FAQ: Ninja Gaiden Area 6-2 In-Depth FAQ Date: 10-19-2005 Version: 2.16 Author: SkedarJanitor Email: skedarjanitor AT gmail DOT com Best viewed with font Courier Made on a Mac using BBEdit _____________________________________________________________________________ ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ___ ___ _ __ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ __ ____ /===/|==\ /=\ |==\ /==---====\_ |==\ |=||=||==\ |=| |==| |====| <===|/====| |===| /===\ \===========| |== \|=||=||== \|=| |==| |====| /====-====| \====\ _/====/ ^--_//__---_ |====|=||=||====|=| |==| |====| |==|\====/ |=====\\====/ /===========/ |======||=||======| __ |==||==||==| |/\| /==// |===\=\<|====| \==| \|\ |-|----||-||-|----||--||--||--11--| /---/ /--|\-\ \--| /-/ /---\ |-|\---||-||-|\---||--11--||------| /---/ |---| _/--\ |-----------\_ |_| \__||_||_| \__||______||__||__| //_-- \-/\\ \__-| \_______|\__/ ___ _ _ ___ ___ _ | __ /_\ | | \ |___ |\ | by Tecmo |__| / \ | |__/ |___ | \_| ||`~-. || | _____ ____ ____ ----:|| .=-__________________________________________|=====|_|====|_|====|___ ":":"||/ /###,;=*"*=;, ######|/ #####################|==|####|====|#|=||=|### | | ||! :!!.(..!!!.< ."=,_ =*;"=;,_.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!|=====||==||==||=||=|!!! | | ||! :!!!.`.!!!!.\.!!!."*~:~*`..`.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!|--|!!!|--11--||-||-|!!! .:.:.||\ \___________________________________________|--|___|------||-||-|__ ====:|| `=~ |__| |__||__||_______| || | ||,-~` ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, | I n - D e p t h F A Q A R E A 6 - 2| ``````````````````````````````````````````````````` _____________________________________________________________________________ ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` \ :.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, || ______ || ;-*``'`` ````"*-;_ |/ || ( C O N T E N T S (` `*._ =*;"*, || ` ` `*~-~*` ` || L E G A L ..... || W H Y 6-2 ? |*^ | || I N T R O |*^ | || |*^ | || AREA 6-2 WALKTHROUGH |*^ | || ..... |*^ | || !--.|\ | S E G M E N T 1 |*^ | || (| `-:o== S E G M E N T 2 |*^ | || | |". ` S E G M E N T 3 |*^ | || _--..!_,' S E G M E N T 4 |*^ | || | | |__ S E G M E N T 5 |*^ | || '| | \ S E G M E N T 6 |*^ | || .--._!,/' S E G M E N T 7 |*^ | || | | |_ S E G M E N T 8 |*^ | || `| | '''. S E G M E N T 9 |*^ | || ''''' \ |*^ | || I D E A S :,_.```-,.'``. |*^ | || V E R S I O N | |*^ | || W O R K S .`'"`...-'`,..` |*^ | || F I N A L N|O T E __ |*^ | || `._.-'`.__.' \. |*^ | || ' |*^ | || ''''' || :"```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` / \ :.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, || ___ || ;-*``` ```"*-;_ |/ || ( L E G A L (` `*._ =*;"*, || ` ` `*~-~*` ` || || This document is protected by US copyright law. This document may not be || reproduced whole or in part electronically, on paper, or in any other || format, except with the author's express consent. || || .--*.--* Copyright � 2001-2005 W. A. R. *--.*--. || :"```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` / _____ ;-*```` ````"*-;_ |/ ( W H Y 6-2 ? (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` Ninja Gaiden carries the appearance of a simple enough game. One just runs, leaps chasms, and hacks things to pieces while collecting cool ninja magic powerups, right? Until Area 6-2. Were this level a sentient, malicious entity (which I'm sure it is), it would express itself with the following quote: .--*.--* "You'll rue the day you crossed me, Trebek!" *--.*--. -Sean Connery (impersonated by Darrell Hammond) on Saturday Night Live Oh, yes. I rue the day I crossed this horrid level. Getting shoved off cliffs. Getting killed by eagles' talons. Getting shoved off cliffs. And getting a large, heavy object to bludgeon my NES. I was frustrated. And judging by the many diatribes I have seen on various sites and message boards, a lot of others were frustrated. If through some amazing luck you beat this level on the first try, the game takes you all the way back to 6-1 if you die on any of the boss stages 6-4, 6-5, and 7-1. Ryu's fate is set to the whims of Tecmo programmers, so there is nothing you can do about this except to learn how to beat the infamous Area 6-2 quickly and easily. This is the purpose of this FAQ: To teach you what I feel is an effective and easy method to get past what many feel is the most difficult section of Ninja Gaiden. ____ ;-*``` ```"*-;_ |/ ( I N T R O (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` Here's how I will structure my ramblings: I'll divide the level into Segments. .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. I'll give you The Setup, or the game situation for each Segment. The Setup contains information such as the enemy locations, powerup locations, and level layout. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. I'll then give you The Strategy for each Segment. The Strategy is a method you can use to get past each Segment. .--*.--* Definitions *--.*--. I will refer to the boost that gives you 5 ninja power points as the Blue Boost. I will refer to the boost that gives you 10 ninja power points as the Red Boost. The blue 500 point bonus bag will be called the Blue Bag. The red 1,000 point bonus bag will be called the Red Bag. Redder is better. _____________________________________________________________________________ ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ____ _..