Ninja Gaiden Black Cheats & Secrets for Xbox

Koei Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden Black is both the “deluxe edition” reissue of 2004’s Ninja Gaiden and a compilation containing all the previously released DLC for the game. Often considered the definitive version of the Ninja Gaiden series’ 7th-generation character action reboot, Ninja Gaiden Black is noteworthy for its inclusion of the “Ninja Dog” mode, providing players with an easier difficulty option to deal with the game’s notorious challenge. Ninja Gaiden Black would end up being the catalyst for the game’s port to the PS3 as Ninja Gaiden Sigma, which includes several of the additions originally introduced in Black such as the Mission Mode and the new difficulty settings.

The commercial and critical reception to Ninja Gaiden Black cement it as one of the most important action games of the 6th generation. Despite its infamous difficulty, Ninja Gaiden Black would sell 1.5 million units in roughly 2 years, and a 94% positive review aggregate score positions the title as one of the highest-rated action games of all time. In addition to being one of the best games on the original Xbox, Ninja Gaiden Black is largely considered one of the best character action games ever made.

Ninja Gaiden Black Premise

Contrary to how players meet the hero in the original NES trilogy, Ninja Gaiden Black introduces players to a younger and more inexperienced Ryu Hayabusa who has just inherited the mantle of wielding the Dragon Sword. When his village comes under attack by the Shadow Clan, Ryu ventures out on his final test, facing and defeating his own master. Years later, an invasion from the Vigoorian Empire results in a large spike of Fiend sightings, with Ryu called on to strike down the Fiend invasion and defeat the villains behind it.

In terms of gameplay, Ninja Gaiden Black‘s reputation as one of the best character action games is well-earned. While the game takes place from a third-person perspective like the original NES and arcade games in the series, the switch to full-3D allows for Ninja Gaiden to incorporate many of the mechanics and elements from Koei Tecmo’s own Dead or Alive series. As a result, combat in Ninja Gaiden Black is incredibly complex, with players meeting swift defeat if they don’t take the time to master abilities like dodging, countering, and the Izuna Drop. While the game is similar in many aspects to Capcom’s Devil May Cry series, the combat has a noticeably higher skill ceiling.

Ninja Gaiden Black Main Characters

The 6th-generation revival of the Ninja Gaiden franchise brought with it a brand-new story that reimagines the series’ lead protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. The events of Ninja Gaiden Black and its two sequels take place before the events of the classic NES trilogy, showcasing how Ryu would become the legendary ninja he is by the time of 1988’s Ninja Gaiden. The main characters in Ninja Gaiden Black include:

• Ryu Hayabusa: The legendary ninja and hero of the Ninja Gaiden series, Ryu’s journey starts when he takes up the Dragon Sword passed down through his family. Training under his master Murai, Ryu stops an attack on his clan only to then become embroiled in a world-saving mission against the Vigoorian Empire and their army of fiends.
• Ayane: Another member of Ryu’s clan, Ayane is Ryu’s ally and serves as behind-the-scenes support during his adventures. She regularly relays important information to Ryu and sticks to the shadows to gain valuable knowledge.
• Rachel: A warrior from the Vigoorian Empire, Rachel and her sister Alma both suffer the same curse that can lead to Fiend transformation. When her sister, Alma, succumbs to the curse, Rachel is unable to striker her down, resulting in Ryu saving her life. Though they begin as enemies, Rachel and Ryu eventually join forces.
• Murai: Murai is a powerful martial artist and master who trains Ryu. Though he initially appears as an ally, he is actually the primary antagonist of Ninja Gaiden Black.

