I just got back from the game store in the neighboring town and was able to score copies of the first two Ninja Gaiden games. Can't wait to do some old school platforming with these puppies!

There is just something about these games, from the storylines to the primitive cut scenes and the music that just brings them alive - don't know how the opening intro of "The Dark Sword of Chaos" can't give you chills.

They didn't have the third one but I'm not too big on that one, it has some nice graphical effects and physics changes that doesn't make enemy contact as deadly (you don't fly into pits as a result) but outside that nothing else measures up.

And the trilogy, I've heard this goes for a pretty penny, but when you consider the music bugs and editing (making blood green, removing the pentagrams) I think the originals are the way to go. Really, how did the NES versions stay intact in that day and age?

The second game is my favorite. The first one is too primitive and the third one is *way* too hard. The second game is also the only one that I beat... and looking back on it, I'm not actually sure how I managed it. The game is no cakewalk.

The part III is actually really sick too, especially some of the last bosses, it's just harder because you're limited to 5 continues.  A year or two ago I 1-lifed part I, couldn't even imagine doing that anymore my skills have probably gotten so rusty.

Yeah, part II is my favorite as well. No, it's no cake walk, but it's easier to complete than the first one, which you're right in calling it a bit primitive considering not being able to scale any wall becomes a rather sore point in some of the battles (like the fight w/the Masked Devil.) I did beat the original somehow (some of the continue points are just freakin' evil to say the least) long ago but to get to that point with either game I'm sure I'll have to do a lot of work ahead of me.

Still when it comes to part three, I think the story does the most damage. Wooooo! Beware of the BIO-NOIDS! Scary!

Oh man.  I still have the Nintendo strategy guide for that one, although I never owned the game, nor finished it.  I do remember playing for seven straight hours (minus a pause break of lunch) and getting to the final level only to get my ass handed to me.  Loved the cut scenes and the music.

David

Just recently I read an interview with Masato Kato (of Xenogears and Chrono Cross; he worked on the NES series' cutscenes in case you didn't know) where he mentioned that storywise Ancient Ship of Doom comes before Dark Sword of Chaos. It makes sense, of course, since the Dragon Sword disappeared to resurrect Irene at the end of NG2 but until then I'd never considered that the US branch's arrangement of the story didn't work (incidentally, the five-continues-and-double-damage aspect of NG3 is also only a Western quirk - the Japanese version had unlimited continues and passwords for pity's sake).

Also, I played NG2 first, and played this series before I played any Castlevania besides Simon's Quest, so my first time trying Dracula's Curse was pretty surprising.

I played Ninja Gaiden more or less when it came out (89 or 90) and the game's notoriety spread throughout my school. People were practically pissing themselves over the twisted sixth Act. I started to have nightmares about swooping eagles...

Additionally, III coming before II also explains why Foster is nowhere to be seen in the second game as well - not that he's needed. Still, at least the disappearance of the Dragon Sword makes since now - I always wondered "what" sword he was wielding in the third one.

Yeah, the restraints on western players in Ninja Gaiden III were just wrong. Didn't one of the Devil May Cry games do something similar? It was 2 or 3 I believe.

Good to see I'm not the only one that discovered Ninja Gaiden before Castlevania. Actually, I never played any of the older CVs until computers/emulators became commonplace.

Additionally, I LOVE how the music test for NGII has track names - awesome! But I stumbled upon something, a possible error:

No. 14 "Thunderstorm" Stage 2-1 (the train section)
No. 15 "Overdrive" Stage 2-2 (the rain/wind section w/Baron Spider)

Wouldn't those names make more sense if they were switched? "Thunderstorm" being the track for the wind/rain section and "Overdrive" being the track that played on the train section? Does anyone have any info on this?

I've been playing the second game; I'm not nearly as rusty as I thought I be. Didn't really have problems until Stage 7-2 which is the last segment right before the final boss chambers. Thank god the game saves which form of the final boss you're on between continues or you'd be screwed.

Still, awesome game.

That's some great info on NG and Masato Kato! I just discovered that one of the writers of Xenogears had suicidial/cynical tendencies, and that plays into his writing in the game. I like to think this impacted the much more serious tone of Chrono Cross as well.

That's interesting about Part III happening before Part II, especially the part with Foster. I so wanted him to be in Ninja Gaiden II on 360 even though I know those stories aren't related to the NES games...

So, what sword is he using in NG III? The Kitetsu?

As for Devil May Cry, Part III did indeed do that in the US release, thought it was a mistake. The default normal difficulty was actually the JPN's Hard, so the first three stages in the 2005 edition "Dante's Awakening" were brutal. I was personally glad for a return to challenge, as Part II was WAY too easy, so I guess Capcom was just giving gamers what they SAID they wanted yet again...

He wields the Dragon Sword in all three, with II happening last it's disappearance in order to revive Irene makes sense. Additionally, since the NES Trilogy happens after the Xbox games, it would make sense he would use other weapons since the Dragon Sword may be in the possession of his father.