__ ,^` "*:~ ,~,=^` `^~ _ _ __________ :..., ::`.~.~```;~--.. / ! ____ ," !_ | || | :"" ,~.,:`! / \ / # ! .".-,_: | !" __ | | ,~"-=" `,` ~: ~..-.:,_ `-. / __ ! | :__.. | |_ '--' | || | _.~` `;, :` ``. ::,,,: /_/ \__! :___.* |_." |_|_|_|_ / ,~~.-=~.\| ,:, ```` `-:;;;* '';:__,:' \ ,-~` : ,: ,. ,: __,;`:\ | ;-~"" ; \ \ `"""`--~~:"^`~-. \ :_ `^~._ `~` `. `~.__ ~. _ `~., ; : ~. \ \ \ `~` _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ |=\|=||=||=\|=| |=| !==! /==||=\/=|/====> |----||-||----| _ |-| !--! /-// |---< <-===> |----||-||----||-||-|! -- ! // || || /__.:\ |_|\_||_||_|\_|:.__.:|_||_| G A I D E N AREA 6-2 WALKTHROUGH _____________________________________________________________________________ ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 1 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, As you run left towards the two || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. pillars at the start of the || 1. Blue Boost level, four enemies will attack || Location: Inside the torch below you. Be on the lookout. || Mr. mace thrower's feet. -:'```````````````````````````````````` 1. Guy with a purple baseball bat. He lumbers from the left. 2. An aspiring Hammer Brother. I mean, a mace thrower. He is standing on the right pillar, throwing "hammers" on your head. 3 & 4. The knife thrower and devil dog appear simultaneously the moment you get close to the first pillar. The knife thrower is on your left, and the devil dog will attack from the right. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. You can dispatch the baseball bat guy easily, but watch out for the "hammers" falling from overhead, because if you get hit you might stick to one of the pillars as you fly away from the impact. If you do get hit, go ahead and climb up the pillars, making sure to slash the mace thrower so you have a safe landing place. As you approach the right pillar, you can get the powerup if you have good timing. Try to leap and slash it. You will land inches in front of the knife thrower, so slash him the moment you land or you'll pay the price of greed. If you don't get hit by the falling objects then run straight towards the knife thrower. Pay no heed to the snarling devil dog behind you, nervous though you may be. You'll make it. Slash the knife thrower as you run and immediately jump onto the high pillar to ensure you won't be on "When Possessed Animals Attack". Jump back and forth between the pillars so you can take out the mace thrower. Then jump on top of the right pillar. ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 2 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Now if you've jumped to the top || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. of the left pillar, that knife || 1. Ninja Windmill Throwing Star thrower and devil dog that come || Location: On the top of the left from the left should be of no || pillar concern to you. A baseball bat || 2. Blue Boost guy and/or a knife thrower will || Location: Below the Ninja probably come from the right, || Windmill Throwing Star too. A third knife thrower will || 3. Red Bag appear as you approach the large || Location: To the right of the concrete brick. If you even move || concrete brick -:'```````````````````````````````````` to the right the slightest amount, a devil dog will come from behind the knife thrower. On top of the small concrete brick is a mace thrower. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. If you're feeling dramatic, go ahead and leap off of the left pillar and slash the Ninja Windmill Throwing Star powerup out of the sky. If you're feeling pragmatic, don't. You should save up your ninja power for later (you'll see). Try to get the lower powerup without moving to the right, or a devil dog will appear. And if there's an enemy sneaking up on you from the right, ignore him - what a fool he is for trying to sneak up on a ninja. Because only women in funny suits carrying anesthetic pistols can do that. Take out the knife thrower and get the Red Bag, if you enjoy futility, then carefully dispatch the mace thrower. ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 3 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, There is a small concrete brick || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. on the right, and a tall concrete || 1. Red Boost brick on the left. In between is || Location: Below the tiny little a tiny little green footstep. || green footstep. -:'```````````````````````````````````` Then there is a devil dog that appears on top of the tall concrete brick, and it runs growling from the left. A drunken vampire bat sways up and down from the left as you reach the end of the small concrete brick. I swear, those vampire bats have got to stop feeding off of drunk people. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. If you have good timing and nerves of steel (or just want to show off), you can jump and slash the devil dog as he comes towards you, then make a landing on the footstep. If you don't have good timing, then just walk off the end of the small concrete brick and get the powerup. Try not to get a whiff of the intoxicated vampire bat's breath as it flies by. