. If it connects, it will knock you down and do 1 damage. For their other attack, they will try to land their 3 hit combo on you, although the 3rd hit has to connect to do damage to the player (which 99% of the time, it will). Guillotine Throws do work here, and since there are only three enemies on screen, it's usually a safe bet as long as the enemies are not right on top of each other.

Having a sword for this battle will make it go by much more quickly, as it tends to be a battle of attrition if you don't have one. But if you don't have one, don't worry too much, it's still very manageable.Use your vertical movement to draw them near you, while attacking from above or below, while they run into your combos.

Environment

One hole in the level, right near the beginning. The game sends out a Naginata Samurai just in case you are hanging from it. Word of advice: don't hang from it. Towards the end of the pipe section, there is a gap that you have to jump. If you wait too long, a Guy carrying a Log will appear and attack you, making it very hard to get across. If you jump across as soon as you can, you can immediately hang on a lamp post and Hanging Kick him into a Casino sign. There are also little orbs that float around on this railing section. They don't do any damage, but they do knock you down, and they can knock you into the hole if you aren't careful.

Stage 4: The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Breakable Objects

Enemy Strategies

This is where the game starts to get hard(er). Not necessarily because of different enemies, or more damage, but because there is a noticeable amount of more enemies, especially at one part. On your way to the river, use Hanging Kicks when possible. Once you get to the part with the Yellow Beer Sign and the Yellow Bench, things start to pick up.

You will have at times 8 or 9 enemies on screen. This can make your odds of survival less than favorable. Luckily, this a special case and these enemies only have 3 HP, meaning a 3 hit combo or a Guillotine Throw will suffice. An easy trick is to stand on the Yellow Bench. With the right positioning (your front foot should be all the way off the left side of the bench), the enemies will move in front of you high enough that you can attack them. If you can't get it, just try to move around a little to the right and when they start going right, move back left to kite them towards the left. Also, the enemies won't attack you while you are on the bench, save for the Guy carrying the Log, making this a potentially one sided fight.

Boss: Two Sumo Wrestlers

Not much has changed since the first one. Now you have to fight two bosses and two minor enemies. I'd recommend focusing on the minor enemies first since they will be on screen for a few seconds before the bosses start to come after you. Once they're out of the way, focus on landing your three hit combos. Remember to let them come to you. Guillotine Throws do work here, but the Sumo Wrestlers have a habit of stiff arming you when you jump in the air. Don't let them sandwich you and don't trap yourself in a corner and you should be fine.

Environment

There is now a water hazard. You will lose a life if you fall into it or if you get knocked into it. To cross it, you need to swing between a few branches. Using the Grab button, Ryu will grab the branch. Pressing forward and Jump will launch Ryu towards the next branch. You must press the Grab button again to grab the next branch. While you are trying to make your way across, Water Abominations will be popping up out of the water. If they hit you, you will fall. You can launch yourself over their heads, but it's probably easier just to use the Hanging Kick to dispatch them, and then cross when it's clear.

Stage 5: Train Station

Breakable Objects

Enemy Strategies

Once again, the difficulty from this stage comes from the increase of enemies. Before the bridge, it isn't too bad. Keep an eye out for signs to hang off, as they really help keeping the enemies out of attacking range. There are a ton of breakables in this stage, so utilize them to the best of your ability. Holding a sword until you get to the section with the first phone booth is advisable, as there are a good bit of enemies and there is no railing to hang on.

Once clear of this area, another tough area comes immediately after. You are forced to jump atop narrow railroad tracks to continue the stage. Once you start making your way across, eight enemies will rush you. This is another special case where the enemies only have three HP, but through sheer numbers, they still pose a very large threat. Keeping them to one side, standing still, and attacking when they are close is a very good option. Enemies will respawn once you've defeated one, so there are quite a few here.

Alternatively, you can try to kite the enemies towards the left hand side and then repeatedly jump towards the right. Once you reach land, you can drop down and wait for the enemies to drop down in front of you, one by one. This way is definitely easier and less dangerous. Be cautious after you have dispatched all of them, as the next area is a boss fight. In this boss fight there are also minor enemies. If you slowly move toward the right, but take care not to go past the brown wall that has the two pipes in it, you can spawn the minor enemies without triggering the boss battle. There are two waves of minor enemies and this can help greatly for the boss battle.

