Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos Overview
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos is a side scrolling action title where the player controls the ninja Ryu Hayabusa. His mission is to confront a new antagonist, Ashtar, who seeks to bring darkness to the world following the defeat of a previous foe.
The gameplay involves navigating levels while running, jumping, and using a sword. A significant new ability allows Ryu to cling to and climb vertical surfaces. The action is fast paced and can be challenging, with environmental factors like strong winds and snowfall affecting movement in certain stages.
Ryu can find various power ups hidden in the stages. These include returning projectile weapons like fireballs and ninja stars, as well as a new feature called the ninja shadow. This power up creates clones that mimic Ryu's attacks, with a maximum of two shadows able to assist simultaneously.
Narrative exposition is delivered through cinematic scenes placed between the action levels. The visual design of the levels varies, with some areas like a dark night stage being illuminated only by occasional lightning flashes.