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, If you haven't slashed the devil || .--*.--* CLIMB THE WALL *--.*--. dog it will run by harmlessly || 1. Jump and stick to the wall at over your head. Now if you can, || the highest point you can reach. make the long climb up the wall || 2. Press the D-Pad away from the of the concrete brick. || wall and press A. If, try as you might, you can't || 3. IMMEDIATELY press the D-Pad climb the wall, go back to the || towards the wall as soon as you small concrete brick and jump to || let go. You'll gain a tiny bit of the small green footstep. You'll || altitude. have to face down the devil dog. || 4. Repeat steps 2-3 until you get If you are one of those poor || to the altitude you want. -:'```````````````````````````````````` souls who has bad timing AND can't climb walls, I give you my most sincere condolences. You will have to take some damage if you can't slash the devil dog out of the air or jump out of his way. Now you are on top of the tall concrete brick. ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 4 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, The left wall of the large || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. concrete brick is a ladder. How || 1. Blue Bag convenient. There is a small || Location: Above rightmost small platform with a baseball bat guy || platform with baseball bat guy running back and forth. Above || 2. Blue Boost this is a Blue Bag. If you move || Location: Above leftmost small to the right here, your old || platform with baseball bat guy -:'```````````````````````````````````` buddies the drunken vampire bat and devil dog will come back and attack you from the right. A wall is between the two small platforms. This will be important later. Another small platform looms, with another baseball bat guy further to the left. Take heed, brave ninja, for below is a BOTTOMLESS PIT from which none may escape! There's a Blue Boost inside the torch above this platform. When you reach this platform, an orange rocket pack ninja who throws shuriken (ninja stars) will come from the left. Then above and to the left is the end of a long, skinny "5-star" platform. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. To safely land on the platforms with the baseball bat guys, you have to press the jump button the moment after that they turn to the right. Ninjas do not need to follow the samurai code of honor, so when you land, slash the suckers in the back. I suppose you could use a Ninja Windmill Throwing Star powerup for this, but don't - you'll need the ninja power for the Air Slash. Trust me. Watch your step if you try to get the powerups. Be careful when you take out the second baseball bat guy. Unfortunately for you, the ninja's lack of dress codes allows the adornment of bright orange clothes and rocket packs. An orange rocket pack ninja will blast by with deadly diagonally flying shuriken that will surely knock you into the dreaded pit if they connect. If you have perfect (I don't mean good here, I mean PERFECT) timing, you can slash every single flying shuriken out of the air and land on the higher platform without a scratch. If you are mortal like the rest of us then you can take advantage of your ninja's iron grip: As the rocket pack ninja zooms onto the screen, jump and cling for dear life on the wall in between the two small platforms. Now if a shuriken strikes you, you will stay exactly where you are and NOT go flying off of a cliff. Then after the rocket pack ninja flies by, you can jump off of the wall and land safely on the long, skinny platform. ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 5 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, There is an air slash powerup || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. above the left end of the long, || 1. Air Slash skinny platform. Here two rocket || Location: Above the left end of pack ninjas will fly by throwing || the long, skinny platform countless shuriken. More || 2. Ninja Windmill Throwing Star card-carrying members of the || Location: Above long, white Flying Ninja Club will appear and || platform make your life miserable if you || 3. Blue Boost wait too long or move to the || Location: at left end of long right. || green platform -:'```````````````````````````````````` Below and to the left of the long, skinny platform is a small platform that is nearer to the bottom of the screen. The cheapest rocket ninjas in the game will come out and knock you off the platform as soon as you reach the peak of your jumping arc, either by mid-air collision or by hitting you with shuriken. Beyond this small platform is a longer white platform. Above this white platform is a Ninja Windmill Throwing Star powerup. Again, as you jump you will be knocked out of the sky by more rocket pack ninjas. Then to the left of the long white platform is a long green platform. At the left end of the platform is a Blue Boost inside the torch. The exit ladder is here, as well. A baseball bat guy will appear on the end of the platform and knock you for a grand slam when you land. Then rocket pack ninjas will smack you back and forth like a Babe Ruth autographed ball that goes into the stands. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. That is, unless you have one item along with plenty of ninja power: The Air Slash powerup. This is your lifesaver for this segment, and for most of the level if you can hang on to it. To stay alive on the first long green platform with the Air Slash powerup, try to stay in the middle of the platform as the rocket ninjas go by. This way, if you get hit, you won't fall into the pit so easily. When there's a break in the shuriken onslaught, it's time for revenge! Send the rocket boys packing (no pun intended) with the power of the Air Slash! Just don't run out of ninja power or you're shuriken fodder. Now here are the three slashing jumps you must perform with the Air Slash to make it out of this stage successfully: 1. From long, skinny platform to low, small platform. The obstacles are rocket pack ninjas and errant shuriken. 2. From low, small platform to long, white platform. More rocket pack ninjas here. By the way: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT get the powerup above the white platform. It's a Ninja Windmill Throwing Star, and the Air Slash that you've got now is your last line of defense against aerial attacks. 3. From long, white platform to final green platform. The last obstacle is a baseball bat guy who can be taken out if your leap is far enough to the left. If it's not, though, he might still manage to knock you off the cliff to spite your superior Air Slash powers. For insurance against this, you should slash your sword the moment you land. Now that you have made it past the platforms and flying sharp things, you can exit this section of Area 6-2 via the ladder. If you have Air Slash power, getting the Blue Boost here is kind of pointless, because it costs 5 points to get the powerup. You get 5 points back, bringing you right back where you started. But if you're out of power go ahead and get it. Excellent work. You have made it past the first part of the level. Now if you die and have some lives left, you won't have go through this part again. ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 6 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, You'll climb up the ladder and || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. emerge into a new screen. On your || 1. Red Boost left is a tall white block. On || Location: Above machine gun guy your right are three small green || 2. Red Bag platforms. Below and to the left || Location: Above second small of the tall white block, there is || green platform a small green platform. On this || 3. Art of the Fire Wheel small platform there is a hunched || Location: Above and to the right over machine gun guy with either || of the monkey's head. sunglasses or a really nasty || 4. Blue Bag scar. The powerup above him is a || Location: Directly above monkey's Red Boost. || head. -:'```````````````````````````````````` A loong distance to the left of this small green platform is another one just like it. A drunken vampire bat will fly out and try to knock you into the pit as soon as you land. There is a Red Bag above this platform. To the left of this green platform there is solid ground (finally!), and an evil white eagle comes out of the pit when you reach past the second green platform. There is a mad monkey further to the left, waiting to pounce on you. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. Make you way up the three green platforms at the beginning, but be careful when you jump from the green platform to the tall white block. It's a long, risky jump (and unfortunately not the last of its kind), so wait until you have reached the end of your runway before taking off. If you have some Air Slash power remaining, the machine gun guy is really easy: just Air Slash and waste him. If you're out of ninja juice, though, wait until he is at the far right end of the platform. If there are no bullets in the air and he's not about to fire, then take the plunge. Try to land so that you are right in front of him. Don't worry, he wouldn't dare run into you because he is backing away, cowering before your supreme ninja might. Don't let him grovel for too long, though, or in his fear his trigger finger will twitch. Grab the Red Boost. You can use some of your Air Slash power to get it, because you'll gain more power than you'll lose. The yawning expanse of the next jump really boggles the mind. You have to be within a few pixels to make this one. Just try to do your best and if you have the Air Slash, go ahead and use it to kill the bat before you land on the other green platform. If you don't have the Air Slash, it is possible to land so that the bat doesn't hit you, but your chances of making it are very slim. You have a very narrow landing pad that is right in between the edge of the platform and the middle. Try to slash the bat after landing so it doesn't hit you on its upswing. Oh, and don't bother with the Blue Bag here unless you're going for a high score or something. Oh, sure, you can get an extra life with every 10,000 points, but the effort involved is like going for a Ferrari with 150 million Kool-Aid points. At this point one of those nasty white eagles will emerge from the pit. Stay away from these guys; they suck off 3 hit points with every impact. When you jump from the green platform and steer towards good, solid earth, make it a small hop that doesn't cover much horizontal distance. If you do this, the eagle will swoop under you and miss. Then you can wait on the ground and slash it. Or you can just Air Slash it if you've got the juice. The best way to shock the monkey (who takes off 2 HP) is to slowly walk towards it until it is just out of sword's reach, and then to take a quick step and slash it. ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 7 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To the left of the monkey is a || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. tall, thin pillar. If you bother || 1. Crappy Ninja Windmill Throwing climbing up the thing you'd find || Star That's Not As Good As Air a Ninja Windmill Throwing Star || Slash powerup at the top, which, once || Location: top of tall thin pillar again, isn't better than your || 2. Puny Throwing Star wicked Air Slash. On the ground || Location: over Hockey Mask's head -:'```````````````````````````````````` to the left of the pillar are two fire spitting statues. They look like Kelbeross (the twin dog bosses) sitting on tricycles or something, but I think those should be skulls, not wheels. Above the statue on the far left is a Blue Boost. Further left is a green footstep, leading to a medium sized concrete block with an aspiring Hammer Brother named Jason. I mean, an axe thrower in a hockey mask. The powerup above him is a puny Throwing Star powerup. To the left of the medium sized block is a monkey on the ground. Behind the monkey is a pillar and a ladder to the next section of the level. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. To beat the statues, just run directly towards them without missing a beat and slash away. This is one of the few examples in this game where charging towards the enemy actually works. Don't get the Blue Boost above them unless you are out of Air Slash power. You can use an Air Slash on the axeman, just be careful because the axes still might get you when you land if you fall short of him. And don't bother with the Throwing Star powerup above him, you've got a bigger and better Air Slash. Approach this monkey like the previous monkey: walk carefully towards it, and then quickly move into range and slash. Voila. Climb the ladder and you are now done with the second section of the dreaded 6-2. ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 8 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, It's a long, lonely climb up the || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. next screen. Then your ladder || 1. Blue Bag emerges into a strange new || Location: Above the third section that scrolls the opposite || platform from the left. way. Bizarre. There's some ground || 2. Red Boost on the left of the ladder. On the || Location: Above the fourth right is one small green platform || platform with Mr. Green Hands over a harrowing bottomless pit || 3. Red Bag that seems to go on forever. || Location: Above the fifth After a small gap, there's a || oil-drum-looking platform -:'```````````````````````````````````` second long, green platform. There's a saber wielding guy with a pimple on his head who shambles along this platform. Both powerups above this platform are Blue Boosts. When you reach the middle of the second platform, a football player will charge from the left, and a bat will wobble from the right. When you reach the right end of the second platform, a brown eagle will come forth from the pit, along with another loopy bat. To the right is a third platform. The powerup above it is a Blue Bag. When you try to leap to the fourth platform, a brown eagle will appear exactly in the peak of your jump and knock you right back. On the fourth platform is a knife thrower in a hooded cloak. Why he has green hands escapes me. Maybe he was giving Swamp Thing a prostate exam. The powerup above here is a Red Boost. When you land on the fourth platform a football player comes from the left. The fifth and final platform isn't really a platform but a pillar. This one's wide so it looks like a stack of oil drums. The powerup here is a Red Bag. Then the exit ladder is to the right. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. Get to the edge of the first green platform. Try not to hit the saber guy's zit (ick) as you duck and slash him. It's too bad. I'll bet this saber guy is frustrated. I mean, here he is, a grown man with acne. There's this whole social stigma about it, you know. It's just the kind of thing that makes you want to go out and kill some ninjas. Or just walk on a little platform and swing at some ninjas. Well, anyway, once you leap onto the second platform, watch your back. A football player will come from the left as a bat comes from the right. Slash the bat, then jump straight up as the football player goes under you. DO NOT turn to the left. DO NOT walk farther right than the torch on the right side of the platform. Here's why: If you go left, the football guy will reappear; if you go too far right, the eagle will appear. Now jump straight up and slash the torch containing the Blue Boost powerup if you're out of Air Slash juice. If you don't have the Air Slash, don't bother. Run