It's been forever since I covered a Ninja Gaiden game...so Ninja Gaiden it is.
Act 1-1
After that opening cutscene that sets up the story (in addition to the beginning of a fabled trilogy), Ryu comes to America and starts tearing stuff up in a city street.
The enemies here are really easy. The guys that bounce around aren't too hard if you slash them when they're in sword distance. Use this stage to build up your Ninjitsu power (the orange and blue squares with the Japanese symbols on them). You can amass a max of 99, so be ready to use it whenever it's truly necessary. Blue gives you five, orange gives you ten. Be careful not to die, as you'll lose half your Ninjitsu if and when you do.
The little blue and orange bottles give you points if you pick them up.
If you leap onto a wall, you can grab on to it. You can jump off of it to the other side to reach a platform in that direction. The leap off the wall has a little bit of height, which you can use to your advantage.
If you see anything orange and flashing (or moving), there are items in there (they're like the candles in Castlevania). Slash one and see what's in it. If you get a power-up, hold Up on the Control Pad and press B (unless otherwise noted). Here, the items are in lanterns.
You'll notice that sometimes, an enemy will respawn as soon as you kill it, especially when you're moving around. Get used to it, it's a regular annoyance in the series.
Act 1-2
The guy you fight in the bar isn't very hard at all. Just go up to him, slash him, and keep away from him. He'll stand in place and slash three times, but if you're on the ground, his slashes can't do anything.
If you have the Blue Whirlwind, you can kill him in one strike.
He's really not that hard at all. Now watch as some girl comes up from behind Ryu Hayabusa and shoots him.
Act 2-1
Turns out that pistol was really a dart gun. You'll wake up in a cell and the girl notices you've woken up. She gives him a statue, then tells him to get out of dodge.
Anyway, the power-ups are located in flickering, blue candles...and there's a lot of them. Once again, use this act as an opportunity to gather some Ninjitsu power, as you'll need it in the later acts.
If you clasp onto a ladder, you can climb up and down on it by using the Control Pad. Just be careful where you jump off of it from...
The orange guys walking around here will throw knives, but thankfully you can destroy said knives with your sword.
Remember, when you reach a new stage, your health will completely refill. Keep that in mind.
Act 2-2
If you see little blue bugs flying in place on the screen, relax. They aren't enemies. They're your gateway to power-ups.
You'll meet some really crazy enemies here, such as guys in white sheets who look like ghosts and throw knives at odd angles, throwing your jumps off and knocking you into pits in one hit. You also have soldiers in green battle garments, some running at full blast and some shooting at you with a machine gun. Get used to these guys, you'll be seeing them throughout the game.
The bats move around like the Medusa Heads from Castlevania, except they don't go as fast. They can be very annoying if you're not careful. Another enemy you'll see throughout the game.
The boss here is some guy with a sickle that he swings around in a circle. Slash at him like you did the last boss, but be careful against that sickle, because it has some range. Once again, if you have Ninjitsu power and the Blue Whirlwind, you'll take him out in one shot.
Once you take care of that guy, Ryu will head out to find an acquaintance of Walter Smith, the man Ryu's dad wanted him to look for. Who was the girl with the gun? Why did she give him a statue? Why was Ryu's dad a pink ninja, and why did he lose to a black dude? Stay tuned!
Power-ups Shown In This Video
Blue Shuriken - This shuriken is just your normal, run-of-the-mill shuriken. No surprise here. 3 Ninjitsu points per use.
Blue Whirlwind - This lets you perform a somersault slash whenever you press the B button in mid-air with this power-up equipped. If you hold Down on the Control Pad while attacking when you have this equipped, you won't have to worry about accidentally using your Ninjitsu to attack enemies in mid-air. 5 Ninjitsu points per use.
Orange Flame - This throws some fire rings upward and forward, protecting you from high attacks. It's quite powerful. 5 Ninjitsu points per use.
Orange Shuriken - Unlike the Blue Shuriken, this acts more like a boomerang. If you jump just before it returns to you, it'll go under you and still hit anything in its path. If you're skilled enough, you could keep it on the screen indefinitely. 5 Ninjitsu points per use.
Orange Invincibility Ring - When you grab this, it replaces your power-up, then leaves you without one when it stops working. A ring of four small flames surrounds you, giving you temporarily invincibility. When that happens, run like hell through the stage and don't screw up.
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