NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA STRENGTH BEYOND STRENGTH - STRONGER THAN ALL - FULL PS3 FAQ/WALKTHROUGH Authored by VampireHorde MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMM MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMM MMMM LATEST UPDATE: --VERY HARD MODE WALKTHROUGH COMPLETED --MASTER NINJA MODE WALKTHROUGH COMING SOON! ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= What it do, party peoples? Let me get one thing straight: All my tips and tactics will be very detailed and will give PS3 players a run for their money against the experts of the original Xbox game. Do you think you can handle that? If so, scroll down and read on, Master Ninja! LET'S START THIS PARTY! RYDE OR DIE! ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= +++ TABLE OF CONTENTS +++ _________ ___ __ ____ ____ ____ /_ __/ _ | / _ )/ / / __/ / __ \/ __/ / / / __ |/ _ / /__/ _/ / /_/ / _/ /_/ /_/ |_/____/____/___/ \____/_/ _________ _ _____________ ____________ / ___/ __ \/ |/ /_ __/ __/ |/ /_ __/ __/ / /__/ /_/ / / / / / _// / / / _\ \ \___/\____/_/|_/ /_/ /___/_/|_/ /_/ /___/ To find a certain section of this FAQ, press CTRL+F and then type the letter of that section from the Table of Contents below. Trust me, this is a very lengthy FAQ and it's easy to get lost with all the stupid bullcrap that I tend to say. READY? AA...THE GAMEPLAY ASPECTS AB...THE WEAPONS --AB1...DRAGON SWORD/PLAMSA SABRE MK II/TRUE DRAGON SWORD --AB2...NUNCHUKUS/VIGOORIAN FLAILS --AB3...LUNAR --AB4...DRAGON CLAW & TIGER FANG --AB5...DABILAHRO --AB6...KITETSU --AB7...WAR HAMMER --AB8...WOODEN SWORD/UNLABORED FLAWLESSNESS --AB9...DARK DRAGON BLADE --AB10...SECONDARY WEAPONS & ARMLETS AC...FIEND CHALLENGE INFO AD...THE IMPORTANCE OF ESSENCE AE...FARMING FOR ESSENCE AF...KARMA IN YOUR ASS AG...MURAMASA'S SHOP INFO AH...CHAPTER/ONLINE RANKING & MASTER NINJA TIME RANKINGS AJ...HOW TO USE RACHEL SECTION AK...ADVANCED TIPS & TACTICS AL...HOW TO KILL EVERY ENEMY PROPERLY ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ++CHAPTER WALKTHROUGHS (PER DIFFICULTY) CHAPTER 1 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BA1 --HARD MODE.........DA1 --VERY HARD MODE....EA1 CHAPTER 2 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BB1 --HARD MODE.........DB1 --VERY HARD MODE....EB1 CHAPTER 3 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BT1 --HARD MODE.........DC1 --VERY HARD MODE....EC1 CHAPTER 4 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BC1 --HARD MODE.........DD1 --VERY HARD MODE....ED1 CHAPTER 5 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BC2 --HARD MODE.........DE1 --VERY HARD MODE....EE1 CHAPTER 6 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BC4 --HARD MODE.........DF1 --VERY HARD MODE....EF1 CHAPTER 7 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BD1 --HARD MODE.........DG1 --VERY HARD MODE....EG1 CHAPTER 8 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BE1 --HARD MODE.........DH1 --VERY HARD MODE....EH1 CHAPTER 9 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BF1 --HARD MODE.........DI1 --VERY HARD MODE....EI1 CHAPTER 10 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BG1 --HARD MODE.........DJ1 --VERY HARD MODE....EJ1 CHAPTER 11 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BH1 --HARD MODE.........DK1 --VERY HARD MODE....EK1 CHAPTER 12 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BI1 --HARD MODE.........DL1 --VERY HARD MODE....EL1 CHAPTER 13 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BJ1 --HARD MODE.........DM1 --VERY HARD MODE....EM1 CHAPTER 14 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BK1 --HARD MODE.........DN1 --VERY HARD MODE....EN1 CHAPTER 15 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BL1 --HARD MODE.........DP1 --VERY HARD MODE....EO1 CHAPTER 16 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BM1 --HARD MODE.........DQ1 --VERY HARD MODE....EP1 CHAPTER 17 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BN1 --HARD MODE.........DR1 --VERY HARD MODE....EQ1 CHAPTER 18 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BP1 --HARD MODE.........DS1 --VERY HARD MODE....ER1 CHAPTER 19 WALKTHROUGH --NORMAL MODE.......BQ1 --HARD MODE.........DT1 --VERY HARD MODE....COMING SOON! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ++BOSS/SUB-BOSS SECTION (PER DIFFICULTY) CHAPTER 1 MURAI --NORMAL MODE.......BA2 --HARD MODE.........DA2 --VERY HARD MODE....EA2 CHAPTER 2 HORSEMEN SUB-BOSS --NORMAL MODE.......BB2 --HARD MODE.........DB2 --VERY HARD MODE....EB2 CHAPTER 2 MASAKADO --NORMAL MODE.......BB3 --HARD MODE.........DB3 --VERY HARD MODE....EB3/EB4 CHAPTER 2 DOKU --NORMAL MODE.......BB4 --HARD MODE.........DB4 --VERY HARD MODE....EB5 CHAPTER 3 DYNAMO --NORMAL MODE.......BT3 --HARD MODE.........DC3 --VERY HARD MODE....EC3 CHAPTER 6 GAHRULA DINOS SUB-BOSS --NORMAL MODE.......BC5 --HARD MODE.........DF2 --VERY HARD MODE....EF2 CHAPTER 6 HYDRACUBUS --NORMAL MODE.......BC6 --HARD MODE.........DF3 --VERY HARD MODE....EF3 CHAPTER 7 BLACK DRAGON CLONE --HARD MODE.........DG2 --VERY HARD MODE....EG2 CHAPTER 7 BONE DRAGON --NORMAL MODE.......BD3 --HARD MODE.........DG4 --VERY HARD MODE....EG4 CHAPTER 8 GAMOV --NORMAL MODE.......BE3 --HARD MODE.........DH3 --VERY HARD MODE....EH3 CHAPTER 9 HYDRACUBUS --NORMAL MODE.......BF2 --HARD MODE.........DI2 --VERY HARD MODE....E12 CHAPTER 9 ALMA --NORMAL MODE.......BF3 --HARD MODE.........DI3 --VERY HARD MODE....EI3 CHAPTER 10 ALTERNATOR --NORMAL MODE.......BG3 --HARD MODE.........DJ3 --VERY HARD MODE....EJ3 CHAPTER 11 MILITARY TANKS X2 --NORMAL MODE.......BH2 --HARD MODE.........DK2 --VERY HARD MODE....EK2 CHAPTER 11 TOMOHAWK CHOPPER --NORMAL MODE.......BH3 --HARD MODE.........DK3 --VERY HARD MODE....EK3 CHAPTER 12 THUNDERBOLT WORM --NORMAL MODE.......BI3 --HARD MODE.........DL3 --VERY HARD MODE....EL3 CHAPTER 12 THUNDERBOLT WORM X2 --NORMAL MODE.......BI4 --HARD MODE.........DL4 --VERY HARD MODE....EL4 CHAPTER 12 BLACK DRAGON CLONE --HARD MODE.........DL5 --VERY HARD MODE....EL5 CHAPTER 12 PAZ ZUU --NORMAL MODE.......BI6 --HARD MODE.........DL7 --VERY HARD MODE....EL7 CHAPTER 13 DOKU --NORMAL MODE.......BJ2 --HARD MODE.........DM2 --VERY HARD MODE....EM2 CHAPTER 15 YOTUNFRAU --NORMAL MODE.......BL4 --HARD MODE.........DP4 --VERY HARD MODE....EO4 CHAPTER 15 FLAME WORM X2 --NORMAL MODE.......BL5 --HARD MODE.........DP5 --VERY HARD MODE....EO5 CHAPTER 15 SMAUGAN --NORMAL MODE.......BL6 --HARD MODE.........DP6 --VERY HARD MODE....EO6 CHAPTER 16 BLACK DRAGON CLONE (OUTER MONASTERY) --HARD MODE.........DQ4 --VERY HARD MODE....EP5 CHAPTER 16 BLACK DRAGON CLONE (GREAT BRIDGE SQUARE) --VERY HARD MODE....EP4 CHAPTER 16 ALMA AWAKENED --NORMAL MODE.......BM4 --HARD MODE.........DQ5 --VERY HARD MODE....EP6 CHAPTER 17 SPECTRAL DOKU --NORMAL MODE.......BN2 --HARD MODE.........DR2 --VERY HARD MODE....EQ2 CHAPTER 18 NICCHAE --VERY HARD MODE....ER3 CHAPTER 18 ISHTAROS --VERY HARD MODE....ER4 CHAPTER 18 MARBUS --NORMAL MODE.......BP3 --HARD MODE.........DS3 --VERY HARD MODE....ER5 CHAPTER 18 EMPEROR - FORM 1 --NORMAL MODE.......BP5 --HARD MODE.........DS4 --VERY HARD MODE....COMING SOON! CHAPTER 18 EMPEROR - FORM 2 --NORMAL MODE.......BP6 --HARD MODE.........DS5 --VERY HARD MODE....COMING SOON! CHAPTER 19 DARK MURAI --NORMAL MODE.......BQ2 --HARD MODE.........DT2 --VERY HARD MODE....COMING SOON! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ++FIEND CHALLENGES (PER DIFFICULTY) CHAPTER 3 - AIRSHIP --NORMAL MODE.......BT2 --HARD MODE.........DC2 --VERY HARD MODE....EC2 CHAPTER 6 - ARCHIVES ROOM --NORMAL MODE.......BD2 --HARD MODE.........DG3 --VERY HARD MODE....EG3 CHAPTER 10 - RITUAL ROOM --NORMAL MODE.......BG2 --HARD MODE.........DJ2 --VERY HARD MODE....EJ2 CHAPTER 12 - PERISTYLE PASSAGE --NORMAL MODE.......BI5 --HARD MODE.........DL6 --VERY HARD MODE....EL6 CHAPTER 12 - AQUADUCTS 4B --NORMAL MODE.......BI2 --HARD MODE.........DL2 --VERY HARD MODE....EL2 CHAPTER 15 - ZARKHAN STADIUM --NORMAL MODE.......BL2 --HARD MODE.........DP2 --VERY HARD MODE....EO2 CHAPTER 15 - STAIRWAY TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE --NORMAL MODE.......BL3 --HARD MODE.........DP3 --VERY HARD MODE....EO3 CHAPTER 16 - UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAY --NORMAL MODE.......BM2 --HARD MODE.........DQ2 --VERY HARD MODE....EP2 CHAPTER 16 - DRAWBRIDGE SQUARE --NORMAL MODE.......BM3 --HARD MODE.........DQ3 --VERY HARD MODE....EP3 CHAPTER 18 - GREAT BRIDGE SQUARE --NORMAL MODE.......BP2 --HARD MODE.........DS2 --VERY HARD MODE....ER2 RACHEL FIEND CHALLENGE #1: MONASTERY ANNEX --NORMAL MODE.......BC3 --HARD MODE.........DE2 --VERY HARD MODE....EE2 RACHEL FIEND CHALLENGE #2: MILITARY GATE --NORMAL MODE.......BE2 --HARD MODE.........DH2 --VERY HARD MODE....EH2 RACHEL FIEND CHALLENGE #3: HAYABUSA VILLAGE --NORMAL MODE.......BK2 --HARD MODE.........DN2 --VERY HARD MODE....EN2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CC1...SECRETS & EXTRAS CC2...INSTRUCTIONAL BOSS & GAMEPLAY VIDEOS JJ1...50 GOLDEN SCARABS LIST/NORMAL MODE POWER-UPS LIST JJ2...HARD MODE - LIFE OF THE GODS/POWER-UPS LIST JJ3...VERY HARD MODE - LIFE OF THE GODS/POWER-UPS LIST KK1...MISSIONS MODE SECTION KK2...SURVIVAL MODE SECTION LL1...XBOX TO PS3 CHANGES FAQ MM1...USELESS NINJA GAIDEN CRAP SECTION NN1...THANK YOU SECTION ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= AA. +++ WAR NERVE - THE GAMEPLAY ASPECTS +++ X BUTTON: JUMP CIRCLE BUTTON: SECONDARY/PROJECTILE WEAPON SQUARE BUTTON: REGULAR ATTACK TRIANGLE BUTTON: HARD ATTACK/HOLD FOR ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE START BUTTON: MENU SCREEN SELECT BUTTON: MAP L1 BUTTON: BLOCK BUTTON L2 BUTTON: KARMA SCORE R1 BUTTON: RE-CENTER CAMERA R2 BUTTON: MAP BUTTON D-PAD LEFT: CHOOSE HEALING/RESTORE ITEM D-PAD RIGHT: CHOOSE HEALING/RESTORE ITEM D-PAD UP: REMOVE INVENTORY SCREEN D-PAD DOWN: USE HEALING/RESTORE ITEM L3 BUTTON: NOT USED R3 BUTTON: TOGGLE FIRST-PERSON/THIRD-PERSON CAMERA WIND RUN: X + SQUARE NINPO: CIRCLE + TRIANGLE (SHAKE SIXAXIS FOR MORE POWER) COUNTERATTACK (SCROLL ONLY): PRESS TRIANGLE OR SQUARE WHILE BLOCKING REVERSE WIND: MOVE ANALOG STICK IN ANY DIRECTION WHILE BLOCKING +++ THINGS TO REMEMBER +++ --Ryu can now shoot Arrows in mid-air --Ryu can automatically run on water without needing to tap any buttons --When an enemy breaks your guard, it will make a "CLANG" sound --You DO NOT need to upgrade the Dragon Sword to use the Flying Swallow --Ryu can absorb Essence for an On-Land Charge WHILE blocking ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= AB. +++ SLAUGHTERED - RYU'S ARMORY +++ In this section, I will reveal everything you need to know about every single weapon in the game. Ready? --BUTTONS LEGEND: SQUARE BUTTON = [] TRIANGLE BUTTON = /\ DIRECTIONAL --> = PUSH ANALOG STICK FORWARD FROM RYU'S PERSPECTIVE ROTATE 360 = ROTATE LEFT ANALOG STICK IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB1. == DRAGON SWORD/PLASMA SABER MK II/TRUE DRAGON SWORD == The default weapon of choice. Before you decide to master other weapons in Ryu's inventory, you must first learn how to master Ryu's sword! Once you learn how to utilize the Dragon Sword, then using the other weapons will be a breeze. --LEVEL 1 CRIMSON SLASH [][][] TIGER ROAR [][]/\ FIEND BANE'S KICK [][] --> [][] EARLY WINTER RAIN [][] --> []/\ WINDMILL SLASH --> [] BLADE OF THE UNDEFEATABLE /\ HAZE STRAIGHT SLASH PRESS & HOLD /\ AZURE DRAGON --> /\ SCARLET DRAGON -->, PRESS & HOLD /\ VIOLENT WIND [] WHILE RUNNING THUNDERCLAP KICK /\ WHILE RUNNING BLADE OF EMPTY AIR JUMP STRAIGHT UP, /\ AIR DESTRUCTION SLASH JUMP FORWARD, [] FALLING DRAGON BLADE JUMP FORWARD, /\ CICADA SLASH RUN AGAINST WALL, [] OR /\ DIVINE CICADA SLASH [] OR /\ DURING BIRD FLIP --LEVEL 2 FANG OF THE WOLF [][]/\/\ BLADE OF NIRRTI []/\[][][][] VIOLENT GALE [][] WHILE RUNNING FLYING CRANE ROTATE 360, /\ --LEVEL 3 BLADE OF THE DRAGON'S TAIL [][]/\/\/\ GLEAMING BLADE ROTATE 360, PRESS & HOLD /\ --LEVEL 4 DRAGON TEAR [][][]/\ BLADE OF THE TWIN DRAGONS --> PRESS & HOLD /\, /\/\ --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES EXTINCTION STRAIGHT SLASH /\ + ESSENCE STORM OF THE HEAVENLY DRAGON /\ + ESSENCE MAX ROARING GLEAM ROTATE 360 PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE TRUE DRAGON GLEAM ROTATE 360 PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB2. == NUNCHUKUS/VIGOORIAN FLAILS == The Nunchukus/Vigoorian Flails are great weapons to use on smaller enemies and most of the bosses (if you know their weak spot). Use these if you want to show-off that you can beat a boss with a smaller weapon! ++NOTE: If Ryu tries to do the Runaway Lightning, chances are he'll end up doing the Wide Heavens combo instead. To pull it off properly, Ryu MUST stand next to an enemy before pulling off the combo. --NUNCHUKUS & FLAILS - LEVEL 1 DRAGON & PHOENIX [][][][][][] FIRE PIT 1 [][]/\ FIRE PIT 2 [][][]/\ FIRE PIT 3 [][][][]/\ FIRE PIT 4 [][][][][]/\ WIDE HEAVENS []/\ SWEEPING KICK --> [] FLAME WHEEL /\/\ AUSPICIOUS CRANE PRESS & HOLD /\ EARTH SLIDE [] WHILE RUNNING DEMON CHASER /\ ON DOWNED ENEMY SWEEPING STRIKE [] WHILE JUMPING DRAGON EMPEROR KICK /\ WHILE JUMPING HELL DROP [] OR /\ DURING BIRD FLIP MOUNTAIN CRANE []/\ OR /\/\ DURING BIRD FLIP RED-HOT IRON BRAND JUMP TOWARDS ENEMY, /\ --FLAILS ONLY - LEVEL 2 CREMATOR [][][] --> [][][][][] DRAGON SLAUGHTER [][][] --> []/\ RUNAWAY LIGHTNING []/\ NEAR ENEMY RIPPING THUNDER --> /\/\/\ --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES AUSPICIOUS PHOENIX PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE GATHERING CLOUDS PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB3. == LUNAR == The Lunar is one of the few weapons that are a little bit difficult to master than the others. While the Lunar does have a lot of super-fast combos to perform, its attacks are not so powerful until it is fully upgraded to Level 3. To properly utilize this weapon, Ryu must first learn to use its counterattack properly. After Ryu performs a counter, he can then perform a hard combo like the Black Widow for lots of damage to the enemy. Understand how the attack pattern works? The Lunar was the newest weapon that was first introduced in the Hurricane Packs for the original Xbox versions. --LEVEL 1 RAVEN STRIKE [][][] RAVEN LIGHT [][]/\ TWILIGHT []/\ ARC OF THE MOON /\ SOUL OF THE CRESCENT PRESS & HOLD /\ LION'S RAGE 1 --> [] BLACK WIDOW 1 --> []/\ CRESCENT STRIKE --> /\ PURGATORY'S RIVET [] WHILE RUNNING TWIN SERPENT STRIKE /\ WHILE RUNNING NIRMANAKAYA /\ NEXT TO DOWNED ENEMY TEMPEST [] WHILE JUMPING PHANTOM MOON /\ WHILE JUMPING GIBBOUS /\ DURING BIRD FLIP --LEVEL 2 DRAGON'S CLAW [][][]/\ INFINITE FURY []/\/\ LION'S RAGE 2 --> [][] BLACK WIDOW 2 --> [][]/\ --LEVEL 3 LION'S RAGE 3 --> [][][] BLACK WIDOW 3 --> [][][]/\ FULL MOON STRIKE --> /\/\ LUNAR EXPLOSION --> /\/\/\ RAVEN STREAM ROTATE 360, /\ --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES SHROUDED RESCENT PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE RAVEN'S VEIL PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB4. == DRAGON CLAW & TIGER FANG == The Dual Katanas are a great weapon to master if you are looking for something else to use other than the Dragon Sword. The Katanas have about 5 times more combos to learn than the Dragon Sword and both blades shave off more than 1.5% more health. Unfortunately, the Dual Katanas have a very slow reaction time after pulling a combo. Some enemy encounters become much more difficult because it takes Ryu a second to recover after pulling off a combo, which can lead to bad news. But other than that small problem, the Dual Katanas are still a bad-ass addition to the NG series. --LEVEL 1 TIGER'S ROAR [] DRAGON'S BREATH [][] MOONLIGHT REND [][][] TRANSMIGRATION SLASH [][][][] THREE ROBES & ONE BOWL [][][]/\ MAHAYANA BLADE [][][]/\/\ THERAVADA BLADE [][]/\ BLADE OF DHARMA'S WAY [][]/\/\ LIGHTNING STRIKE [][] --> [] DOUBLE LIGHTNING STRIKE [][] --> [][] TRIPLE LIGHTNING STRIKE [][] --> [][][] ROARING THUNDER [][] --> /\ THUNDER SLASH [][] --> /\/\ TRUE DRAGON'S BREATH [] [] (BUTTON DELAY) RISING DRAGON [] [][] (BUTTON DELAY) FALLING DRAGON [] [][][] (BUTTON DELAY) ZHONG KUI SLASH []/\ DOUBLE ZHONG KUI SLASH []/\[] FIRE DRAGON SPINNING DESCENT []/\/\ CLIMBING DRAGON BLADE [], PRESS & HOLD /\ TWIN BLADES [], PRESS & HOLD /\, /\ CONTINUOUS SLASH --> [] TWIN CONTINUOUS SLASH --> [][] FLYING DRAGON --> []/\ BLADE OF EARTH --> /\ BLADE OF HEAVEN -->, PRESS & HOLD /\ HEAVEN & EARTH -->, PRESS & HOLD /\, /\ FANG OF THE DRAGON /\ DOUBLE DRAGON FANG /\/\ TRIPLE DRAGON FANG /\/\/\ SWOOPING DRAGON FANG /\/\/\/\ HAZE ROLLING SLASH -->, PRESS & HOLD /\ SILENT GALE [] WHILE RUNNING GALE RISING SLASH /\ RISE TO HEAVEN ROTATE 360, /\ GROUND ROLL /\ NEXT TO DOWNED ENEMY SPIN SLASH /\ WHILE JUMPING DIVINE HAWK TWIN BLADES RUN AGAINST WALL, [] DIVINE HAWK DANCING BLADES [] DURING BIRD FLIP DESCENDING DIVINE HAWK RUN AGAINST WALL, /\ FLYING BIRD DESCENT /\ DURING BIRD FLIP --LEVEL 2 ROLLING THUNDER [][] --> /\ --> [] WAVES OF ROLLING THUNDER [][] --> /\ --> [][] ROARING THUNDER CROSS CUT [][] --> /\ --> [][][] RISING THUNDER [][] --> /\ --> []/\ FALLING THUNDER [][] --> /\ --> []/\/\ RISING ZHONG KUI []/\[][] HEAVENLY ZHONG KUI []/\[][][] FALLING DRAGON SLAYER []/\[][][][][] SPINNING DRAGON SLAYER []/\[][][][]/\ BIRD & DRAGON []/\[][][][]X FALLING ZHONG KUI []/\[][]/\ TWIN CROSS CUT --> [][][] DESCENDING DRAGON --> []/\/\ GALE CROSS CUT [][] WHILE RUNNING GALE FALLING SLASH /\/\ --LEVEL 3 BLADED WIND [][] --> []/\ GREAT DRAGON SLAYER []/\[][][][]/\/\ ZHONG KUI WHIRLWIND []/\[][]/\/\ SPINNING FIRE DRAGON []/\/\/\ WHIRLWIND SLASH /\/\ WHILE JUMPING SPINNING DIVINE HAWK RUN AGAINST WALL, /\/\ FLYING BIRD SPIN /\/\ DURING BIRD FLIP --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES EXTINCTION CROSS CUT PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE EXTINCTION RISE TO HEAVEN PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB5. == DABILAHRO == Of all the bigger weapons in Ryu's armory, the one you'll want to master is the Dabilahro. When you first equip it, it might seem a little difficult to perform combos with it because of its large size and slow combo animations. But in all fairness, it's more powerful. For smaller enemies, this weapon's counterattack works best. And for bigger enemies, the counterattack and Flaming Hell Slash will be your friends. Also, the Dabilahro is one of the better weapons to use when spamming for Karma points because of its long-range Ultimate Technique. Once you've mastered using the Dabilahro, then you can easily utilize the other bigger weapons with ease (like the Dark Dragon Blade). --LEVEL 1 DESTROYER OF ARMIES [][][][] FLAMING HELL SLASH 1 [][][][]/\ GLEAM OF HEAVEN & EARTH []/\ INFERNO SLASH /\ PURGATORY SLASH PRESS & HOLD /\ FLAMING INFERNO --> [] FLAMING WHIRLWIND --> /\ HUNDRED MAN SLASH ROTATE 360, /\ CORPSE CRUSHER /\ NEXT TO DOWNED ENEMY FOOL CRUSHER [] OR /\ WHILE JUMPING THUNDERUOS BLADE RUN AGAINST WALL [] OR /\ RAGING THUNDEROUS BLADE [] OR /\ DURING BIRD FLIP --LEVEL 2 There are no Level 2 moves --LEVEL 3 WHIRLING EMPIRE BLADE [][][][][] FLAMING HELL SLASH 2 [][][][][]/\ --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES HUNDRED DEMON'S BLADE PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE ASURA SLASH PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB6. == KITETSU == The Kitetsu was the original "dual Katana" of the Xbox Ninja Gaidens. Aside from its own special combos, the Kitetsu acts just like the Dragon Sword because of its same combos (Blade of Nirrti, etc.). The Kitetsu also has some cool life-sucking animations which leave Ryu invulnerable for a few seconds from enemy attack and it has the second coolest UT in the entire game called the Bassara! I only recommend that you use Kitetsu for fun until Ryu obtains the True Dragon Sword. Once he obtains the TDS, the Kitetsu becomes pretty much useless for the rest of the game. In the original Xbox Ninja Gaiden, the Kitetsu was a 3-leveled sword that drained Ryu's health for as long as he wielded it on his back. The only way to counter the life-draining effect was to equip an armlet called the Armlet of Tranquility. For NG Black and NG Sigma, the life- draining effect and the Armlet of Tranquility have both been omitted. --LEVEL 1 DARK RAIN [][][] STAB OF OVERPOWERING EVIL [][]/\ CRAZED BONES SLASH [][] --> [] DEAD SOUL BIND [][] --> [][] SOUL ERASER 1 [][] --> []/\ SOUL ERASER 1.1 /\ DURING DEAD SOUL BIND BEHEADED DEMON [][] WHILE RUNNING --LEVEL 2 There are no Level 2 moves --LEVEL 3 SOUL ERASER 3 [][] --> []/\/\/\ SOUL ERASER 3.1 /\/\/\ DURING DEAD SOUL BIND --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES EXTINCTION STRAIGHT SLASH PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE BASSARA PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB7. == WAR HAMMER === Not really one of my favorite weapons in the game. The WH has fewer combos than the Dabilahro and doesn't inflict as much damage. Unless you feel like you must complete Ryu's armory, there's really no use for this weapon unless you want to try it out for fun. --LEVEL 1 RAM'S HEAD DROP [] HORSE HEAD CRUSH [][] GLEAM OF HEAVEN & EARTH []/\ SURGING WAVE /\ THUNDER TREMOR PRESS & HOLD /\ STEEL SEVERE --> [] FLAMING WHIRLWIND --> /\ CORPSE CRUSHER /\ NEXT TO DOWNED ENEMY AVALANCHE DROP [] OR /\ WHILE JUMPING ROLLING THUNDER RUN AGAINST WALL [] OR /\ RAGING THUNDER [] OR /\ DURING BIRD FLIP --LEVEL 2 FLAMING TORRENT /\/\ SIX PATHS SPIN ROTATE 360, /\ --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES RAGE TREMOR PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE TREMOR OF THE HEAVENS PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB8. == WOODEN SWORD/UNLABORED FLAWLESSNESS == The Wooden Sword has very little attack power yet has SEVEN upgrade slots. It takes about 108,500 Yellow Essence total (or 108,000 on harder modes) to upgrade the sword to a big paddle-looking weapon called the Unlabored Flawlessness. At first glance, the Unlabored Flawlessness (or simply, the UF) has immense strength but slow attack animations. While it may be slow in terms of starting a combo, it can kill an enemy instantly. The UF also has a trick called the 5% Health Trick. When Ryu has less than 5% health in his HP bar, the kanji letters on the UF will start to glow. From that point on, any enemy or boss that is struck with the glowing UF will lose up to 40-55% of their health in ONE combo! You wanna talk about cheap and easy deaths? Then THIS is your weapon right here! --LEVEL 7 ATTACKS ONLY FLAMING HELL SLASH [][]/\ FLYING DRAGON FALLING SLASH []/\[][][][] FOREST WINDS & MOUNTAIN FIRES [], PRESS & HOLD /\, /\ BOULDER SPLITTER /\ STEEL SPLITTER PRESS & HOLD /\ HUNDRED DEMONS BITE --> [] FLAMING WHIRLWIND --> /\ HUNDRED MAN SLASH ROTATE 360, /\ --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES - LEVEL 7 ONLY TEMPERED STEEL SPLITTER PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE EARTH SPLITTER PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB9. == DARK DRAGON BLADE == The Dark Dragon Blade is the ABSOLUTE coolest and most stylish weapon in the game. The DDB actually has fewer combos than the Dabilahro but is just as powerful as the Unlabored Flawlessness (though no 5% health trick) and requires NO upgrades. This weapon can only be obtained on harder modes by collecting all 50 Golden Scarabs. So what's the point of using this blasted thing? Well, if you didn't complete any of the Fiend Challenges before obtaining this item, you can try it there. The DDB has a quicker combo attack and has the ABSOLUTE coolest Ultimate Technique in the game (better than the TDS). It might take a short while to get used to the DDB's slow UT absorption though, because it takes Ryu three seconds to fully charge it! --ATTACKS GLEAM OF HEAVEN & EARTH []/\ FLAMING HELL SLASH [][]/\ DRAK DRAGON DESCENDING FIENDS /\ DARK DRAGON FLAMING DRAGON PRESS & HOLD /\ HUNDRED DEMON'S BITE --> [] FLAMING WHIRLWIND --> /\ HUNDRED MAN SLASH ROTATE 360, /\ CORPSE CRUSHER [] OR /\ NEXT TO DOWNED ENEMY --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES DARK DRAGON CAUTERIZING SLASH PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE DARK DRAGON GATES OF HELL PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX Copy and paste this URL to see my video for this awesome weapon: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/91602.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AB10. +++ SECONDARY WEAPONS & ARMLETS +++ --SHURIKENS --INCENDIARY SHURIKEN --WINDMILL SHURIKEN --SMOKE BOMB --APFSDS CORES --EXPLOSIVE CORES --BOW/STRONGBOW --SPEAR GUN --ARMLET OF THE SUN --ARMLET OF THE MOON --ARMLET OF BENEDICTION --ARMLET OF FORTUNE --ARMELT OF CELERITY --ARMLET OF POTENCY Each Armlet has its own specific use. Sun and Moon increase attack or Defense power. Benediction increases Yellow Essence by 1.5 percent. Fortune gives you an additional Ninpo refill (two slots refilled instead of one). Celerity decreases the Ultimate Attack time by 1.5 seconds and the Potency Armlet increases your kick and throw attacks. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AC. == FIEND CHALLENGES == During a specific chapter or event, Ryu can partake in a special optional challenge called a "Fiend Challenge". When he enters an area, multiple numbers of fiends will keep spawning until all are dead and gone. On Normal Difficulty, Ryu will usually face off against 60 Fiends. As the difficulty level rises, the challenges increase by 20 fiends, which means a Fiend Challenge by the time you reach Master Ninja Mode will contain 120 Fiends. All Fiend Challenges are optional, but in some cases if you skip the challenge, you can still return to pursue the challenge again (and gain the prize) but you will NOT receive the Karma scores for it. So what is the point of pursuing these difficult challenges? For the most part, the prize for each challenge is usually a Power-up like a Lives of the Thousand Gods or a Spirit of the Devils. This is the complete list of Fiend Challenges to pursue for Ryu's walkthrough (most are available after a specific chapter and some are unavailable after certain events): --CHALLENGE #1: CHAPTER 3 - AIRSHIP --CHALLENGE #2: CHAPTER 6 - ARCHIVES ROOM --CHALLENGE #3: CHAPTER 10 - RITUAL ROOM --CHALLENGE #4: CHAPTER 12 - PERISTYLE PASSAGE --CHALLENGE #5: CHAPTER 12 - AQUADUCTS 4B --CHALLENGE #6: CHAPTER 15 - ZARKHAN STADIUM --CHALLENGE #7: CHAPTER 15 - STAIRWAY TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE --CHALLENGE #8: CHAPTER 16 - UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAY --CHALLENGE #9: CHAPTER 16 - DRAWBRIDGE SQUARE --CHALLENGE #10: CHAPTER 18 - GREAT BRIDGE SQUARE Unlike Ryu's challenges, which take place during specific chapters, Rachel has a Fiend Challenge in each of her chapters. It takes a little bit of exploration to find the challenge, but if Rachel pursues it and wins, she will receive the highest ranking at the end of the chapter. --RACHEL FIEND CHALLENGE #1: MONASTERY ANNEX --RACHEL FIEND CHALLENGE #2: MILITARY GATE --RACHEL FIEND CHALLENGE #3: HAYABUSA VILLAGE - CENTRAL BRIDGE ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AD. == THE IMPORTANCE OF ESSENCE == As you defeat enemies in the game, they release different colored Essence. There are three types of colored Essence: YELLOW, RED, and BLUE. BLUE Essence restores little to big chunks of health, RED Essence restores an empty Ninpo slot, and YELLOW Essence is the currency used for purchasing items from Muramasa. Depending on the situation, you can either absorb the Essence to collect the money and health OR...you can use Essence wisely and absorb it for an Ultimate Attack. When pressing and holding the Triangle Button during combat, Ryu will absorb any floating Essence and when the button is released, he unleashes an Ultimate Attack that instantly kills the enemy. Choose wisely on how to utilize the leftover Essence! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AE. == FARMING FOR ESSENCE === What is "farming for essence"? It means to kill enemies, grab the Yellow Essence they leave behind, leave the area, come back, and then repeat the process. As long as a set of enemies re-spawn in a certain area, the money will pour in. Depending on difficulty, Muramasa's inventory just gets more and more expensive. Why? Because he's a goddamn money-grubbing whore, that's why! In order for Ryu to afford the items that Muramasa sells at those bullshit prices (especially the Wooden Sword upgrades), Ryu needs to kill enemies and gather the Yellow essence that they leave behind to increase his paper. Ryu should take advantage of the re-spawning enemy presence and eliminate them by using UT's to double the essence intake. Usually a successful farm encounter can gather anywhere from 2000 essence up to 10,000 essence depending on the enemy or situation. Here is a list of areas that have re-spawning enemies (some areas don't have enemies until after a certain chapter and some enemies disappear after the chapter): --CHAPTER 1 - DOJO ROOM --CHAPTER 4 - TWIN SERPENTS PLAZA/DWORKU ALLEYWAY --CHAPTER 4 - CLOCK TOWER SQUARE/CLOCK TOWER STAIRWAY/CLOCK TOWER BASE --CHAPTER 6 - HAN'S BAR (ENEMIES RE-SPAWN THROUGHOUT ENTIRE GAME) --CHAPTER 6 - MOAT ROAD --CHAPTER 9 - CHAMBER OF EVERLASTING SLEEP --CHAPTER 10 - DRAWBRIDGE SQUARE/MOAT ROAD/DWORKU ALLEYWAY --CHAPTER 12 - AQUADUCTS 2B NEAR ELECTRIC WORM ROOM/PERISTYLE PASSAGE --CHAPTER 13 - MOATS/FLOODED MONK CHAMBER --CHAPTER 15 - STAIRWAY TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE --CHAPTER 16 - DRAWBRIDGE HILL/MOAT ROAD/CLOCK TOWER SQUARE --CHAPTER 17 - THE LABYRINTH --CHAPTER 18 - PALACE COMPOUND/THE CORE/GREAT BRIDGE SQUARE Also, once Muramasa gives you the Armlet Of Benediction, equip it when you begin farming so that you can receive twice the money in less time. Another alternate (but not recommended) way to gather lots of essence is to pursue a Fiend Challenge. Enter a Fiend Challenge and kill all but the last enemy and leave the battle. Return to the area and the Fiend Challenge will reset and you can start the Essence run again. Just know that you won't receive any Karma points if you do this! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AF. == KARMA IN YOUR ASS == What the hell is Karma? Karma is the score you receive for completing Chapters and defeating enemies and bosses. You will notice that when you press the L2 Button during a fight, it brings up a HUD that shows KARMA, COMBO, KILL, and TIME. Whenever you encounter an enemy or a group of enemies, that encounter is timed. If you finish the encounter within the Time Limit or not, you will still gain a score just for pursuing it. If you SKIP the encounter and then decide to return to pursue the encounter, the Karma score is forfeited. These are the scoring patterns: --COMBOS = 10 POINTS PER HIT Anytime you perform a regular or hard combo on an enemy while the Timer is running, the HUD will total up the hits. Each combo that you successfully make WITHOUT getting hit by the enemy (blocked hit or not) will multiply by ten. So if you made a 15-hit combo, multiply it by 10 and your score will increase by 150 points. Understand? The more combos that you can muster up, the more points you'll receive. --ESSENCE TECHNIQUE LEVEL 1 = 2,000 POINTS --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE LEVEL 2 = 5,000 POINTS When Ryu performs an ET/UT, he receives a score IF the Technique successfully hits the enemy. If the Technique misses, the score won't tally. A Level 1 ET is achieved by using one Essence and a Level 2 UT is achieved by absorbing two or more pieces of Essence. --KILL BONUS = VARIES Ryu and Rachel will receive a Kill Bonus IF they defeat an enemy or set of enemies within the Time Limit. Depending on the encounter, a successful Kill Bonus can range from 50,000 points all the way up to 150,000 points! You better start learning to speed up your kills! --NON-KILL BONUS = 1000 POINTS PER ENEMY If you DO NOT make the Time Limit during an enemy encounter, the Kill and Time Bonus is forfeited and you will only receive 1000 points for each enemy killed. So if you defeated 4 enemies but didn't make the Time Limit, you will only receive 4,000 points total. Understand it? --TIME LIMIT BONUS = 10,000 POINTS Every single enemy encounter is TIMED. Some encounters can range from 30 seconds up to 15 full minutes to finish. If you successfully defeat the enemies within the Time Limit on the HUD, you will be awarded 10,000 points IN ADDITION to the Kill Bonus. That's a lot of points! Remember, each encounter is only timed ONCE! --SPAMMING FOR KARMA What is spamming for Karma? There are certain ways to gain lots of points during an encounter and most of the time, Master Ninja players like to spam for Karma. Depending on the encounter, Ryu can exploit Karma by spamming Ultimate Techniques on the enemy. If you know how to exploit an enemy's weakness, Ryu can spend most of the battle just charging and unleashing Ultimate Techniques for lots of points. You have to ask which is better during a battle: a 50-hit combo worth 500 points or five successful Ultimate Techniques worth 25,000 points? Trust me, the highest Karma scores on the Sigma Leaderboards were all achieved this way. (Oops, did I reveal the "secret"?) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AG. == SHOPPING AT MURAMASA'S === As soon as you enter the supply room in Chapter 2, you will find a statue with an old man carrying a large bag. This is called the Muramasa Statue and it appears frequently throughout the entire game. Access it to open up an Inventory and Blacksmith screen. Muramasa will sell various items including Technique Scrolls, Maps, Elixirs, and Armlets, etc. Depending on difficulty, Muramasa will sell his items for as low as 500 Essence up to 15,000 Essence. When you select the Blacksmith Screen, you can choose to upgrade your weapons IF the upgrade is available. Don't wait until the last minute to upgrade! Any opportunity to make your weapons stronger is always the best one. And when you discover Golden Scarabs throughout the game, pass them on to Muramasa and he'll trade you the Scarabs for useful items. You'll receive various gifts for the Scarabs like a Life of the Gods and sometimes, he even gives you a brand spankin' new weapon to use! Also, if you feel so inclined, go to Muramasa's Shop in Tairon and try attacking that money-grubbing whore to see what happens. Here is a Price List for Muramasa's Items for specific difficulties: --NINJA DOG/NORMAL ELIXIR OF SPIRITUAL LIFE ELIXIR OF THE DEVIL WAY GREAT SPIRIT ELIXIR GREAT DEVIL ELIXIR TALISMAN OF REBIRTH ARROWS APFSDS CORES EXPLOSIVE ARROWS INCENDIARY SHURIKEN SMOKE BOMB ARMLET OF THE SUN ARMLET OF THE MOON ART OF THE INFERNO SCROLL FLYING SWALLOW SCROLL --HARD ELIXIR OF SPIRITUAL LIFE 1000 ELIXIR OF THE DEVIL WAY 3000 GREAT SPIRIT ELIXIR 10,000 GREAT DEVIL ELIXIR 15,000 TALISMAN OF REBIRTH 20,000 ARROWS 10 APFSDS CORES 200 EXPLOSIVE ARROWS 100 INCENDIARY SHURIKEN 100 SMOKE BOMB 400 ARMLET OF THE SUN 5000 ARMLET OF THE MOON 5000 ART OF THE INFERNO SCROLL 1000 FLYING SWALLOW SCROLL 1000 --VERY HARD ELIXIR OF SPIRITUAL LIFE 1500 ELIXIR OF THE DEVIL WAY 4000 GREAT SPIRIT ELIXIR 10,000 GREAT DEVIL ELIXIR 15,000 TALISMAN OF REBIRTH 20,000 ARROWS 10 APFSDS CORES 200 EXPLOSIVE ARROWS 100 INCENDIARY SHURIKEN 100 SMOKE BOMB 500 WOODEN SWORD 500 ARMLET OF THE SUN 5000 ARMLET OF THE MOON 5000 GUILLOTINE THROW 1000 COUNTERATTACK SCROLL 1000 FLYING SWALLOW SCROLL 1000 --MASTER NINJA COMING SOON! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AH. == CHAPTER/ONLINE RANKINGS == There are five types of rankings that Ryu can achieve as he completes each Chapter. Depending on how good or how completely suck-ass you are as a player, your ranking will reflect your skills. As for the Sigma Leaderboard rankings, the majority of rankings are all based on Karma Score. These are the chapter rankings from lowest to highest: --NINJA DOG --LESSER NINJA --GREATER NINJA --HEAD NINJA --MASTER NINJA Usually, the biggest factor in your ranking is the Chapter Time Limit (especially on the harder modes). While you may be able to muster up a lot of kills and gather lots of Essence, you can still get a low Ranking. The game factors up several types of requirements: --CHAPTER TIME LIMIT With the exception of a couple of chapters towards the end, you can easily get a high ranking by completing a chapter in less than 10-15 minutes. Some chapters give you the benefit of the doubt and give you the highest ranking IF you can muster up a ton of kills past the chapter time limit. Read the next section below for the Clear Times. --# OF KILLS There a few chapters where the # of kills is a requirement in order to get the highest ranking. A good example is the "Tairon Under Alert" chapter where you can literally finish the chapter in less than 7-8 minutes and still receive a low ranking. Usually, the best way to boost up your ranking is to finish Fiend Challenges during a specific chapter and that'll do it for you. --UNUSED NINPO It's simple as it sounds. If you can finish a chapter with all Ryu's Ninpo slots still full, expect a full score. --ESSENCE COLLECTED If Ryu finishes a chapter with a ton of collected (and unused) Yellow Essence, he can rack up a high ranking. Just note that using the collected Essence at Muramasa's Statue DOES count against you, so use the Essence wisely! Wanna receive a Master Ninja Ranking for each Chapter? The list below will give details for the Clear Time per chapter! Some of the Chapter Clear times increase dramatically on harder difficulties while some still rely on the # of Kills. === MASTER NINJA RANKING TIME REQUIREMENTS === NINJA DOG/NORMAL HARD MODE VERY HARD CHAPTER 1 9-10 MINUTES 9-10 MINUTES 10-15 MINUTES CHAPTER 2 10-15 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES CHAPTER 3** 10-15 MINUTES 10-15 MINUTES 15-25 MINUTES CHAPTER 4 10-15 MINUTES 10-15 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES CHAPTER 5** 10-15 MINUTES 10-15 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES CHAPTER 6 10-15 MINUTES 10-15 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES CHAPTER 7** 25-40 MINUTES 40-60 MINUTES 30-60 MINUTES CHAPTER 8** 20-25 MINUTES 20-30 MINUTES 15-30 MINUTES CHAPTER 9 20-30 MINUTES 20-30 MINUTES 30-50 MINUTES CHAPTER 10** 10-20 MINUTES 10-20 MINUTES 20-25 MINUTES CHAPTER 11 20-30 MINUTES 20-25 MINUTES 20-25 MINUTES CHAPTER 12** 30-35 MINUTES 40-45 MINUTES 45-60 MINUTES CHAPTER 13 15-20 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES 20-25 MINUTES CHAPTER 14** 10-15 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES CHAPTER 15** 30-40 MINUTES 70-80 MINUTES 80-90 MINUTES CHAPTER 16** 30-35 MINUTES 40-45 MINUTES 45-60 MINUTES CHAPTER 17 10-15 MINUTES 10-15 MINUTES 15-20 MINUTES CHAPTER 18** 20-30 MINUTES 20-25 MINUTES 40-50 MINUTES CHAPTER 19 5-10 MINUTES 5-10 MINUTES 10-15 MINUTES **Complete the Fiend/Enemy Challenges in this Chapter to receive an automatic Master Ninja ranking! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AJ. +++ THE PEARL NECKLACE - UTILIZING RACHEL +++ Oh my, the lovely and voluptuous Rachel. Controlling and using Rachel is much different than controlling Ryu. She moves like a tank and is pretty slow when it comes to combos. So how can you use Rachel properly without dying all over the place? First of all, Rachel's best line of defense is her counterattack. Since her combos take some time pull off, her counterattack is the closest thing to a fast combo. The main strategy is to lure the enemy into attacking you and then countering. Also, when an enemy strikes at Rachel, she can immediately flip over them while blocking and then strike them from behind with a hard combo. This is probably the only evasion move that Ryu does NOT have in his set of evasion moves. When fighting multiple big and small enemies, Rachel should target the weakest one first. For example, when fighting Samurais and Warlocks, Rachel should kill the Warlock and then use his Essence to UT the other Samurais. If Rachel faces off against Shadow Fiends and Red Dinos, she should lure the smaller fiends away from the Dinos, kill them off, and then use the Essence for a UT on the dinos. Understand how the pattern works in these situations? Also, don't hesitate to use wall attacks! Here's a complete list of Rachel's War Hammer attacks and combos: --DEFAULT LEVEL 2 ATTACKS RIGHT FANG [] LEFT FANG [][] VIPER BITE [][][] COPPERHEAD KICK [][][], -->, [] VIPER CRUNCH [][][][] BARE FANGS []/\ SAVAGE SNAKE []/\/\ YELL IN PAIN [][]/\ MAX PAIN [][]/\/\ HIGH KICK --> [] DOUBLE HIGH --> [][] INTEGRAL HIGH --> [][][] PYTHON BITE --> [][][][] PYTHON CRUNCH --> [][][][][] HIGH KICK VENOM --> []/\ DOUBLE HIGH VENOM --> [][]/\ INTEGRAL HIGH VENOM --> [][][]/\ STINGER --> /\ SNAKE HUNT --> /\/\ SNAKE KILLER --> /\/\[] OR --> /\/\/\ VENOM /\ PIERCING KICK [] WHILE RUNNING DEADLY VENOM /\ WHILE RUNNING ANACONDA CLUTCH ROTATE 360, /\ SERPENT HAMMER [] OR /\ WHILE JUMPING --ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES SIDEWINDER PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE JORMUNGANDR PRESS & HOLD /\ + ESSENCE MAX For an example of how to properly use Rachel, copy and paste this URL to see a Rachel Fiend Challenge video: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/78514.html ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= AK. +++ DOMINATION - ADVANCED TIPS & TACTICS +++ If you want to see if you are indeed a Master Ninja player (or want to play like one), then utilizing the tactics mentioned below is vital in becoming an expert player. The more that you practice these advanced tactics, the easier it becomes to becoming a veteran player. If you find yourself already doing the things I mention here, congratulate yourself because you've earned my respect. --ALWAYS BLOCK!!!! I can NEVER stress this enough: ALWAYS BLOCK! If taking cover is the main strategy in Gears Of War, then blocking should be the main strategy for Ninja Gaiden. When you aren't busy performing kick-ass combos on your enemies, you should be in a defensive stance! No matter how close or far you are to the enemy, one finger should be on the Block Button regardless! Trust me, I've seen horrible gameplay videos (*cough IGN cough*) where the player didn't understand the gist of using the Block Button. Don't be that person, be the EXPERT! --ALWAYS USE THE ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE (UT) When Ryu kills an enemy (or a bunch of them), they leave essence for you to absorb. Instead of wasting time collecting the essence for the sake of collecting it, use essence wisely by absorbing it for Ultimate Techniques. Anytime that essence is floating around, don't hesitate to absorb it and unleash holy Hell on your enemies. By doing this, it increases your Karma score and it more than doubles the Yellow Essence intake left over. Also remember, if Ryu is in a blocking stance, he CANNOT absorb the essence by mistake! --BE EVASIVE BUT DEFENSIVE Always use the Reverse Wind when fighting enemies. If an enemy has an attack that breaks your guard (when Ryu falls back while blocking) the enemy WILL cause damage to you on the next hit. To avoid the embarrassing pain, use the Reverse Wind to evade the attack as soon as your guard is broken. Rolling away is a good way to avoid getting swarmed. Stay defensive while rolling, too! When rolling away, keep your finger on the Block Button so that another enemy doesn't attack you during mid-roll (it can happen). Remember, being a defensive player doesn't make you a wimp, it makes you a better player. Don't let any smart-mouthed peckerhead tell you otherwise! --USE THE ROLL JUMP This is a move that every expert player never leaves home without. To get through an area faster (or if you wanna avoid confrontations), using the roll jump is the fastest way to do it. While running, press the Block Button to roll and then press the X Button to jump forward. It's like doing a rolling somersault. Keep doing the move to get through an area faster. --LEARN THE COUNTER-ATTACK Every single weapon in the game has a special counter attack. Counters are crucial in most battles and are very helpful in eliminating enemies faster instead of just standing and blocking. To do the Counter attack for any weapon, hold the Block Button. When the enemy strikes you, press (don't mash) the Triangle Button at the right time when you hear the "CLANG" sound to perform the counter WHILE BLOCKING. Ryu will then break their attack with his own. Trust me, it's NOT so easy to learn, but once you figure out how it works, you'll never stop using it. Copy and paste this URL to see an instructional video for Counters: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/102857.html --AVOID USING NINPO ATTACKS Yes, as pretty as the animations look for each attack, using Ninpo is just a time-waster. Using Ninpo on enemies is NOT necessary when you already know how to defeat them and trying Ninpo attacks on bosses is COMPLETELY useless anyway, so why bother with it? For the record, it IS indeed possible to go through the ENTIRE game without equipping Ninpo at all! If a player claims that the only way to beat harder difficulties is to spam your Ninpo attacks, DON'T LISTEN TO THEM! --UTILIZE THE ON-LAND CHARGE (OLC) The On-Land Charge is an advanced move that first-time players will not understand at first. When performing an Ultimate Attack, Ryu has to spend about a second or two to charge up and absorb essence, which leaves him vulnerable to attack. To make this animation go even faster, utilize the On-Land Charge. To do an OLC, jump up and then press and hold the Triangle Button as soon as Ryu's feet touch the ground and then unleash it for a quick Ultimate Attack (or hold the button until the enemy closes in). When you do an OLC, Ryu will immediately absorb the essence and can perform the Ultimate Attack without needing to actually charge. This move takes advantage of situations where you have multiple essences floating around and being bombarded by enemies. Remember, Ryu can also do an OLC from a roll jump! Copy and paste this URL to see an instructional video for the OLC: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/92749.html --RELY ON BLUE ESSENCE INSTEAD OF ELIXIRS It's as simple as it sounds. If you find that you are consuming way too many Elixirs before you even reach the next boss battle, then you need to seriously practice your techniques. Ryu should conserve all of his Elixirs for boss battles only! Well, unless you are playing as Rachel. --AVOID SPAMMING YOUR ATTACKS What is a spam attack? It is when a player constantly does the same moves over and over. One example is the Flying Swallow attack. Players that spend most of their time spamming their attacks only show just how much they haven't learned. Ryu has a large arsenal of moves and all you're gonna do is spam ONE move? I don't think so. Be creative and mix your attacks! Unless you are on the last set of chapters (or you're spamming for some Karma), there's no reason to spam one attack incessantly on Chapter 1! --MASTER NINJA DIFFICULTY IS ONLY FOR HARDCORE PLAYERS You do not need to defeat this difficulty to call yourself a veteran player. Out of the three harder difficulties, the one that will test your patience is Very Hard Mode. If you can defeat Very Hard Mode with little to no problems, then pat yourself on the back, Master Ninja Vet! If you feel you need that extra push after completing VH Mode, then go ahead and attempt Master Ninja Mode. It should be easy...MY ASS! ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= AL. +++ MESSAGE IN BLOOD - KNOWING YOUR ENEMY +++ In this section, I will explain the best tactics to use for each enemy in the game. Every single enemy in the game (minus one or two of them) is well-balanced and has attacks to use against you from all ranges. While it may seem simple to just do the same combo over and over, using the same moves on every enemy might not always work out so well. This isn't God Of War or Devil May Cry! NOTE: this section is for regular enemies only! Boss and Sub-boss strategies will be explained in the main walkthrough. --BROWN NINJA --WHITE NINJA These guys are the easiest enemy you'll encounter in the game. They don't have any guard-breakers and rarely inflict any hard damage. While they aren't hard to defeat, the white ninjas are a little bit tricky, so be on your guard when you're on the offense. --BLACK SPIDER NINJA --RED FIRE NINJA --PURPLE WS NINJA These guys are no joke, unlike the brown and white ninjas. Not only do they have guard-breakers but they also have grab moves and special weapons at their disposal. All it takes is a couple of hard combos to kill them, but what you REALLY need is to be super defensive AND evasive to keep from being swarmed. Use counterattacks on them and always utilize the Izuna Drop to lessen the herd. --SAMURAI --WARLOCK Usually, Samurais on foot are always accompanied by a Warlock or two. The main strategy here is to avoid the Samurais and focus on the Warlock. Evade and block the Samurai attacks and wait for the Warlock to appear. When he appears, roll under his fireball TOWARDS him and perform a hard combo to kill him. If the fireball attack is too difficult to dodge, toss a projectile at the Warlock BEFORE he throws the fireball. This will stop him and sets him up for a combo. Use the leftover essence for UT's against the Samurais, rinse & repeat. Trust me, this tactic works wonders in Chapter 2! --M-SAT SOLDIER --ROBOT M-SAT SOLDIER --M-SAT COMMANDER --ROBOT M-SAT COMMANDER These guys also require you to be on your guard. They have guns to shoot at you if you are too far and they have a mean guard breaker and grab move (SLIT THROAT AND KNEE TO THE GUT!). Use quick evasive rolls, counterattacks, and the Izuna Drop to get the best of these guys. --MOTORCYCLE M-SAT SOLDIER --MOTORCYCLE ROBOT M-SAT SOLDIER All it takes is a few well-timed Flying Swallow attacks or a Guillotine Throw to unseat these guys from their bikes. Avoid trying to block the motorcycle as it approaches you and just keep your distance. --RED DINOS (GAHRULAS) --BLUE DINOS Both of these dinos have five attacks: a chomp attack, a two-hit combo, fire breath, jumping attack, and a tail swipe. All these attacks can be evaded using evasive rolls. A good combo to perform on these lizards is the Blade of Nirrti attack. After evading one of their attacks, use the Blade Of Nirrti as a counter. Separate the group and then fight each one individually as much as possible. Once Ryu acquires the Dabilahro, use the Flaming Hell Slash combo on them. --MACE-WIELDING GREEN/RED OGRES These guys are probably the biggest enemy in the game. A lot of the ogre's attacks are based on their large maces, which means you need some heavy firepower to kill them. Your best weapon against these overgrown freaks is a fully upgraded Dabilahro. When the ogre begins his mace attack, simply roll forward IN FRONT of the ogre to avoid getting whacked. When it stops to recover, immediately do ONE Flaming Hell Slash combo on it. If they retaliate by jumping up, roll away. Always roll FORWARD when they use their mace or backhand attacks to easily evade them and then counter with a Flaming Hell Slash. Repeat this tactic as necessary to kill these stupid freaks. Copy and paste this URL to see how to defeat these Ogre freaks: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/90778.html --CATWOMAN (KIYATT) These feline pussies are the cheapest enemies in the game. Not only can they break your guard, but they can also grab you while you are evading them. Most of your combos will be difficult to pull off since they run and flip around all the goddamn time. The best weapon to use against them is the long-range Lunar. The Twilight combo of the Lunar usually stops them dead in their tracks, so abuse it! If worse comes to worse and you find that they are too difficult to kill, equip some Explosive Arrows and then shoot them in mid-air. This will put those furball pussies to bed. THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!!!! --BROWN SHADOW FIENDS --PINK SHADOW FIENDS I really don't know what the difference is between these two enemies are since they are virtually the same enemy (except with a different colored skin). These guys are quite easy to dispatch with a few easy counterattacks and some hard Izuna Drops, so abuse it! --ONE-EYED PINCER FIENDS This guy is a strong and sneaky little bitch. Most of its attacks break your guard and they have that annoying home run slide attack. When it breaks your guard, roll back and try to counter with an Izuna Drop. That should do it for them. --SCYTHE-WIELDING FIENDS These guys are quite annoying since they like to do cheap swipes with their scythes. The best weapon to use against them is a Level 2 Dragon Claw & Tiger Fang. Jump up towards the fiend and press the Square Button FOUR times and see what happens. It's HI-LARIOUS! --ZOMBIE WARRIOR/ARCHER (GHUULS) The archers are the ones to be concerned about. While the other zombies are (slowly) trying to attack you, the archers can easily damage you with their arrows. Kill the archers in the area FIRST and then focus on the other zombies. If a zombie looks like he's about to hug you, roll back to avoid getting molested by them. Use any weapons and combos you want on these guys but watch out! When you see one of them about to strike with their large weapon, be ready to roll away or BLOCK! --ARMORED SOLDIER --MECHA-ARMORED SOLDIER --RPG SOLDIER --MECHA-RPG SOLDIER These guys are a little more difficult to kill than the M-SAT soldiers because of their heavy armor and their non-stop machine gun fire (or rockets). Also, these are the only enemies in the game that have a combo breaker move. When you try to do a combo on them, they can immediately break your combo and attack back at you. Fortunately, there is a way to kill them in one hit: Explosive Arrows. 