Games in the Ninja Gaiden Series

While the first game in the series is the original arcade release of Ninja Gaiden, the series would find its footing on the NES. The original NES version of Ninja Gaiden is its own unique game separate from the arcade version, and its incredible action platforming gameplay would inspire a host of imitators and set a new bar of quality for arcade ports to the NES. Further, the addition of anime-style cutscenes and dialogue would give Ninja Gaiden a level of presentation that was almost unheard of in home console games. Following a successful trilogy on the NES, the series would take a long break before returning in 2004 on the Xbox in a series of character action games. Games in the Ninja Gaiden series include:

• Ninja Gaiden (Arcade, 1988)
• Ninja Gaiden (NES, 1988)
• Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (NES, 1990)
• Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (NES, 1991)
• Ninja Gaiden Shadow/Shadow Warriors (Game Boy, 1991)
• Ninja Gaiden Trilogy (SNES, 1995)
• Ninja Gaiden (Xbox, 2004)
• Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox, 2005)
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS3, 2006)
• Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (Nintendo DS, 2008)
• Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360, 2008)
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (PS3, 2009)
• Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge (Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360, 2012)
• Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 2014)
• Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection (PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, 2021)

Ninja Gaiden Black Cheats & Secrets

While there are no official “cheats” for Ninja Gaiden Black, there are several unlockables and some secret exploits players can take advantage of. Most of the game’s unlockables come from collecting the Scarabs that are scattered around the various levels and bringing them to Muramasa. Otherwise, players can beat Ninja Gaiden Black on the different difficulty modes to earn some bonuses.

Ninja Gaiden Black Unlockables

Difficulty Modes

Mission Mode Unlockables

Bonus Costumes

Secret Unlockables

Complete any of the following tasks in Ninja Gaiden Black to unlock the corresponding secret bonus:

Golden Scarab Rewards

Throughout Ninja Gaiden Black Ryu will occasionally come across Golden Scarabs. Collecting these items and bringing them to Muramasa will allow Ryu to exchange them for various rewards. The rewards are different for each difficulty tier. Simply walk up to Muramasa and select “Talk” to have him keep track of how many Scarabs you have and give you rewards for each milestone in your collection.

Ninja Dog/Normal Rewards

Hard Rewards

Very Hard Rewards

Ninja Gaiden Black Glitches/Exploits

Quick Farm Essence

Once players reach Tairon in Chapter 4, there is a handy exploit they can use to quickly farm Essence. After crossing the drawbridge to head back into Tairon, you will encounter three large purple fiends. Start by cutting their heads off using the Flying Swallow technique. Then, do not attack with any other move except for a fully charged Y attack with the Dragon Sword. If you successfully kill all three using this method, they will drop a Talisman of Rebirth and between 6,000-7,000 Essence each. Cross the bridge, go a short distance back, then return to that location to fight them again using the same method and netting the same rewards. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to fill Ryu’s wallet.

Upgrade All Weapons in Chapter 10

Similar to the earlier Essence farm, players can utilize a room in Chapter 10 to max out all their weapons. In the room where Ryu gets the second Jewel Of The Demon Seal, kill the first 30 Beetles and then leave the room. Return to the room and there will be a challenge to kill 60 Beetles. Kill around 57 to 58 beetles, leaving just a few alive, and then leave the room. Killing these Beetles will net a lot of Essence, and as long as you don’t kill all 60 you can leave and re-enter the room as many times as you need. Additionally, Ryu can go and visit Muramasa to upgrade his weapons after leaving the room.

Repeat this process as many times as necessary to fully upgrade Ryu’s arsenal and stock up on items. After, return to the room and kill all 60 Beetles to unlock a chest containing a Talisman Of Rebirth.

Ninja Gaiden Black Boss Strategies

Some of the bosses and mini-bosses in Ninja Gaiden Black have fairly recognizable patterns, while others are less obvious. The following strategies should help with Ninja Gaiden Black‘s boss fights for anyone who finds themselves struggling.