Boss: Biker Wrestlers

Nothing has changed since stage two. They will still keep a wide space between each other while both are alive. This means you can mostly fight one at a time. Three hit combos tend to work best when you let the enemy come to you, from below or above you. Guillotine Throws tend to get interrupted.

Environment

There is only one tiny area that the player can potentially fall to their death. After crossing the railroad tracks, the player is forced to jump down. If the player goes left, enemies that follow you down can knock you off the edge. Most players, however, will not go left, as there is no reason to. As for the railroad tracks themselves, the player cannot be hit off them, nor can the player hit any enemies off.

Stage 6: Final Stage

Breakable Objects

Enemy Strategies

This is where it gets really tough. Most enemy attacks now do 2 damage and the second and third bosses do 3 damage. If you were to play this on the arcades, you could see why it would be so frustrating. You only have 3 health, and each time you get hit, you lose all of it. This means if you aren't stocked up on lives, it will only take 3 hits from a boss before you have to start putting in more quarters. Starting out is the easy part. You will have access to the hanging leg kick all the way up until the first Boss. If you don't want to lose health, and possibly lives, utilize it.

Boss: Biker Wrestlers

These guys act the same as the previous versions, the only difference here is they do 2 damage when they hit you. That means you really don't want to get touched. Luckily, standing on the table in this fight makes it pretty easy. By standing on one end, the enemies will try to come around to your side. This gives you the opportunity to go back to the other side of the table, drop down, and wait for one of the bosses to come to you. Since the table is blocking the bottom part, they can only come from above you. By dropping down and keeping your back to the table, you are ensuring that you will more than likely land your 3 hit combo. Once you do land it, jump back on the table as they will be flashing for two seconds and impervious to your attacks. Repeat the whole process for an easy fight. Also be aware that there are two minor enemies once this battle starts.

Boss: Three Claw Brothers

Now these guys are just mean. This is by far the hardest battle in the entire game. Three enemies that do a whopping 3 Damage per attack, plus they will randomly counter when you attack. Since these guys will counter you (and more than likely on the first hit), the Guillotine Throw will probably be the safest bet. This is a tough fight, so you need to be constantly moving. Try not to let them trap you in a corner, and when you are trying to land a Guillotine throw, set it up so that the enemy is coming above or below you, not from the left or right. The closer you are to the enemy, the better. They have a tendency to hit you out of the air if you jump from too far away.

You can also use the table to your advantage. For whatever reason, they have a tendency to get stuck on the table when you are to the left most side of the screen, directly under the table. Even trying to kite them above the table and into the corner works pretty well. If you can manage to get two of them stuck behind the table, it becomes a whole lot easier. Just be careful when they get back up, as they will be impervious and more than likely, very close to you.

Boss: Final Boss

The Final Boss only has two attacks: Fire Breath and a sword attack. His fire breath is a very long horizontal attack, which makes horizontal spacing even more dangerous than it already is. When you get relatively close to him, he will use his sword attack, which has a pretty wide sweeping area too. What can really make this boss hard is his incredible range that he has over the player. Luckily, his main weakness here is vertical spacing; or to be specific, vertical spacing in which the player is above him.

By going toward either bottom corner of the screen, the boss will follow. If you wait until right before he attacks, and then use your high jump (UP Jump), you will jump over his head and land near the upper part of the screen, forcing him to walk upward to you. This is the preferable situation as he has to get just about even with you to attack. From here, you can just position yourself where you feel comfortable and wait for him to get into your attack range. Once you knock him down, just repeat the process.

Environment

No hazards whatsoever in this stages. Just minor enemies, bosses, bosses, and more bosses.

Closing

So that's it, hopefully you enjoyed your playthrough of Ninja Gaiden. It is definitely a hard game to learn, but this was how games were made back in the day (man I feel old saying that). It's pretty interesting to play old school games many years after they're released to see just how different games are today. Remember, if you have any questions or comments, you can contact by sending a PM. Click right here --->, Contact Information. Thanks again for reading! This FAQ is intended for private use and may not be sold for money, nor may it be hosted on any website other than listed below.

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