'Nuff SAID! --ZOMBIFIED MSAT SOLDIER These guys are sort of like a bizarre mix between the Black Spider Ninjas, regular MSAT soldiers, and the Warlocks. Use evasive rolls and wall attacks and then counter at them with the Izuna Drop. --PURPLE ZOMBIES You only encounter these guys ONCE in the main game. They have a super long life bar and are quite difficult to kill under the Time Limit. Simply equip the Dabilahro and spam the Ultimate Technique on them to kill them all. --LASER/BULLET/BOMB COPTERS You can kill these copters with any types of Arrows or with the Windmill Shuriken. With Rachel, use the Peluda Tail to destroy them. --BATS --WASP FIENDS Bats can easily be killed with Shurikens, while the Wasp Fiends (those Metroid-looking rip-offs) can be killed with simple combos or Projectiles. Simply block the Wasp Fiends and then counter. --STINKFISH MERMAID (GILLDABL) These guys are more dangerous if you approach them up close, so avoid the close encounter. When they are at a mid-to-far distance, they throw Waterballs at you. To kill these guys, rely on using projectiles like Explosive Arrows or the Windmill Shuriken. Run on the water to get within mid-distance and then start shooting them using mid-air attacks. --WHITE LIGHT APPARITIONS These are those large glowing thingies that are found in the caverns under the Monastery. Simply use the Windmill Shuriken or Arrows to eliminate these floating light bulbs. Be careful though because these high-falootin' things can break your guard! --GHOST FISH I love and hate these Fish. I love them because they bestow so much leftover Yellow essence when you kill them all properly. I also hate them because all it takes is ONE bite from them to ruin the Yellow Essence run. To kill these Fish properly, equip the Flails and walk into a Fish area and then jump and attack. When Ryu lands on the ground, use a continuous Flail combo but DO NOT finish the combo! When it looks like the combo is about to be done, quickly jump up again and repeat the tactic. With some well-timed jumps and attacks, you can net close to 10,000 essence in ONE encounter! Repeat over for more money! --LARGE DUNG BEETLES --LARGE GREEN FISH The beetles are quite aggressive with their attacks and can really hamper your combos. Equip the Dabilahro and perform a downward wall strike to kill a couple of them. Now roll jump to the other end of the room and use the On-Land Charge for an Ultimate Technique. Roll jump from one end of the room to the other end and repeat (you gotta be FAST!). For the large green fish, simply avoid them by not swimming in front of them. You can also kill the green fish using APFSDS Cores (if you are standing above them on dry ground) or with the Spear Gun. --CRAB FIENDS (ARIOCHS) Oh dear god, I've hated these things ever since I first fought them in the original Xbox Ninja Gaiden. Just use the Flying Swallow and mid-air Explosive Arrows on these freaks, WHATEVER! --KNIGHTMARES These guys are quite brutal as the Ogres and are more agile to boot, but they do have a very serious weakness that you can exploit! Equip a Level-3 Dabilahro and approach the Knightmare and let him attack you. You'll notice that when Ryu blocks the Knightmare's regular attacks, it does NOT break his guard (except for the second combo hit)! Take advantage of this weakness and use the Counterattack like crazy! +++ENEMY NOTE: Some of the enemies that are mentioned in this section usually don't appear until harder modes or Mission Mode. Once you start Hard or Very Hard Mode (or Master Ninja Mode, if you're lucky), expect to see different enemies where you normally wouldn't see them. ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= +++ BY DEMONS BE DRIVEN - THE WALKTHROUGH +++ ____ __ __ __ _ ______ _/ / /__/ /_/ /_ _________ __ ______ _/ /_ | | /| / / __ `/ / //_/ __/ __ \/ ___/ __ \/ / / / __ `/ __ \ | |/ |/ / /_/ / / ,< / /_/ / / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / / |__/|__/\__,_/_/_/|_|\__/_/ /_/_/ \____/\__,_/\__, /_/ /_/ /____/ The walkthrough below is a non-Ninpo walkthrough for Ninja Dog/Normal Mode and is detailed as I can make it. You will also find the locations for all the Power-Ups and all 50 Golden Scarabs here. I will also add links to websites with expert Sigma videos (made by yours truly) for most of the difficult battles at the bottom of the walkthrough. ======================================================================= ======================================================================= BA1. +++ CHAPTER 1: THE WAY OF THE NINJA +++ _______ _____ ___ _____________ ___ / ___/ // / _ | / _ \/_ __/ __/ _ \ < / / /__/ _ / __ |/ ___/ / / / _// , _/ / / \___/_//_/_/ |_/_/ /_/ /___/_/|_| /_/ ++ AREA: VALLEY OF THE SHADOWS ++ --OBJECTIVE: INFILTRATE THE FORTRESS After the cutscene, collect an Elixir from the dead body. Two ninjas will appear from both sides, so be ready to eliminate them. Test out your weapon on them and eliminate them with ease. At the end of the mountain ledge (where the second ninja jumped out from) you'll find a lone chest. Open it and continue up the hill towards the fortress. Further down the path is a large closed doorway. It can't be opened yet, so just ignore it and take the rocky ledges to the top. Jump past the open gap and grab Ayane's first Kunai scroll. Run up against the wall to grab the ledge and then shimmy to the right and climb up. Open the nearby chest for a goodie and then climb up the next wall and jump up. Go up the large tree bark onto the ledge to encounter two more enemies. Slice them down with some easy combos and then use a Wall Run to the next ledge. Open the chest to receive a new item. Now jump towards the branch and swing and jump to the next ledge. Use a Bird Flip to the upper ledge and prepare for battle. As you enter the pathway, three more enemies will emerge. You can either cut them down or avoid the battle by using a Bird Flip out of the cave from the area they emerge from. ++ AREA: NINJA FORTRESS ++ --OBJECTIVE: FIND THE SAVE POINT Enter the fortress to encounter two more enemies. Cut them down with some fancy combos and then enter the fortress. As you enter the first room (brown room), you will encounter three enemies. Eliminate them and then open the lone chest for a goodie. Exit this room to the next one. ++ AREA: YELLOW ROOM ++ This area will be your first real test of combat. About 6-8 enemies will drop from the ceiling above and swarm you. Prepare the blood feast by testing out more combos. Be sure to be evasive and this room will be too easy. Once the room is cleared, exit out from the newly opened doorway to the next room. ++ AREA: STORAGE HALL ++ As soon as you enter this hall, three enemies will be waiting on the right side. Eliminate them to clear this area. Before you exit this room, head to the opposite area from where you entered to see a large Samurai statue holding a Key Item. Ignore it for now and collect the Elixirs next to the statue. Exit the hall to the opposite doorway to the next area. ++ AREA: TATAMI ROOM ++ ++LIVES OF THE THOUSAND GODS #1 As you enter into this room, open the well-hidden chest next to the door to find your first LIVES OF THE THOUSAND GODS item! Equip it to increase your health bar! Now go further into the room and be prepared for more enemies to jump down from the ceiling. Now is a good time to try out the On-Land Charge move on these guys. Once the room is cleared, open the lone chest to obtain a FLYING SWALLOW Scroll. Exit the room by cutting open the scroll on the wall next to the large pot. ++ AREA: DOJO ROOM ++ There is a large trapdoor in this room. Avoid falling into it for now. This room will test your patience and the skills you've learned so far. About 10-12 enemies will appear from out of the rotating walls to swarm you. Outdo their tactics by being on your guard. Use evasive rolls and attack them from behind. Once the room is cleared, head past the trapdoor towards the wall scroll and cut it down to reveal a small doorway. Enter that room to find the Save Point. Save your game and then enter back into the Dojo room. Fall through the trapdoor to fall into a cave below the fortress. ++ AREA: UNDERGROUND STORAGE HOUSE ++ --OBJECTIVE: FIND THE FANGS OF THE SAMURAI There are a couple of hard-to-see pots at the end of the cave. Destroy them to find a hidden chest with a goodie inside. Use the Shurikens on the bats to gather essence if you need to. Just before you exit the cave, open the chest just near the exit to find the FANGS OF THE SAMURAI Key Item. Now exit outside by destroying the fire posts and then jumping back to the upper ledge. Grab Ayane's Kunai if you want and then continue up the ledge. Destroy the two enemies and enter back inside to see an open ceiling gap that leads down to the Tatami Room. Before jumping down, open the lone chest to find a TALISMAN OF REBIRTH. --OBJECTIVE: RETRIEVE THE KEY OF COURAGE Jump down to the Tatami Room and go back into the Storage Hall. Place the FANGS onto the Samurai statue to obtain the KEY OF COURAGE Item. Now head back to the Save Point and SAVE your game. Now its time to meet up with the boss man! --OBJECTIVE: DEFEAT MURAI Head up the stairs towards the walkway. As you head up the walkway, eliminate the two ninjas and then use the Key Of Courage on the next door to unlock it. Enter inside for another battle. ++ AREA: INNER SANCTUM ++ Six to eight ninjas will jump down from above to swarm against you. Use hard combos and evasive rolls to clear the room. As soon as the room is cleared, the exit door will re-open and the entrance to the boss's lair will open up. Go back to the Save Point if you want and then head back to the Inner Fortress to face off against your first boss! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BA2. +++ BOSS BATTLE: MURAI +++ Murai is NO pushover. Although he may only have puny Nunchukus as weapons, he can still kick your stupid little ass like nothing. Murai's main strategy is that he likes to get in close to you in a slow way. If you approach him, he either attacks with a three-hit combo or a grab. These are his main attacks: --FIRE PIT 3-HIT COMBO --BACK KICK --RUSH ATTACK Getting caught by Murai is not a good thing, so you must stay on your guard! If you try to spam the wall attack against him, he immediately grabs you. If you try the Fiend Bane's Kick combo, he'll just block it. This is what you should do to defeat Murai under the Time Limit: Stay at mid-distance from Murai and let him come closer. Roll away with a Reverse Wind to get farther back. When you are a good distance away, Murai will either somersault or use a Rush Attack to get closer to you. If he somersaults closer, immediately attack him with a Square, Triangle 2-hit combo. As soon as Ryu lands on the ground, quickly roll back and Murai will retaliate with a Rush Attack or another somersault. If he uses the Rush Attack to get closer, quickly roll away and then smack him with the Square, Triangle combo. But you MUST be quick with the Reverse Wind after the combo or Murai will grab you! After you do the two-hit combo, roll away to let Murai retaliate. When he repeats the attack (or somersault), use the same combo again. The main point here is to let him get closer by baiting him to do an attack. Block his melee attacks and continue to roll away. If Murai blocks the two-hit combo, press Triangle again to do a downward strike. This will allow you to roll away while he blocks the third hit. Continue this simple tactic and you can defeat Murai in less than 30-40 seconds. It's the Master Ninja way, BEE-YITCH! MISSION COMPLETE! Copy and paste this URL to see my video for this battle: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/78428.html _ _ __ __ __ _ (_)__ ___ (_)__ ___ _______ __ _ ___ / /__ / /____ / ' \/ (_-<(_-, /\) to kill it off. From there, use its leftover essence for a UT on the other dinos. A UT won't kill the dino, so you'll need to attack it with a Flaming Whirlwind to finish it off. That's pretty much the strategy. It'll take awhile to get the rhythm going, but it's as easy as it sounds. Complete the challenge to obtain a Lives Of The Thousand Gods! In order to get it, read the directions below. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you've finished the Fiend Challenge, its time to collect the rest of the treasures above the stadium. There are two floating platforms on the ground near you. Take the one on the right and do a Wall-To-Wall Run to the next floating ledge. Jump over to the top of the doorway to obtain a Great Spirit Elixir. ++GOLDEN SCARAB #42 & 43/LIFE OF THE GODS #19 & 20 Jump down and then jump on the floating ledge to the left. Use a Wall- To-Wall Run to next floating ledge. Run up to the top of the doorway to find a Golden Scarab! Now jump down to the floating ledge you were on and use ANOTHER Wall-To-Wall Run in the opposite direction to the top ledge. Jump to the next ledge and then jump into the balcony. Open the two chests for a Devil Elixir and a Life OTG and continue down the upper balcony. Go all the way to the other end of the balcony to find another Golden Scarab. There are also two more chests here: one with another Life OTG and the other is your prize from the Fiend Challenge. Take them all and then leave the stadium. ++ AREA: STAIRWAY TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE ++ Exit the stadium and go down the hill towards the large stairway. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BL3. ++FIEND CHALLENGE: IMPERIAL PALACE STAIRWAY As soon as you enter this area, be prepared for a Fiend Challenge with Brown and Pink Shadow Fiends. Simply use nonstop counterattacks and UT's and this challenge is done in less than 2 minutes. The prize for this challenge is a Lives Of The Thousand Gods! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- There is also a dead body near the doorway across the stairs. Search it if you want and then continue down the path towards a large tree blocking the way. Jump over the tree to see a Save Point. ++ AREA: ZARKHAN WATERFALLS ++ First, there is another dead body across from the Save Point. Search it to obtain the MAP. Now SAVE your game. ++GOLDEN SCARAB #44 & 45/LIFE OF THE GODS #21 & 22 See those large boulders that look like heads? Destroy them to find a Golden Scarab and a Life OTG under each one. Now enter the next area with a large pool. Dive into the water to find another Golden Scarab and a chest with another Life OTG! Once you're done collecting the stuff, enter the Cavern. Go all the way to the end and jump down to a small enclosure. Kill the bats and then dive into the water and emerge on the other side. Slide down the large slope to enter a new area. ++ AREA: THE GREAT HALL ++ ++LIFE OF THE GODS #23 When you land in this cavern, a bunch of Shadow Fiends and Red dinos will pop out to swarm you. Fight them if you want but you can escape the problem by just using a Bird Flip on the nearby wall and jumping to the top ledge. Open the nearby chest for a Life OTG! Now enter further into the Ice Cavern. Enter the area to find a Save Point and a large doorway. The door is missing an item, so SAVE your game first. Jump down to the area below and kill the enemies that appear. Follow the path to the right and climb up to the top. Make another right turn and break the ice to fall into a small ice enclosure with more enemies. Kill them all and then jump up to the top cavern. ++ AREA: RUINS ++ You'll see some sort of device here used to make metal. On the opposite side is the SHIELD OF VIGOOR item. Grab it and make your way back to the door next to the Save Point. SAVE your game and then place the shield on the door to open it. ++ AREA: MAGMA LAKE ++ Enter the doorway into Magma Lake. Across from you will be a large globe. Approach it to obtain the STONE TABLET (LEFT) to complete the Tablet. To kill the dinos in the magma, use a non-essence charged UT on them to kill them off. Use a Wall Run to get past each magma gap and drop to dry land. When you reach the other end, you'll see a large open gap and walls that billow hot smoke. Above those hot smoke thingies is a ledge. Run up to it and shimmy all the way to the right (don't get hit by the smoke!). Drop down at the end and then jump down to the small little enclosure to encounter some Red dinos. Kill them with some hard Dabilahro combos and continue to the other. Slam down on the large step button to reveal some floating platforms. Jump towards the platform and jump past the dinos to the other side with a Muramasa Statue and Save Point. SAVE your game! Next to Muramasa's Statue is a wall enclosure. Use a Wall-To-Wall Run to enter another small enclosed area. Red dinos will pop out so eliminate them! Across from where you landed is a doorway. Jump up to it and enter to the other side with a large see-saw. ++ AREA: SEE-SAW ROOM ++ ++GOLDEN SCARAB #46 Before you jump onto the see-saw, jump down to the dry ledge on the right side to find a Golden Scarab! Now jump on the see-saw! Let the see-saw go all the way down. Start running to the top and then jump to the upper room before the weight of the see-saw shifts. In the upper cavern is a room with bats. Destroy the bats and then exit out. Approach the large boiling pot at the other end to make it pour some hot Iron Ore onto the other side. Once that's done, it's time to leave. There is another room above the exit door. Use the see-saw to get to it and then open the chest inside that room for a goodie. Now make your way BACK to the Ice Cavern. SAVE you game at Magma Lake first! ++ AREA: ICE CAVERN ++ Make your way back to the Ruins (where you found the SHIELD OF VIGOOR) to find the COG OF VIGOOR item. ++GOLDEN SCARAB #47 Next to where you find the COG OF VIGOOR is a Save Point. The Golden Scarab is across the Save Point. SAVE your game and then approach the ice chunk in the corner and slam it down to enter a new area. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BL4. +++ BOSS BATTLE: YOTUNFRAU +++ The boss for the Ice Cavern is large legless beast. That don't mean he ain't gonna be an easy boss! Yotunfrau has several attacks: --ICE POUND --3-HIT MELEE COMBO --GRAB-AND-CHOMP --ICE BREATH All these attack are easy to evade. Just as long as you don't get careless, then this battle is easy to beat. When the battle begins, Yotunfrau will sit there for a couple of seconds. Approach him and get in a couple of hard combos. Once he starts moving, stay in front of him and bait him to attack you. When he puts his left arm back, he's going for the melee combo. Simply roll to the LEFT side and roll behind him. Attack him from behind until he flips over or retaliates with an Ice Pound attack. If he flips over, stand in front of him again and let him attack. If he rears both arms, he's going for the grab and chomp. A good way to avoid this is to just jump straight up (so misses grabbing you) or to jump backwards. When he misses the grab, perform another hard combo until he retaliates. That's pretty much it. With some quick evasive maneuvers and hard combos, he'll fall easily. When the boss is dead, grab the EYE OF ICE item and use it to leave the room. Copy and paste this URL to see my video for this battle: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/81796.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- When you exit Yotunfrau's cavern, use a Bird Flip to reach the top of the room. Notice that chest in that alcove? When you reach the top, flip over the ledge and drop down and Ryu will catch the next ledge. Jump up and open the chest for a goodie and then jump down. Bird Flip to the top and make your way BACK to the Magma Cavern. ++ AREA: MAGMA LAKE ++ Go to the area with the Save Point and SAVE your game. Replenish any stock at Muramasa's Statue and then place the COG OF VIGOOR on the door next to the Save Point. Enter inside for another boss battle. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BL5. +++ BOSS BATTLE: FLAME WORM X2 +++ You'll be fighting against two Worms but oddly enough, they only have ONE life bar! So that means you only need to kill one of them. The Flame Worms use the same attacks as their electric brethren but they have a new attack. The Flame Worms have a Fire Ring attack that can be evaded by jumping straight up or rolling at the right moment. When they shoot the Fire Ring at you, jump straight up or roll so that the fire ring goes through you. The timing is a little difficult to get right but it's not so tough after some practice. When the Worm uses its body to sweep the area, evade the attack and then counter with a hard Dabilahro combo. Evade and counter until one of them dies! Grab the EYE OF FLAME and use it to leave the room. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Stock up on anymore things you need from Muramasa and SAVE your game. Across from the Magma Lake is a large ledge with a doorway that has a face on it. Slam down on the step button to raise the floating platforms and then run and jump up towards the large face door. Place the EYE OF ICE and the EYE OF FLAME on the door to open it. Approach the mantle and grab the DEVIL DIETY statue to trigger the next boss battle! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BL6. +++ BOSS BATTLE: SMAUGAN +++ Smaugan has a couple of attacks he likes to use: --FIREBALL --FIRE BREATH --WINGSPAN ATTACK --CHOMP ATTACK All of these attacks can be evaded with simple evasive rolls. When it does the Wingspan Attack (when it rears its wings and unleashes a quick force field), wait for a second before it unleashes the attack and then use a Reverse Wind to roll under the attack. The timing for this Reverse Wind is CRUCIAL! When it uses its Fire Breath, simply jump over (not above) the flames. The best weapon to use for this battle is the Dabilahro (or Unlabored Flawlessness). When the battle begins, Smaugan will slowly move its head towards you. Stay in your position and let him get closer. When its head is next you, do a Flaming Hell Slash to reduce his health and make him reel back in pain. Once that's done, jump towards one of the step buttons and slam it down to make the platform rise to the top. Move onto the top platforms and stand in the very left corner of the platform. When you stand there, Smaugan will attempt to bite you but he can't even touch you! Evade all its attacks and stay in that corner. After a while, Smaugan will take a break and move his head in slowly. Quickly approach him and use a Flaming Hell Slash in his head and then roll back towards the corner. Repeat this tactic and Smaugan will fall easily. Once the battle is over, run above its dead body and grab the Lives OTTG item and equip it! Exit the room to complete the mission. MISSION COMPLETE! Copy and paste this URL to see my video for this battle: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/82569.html _ _ __ __ __ _ (_)__ ___ (_)__ ___ _______ __ _ ___ / /__ / /____ / ' \/ (_-<(_- < / / / /_/ / / ___/\ \_/_ < /_/|_/____/\____/_/|_| /_/ \____/ /_/ /___/____/ If you are an Xbox veteran to this game and you DO NOT own a PS3, you'll be surprised at the additions and deletions made to Sigma. And for those of you that are first-time PS3 players to the Ninja Gaiden universe, you'll also be surprised at how much different an experience Sigma is compared to the Xbox versions. While the core of the gameplay is still the same (KILL, KILL, KILL), it's the smaller things that can dramatically change everything. In this section I will chronicle EVERY single change made from the Xbox versions to the PS3 version known as Sigma. Okay, enough of my bullshit banter, let's PAR-TAY!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +++ GAMEPLAY ASPECTS +++ There a few minor additions and deletions towards the gameplay aspects. I'll list a few here that you may or may not have noticed. --THE DARK DRAGON BLADE CG INTRO XBOX VERSION: In all the Xbox versions, there is an opening CG scene which explains the history of the Dark Dragon Blade and also of the Dragon Sword and its current wielder: Ryu Hayabusa. PS3 VERSION: The CG intro was deleted! As soon as you begin a New Game, you will go straight into Chapter 1. --THE KARMA COUNTER XBOX VERSION: In the original Xbox version, every time you encountered set of respawning enemies, the encounter would be timed. Ryu could then come back and fight off the respawning enemies and the encounter would be timed again. Each time Ryu comes back for the encounter, the points gained would decrease by half each time. So if the first encounter was worth 5000 points, the second encounter would be worth 2500 and then 1250 points, 625 points, etc. After 6 or 7 encounters, the points deplete and the encounters are no longer timed. PS3 VERSION: After the release of the Hurricane Packs and Ninja Gaiden BLACK, all encounters are only timed once. If Ryu skips an enemy encounter, the Karma points are forfeited. This also applies to Sigma. --THE COMBO COUNTER XBOX VERSION: There were two types of Combo counters: one which showed the number of combos made onscreen and the other was the Karma Combo screen (with the Time Limit). If the Karma screen wasn't onscreen, the game would still show the number of combos Ryu was making. This was helpful especially when fighting against Ghost Fish and various other enemies. Also, if Ryu made a 50-hit or 100-hit combo, large letters would flash on the screen for a second showing "50 HITS" or "100 HITS". PS3 VERSION: The Combo counter has been omitted and it only shows up once on the Karma screen. Once you've finished an encounter, then that's it! If Ryu returns to pursue an enemy encounter (especially when farming), it's difficult to know how many combos Ryu has made since there is no Combo Counter. --SUCCESSIVE PLAY XBOX VERSION: In the original Ninja Gaiden, there was an option AFTER finishing a certain difficulty to start a SUCESSIVE PLAY game with all 50 Golden Scarabs intact in Chapter 1. When Ryu reaches Muramasa's Statue in Chapter 2, Muramasa will hand over some (not all) of the prizes for finding them. PS3 VERSION: When the Hurricane Packs and Ninja Gaiden BLACK were released, Team Ninja completely removed the SUCCESSIVE PLAY option for favor of an online Leaderboard. For the PS3 version of Sigma, this option does not exist. Basically, once Ryu finishes Chapter 19 of a specific difficulty, THAT'S IT! NO MORE! --THE DARK DRAGON BLADE XBOX VERSION: In the original Ninja Gaiden, the DDB could be obtained on a SUCCESSIVE PLAY file. All Ryu had to do was make it to Chapter 13 and enter the storage room via the upper window in Hayabusa Village and VOILA! The Dark Dragon Blade would be sitting there! PS3 VERSION: In the Hurricane Packs and Ninja Gaiden BLACK, the SUCCESSIVE PLAY option was removed and therefore, the only way to get the DDB was by passing 50 Golden Scarabs to Muramasa on harder modes. This option also applies to the PS3 version. --THE INTERCEPT TECHNIQUE XBOX VERSION: This Technique Scroll was first introduced in the Hurricane Packs. The scroll enabled Ryu to perform a parry move where he could block a (once) unblockable attack by pressing the Block Button at the right moment. This scroll was very helpful when fighting against the bigger enemies like the Ogres, Knightmares, and especially that goddamned Ishtaros. PS3 VERSION: At the last minute, Team Ninja deleted the Intercept Technique in Ninja Gaiden BLACK. For Ninja Gaiden Sigma, it was never intended to ever be added. This is absolutely, positively, utterly complete BULLSHIT!!! --THE NUNCHUKUS XBOX VERSION: The Nunchukus were available for every difficulty in all versions of NG. In the Hurricane Packs (and Hard Mode for BLACK), the Nunchukus were already in Ryu's inventory in Chapter 1. PS3 VERSION: The Nunchukus are only available for use on Ninja Dog & Normal Modes. From Hard Mode and on, the Nunchukus are no longer available for use. Not that it makes a difference, but it's true. --THE NINJA GAIDEN TRILOGY & ARCADE NINJA GAIDEN XBOX VERSION: In the original Ninja Gaiden version, Ryu was able to unlock all three NES versions of the Ninja Gaiden NES Trilogy (after some exploration). In Ninja Gaiden BLACK, the NES Trilogy was omitted and the Arcade beat-em-up version was added in its place. PS3 VERSION: The NES Trilogy and the Arcade versions do not exist in Sigma and the arcade machine in Han's Bar no longer exists! --THE MOVIE VIEWER XBOX VERSION: Once you defeated the game on Normal Mode in both Xbox versions, the Movie Viewer became available. All of the CG scenes (not the FMV's) from the game were available for playback at anytime. PS3 VERSION: The Movie Viewer option was deleted. The only way to view the CG scenes for Sigma is to replay a specific chapter to trigger it. --COSTUME CHANGE OPTION XBOX VERSION: In Ninja Gaiden BLACK, you had the option to choose any unlocked costume when reloading a saved game (including Mission Mode). PS3 VERSION: You cannot choose a different costume when reloading a saved game. To choose a different costume, you need to start a brand new game (to use for the rest of the game). --THE ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE XBOX VERSION: In the original Ninja Gaiden, Ryu could not perform an Ultimate Technique unless there was Essence to absorb. If you pressed and held the Y Button, Ryu would do the charge animation but not actually charge for a UT. PS3 VERSION: After the release of the Hurricane Packs and Ninja Gaiden BLACK, Ryu now had the option perform the UT without actually needing to absorb Essence. This gameplay feature is also in the PS3 version. --THE WATER RUN XBOX VERSION: In all the Xbox versions, the only way to use the Water Run was to rapidly tap the A Button as soon as Ryu's feet touch the water. If Ryu fell into the water during the run, that was it. PS3 VERSION: Ryu can now use the Water Run by simply approaching the water and running over it without tapping any buttons. If Ryu falls into the water, he can easily jump up and continue running. --MISSIONS MODE XBOX VERSION: In NG Black, there were 50 Missions to pursue in Missions Mode. Some missions were repetitions of other missions (like the Master Ninja Tournament Round 3 Mission) and a few presented a new challenge. PS3 VERSION: Most (but not all) of the repetitive missions have been omitted in favor of adding Rachel instead of Ryu. Within each Phase in Missions Mode, Ryu has four missions to complete and Rachel has one. In addition, there are FIVE unlockable missions called "Unearthed Challenge" (some of which were the repetitive missions found in Black) bringing the total to 55 Missions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +++ ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS/ENEMIES (PS3 VERSION) +++ The PS3 version has TWO new additional characters to the mix: GAMOV & ALTERNATOR. Gamov was only seen in various early cutscenes in the Xbox version while Alternator is a brand new version of Dynamo. There is also a brand new Mermaid-man thingie-enemy-person found only in the Moats chapter. LAME! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +++ ADDITIONAL SAVE POINTS & MURAMASA STATUES +++ Yup, Sigma has a couple more of these things that neither Xbox versions contained. In some ways, it is quite weird to see a Muramasa Statue in the oddest of locations, but it is a welcome addition nonetheless. I will reveal all the locations for each one below. Ready? == EXTRA MURAMASA STATUES == --HAYABUSA VILLAGE: NEXT TO CENTRAL BRIDGE --UPPER DRAWBRIDGE HILL: SOUTH OF THE MONASTERY --ECONTRA BABEL SPECUS: BOTTOM OF THE SPIRAL --FLOODED MONK CHAMBER: NEXT TO UNDERWATER ELEVATOR --LOCOMOTIVE TURNTABLE: NEXT TO SAVE POINT --UNDERGROUND WATERWAY: BEFORE DUAL WORM CHAMBER **NOTE: THE MURAMASA STATUE IN THE HALL OF BALANCE IS NOT NEW! IT WAS RELOCATED FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION! == EXTRA SAVE POINTS == --OUTER CLOCK TOWER SQUARE: NEXT TO BRONZE LILLY DOOR --OUTER RITUAL ROOM --THE PYRAMID **NOTE: THE SAVE POINT IN THE MAGMA CAVERNS IS NOT NEW! IT WAS RELOCATED FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +++ GRAPHICS +++ TEAM NINJA has made some very dramatic changes to a couple of the environments in the game. While some are just higher resolutions of older areas in the Xbox version, some were completely redone from the ground up. Here's a list of the newer changes (but not many though): CHANGE #1 - NINJA FORTRESS --XBOX VERSION The outer Ninja Fortress was a bland-looking lifeless cold mountain. The path that Ryu lands on in the intro cinema is actually a waterfall. --PS3 VERSION The Fortress has been transformed into a forest-like area with lots of yellow foliage and trees. The environment itself looks like it's in the Fall season with its bright orange sky. Everything else inside the Fortress remains the same as the Xbox version. CHANGE #2 - HAYABUSA VILLAGE --XBOX VERSION The Xbox version also had the same bland-looking mountain look as the Ninja Fortress. When you entered the village, it was literally "dead". --PS3 VERSION The upper mountain path of the village is filled with red leaves all over the place. The trees look more robust and the area is more colorful. As you enter the village, red foliage falls to the ground. There are also additional Japanese archways at both portal areas. CHANGE #3 - THE AIRSHIP --XBOX VERSION The Main Deck was a small room that had a wall near the entrance (so you had to go around it). The Storage Room (where you found the third Golden Scarab) had a bunch of containers. --PS3 VERSION The Main Deck and Storage Room have different looks now. The Main Deck is now a wide open area with chandeliers and the Storage Room is a large empty room with a couple of large crates in the back of the room. CHANGE #4 - CITY OF TAIRON --PS3 VERSION Tairon is more high-res yet retains the same look as its Xbox counterpart. Well, there is ONE new addition to the PS3 version of the city of Tairon: TRASHCANS. Yeah, some of the alleys near Great Bridge Square have GODDAMN TRASHCANS! WOW!!! Can't get any better than THAT!!! CHANGE #5 - THE ALTAR HALL/ARCHIVES ROOM --PS3 VERSION The Altar Hall retains the same look as the Xbox version but has a few more additions. The stained-glass windows are more vibrant and emit brighter lighting. There are also a couple of candle chandeliers added to the Altar Room and the marble floor has more patterns. Other than that, it's still the same room. In the Archives Room, there are two paintings of Nicchae and Ishtaros on the second floor that were not in the Xbox versions. CHANGE #6 - ZARKHAN STADIUM --XBOX VERSION The Stadium was a large gladiator-type arena with sand-filled floors. --PS3 VERSION The Stadium now has large stone patterns on the ground to make it look more like someone did a bad tile job. The arena also has real-time lighting with added wall torches. That's pretty much it in terms of graphical changes. Every environment in the game is just higher in textures and lighting, making it easier to navigate the areas. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +++ PUZZLES +++ The Xbox versions had a few puzzles that were quite tedious to solve. They ain't your typical Resident Evil-type puzzle that's for sure. This is a list of puzzles that were changed from the Xbox version: --ZARKHAN STADIUM PUZZLE XBOX VERSION: To leave the stadium, Ryu had to pull various levers around the arena. Each lever re-positioned the floating platforms to a specific position which allowed Ryu to traverse to the upper balcony. PS3 VERSION: Technically, the floating platform puzzle is still intact, but Ryu only needs to pull ONE lever to solve the puzzle. --PYRAMID PUZZLE XBOX VERSION: The Pyramid puzzle takes place immediately after the Alma Awakened battle. Ryu had to place two sets of Tablets into certain slots in one room and then fight off a bunch of Dung Beetles. Once the puzzle was solved, the chapter ends. PS3 VERSION: This puzzle has been completely omitted for a different puzzle inside the Pyramid. The puzzle takes place on the following chapter AFTER The Fiendish Awakening. Instead of inserting Tablets into walls and fighting Dung Beetles, Ryu only needs to defeat three Knightmares to solve the puzzle. Every other puzzle has been kept intact in its original form in all versions of the game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +++ ENEMIES +++ Various enemies in the Xbox version were low-res and it was difficult to make out their faces even in 480p HD. The enemies in the PS3 version have more polygons, brighter lighting, and are much easier to identify. When viewed from a far distance, you can still see their faces in disturbing detail. Some enemies were given makeovers, too! Few have newer costumes while some were re-done from the ground up. Here's a list of character makeovers from XBOX to PS3: --NINJAS The Black Spider and Red Fire Ninjas in the Xbox version wore rags similar to the Brown and White Ninjas. In the PS3 version, the BS and Fire Red Ninjas have more expensive-looking garbs with nice design patterns. The Purple Ninja retain the same look for both versions. --SAMURAIS & WARLOCKS The Samurais have shinier armor and wear different helmets in the PS3 version. There's even an additional Samurai enemy not seen in the Xbox version that wears gold armor. The Warlocks themselves have longer coats and their fireballs have a glowing design. --LARGE DUNG BEETLES The PS3 beetles were given a more edgy look. They've got spikes on their exo-shells to make them look cooler. --MASAKADO Masakado is literally a big douche bag ON FIRE! His horse breathes fire, too! In the Xbox version, it's the opposite. --BONE DRAGON/PAZ ZUU (PS3 VERSION) Both bosses have more textures to their bodies. The Bone Dragon has more rotting on its bones and Paz Zuu has a sort of rock-like texture to his exoskeleton. --DOKU Doku is now a Purple-flamed fiend encased in heavy Samurai armor as opposed to his blue Xbox counterpart. It's weird though that he turns back to blue in the "Vengeful Spirit" chapter... --SPECTRAL DOKU/MARBUS Spectral Doku is a big blue apparition with a head and two arms in the PS3 version. In the Xbox version, Doku's armor was spectral just like his head and arms. As for Marbus, he is much hairier and more veiny (wow, that sounded gay) than his Xbox counterpart. --THE EMPEROR The second form of the Emperor (that lame-ass Skull thing with legs) has a more realistic look than its Xbox counterpart. It has longer horns and doesn't have the mean-looking brow. Other than those sets of enemies, everyone else retains the same (but higher-quality) look as their Xbox counterparts. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +++ ADDITIONAL CUTSCENES +++ There is only a small handful of brand new cutscenes in Sigma. Most of them implement Rachel's storyline while others flesh out a couple of additional storyline elements...sort of. --NEW CUTSCENE: DEATH OF THE MASTER NINJA There are two different types of death scenes that Ryu can trigger when fighting Doku in Chapter 2. If Doku stabs Ryu, you'll see a scene of Doku standing over Ryu. If you defeat Doku, Ryu will fall to the ground and then Doku turns and leaves. --NEW CUTSCENE: THE TWIN SISTERS At the end of Rachel's first chapter, she walks up to a set of paintings in the Archives Room and reads the inscriptions regarding Nicchae and Ishtaros. --NEW CUTSCENE: GAMOV During Rachel's boss fight in her second chapter, there is a short cutscene involving Gamov. She apparently knows who he is and tries to attack him. At the end of the battle, Gamov watches in silence as Rachel runs off to find Alma. --NEW CUTSCENE: RETURN OF DYNAMO Well, it's technically not a new cutscene (more of an expanded one). At the Military Gate, the Tomahawk Chopper will fly by and Alternator will jump out of the chopper. After Ryu defeats Alternator, it re-explodes. --NEW CUTSCENE: NICCHAE & ISHTAROS At the end of Rachel's third chapter, she faces off against Nicchae & Ishtaros. Rachel falls during battle and is captured. --NEW CUTSCENE: THE EQUILIBRIUM IS COLLAPSING When Ryu exits the Palace Compound, he encounters a dying Black Spider Ninja that gives him the KEY OF THE DECAYED SOUL. Before he dies, the fallen Ninja explains that Ryu "must reclaim Vigoor". --NEW CUTSCENE: THE FALLEN PROTECTOR OF THE DRAGON'S EYE When you finish the game, the End Credits show various cutscenes from the game including a brand new scene with Kureha (the one that held the Dragon's Eye). There is no dialogue, just a short scene of her holding a bird on her finger. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +++ CHAPTER ADDITIONS/DELETIONS +++ This section will point out all of the major and minor changes made per Chapter. If a chapter is not mentioned, that means it has been left intact from the original versions. It's nitpicking at its FINEST! --CHAPTER 1 GAMEPLAY CHANGE XBOX VERSION: The Flying Swallow was a technique that can only be obtained by upgrading the Dragon Sword to Level 2. PS3 VERSION: The Flying Swallow is now learned by a Technique Scroll found in the Ninja Fortress instead of upgrading to Level 2. --CHAPTER 1 ITEM RELOCATION XBOX VERSION: In the Hurricane Pack, the Lunar was located in the Ninja Fortress Tatami Room. In Ninja Gaiden BLACK, the Lunar was relocated to Hayabusa Village. PS3 VERSION: For the third time, the Lunar has been relocated to Tairon. The item can now be found behind the metal gate at Twin Serpents Plaza. --CHAPTER 2 GAMEPLAY OMISSION XBOX VERSION: Originally, at the beginning of Chapter 2, Murai would be standing in the middle of the room. If you approached him, he would give Ryu a crucial lesson on how to utilize the Reverse Wind and the Ultimate Technique. When the lesson was over, Murai would tell you "Now go to your people!" PS3 VERSION: In all subsequent releases (including Sigma), Murai no longer gives you this lesson. At the beginning of Chapter 2, Murai would just tell you "Now go to your people!" if you approached him. --CHAPTER 2 GAMEPLAY DELETION XBOX VERSION: Whenever Ryu accessed Muramasa's Statue from Chapter 2 and on, there was a third option in the Muramasa menu called "TALK". When Ryu accesses it, Muramasa will give a few silly and useful quotes. PS3 VERSION: The "TALK" option has been completely removed from the Muramasa menu. --CHAPTER 3 & 4 ADDITIONS In the Middle and Aft Cabins of the Airship, there are a couple of red explosive barrels that were NOT in the Xbox versions. There are explosive barrels that are also at the Military Gate area in Tairon. --CHAPTER 4 ITEM RELOCATION XBOX VERSION: The Stone Tablet (Top) was originally found in Twin Serpents Plaza behind the metal gate. It was obtainable as early as Chapter 4 and as late as Chapter 13. PS3 VERSION: The item is no longer found there (the Lunar takes its place) and has been relocated to a chest in Chapter 10 near the stairway going to the Military Gate. The Lunar is now found behind the metal gate. --CHAPTER 4 DELETIONS XBOX VERSION: When Ryu enters Clock Tower Square, there was an additional Red-jeweled door (that lead to Moat Road) and an alleyway with a dead body adjacent to the Pleasure Street door. Also, when Ryu reaches Han's Bar, he encountered a bald-headed, eyeglass wearing bouncer at the front door that asked for a "ticket to the party". PS3 VERSION: All these elements (except the dead body) have been completely deleted from the PS3 version. --CHAPTER 4 GAMEPLAY OMISSION XBOX VERSION: As soon as Ryu reaches Han's Bar, the bouncer originally told him he needed a "Ticket" to get in. Ryu then had to go back to Muramasa's Shop and buy an item to obtain the Ticket. When Ryu returns to the bar, that's when the bar patrons start running outside. On the next chapter, Ryu finds the LILLY KEY on the roof of the Bar. PS3 VERSION: As soon as Ryu reaches Han's Bar, a Motorcycle MSAT soldier appears and asks "Do you have a Ticket for the Party?" (the line originally asked by the bouncer). Ryu then fights off a couple of Motorcycle MSAT soldiers and wins the LILLY KEY as a prize. After the fight, the bar patrons start running outside. --CHAPTER 6 DELETIONS XBOX VERSION: When Ryu finds the NES versions of Ninja Gaiden 1-3 or the Arcade NG (from Ninja Gaiden BLACK), he can go to Han's Bar and use the arcade machine located on the first floor to play the games. PS3 VERSION: The arcade machine no longer exists in this version. Since there is no NES or Arcade unlockables, the arcade machine was removed. --CHAPTER 6 LOCATION CHANGES XBOX VERSION: When Ryu reaches Drawbridge Hill, he can enter Monastery Plaza from both sides of the street. PS3 VERSION: Ryu can only enter Monastery Plaza from the south side of the street because the other entrance is locked. --CHAPTER 9 PUZZLE OMISSIONS XBOX VERSION: In the Red Eye Chamber, there was a walkway in the middle of the room with swinging pendulums and spikes. After killing the Zombies, Ryu had to cross the walkway while dodging the pendulums and jumping past the spikes. PS3 VERSION: The pendulums and spikes have been omitted and the room is now flooded, making it less tedious to solve the Red Eye puzzle. --CHAPTER 10 GAMEPLAY ADDITION PS3 VERSION: When Ryu descends the stairs to Drawbridge Square, the Tomahawk Chopper will ambush him from above by dropping bombs. The Chopper also makes a surprise flyby at Moat Road. --CHAPTER 10 GAMEPLAY CHANGE XBOX VERSION: When Ryu reaches Drawbridge Square, he can either exit the area by going past Moat Road OR he could enter through the Blue- jeweled doorway. If Ryu entered the Blue-jeweled door, he can crack the wall at the end of the alley and emerge towards Dworku Alleyway. PS3 VERSION: The Blue-jeweled doorway is blocked off by an Armored car and Ryu has no choice but to go through Moat Road. --CHAPTER 10 GAMEPLAY CHANGES XBOX VERSION: After Ryu eliminates the soldiers at the Military Gate, the Tomahawk Chopper will fly by the area and shoot bullets and drop a few bombs at Ryu. After a minute, the chopper flies off. Next, Ryu had to shoot an RPG soldier hiding in the adjacent building. Once the RPG soldier perishes, a short cutaway reveals the STRONGBOW in the same room the RPG soldier was in. Ryu then had to go and retrieve the STRONGBOW at the Skull Gate area and then shoot the medallion above the Military Gate to open it and end the chapter. PS3 VERSION: Once Ryu clears the Military Gate, an RPG soldier will emerge in a room on the adjacent building. Once Ryu, eliminates him, he'll receive the STRONGBOW as a prize. Once he obtains the item, Ryu faces off against Alternator. Once Alternator is eliminated, the Military Gates open and the chapter ends. --CHAPTER 11 PUZZLE OMISSIONS XBOX VERSION: When Ryu is in the Warehouse, he needed to turn on the lights to activate the power in the warehouse. After activating the power, he needed to activate the hanging platforms by pressing the red button switch located between the trains. PS3 VERSION: Ryu only needs to activate the lights to activate everything in the warehouse. It's less back-and-forth footwork for Ryu. --CHAPTER 13 PUZZLE DELETIONS #1 XBOX VERSION: When Ryu would traverse underwater, his vision would get darker and the only way to make it brighter was to find the OWL'S EYE item. Also, in order to get to the area with the second Save Point, Ryu needed to solve a numeric combination on an underwater doorway. PS3 VERSION: The OWL'S EYE is no longer needed for Ryu to swim in darker areas and the numeric combination puzzle is gone. --CHAPTER 13 PUZZLE DELETIONS #2 XBOX VERSION: When Ryu is in the second Save Point area of the Moats, there was a large alcove near the Save Point that had a large altar. Ryu needed to find two Medallions and place them on the altar to open a new doorway to the other side of the Moats PS3 VERSION: The Medallion Puzzle no longer exists. Instead, Ryu only needs to find the Triton Key to get to the other side of the Moats. --CHAPTER 15 DELETIONS XBOX VERSION: After leaving Zarkhan Stadium, Ryu receives a Kunai Scroll from Ayane about Muramasa wanting to see him about something. When Ryu visits Muramasa at his shop, he tells Ryu about a "Dragon's Eye" that can be placed under the Dragon Sword. PS3 VERSION: Ryu never receives the Kunai from Ayane and the doorway leading back to Great Bridge Square is locked down. --CHAPTER 15 GAMEPLAY CHANGES XBOX VERSION: As soon as Ryu entered the Magma Caverns, he had to find FOUR pieces of Iron Ore. There were six total pieces of Iron Ore in the Magma Caverns and when four pieces are collected, Ryu could place them into the boiling pot in the See-Saw Room to make the COG OF VIGOOR. PS3 VERSION: There are no pieces of Iron Ore to find. Ryu can just simply approach the boiling pot in the See-Saw Room to automatically create the COG OF VIGOOR item. --CHAPTER 15 DELETIONS XBOX VERSION: After Ryu defeats Yotunfrau, he has to go back to the Magma Caverns and place the COG OF VIGOOR at the door near Muramasa's Statue. When he places the Cog, Ryu enters another cavern with a Save Point. The cavern had fire-breathing statues that Ryu needed to dodge in order to get to the Flame Worm boss. Once Ryu defeats the Flame Worm, Ryu has to enter the back of the cavern and then run and jump to the other side by slamming down on a step-button in order to exit. PS3 VERSION: Once Ryu places the COG OF VIGOOR into the doorway, the next area will already be the Flame Worm boss battle. After the battle, Ryu can just exit by using the same doorway. See how simple it is? --CHAPTER 15 LOCATION CHANGES XBOX VERSION: When you encountered the Flame Worm, its lair was a concrete wall with him in the center. Ryu also had an entire platform to battle it on. PS3 VERSION: The Flame Worm's lair is now filled with multiple worm holes. The Flame Worm can emerge and attack from any direction while Ryu battles it from a tiny little platform. --CHAPTER 16 LOCATION CHANGES/ADDITIONS XBOX VERSION: When Ryu teleports back to Hayabusa Village, he ends up near the village entrance area. He then has to traverse through to the Graveyard to find the other portal. PS3 VERSION: After teleporting from Twin Serpents Plaza, Ryu ends up in Hayabusa Village near the Graveyard. When he traverses to the portal near the village entrance, he has to fight some Samurais and Warlocks. --CHAPTER 17 ITEMS RELOCATION XBOX VERSION: In order to obtain the RAPTOR DIETY Statue, Ryu had to find it in the Monk's Room inside the Monastery. PS3 VERSION: After defeating Spectral Doku, the Labyrinth exit to the Imperial Palace area opens up and the RAPTOR DIETY Statue is found above the door exit. That's everything you need to know! If I missed something major or minor regarding the Xbox and PS3 versions, e-mail me and let me know! ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= MM1. +++ THE USELESS STUFF SECTION +++ Do you actually take the time to read the useless descriptions and other crap in the game? Do you even listen to Ayane's Kunai Scrolls? No? Then scroll down to read all about the useless crap in the game! All descriptions are typed VERBATIM! +++ PRIMARY WEAPONS +++ --DRAGON SWORD A Japanese Sword handed down in the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. It is carved out of the fang of a dragon. --TRUE DRAGON SWORD The legendary ultimate form of the Dragon Sword, achieved by fitting the Dragon's Eye into it --PLASMA SABER MK. II A upgraded version of the Plasma Saber, in which the plasma oscillator has been tuned to the maximum. --NUNCHAKU A weapon made by joining two sticks together with a chain. It is very suited to free-form combo attacks. --VIGOORIAN FLAIL A weapon used by medieval Vigoorians. It can be swung like Nunchukus in combat. --WAR HAMMER Rachel's War Hammer. A Fiend Hunter's weapon, it is suitable for taking the heads off of fiends. --WAR HAMMER (RACHEL ONLY) A new War Hammer, crafted by the master blacksmith Muramasa. It is quite powerful. --DABILAHRO A two-handed sword used by ancient Vigoorian berserkers. Due to its 100-pound heft it is very powerful. --SPEAR GUN An auto-reloading spear gun. It is not of much use outside water. --WOODEN SWORD A sword made from wood. It is used mainly to practice sword fighting and is incapable of cutting attacks. --UNLABORED FLAWLESSNESS The true form of the Wooden Sword. Containing an ethereal sense of weight, its impacts are incredibly powerful. --KITETSU The weapon used by Doku, it is a cursed Japanese sword that feeds on the souls of those it slays. --DARK DRAGON BLADE It is an evil blade that has been sealed away by the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. Chaos brings out its hellish power. --LUNAR A weapon said to obtain mysterious power of the Moon. It's made of a strong willow tree. --DRAGON'S CLAW & TIGER'S FANG Two Japanese swords that were reputedly the property of a famous dual- sword master. +++ SECONDARY WEAPONS +++ --SHURIKEN A simple cross-shaped throwing star --INCENDIARY SHURIKEN A shuriken with a small timer-detonated explosive at the tip --WINDMILL SHURIKEN A giant shuriken with four folding blades. When thrown, it returns to the thrower like a boomerang. --BOW A typical bow. As a projectile weapon that makes no sound, it has an advantage over firearms. --STRONGBOW A composite bow made in Vigoor in medieval times. It cannot be pulled by people of average strength. --APFSDS CORES The core section of tank shells. Made from a heavy tungsten material, they have superb penetration capability. --EXPLOSIVE ARROWS Arrows with explosive tips. Very destructive --SMOKE BOMB When used, this item explodes, blinding all enemies in the immediate area (SIC) --PELUDA TAIL (RACHEL ONLY) A device made from the sewn skin of an ancient Fiend, it is flexible yet retains a sharp point. +++ ARMLETS/EARRINGS +++ RYU'S ARMLETS: --ARMLET OF THE SUN An armlet engraved with a picture of the sun. When equipped, Ryu's attack power will increase. --ARMLET OF THE MOON An armlet ingraved (SIC) with a picture of the moon. When equipped, Ryu's defensive power will increase. --ARMLET OF BENEDICTION An armlet emblazoned with the figure of a goddess. When equipped, it increases Yellow Essence absorption. --ARMLET OF FORTUNE An armlet emblazoned with the figures of two elephants. When equipped, it increases Ki power build-up. --ARMLET OF POTENCY An armlet emblazoned with a picture of a horse, it increases the damage done by kicks and throw techniques. --ARMLET OF CELERITY RACHEL'S EARRINGS: --EARRINGS OF FORTUNE Increases the wearer's Ki build-up. --EARRINGS OF THE MOON Increases the wearer's defensive power. --EARRINGS OF BENEDICTION Increases the wearer's Yellow Essence absorption. --EARRINGS OF POTENCY Increases the strength of the wearer's kick and throw techniques. --EARRINGS OF THE SUN Increases the wearer's attack power. --EARRINGS OF CELERITY Allows the wearer to charge Ultimate Techniques more quickly. --JADE EARRINGS Rachel's favorite earrings. +++ NINPO/SORCERY +++ --THE ART OF THE FIRE WHEELS Allows Ryu to control the spiritual waveforms around himself and create fire wheels that circle him. --THE ART OF THE INFERNO Allows Ryu to control fire at will, first enveloping him in flames and then shooting a fireball in front of him --THE ART OF THE ICE STORM Allows Ryu to quickly change the atmosphere around him, creating a whirlwind containing shards of ice. --THE ART OF THE INAZUMA Allows Ryu to amplify his internal bioelectric current and blast it out to the surrounding area. --BLADES OF THE OUROBOROS (RACHEL ONLY) This spell fuses the powers of flame & lightning to create rays of light that cut through enemies like blades. +++ POWER-UPS +++ --ELIXIR OF SPIRITUAL LIFE A spiritual elixir that heals Ryu's wounds slightly. --GREAT SPIRIT ELIXIR A spiritual elixir that completely heals Ryu's wounds --ELIXIR OF THE DEVIL WAY A spiritual elixir that replenishes Ryu's Ki power slightly --GREAT DEVIL ELIXIR A spiritual elixir that replenishes Ryu's Ki power greatly --LIFE OF THE GODS A jewel that shines bright blue. Ryu's health limit can be increased by using nine of these jewels. --LIVES OF THE THOUSAND GODS Nine shining jewels bound together. It raises Ryu's maximum health limit instantly. --SPIRIT OF THE DEVILS A jewel that shines bright crimson. It increases Ryu's Ki limit. --JEWEL OF THE DEMON SEAL A jewel that shines dark purple. It can be used to increase the potency of certain Ninpo techniques. -TALISMAN OF REBIRTH A talisman that protects its owner. When Ryu's health is fully depleted it will automatically revive him. +++ THE KEY ITEMS +++ --FANGS OF THE SAMURAI Part of a ceremonial suit of armor. The sharp fangs are made of ivory. --KEY OF COURAGE An ancient key, sculpted to appear as though it were made out of bone. It opens the door to the Inner Sanctum. --STATUE HEAD The stone head of a Jizo statue. --WING KEY A key sculpted with a wing design. --ID CARD A card carried by airship crew. It is used to open certain doors. --LILLY KEY A key crafted in the shape of a lilly. --KEY OF PEGASUS A key in the shape of the mythical winged horse, Pegasus --BOOK OF THE EONS On the cover a message is written: "Offer up this book on the Altar. The stair will open leading to the Hall of Eons." --HOLY GRAIL A holy cup once used for ceremonial purposes. It still gives off a fine glow. --SKULL KEY A key in which is carved a disturbing skull design --WAREHOUSE KEY A bronze key used to open the door to the Warehouse. --SHUTTER CONTROL CARD KEY A card key possesed (SIC) only by those who work in the base. It is used to open shutters. --CONTROL ROOM KEY A keycard carried only by base personnel. It is used to open the control room door. --KEY OF THE INSECT A key carved with an insect design. --RED TABLET OF THE STREAM A stone tablet curved like a bow. It is engraved with a wave pattern. --STATUE OF THE WATER SPIRIT A statue of the Water Spirit -BLUE TABLET OF THE STREAM A stone tablet curved like a bow. It is engraved with a wave pattern. --BRAND OF VALOR A fairly old ceremonial sword. It is highly decorated. --KEY OF TRITON A key shaped like Triton, whose lower body takes the form of a serpent. --MYSTERIOUS STONE TABLET A tablet thought to have been made by an ancient civilization. --SHIELD OF VIGOOR An ancient shield fashioned from stone. On its surface, the figure of the Sun God is portrayed. --COG OF VIGOOR An iron cog forged using the ancient smelting furnace. On its surface, the figure of the God of Rain is portrayed. --EYE OF FLAME A jewel that shines bright red, like a flame --EYE OF ICE A semi-transparent blue jewel --GRIFFON KEY A key made in the shape of the Griffon, a beast in ancient Greek myth. --KEY OF THE LION A key in the shape of the Lion. It shines gold. --KEY OF THE LIONESS A key in the shape of the Lioness. It shines silver. --KEY OF THE DECAYED SOUL A key in the shape of a rotted heart --STONE TABLET (TOP) One part of a stone tablet. "Offer me up before the twin-headed serpent; use me as a key to open the path..." --STONE TABLET (RIGHT) One part of a stone tablet. "There is another who travels the paths formed in the bowels of the Earth by Dragons." --STONE TABLET (LEFT) One part of a stone tablet. "These paths tie together far away places, making them but a few steps away." --OXYGEN CYLINDER A tank filled with compressed oxygen gas. It allows unlimited movement underwater. --RAPTOR, DEITY OF SENTIMENT One of the sculptures that portray the Five Great Deities. This one depicts the Raptor. --WOLF, DEITY OF WISDOM One of the sculptures that portray the Five Great Deities. This one depicts the Wolf. --DEVIL, DEITY OF IMMORALITY One of the sculptures that portray the Five Great Deities. This one depicts the Devil. --SERPENT, DEITY OF CREATION One of the sculptures that portray the Five Great Deities. This one depicts the Serpent. --DEMON, DEITY OF DESTRUCTION One of the sculptures that portray the Five Great Deities. This one depicts the Demon. +++ HISTORY OF VIGOOR BOOKS +++ These books can be found inside the Archive in the Monastery. Look for the blue books and learn a little something about the bad guys. --THE HISTORY OF VIGOOR I ...ever since, these monsters have come to be known as Fiends. The majority of them are mutations of human beings, existing in a condition of living without a soul due to their corruption by evil... --THE HISTORY OF VIGOOR II ...however the extraordinary power of the Fiends is incomparable to that of humans; in fact the highest level of Fiends exist in a state that can only be described as having transcended physical boundaries of form. Looking back through the pages of history, it is quite probable that many of the most powerful members of the Vigoorian ruling class in fact belonged to this classification. It is not surprising, then, that the Fiends have been seen as gods... --THE HISTORY OF VIGOOR III ...it is said that sometime Fiends may rise up from dead bodies; in fact there were many Monks of the Vigoor Order during the Middle Ages who labored for years to recreate this phenomenon... --THE HISTORY OF VIGOOR IV ...the vast majority of records dealing with the Fiends date from the Middle Ages or earlier. During recent times the Fiends have greatly decreased in numbers; so much so that for a member of the general Vigoorian public to come into contact with a Fiend has become an extremely rare occurrence... --THE EMPEROR, LORD OF ALL CREATION ...the Vigoor Emperor is the figurehead of the commoners, and his absolute authority as the Holy leader of our Vigoorian Order cannot be denied. He controls all, physical and ethereal, regardless of time or place... +++ THE MONK DIARY +++ Other than obtaining the combinations for the safe, do you actually read the rest of what this guy says? --FIRST COMBINATION PAGE 1 A diary written by a monk: "It is the 27TH day of the 12TH month, I have received the Book of the Eons as a birthday gift from His Majesty the Emperor. It is a great honor. I shall place it in the safe that no one will take it." At the end of the entry, there are notes reading LEFT, RIGHT, RIGHT, LEFT. --SECOND COMBINATION PAGE 1 On the last page there is a hastily scribbled message: "I cannot believe it. Someone has opened the safe. The Book of the Eons I had received from the Emperor himself was stolen. In order to prevent this from ever happening again, I shall change the combination. The date of my daughter's birthday should suffice." At the end of the message, there are notes reading RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT. --SECOND COMBINATION PAGE 2 A message was found on one of the previous pages: "It is the 14TH day of the 10TH month, my beloved daughter's birthday. I remember her birth as if it were yesterday. What a glorious event that was!" --THIRD COMBINATION PAGE 1 On the last page there is yet another scribbled note: "My safe has been tampered with again! I have no choice but to change the number once again; this time I shall use my granddaughter's birthday. December 23RD, yes, I think that's right. No one will break into my safe again!" At the end of the entry, there are noted reading LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT. --LAST COMBINATION PAGE 1 On the last page, there a faint barely readable entry: "That safe is worth about as much as a dog turd." +++ THE TECHNIQUE SCROLLS +++ --COUNTERATTACKS Contains the Counter Attack techniques "Gleaming Cross" and "Fiend's Bane Kick" which allows Ryu to counter enemy attacks immediately after blocking them. --GUILLOTINE THROW Contains the technique "Guillotine Throw", in which Ryu grabs the enemy's neck while jumping and uses his momentum to toss the enemy for high damage --IZUNA DROP Contains the technique "Izuna Drop", an air attack in which Ryu grabs his enemy in mid-air and slams them down on the ground for massive damage. --FLYING SWALLOW Fly at high speeds towards your foe and cut their head off. +++ DEAD NINJA DIARIES +++ --LETTER FROM MURAI If you wish to find the Dark Dragon, you must simply start killing. It is said that the Dark Dragon's power grows as chaos and destruction grow in this world. There is no need for you to spare the subjects of the Vigoor Empire. You go there for revenge, do you not? The Dark Dragon revels in killing and destruction. If you provide these things, it is certain to call out to you. That is your destiny as a Dragon Ninja. Be aware of this as you enact your revenge! --SUKE'S DIARY January 24 - The woman that I saw tonight in Vigoor...she was extremely beautiful. I must persevere to keep my wits about me. Perseverance...Patience. February 2 - I encountered her again. That woman slays the beasts as if they were flies. The vicious way she fights is so unlike her beautiful appearance. A perfect example of extreme intensity...she is no ordinary female. February 6 - During the fight with the MSAT I slipped up and suffered a grave injury. I cannot reach my Black Spider brethren, my provisions are almost all gone, and my life is near its end. Death during an assignment is the wish of every Ninja, but we still have no clues regarding what happened to the Dark Dragon Blade. That is my only regret. All that is left is for me to trust my comrades, and accept these last painful moments of my destiny... February 7 - Although I have become so weak, I still await my death. Although I know it is only a matter of time before I perish, I wish I could glimpse that woman one more time... --TARO'S DIARY January 28 - I have not seen the young one, Sabu, for several days now. It worries me, seeing as he is so inexperienced. February 5 - I have heard nothing from Suke yet. I do not believe that a Ninja as powerful as he could have been defeated. However, the unstable look on his face the last time we met was very much unlike his usual manner. February 8 - I was able to track down Doku, the Lord of Greater Fiends, but I was unable to lay even a finger on him. Burned by an evil blue fire, I accepted my fate. The blade gripped in the hands of that devil was none other than the Dark Dragon Blade, the artifact that, for 450 years, our Black Spider Clan has been searching for. My brothers, hurry! You must not allow the young Hayabusa to possess that awful power... --SABU'S DIARY January 5 - I can't believe my first mission as a full-fledged Ninja is something so important! I feel the pride and honor of the Black Spider Clan. I'm going to distinguish myself here and rise through the ranks. January 20 - I think I might not be cut out to be a Ninja... January 25 - Dear Mother, I have no more strength left, and I will die here, in this forsaken place. Although Ninja are taught patience and perseverance even in the face of death, I just don't want to die. Please, please, please... --SARU'S DIARY February 3 - Everyone here trembles in fear. We witness a person turning into a Fiend. What is happening in this place? Even a Ninja as experienced as myself has no hope against these beasts... February 10 - I have discovered that the mastermind behind the plot to steal the Dark Dragon Blade is none other than the Holy Vigoor Emperor. Like our master, the Emperor must also be plotting to so something with the Blade... February 12 - What a disaster...the Dark Dragon Blade is cursed. I have been defeated, not by the enemy, but by the curse... --SAN'S DIARY January 30 - I have gathered some new information. According to the ancient legends of this place, "he who offers the lost stone tablet to the Twin Serpents may gain entrance to Zarkhan." The tablet, now apparently split into three pieces, is said to have been scattered throughout Vigoor. I was able to learn the locations of the pieces: One is at the Twin Serpents Plaza in Tairon. One is in the Archive on the Monastery. One is near the Stone Circle in the Magma Cavern. I must gather the fragments and then begin my approach to Zarkhan. February 5 - I'm hungry...