Murai (Chapter 1)

The first boss in Ninja Gaiden Black is a true test of skill and the first roadblock players will encounter. Thankfully, the most dependable strategy relies on using the boss’ arena against him. Murai has a relatively short range, meaning players can rush in to attack, blocking Murai’s counterattacks in the process. After landing a few hits, retreat to a safe distance and continue to work around him. Most of Murai’s attacks are three-hit combos, after which there is an opening for an attack. Avoid his charges or grabs and block when necessary.

Samurai Horseman (Chapter 2)

Start the fight by killing the mages, preventing their ability to hit you from range. Attacking the mages causes them to teleport behind you and attack, which Ryu can block and then counter with a combo of his own. The mages will fall after one full combo. With the mages gone, dodge the horseman’s charges and hit him in the back with arrows. After Ryu runs out of arrows, use the jumping slash or Ninpo against him to end the fight.

Vigoorian Commando (Chapter 3)

The commando has a long charging animation that players can punish as long as they have the Dragon Sword at Level 2. At Level 2, players unlock the Air Dash Slash, which makes this fight incredibly easy. Wait for the commando to charge his weapon, then run in and do the Air Dash Slash attack. Retreat to a safe distance and dodge/block until he enters the charging animation again. Repeat this attack until he is defeated.

Dragon Fiends (Sub-Boss, Chapter 5)

If players can kite one of the dragon fiends away from the group, this fight becomes incredibly easy. Lure one of the dragons away, charging the sword for a heavy attack. After hitting with the charged attack, the dragon will be stunned. Hit them with a three-hit combo and then repeat the process, remembering to keep luring it away from the others.

Tentacle Fiend (Chapter 5)

Begin the fight by focusing on one tentacle, using the jumping air slash to quickly defeat it. After, destroy the other tentacle within range. With both tentacles gone, the fiend will try to regenerate them. Use this opportunity to hit the fiend with all your most powerful attacks. Repeat the whole process if necessary.

Bone Dragon (Chapter 6)

The trick to quickly defeating the Bone Dragon is to destroy all its feet, watching for attacks in the meantime. The Bone Dragon will clearly telegraph all its attacks, giving Ryu plenty of time to dodge accordingly. After destroying one of the feet, the Dragon will change position and attempt to grab you in its jaws. Dodge to the right to avoid this attack, heading back to attack the feet again.

Tentacle Fiend II (Sub-Boss, Chapter 7)

This second Tentacle Fiend is the same as the one players face in Chapter 5, it just deals more damage. Focus on defeating the two tentacles and then attack the body while it tries to regenerate its limbs.

Alma (Chapter 7)

With the Dragon Sword at Level 2, players can make short work of this fight. Wait for Alma to come down to the ground. While she’s on the floor of the arena, use the Flying Swallow attack for a guaranteed hit. This move will cause her to fall to her knees, leaving her open for a combo attack. Repeat this process as necessary (waiting for Alma to land, Flying Swallow, follow-up combo) for an easy win.

Turrets, Helicopter, Rocket Launcher (Sub-Boss, Chapter 8)

To start, block all incoming fire from the turrets until Ryu gets to the safe area. Inside there is a corpse with arrows giving you a clue as to the best way to defeat the turrets. Get as close to the gate as possible without the turrets being able to see you, firing at them with arrows. After destroying the turrets, the Helicopter will appear. Simply block its machine gun fire until it flies away. Lastly, look to the buildings south of the gate to spot a broken window. Inside will be the soldier with the rocket launcher. Hit him twice with the bow and arrow to defeat him.

Tanks, Helicopter, Soldiers (Chapter 9)

The trick to this fight is getting arrow hits to land without taking damage or being run over by one of the tanks. Begin the fight by using the Fireball Ninpo on the tank, aiming to defeat the machine gunner. With the gunner gone, fire arrows at the tank until the gunner reappears. Repeat this process again to defeat the first tank. Players can use this same strategy for the second tank as long as they can locate some more APPSDS arrows.