towards the third platform. Jump when you get to the edge, otherwise you won't make it. This will allow you to avoid the bat that sways from the right, and the eagle that swoops out from under you simultaneously. If the eagle has too much momentum, it will disappear off the right side of the screen. Otherwise you'll have to duke it out with the eagle. - If you have 10 ninja power points, you can use your Air Slash. - If you have 5 points, or no Air Slash, bite your lip and wait until the eagle is a sword's length away before laying down the Dragon Sword smack. Skip the powerup over the third platform, it's just a Bag. The trick here to pass the cloaked knifeman is to step forward a few paces, then wait. The swamp proctologist will walk to the right and off the screen into oblivion. Try to get maximum distance on the jump to the fourth platform. When you jump, an eagle will appear DIRECTLY in your path. - You can Air Slash the eagle into a cloud of feathers. - If you can't Air Slash, you will sorely regret the loss. You must execute a PERFECTLY timed mid-air sword slash to take the feathered freak down. You'll have to press the button the instant before the bird appears. If you Air Slashed the eagle then you'll automatically pick up the Red Boost above the fourth platform. The moment you land on the fourth platform, jump and do another Air Slash to take out an errant football player who comes screaming from the right. Or use your magical perfect timing abilities to sword slash the football player in the air if you don't have the powerup. So how did all these NFL rejects get into this Amazon temple in the first place? Land on the oil drum thing and hop to the ladder. You can pat yourself on the back, but don't take too long to savor the sweet smell of success. You've still got one more section of the level to conquer. ________ ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ ( S E G M E N T 9 (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. -:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, As you reach the top rung of this || .--*.--* Powerups *--.*--. ladder, you will see four green || 1. Blue Boost platforms on your left. The || Location: To the left of the ladder itself is on the side of a || first tall, green pillar medium white block. While you are || 2. Healing Vial leaping from the highest green || Location: Up and to the right of platform to the top of the white || the tall pillar block, a sinister white eagle || 3. Red Boost will appear. There is a || Location: Front left of Big white bottomless pit about 4 Ryus wide || block with 3 big white knights on the right of the medium white || 4. Super-Duper-Invincibility Fire block. The powerup on the left of || Wheel the tall, green pillar is a Blue || Location: Front right of the big Boost. If you get within range of || white block -:'```````````````````````````````````` picking up the powerup, an evil white eagle will swoop from the top, and a mad monkey will come from the right to defend it with their lives. Up and to the right of the tall pillar is a Healing Vial to restore 6 of your precious hit points. If you move left here, another white eagle will come from the left. A white knight with a scimitar and shield will grumble along the ground from the right, as well. His scimitar floats above his head in mid-swing. I wish that I had one of those fancy floating scimitars . You know, when the knight held the shield in front of his face, I used to think that the shield was part of his face and he had a big smiley grin. It just looked that way. There is a big white block set in the background of the floor, with 3 big white knights on patrol. On the front left of the big white block is a Red Boost powerup and on the front right is a super-duper invincibility Fire Wheel.When you reach the Red Boost a green ninja will drop from the left top of the screen. Guarding the Fire Wheel is a man who I swear has a bear trap for a head. I think those are knives he's throwing, but they could just as easily be frosted hot dogs. To the right of the white block is a bottomless pit. Over the pit is a green step with a Blue Bag powerup. And then across the chasm, at long last, there is the exit. .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. When you make your way to the top of that starting block with the ladder on the side, get ready to make some difficult maneuvers. First leap on to the white block. As soon as you land safely be ready for the white eagle. Jump over it and over the pit in one dramatic leap. If the monkey doesn't show up, that means you are one step away from being caught between the hammer and the anvil. Pass the Blue Boost, you've got flying death right behind you. Now step forward to meet Mr. Peepers. As the monkey charges towards you, cool your nerves and meet the monkey's charge with a forward charge of your own. As soon as it's close enough, show the monkey what an opposable thumb holding a sword can do. Then run forward, slash the knight, and duck! The white eagle should just barely go over your head. Take out the eagle as it prepares to gain momentum to smack into you at maximum eagle velocity. Now run to the right. Ignore the green ninja who falls from the sky, because if you keep moving you'll feed him to the