(SIC) --GEN'S DIARY January 14 - I have arrived in Vigoor in search of the Dark Dragon Blade, leading a group of my comrades. February 18 - I have succeeded in infiltrating the Imperial Palace. I must accept that my comrades have all been slain...except for Dai, yes, he must certainly still be alive. I am sure he is hurrying to meet me at this moment, with the key to the Palace Core firmly I hand. I must join up with Dai as soon as possible, then plan out our attack on the Emperor. February 29 - While it may be true that the Dark Dragon Blade is formed out of dragon bones, one of the greatest delicacies in the ancient world, our master's plan to grind it up and use it for herbal tea is ridiculous. Of course I cannot tell anyone this, and therefore I must take this laughable secret with me to the grave...If we are forced to die for such goals as this, our Black Spider Clan will not last much longer. The Vigoor Emperor will gather his power and become the Devil on Earth, enslaving the human race for millennia to come...I have not been able to contact Dai, but it does not matter. His fate must be similar to mine... --DAI'S DIARY February 1 - As a member of the Black Spider Clan, I will fulfill my mission and gain the respect of our clan leader. I have promised so to Gen, and I will not break that promise. February 21 - I have been badly wounded, but I have obtained the key to the Core. I do not have much longer; I must get this to Gen... February 29 - With this last bit of strength in me, I have made it this far. However, I cannot find a way to pass though this door... +++ CHAPTER INTRODUCTIONS +++ --CHAPTER 1: The Way of the Ninja In the mountains of Autumn, there is one who walks the path of the Ninja... --CHAPTER 2: The Hayabusa Ninja Village The village is burning. Before long, Ryu hears the screams of his brethren... --CHAPTER 3: Skies of Vengeance The Hayabusa Village has burned, and the Dark Dragon Blade is gone. Ryu has stowed aboard an Airship headed for the Vigoor Empire. His goal: vengeance... --CHAPTER 4: Imperial City Infiltration Ryu has escaped from the crash of the Airship. Spread out before him is the city of Tairon, capital of the Vigoor Empire... --CHAPTER 5: THE FIEND HUNTER Searching for the whereabouts of her twin sister, Rachel the Fiend Hunter heads alone to the Dworku Monastery. She senses the presence of Fiends lurking in the shadows... --CHAPTER 6: City of Fiends Tairon is full of mysteries; strange creatures called Fiends and Rachel the Fiend Hunter. However, Ryu still has no clues to the whereabouts of Doku... --CHAPTER 7: The Monastery It is said that there is a secret path leading to the Palace of Zarkhan underneath the Dworku Monastery... --CHAPTER 8: ALMA, GREATER FIEND Rachel continues searching for her sister in Vigoor's capital. She is suddenly confronted by an inhuman form: Alma the Greater Fiend finally makes her appearance... --CHAPTER 9: Hidden Underground A dark underground world leading deeper and deeper. Does the path to Zarkhan truly exist? --CHAPTER 10: Tairon Under Alert The battle with Rachel's sister, the Greater Fiend Alma, ended without a victor. However, the aftermath of the battle has caused the Vigoor Army to be deployed... --CHAPTER 11: The Military Supply Base The Vigoor Army is after the renegade element, Ryu. The Military Radio Tower is key to the Army's organization... --CHAPTER 12: The Aquaducts The Army's organization has crumbled; there is no need for Ryu to stay in the now-silent capital... --CHAPTER 13: The Path to Zarkhan Using the Aquaduct, Ryu has arrived at the moat surrounding Zarkhan. However, a great wall blocks his path into the Palace itself... --CHAPTER 14: THE TWIN ANCIENT DIETIES Rachel follows Lord Doku, who now takes the form of a vengeful spirit...As she enters the torn fabric of space and time, what horrors await her? --CHAPTER 15: The Caverns Although it appears as though Ryu defeated Doku, his vengeance is still incomplete; the Dark Dragon in the hands of the Holy Vigoor Emperor. What will become of Rachel and her sister? --CHAPTER 16: The Fiendish Awakening All events thus far have lead up to one place: the depths of the Palace of Zarkhan. Will Ryu be able to discover the path inside? --CHAPTER 17: Vengeful Spirit The fate of the sisters has been decided. Ryu now heads for the depths of Zarkhan, determined to fulfill his vengeance once and for all... --CHAPTER 18: The Core Doku's hate continues to slowly transform Ryu into a Fiend. Feeling the blood of the Fiends pounding in his veins, the Dragon Ninja stands before the gates to the source of all evil, the Core of the Imperial Palace! --CHAPTER 19: The Dark Dragon Blade Ryu has defeated the evil Vigoor Emperor, and the Dark Dragon Blade is out of the reach of the Fiends. Now, Ryu must quickly escape the depths before the caverns come crashing down on him! +++ AYANE'S KUNAI SCROLLS +++ What is a Kunai Scroll? As Ryu traverses from area to area, a dagger with a purple flower will be thrown (not tossed) into Ryu's vicinity on a wall or on the floor. The scroll inside the dagger will usually offer advice, tips, or even a foreshadowing of events to happen. And like the other stuff, do you actually read these scrolls? CHAPTER 1: --A Ninja must be able to find his way even when his path is blocked. When facing an obstacle, jump towards it and run vertically up its side until you grab its upper ledge. Move to the left or right and climb up or drop down. --Don't underestimate the agility that your training has given you. Feats such as running along walls should be simple for you to perform. If you cannot reach your destination with a single leap, make use of the surrounding walls. --One of your most useful techniques is the Flying Bird Flip. Jump towards a wall and run up to it, then jump off again. This allows you to travel to areas that may first seem unreachable. Repeat the Flying Bird Flip to climb certain shafts and passages. --Some ledges or platforms above you can be reached simply by jumping towards them and running straight up. A Ninja must know the appropriate technique to use in every situation. Remember that unnecessary acrobatics may backfire on you. CHAPTER 4: --In this city there is a club called Han's Bar that is a well-known watering hole, as well as the center of Vigoor's underground intelligence. There will you find clue's about Doku's whereabouts. Go there now. You should be able to find it easily by its garish neon sign. --When in doubt, look to the color blue for the path. --A group of Ninja dressed in black garb act with wicked intent in Tairon. They are members of the Black Spider Clan, and they act behind the scenes to hinder our progress. Do not let them leave Tairon alive. --I have brought a legendary weapon to Tairon, a weapon known only by a select few. I have hidden it in a dark alley, in a location where only a Ninja will be able to reach it. I suggest that you find it and make use of it. CHAPTER 6: --If you wish to follow Doku, first investigate the Dworku Monastery. It is located in the Dworku district across the drawbridge. --Run along the wall, jump to another wall, and keep running to reach higher areas. This is the continuous wall running technique. Practice until you have perfected it. CHAPTER 9: --When underwater, pay close attention to the breath gauge. If you run out of breath, your strength will soon be sapped. CHAPTER 10: --Tairon is now under alert. You are completely surrounded and the situation is grave, but you should be able to disrupt the military's organization by attacking the Radio Control Tower next to the Military Supply Base. To reach the Supply Base, you must first cross the drawbridge. That is where your path should lead you. CHAPTER 11: --The military's communications are down and their organization is in shambles. Now is the time to escape the base. Resistance around the train turntable is low and it is the perfect time to steal a train. The rail runs through the Dworku district. CHAPTER 13: --The secret path to the Imperial Palace of Zarkhan is located under this building. You should now be able to forge your way through the water that fills this passage. CHAPTER 15: --Muramasa, the owner of the weapon shop and a world-renowned swordsmith, is looking for you. It seems that something is bothering him so much that he cannot sleep at night. The old man must have something quite important to tell you. If you follow this path you will eventually arrive at the gate back to Tairon. From there, it is only a short way to Muramasa's shop. --It is said that near the Palace of Zarkhan waterfall there is an entrance to a cave that leads somewhere. It is rumored to connect to the greatest depths of Zarkhan. +++ THE NINJA FORTRESS SAVE POINT +++ This is the description of the Ninja Fortress Save Point when Ryu first accesses it in Chapter 1: --There is a message engraved on the tablet in the dragon's mouth: "The sacred underground paths of the Dragons record all that occurs in the world of men. We have not forgotten those who live on the surface of the Earth..." +++ NINJA GAIDEN SOUND TEST +++ Once you beat Ninja Gaiden, you automatically unlock and have access to the entire musical soundtrack. Just go to OPTIONS and select AUDIO SETTINGS and look for the SOUND TEST options. It should be noted that the PS3 version has 30% MORE music tracks than the Xbox version. From here you can choose the following tracks: --OPENING This was the theme used for the opening Xbox FMV intro (that doesn't exist in the PS3 version). --VILLAGE The theme used for the Hayabusa Village in Chapter 16 --WORSHIP The theme for the Ninja Fortress --IN THE STILLNESS The theme used for certain enemy encounters --TRIAL The theme used when facing off against Chapter 1 Murai --CONFRONTATION The theme used when leaving the Ninja Fortress in Chapter 2 --GO THE DISTANCE The theme used in the beginning of Chapter 2 --VANISHED MEMORIES The theme one you reach Hayabusa Village in Chapter 2 --ANNOYANCES The theme for the Samurai horsemen sub-bosses --STAND IN THE WAY The theme used for the Masakado and the worm bosses. --LORD OF THE GREATER FIENDS Doku's theme --MILITARY STRENGTH The theme played during the introductory FMV in Chapter 3 --AIRSHIP The theme for all of Chapter 3 --VIGOOL EMPIRE --RISK A theme used when fighting certain enemies --TAIRON AT NIGHT The theme for the city of Tairon --BULLET --MURAMASA His theme song --SUDDEN THREAT Another theme for fighting off certain enemies --RESIDENT OF THE DARK Theme used for Rachel in Chapter 5 --GOD BLESS U Another theme used when Rachel encounters enemies --SURPRISE ATTACK The Motorcycle MSAT music --RACHEL This is NOT her theme song. This is actually the theme for the Drawbridge/Monastery area. --MYSTERY Where is this played? --THE FIEND The theme for the first Hydracubus battle --PRAY TO GOD The theme to the Monastery --CRYPT The theme whenever you are underground (Tomb of the Eons, Econtra Babel Specus, Hidden Underground). --REVIVAL OF THE DEAD The theme used for the Ritual Room when obtaining the Holy Grail and until you reach the Chapter 6 boss. --DINOSAUR The theme for the Bone Dragon and Paz Zuu --ONE SHOT ONE KILL --TAKE IT EASY The theme used in between Phases during the Eternal Legend mission --FIGHT IT OUT --UNDER ALERT The theme that plays during Chapter 10 --FORSAKEN HUMANITY The theme used during the Alma and Marbus battles --AN EASY ENEMY Another theme used when fighting certain enemies --MONASTERY DESTROYED The used in the Altar Hall after Chapter 10 --ENCIRCLEMENT --IRON AND SWORD The theme used for the Dynamo and Alternator battles --WAREHOUSE Theme used once you activate the lights in the Warehouse in Chapter 11 --SUPPLY BASE The theme played throughout the second half of Chapter 10 --ESCAPE FROM CRISIS The theme played during the Chapter 10 FMV and during the escape in Chapter 19 --AQUADUCT The theme for the Aquaducts --TOXIC WASTE The theme played whenever fighting the large beetles --MOAT OF ZARKHAN The theme song for all of Chapter 13 --11 --UNKNOWN The theme when battling Nicchae & Ishtaros in Chapter 14 --SASORI --THE TONE OF EVIL --DISTORTED WORLD The theme used in Zarkhan Stadium and Stairway to the Imperial Palace. --FREEZE UP The theme for the Ice Caverns --BURN AWAY The theme for the Underground Sanctuary and the Magma Caverns --CITY OF FIENDS The theme for Tairon after Chapter 16 --LYRIC The theme for Hayabusa Village when Ryu returns through the portal in Chapter 16 --ALMA AWAKENED The theme used for the Alma fight in Chapter 16 --PYRAMID The theme used inside the Pyramid --LABYRINTH The theme throughout Chapter 17 --NIGHTMARE The theme used for the Core of the Imperial Palace --EVIL SPIRIT MARCH The Fiendish Depths theme --TO A DIFFERENT WORLD The theme during the FMV when Ryu encounters the Emperor --EMPEROR The theme for the first of half of the Emperor fight --COLLAPSE --THE DARK DRAGON BLADE The theme as Ryu grabs the DDB in Chapter 19 --FINAL BATTLE The theme used when battling Fiend Murai --AFTER THE BATTLE The theme played during the FMV ending as Ryu destroys the DDB --A NEW CHALLENGE The theme for the Master Ninja Tournament --CHAPTER CLEAR The name says it all. --GAME OVER The name says it all. --SPEED --CRASH --NINJA GAIDEN THEME This theme was only used in the trailers END OF USELESSS SECTION ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= This FAQ is for all of the original Master Ninja Xbox veterans that have put aside precious time to record excellent gameplay videos and help other Ninja Gaiden players excel at one of the best goddamn action games of all time: Shinobier, Saryah, Iberian Warrior, bigalski, Weibull760, Sneh, Shin, and yours truly. Without swell guys like us, everyone else would suck at this game! And for the record, I am STILL the ONLY player in the Sigma Leaderboards that has ZERO Ninpo uses in his record. I may not have the highest Karma Score or the highest Kills, but if I'm gonna claim a crown for something, it's gonna be for ZERO Ninpo use! Don't believe me? Go to RANKINGS section and check under my name for proof! Let's see you try and get through the game (and Mission Mode) without Ninpo! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NN1. BIG THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE: Shinobier, Saryah, Iberian Warrior, Bigalski, Afolabiyi Okubanjo, Ninja Jax, Enigmatic Skull, Paul King, Neil Walsh, Volume, Otakuman, and all the other Xbox veterans (myself included) that had to put up with three years of Xbox Ninja Gaiden to get to this final version of the game. Oh, and a big shout-out to my favorite ladies that made my time with this game a little less stressful: Jenna Jameson, Aria Giovanni, Tera Patrick, Lanny Barbie, Brittney Skye, Crissy Moran, Veronica Zemanova, Shay Laren, and Daisy Marie! Nothing gets your mind off of Sigma faster than these ladies! WINK, WINK! Remember, Life is full of entrees, so don't fill up on bread. ======================================================================= ======================================================================= ======================================================================= This FAQ is only for use on CheatCC. You may not copy, reproduce, or link to this FAQ without permission. If you want to use this FAQ on your website or publication, please e-mail me at kroqjock@gmail.com. I have no problems with anyone who asks. July 2007.