Heading up the elevator after the tank fight will lead directly to a confrontation with the Helicopter. Like before, block or dodge all incoming fire and aim for the yellow light on the Helicopter using APPSDS arrows. After the helicopter goes down, Ryu will need to defeat several different soldier types before completing the level.

Giant Worm (Sub-Boss, Chapter 10)

A useful trick to this battle is to rely heavily on the Windmill Shuriken. Stay out of the water and use the Windmill Shuriken to repeatedly deal damage to the Worm. When the Worm flops over on its side, rush in with a heavy Y attack to deal significant damage.

Giant Worm x 2 (Sub-Boss, Chapter 10)

Similar to the last Giant Worm fight, lean on the Windmill Shuriken until the Worms get within range. Start the fight by standing in the furthest left corner of the room, focusing just on the left Worm and staying safely out of the right Worm’s range. Hit the Worm with the Windmill Shuriken, dodging incoming attacks and exploiting opportunities for melee combos. After the left Worm falls, repeat the same strategy with the right Worm.

Ancient Dragon (Chapter 10)

Most of the fight with the Ancient Dragon relies on mobility. Ryu will need to stay in motion while attacking its legs, dodging backward to avoid wing attacks and running to the Dragon’s previous position when it readies its laser beam attack. When the dragon flies into the air and lands on a pillar, simply stand next to the pillar directly underneath it to avoid all its attacks.

Doku (Chapter 11)

The trick with Doku is to not get greedy with combos. Instead, strafe around Doku at mid-range and get one single attack in between his attacks. If Doku begins a charge move, dodge to the right or left as soon as you can. After the charge, he is vulnerable for a brief period, long enough to get one good combo. Staying at mid-to-far-range is the key to avoiding his fast combo attacks and exploiting the charge move.

Ice Fiend (Chapter 12)

To easily defeat the Ice Fiend, circle around to the enemy’s back. From here, Ryu can easily land several combo attacks. Dodge the icicles that the Ice Fiend calls from the ground and then continue to attack its rear.

Flame Worm (Sub-Boss, Chapter 12)

Dodge the Worm’s fire attacks by jumping either around or through them, hitting them with combo attacks during any windows of opportunity. As long as players follow the dodge/attack/dodge/attack cycle, they should be able to defeat the Flame Worm easily.

Flame Dragon (Chapter 12)

While it requires some quick reflexes to work, the easiest way to defeat the Flame Dragon is to fight it from the upper platform. On the upper level, the dragon will primarily rely on two attacks (the bite and flamethrower) which players can quickly learn the timing of and easily dodge. In between these attacks, it’s fairly easy to get off one or two full combo attacks.

An alternative strategy is to hit the Dragon with the Inferno Ninpo. This will stun the Dragon long enough to hit him with a few APPSDS arrows, dealing significant damage. With enough arrows and Ki refilling items, players can stun lock the Dragon and use arrows to defeat him.

Alma II (Chapter 13)

Like the first fight with Alma, players can utilize the Flying Swallow attack to deal decent damage. Simply watch out for her attacks and keep a safe distance, closing in with the Flying Swallow attack when it has a chance to land.

Spirit Doku (Chapter 14)

Spirit Doku is the same as the first fight with Doku except he now has the ability to recover health and deals more damage. Like before, players can be successful by being patient and only using single attacks instead of combos. Avoid jumping attacks like Flying Swallow as Doku will block and counter these abilities. Once again, keep your distance from the boss and watch out for his charging dash. Dodge to the right or left and attack with a combo during the brief window of vulnerability. The Art of the Inferno does high damage to Doku and is a great ability to use to quickly end the fight after taking off about half of his health bar.

Tentacle Fiend III (Sub-Boss, Chapter 15)

The third and final fight against the Tentacle Fiend is the same as the other two. Use the Flying Swallow attack to quickly destroy its tentacles one at a time, then attack the body while it tries to regenerate its limbs.