screen-scrolling monster. This thing is just like those freaky Langoliers. It eats up anything that gets pushed too far to the left. Continue towards the powerup on the right, which is the Fire Wheel that you need to make this last part of the level a total cakewalk. Get rid of Mr. Bear-Trap-for-a-Head (make sure your sword doesn't stick in his jaws) and snatch the Fire Wheel. Now you have the power of Grey-Skull! Not really. But it's close. You'll have about 10 game timer seconds of total invincibility, so you can go ahead and walk through the enemies with wild abandon for the remainder of the level. Run back to the left and hop on the side of the short pillar. Quickly bounce between the pillar and wall until you reach the top of the white block with the three armored amigos. Pass through them like they didn't exist, and make sure to grab the Blue Bag as you hop on top of the green step. Why, you ask? Because you're invincible, so why the hell not? Nonchalantly pass through the exit to Area 6-2. And if you get through the door quick enough, you'll have a bit of invincibility at the start of Area 6-3! It's like twice the powerup for your slash! Don't worry, the hard part's over. Just a bit more to go and it won't be long before you savor the simple, silly, yet somehow satisfying conclusion to Ninja Gaiden. ___ ;-*``` ```"*-;_ |/ ( I D E A S (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* Reader Contributions *--.*--. Got any ideas? Go ahead and send them to skedarjanitor AT gmail DOT com (typed correctly of course, that's there to reduce autospam), and be sure to include "Ninja Gaiden" in the subject header. Thanks! .--*.--* Bill's Tips *--.*--. Here are some strategies for the machine gun guy and that treacherous run through segment 8, from Bill: In segment 6, here's how I handle the machine gun man. If you don't have the air slash, get your ninja clinging to the wall to the right of his platform. You had better know how to climb walls in this game, otherwise jump into the pit now. When you are on the wall, climb (or drop) until the guy's bullets are just above Ryu's head. Now when he's not firing, and he's on the leftmost side of his platform, jump at him while swinging. In segment 8, in the part where one must put with up with the eagle and the knife throwin' cloak man, I have a slighty different strategy. First, I let the cloak man scroll himself off the screen like you said, but for the bird I do something different. I let birdy come on the screen, and I dodge him on the platform I scrolled the Scream murderer from. I dodge the eagle again. I dodge him again and again and again and again and again, making sure not to bring back any enemies back. Soon, that eagle has a lot of momentum, and he acts a lot like a stray windmill throwing star. Pretend it actually is one, and go to the exit. Hopefully those football players won't get you. And I thought John Madden was out of control. Thanks Bill! .--*.--* Jason Horner's Tips *--.*--. Some miscellaneous strategies for other parts of the game, sent in by Jason Horner: Yes, I remember that unholy Stage 6-2 with a passion. There is a big tip I can give you that should help conserve Ninja Power. When you have the Air Slash power-up, there is a way that you can do a normal jumping sword slash. Hold Up on the controller, then Jump and press the Attack button (if Up doesn't work, try Down -- one of them will work). Instead of spinning and slashing (and using up 5 Ninja Points), you will go right into your normal sword slash animation without doing the Air Slash. This will let you collect power-ups without losing 5 Ninja Points every time, and is a good way to keep the Air Slash going longer. Also, I have a couple of other Miscellaneous tips: In some rare cases (I have done this on Stage 6-2 several time), a glitch in the game will allow you to fall through the bottom of the screen and reappear at the top, still falling. This doesn't happen often, but try to be ready even when you fall off a platform -- you may get a chance to recover and save yourself. Don't give up until you hear the death music! It is surprising, but there are many areas in the game that are timed such that if you are running full speed and stopping to slash as little as possible, you can get through without being hit. Also, if you reach the end of a stage and touch the exit just as time runs out (just as the clock becomes 0), you will win the tie and you will advance to the next area without losing a life. (My friend did this in the coal mine stage.) .--*.--* Jason Horner's Boss Tips *--.