Ice Fiend II (Sub-Boss, Chapter 15)

Just like the first fight with the Ice Fiend in Chapter 12, Ryu can make short work of this fight by circling around to the enemy’s back. From the rear, attack the Ice Fiend with combos and watch out for the rising icicles from the floor.

Lord of the Fiends (Sub-Boss, Chapter 15)

The Lord of the Fiends mostly relies on two attacks: a lunge and shooting fireballs. Both of these attacks are highly telegraphed, with the lunge coming after he moves backward in preparation and the fireballs coming after he laughs. Learn his tells for these attacks and dodge accordingly, attacking him with Flying Swallow in between.

Vigoorian Emperor (Chapter 15)

To quickly end the first phase of this fight and begin the true battle, use all the Ninpo you have available to deal enough damage to the Vigoorian Emperor and trigger a cutscene. If you run out of Ninpo, move to the platform near his arm and slash with the Dragon Sword to end the fight.

Vigoorian Emperor II (Chapter 15)

In the second phase, the player can start the fight by shooting the Emperor with arrows. Whenever he sends out the many skulls that surround him, equip the Flails and repeatedly attack to destroy them. Every time Ryu destroys a skull, the Emperor takes damage. Whenever the Emperor lands on the ground, use Flying Swallow to attack through him and land hits without taking damage. When the boss’ behavior allows, take the arrows back out and aim for the giant horned skull.

Evil Murai (Chapter 16)

Evil Murai can be a tough fight or an easy one depending on if players have the Sun Armlet. With the Sun Armlet, Ryu can use the Flying Swallow attack over and over, as it will stun Murai long enough to line up a successive attack and repeat the move indefinitely.

Ninja Gaiden Black Cheat FAQs

What does Ninja Gaiden Black add?

Essentially, Ninja Gaiden Black is both a remix and a compilation title, collecting the original Ninja Gaiden for Xbox and its two DLC Hurricane Packs. These Hurricane Packs contain remixes of item and enemy placements, additional difficulty modes, new costumes, and new enemy types. In addition to containing the base game and all its DLC content, Ninja Gaiden Black also introduces two exclusive difficulty modes. One of these is the much sought-after “Easy Mode” that makes the game more accessible to fans who might have had trouble with the original’s difficulty.

How do you unlock Master Ninja in Ninja Gaiden Black?

Master Ninja difficulty is the highest difficulty tier available in Ninja Gaiden Black. To quickly unlock this mode, players should repeat the Doku fight in Chapter 2 on successive difficulties. So, as an example, defeating Doku in Normal mode will unlock Hard difficulty. Make it to Doku and beat him again in Hard mode to unlock Very Hard difficulty. Defeating him again on Very Hard mode will unlock Master Ninja mode. Now players can play through the entirety of Ninja Gaiden Black on the highest difficulty tier.

Is Ninja Gaiden Black harder than Dark Souls?

Considering that “difficulty” is subjective, there are still some criteria at play that we can use to judge whether Ninja Gaiden Black or Dark Souls is more difficult. While both games require methodical approaches to combat, the ways that each handles the aspect of character progression are vastly different. In Ninja Gaiden Black, players can only level up their weapons so much and must rely more on raw skill than brute-forcing encounters through stats and power. Dark Souls requires that players learn enemy move sets and react accordingly, but the ability to grind for Souls and become over-leveled for encounters can remove some of the difficulty. Ultimately, both games require a mix of dodging and parrying enemy attacks, forcing players to hone both perception and skill in order to survive.

How long to beat Ninja Gaiden Black?

Playtimes for Ninja Gaiden Black can vary wildly depending on skill. That said, most playthroughs of just the main story will take, on average, about 15 hours. To complete both the main story and all the extra content that Ninja Gaiden Black includes, players can expect to spend upwards of 25-30 hours. Note that a high-skill player will have a completion time on the lower end of the spectrum while struggling with tough boss encounters and repeating sections of the game will result in a longer playthrough.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Ninja Gaiden Black key art.