*--. On Kelbross (Act 4 Boss): I believe that only the left one can be hurt, so keep an eye on him and only attack him. You can stand directly beneath the spots where both dogs start the fight, and it is mostly safe because the dogs will land on top of the platform more of the time instead of landing on the bottom level where you are. This spot is not completely safe however, and sometimes the dogs can get down there (although this is a good time to back up and slash them, as they tend to get stuck there). This isn't a big deal because they move so slowly. Slow and steady wins this fight. You can sometimes get rid of one of the Kelbeross (I presume it's the fake one, but I don'e remember) early in the fight by throwing a Ninja Windmill star at it from behind. This is actually risky, though, because sometimes doing this causes a glitch and will causes THREE Kelbeross to be on the screen (this actually does make things a lot harder). Bloody Malth (Act 5 Boss) -- The lightning he summons seems to be unavoidable, so don't try to dodge it. The fight will be over in about 20-30 seconds anyway, no matter what happens. You really only have one chance here. The trick here is to go up to Malth, but not to get too close. Try to be far enough away that you just hit him with the tip of your sword (the positioning doesn't have to be extremely precise). As soon as you get hit by the lightning, move back to the right where you can just hit Malth with the tip of your sword and repeat. The worst thing you can do is to get too close to him. If you do this, what will happen is the lightning will strike you and you will get pushed into Malth (or worse, you will be pinned between Malth and the left edge of the screen, which is worse). This will not hurt you, as you will be still invincible from the lightning strike, but you will have to hurry to get out the the way so you are not touching Malth when the invincibility wears off (or you will lose 3 more health). The key is to strike Malth quickly and steadily while maintaining the proper distance. If you don't get enough hits in fast enough, the lightning will do you in, although touching Malth will do you in faster. Try to have full health when you get to Malth -- this isn't too difficult. Thanks Jason! _____ ;-*```` ````"*-;_ |/ ( V E R S I O N (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* 10-19-2005 V2.16*--.*--. More maintenance, basic update this time around. .--*.--* 10-26-2003 V2.15*--.*--. Clean-up and general maintenance. Contributions section updated. .--*.--* 7-17-2002 V2.13*--.*--. Well it seems that this document was missing a very essential element at the very beginning, namely a Table of Contents, so I took care of that. While I was at it I added a signature of sorts at the end. Updated the email address as well. .--*.--* 7-13-2002 V2.0 *--.*--. COMPLETE overhaul of the whole thing - added some nifty ASCII stuff and changed the layout. It should look a whole lot nicer. Also made some of the writing clearer. .--*.--* 6-18-2002 V1.5 *--.*--. Redid the entire document in BBEdit 6.5.2, which, if you've read my Heart of the Alien FAQ, you will recall is the best text editor ever made. Automatic re-word wrapping is the FAQ writer's friend. .--*.--* 9-25-2001 V1.2 *--.*--. Changed formatting so headers vaguely resemble cut-scene screens. Then went and created "powerup" sections within the walkthrough segment for better reading. Finished update with new "Ideas" section for reader contributions. .--*.--* 5-5-2001 V1.0 *--.*--. This would be my first attempt at a FAQ. Hopefully it's thorough enough. Send in any questions, comments, playtips, corrections, etc. to skedarjanitor AT gmail DOT com, I'd appreciate it. Remember, the real key to making this FAQ the best it can be is feedback. ___ ;-*``` ```"*-;_ |/ ( W O R K S (` `*._ =*;"*, ` ` `*~-~*` ` .--*.--* Out of This World 2: Heart of the Alien *--.*--. I have written the first FAQ for Out of this World 2: Heart of the Alien (Sega CD). This features passcodes, game controls, tips, and a complete walkthrough. And there's a lot to joke about. :P Find it here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/segacd/game/8569.html .--*.--* CyricZ's PD FAQ *--.*--. I've contributed to CyricZ's excellent Perfect Dark (N64) FAQ/Walkthrough on GameFAQs. There you can find over 15 multiplayer scenarios and a music analysis under my alias bustamac. Find it here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/n64/game/25092.html .--*.--* More Stuff *--.*--. Or you could just go here. http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/9654.html http://www.plasmagrey.com Adept and playful visuals and sound. \ :.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, || ________ || ;-*````` `````"*-;_ |/ || ( F I N A L N O T E (` `*._ =*;"*, || ` ` `*~-~*` ` || || .--*.--* The Setup *--.*--. || So you've got a better way to make that jump with the machine gun guy. || || So you've discovered that I overlooked a football player that comes from || the left in Segment 5. || || So you think that Swamp Thing joke was pretty lame-ass and you've got a || better one. || || SEND IT IN! || || I'll give you credit. || || And you'll make this guide better. || || .--*.--*The Strategy *--.*--. || Email skedarjanitor AT gmail DOT com today. Include "Ninja Gaiden" || in the subject, please, or I'll probably overlook your email. || :"``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` / |.- ,`. | `. ,' `. | `. .-``. .` | `,' !-`. '. | | `' . |,.._ | _..,| . . \`-' \__\_._/__/ `-'/ || `. |`| .' || ,''-;-..._\ / _,/__ |M | ;.. 'i:i''' ; |O | \ |---.(|),.-.''\ \ |P \ ,-.|SJ_| | _.' * 1| _,'_.-`-:.._|___,,'`._' 2| ,',-'. ./'':.:_ `-. `._ 0| ,-'.' / ) `/ <:`-._`._|| |_ | ,/ / | \. - ||\ \|.'\ '. .' '-._ | ".:\\: ` -| \ |. ,-' ' || '| \ `\ ,--' ._,!!..._ ,'. '| | <__ : `'o'''/`\ _.......-'''/_ : : : '' ..|W.A.R.\'::, ``-._____ _""....__'. : : :' '..____.' ...---=:'''' ||||-||=. `'..:_._________i__i,,...........,---""""'