Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos is everything the original Ninja Gaiden set out to be but more. A wilder story, more unique Ninja powers, more level and enemy variety, but also all the issues of the first game mixed in and amplified. It makes for a much more mixed experience, one that feels like it's taking a step forward from the first game while firming rooting a foot two steps back.

Bad enemy placement and clumsy level design is more pronounced here than it was in the first game, and some of the newly introduced level gimmicks are just atrocious. Trying to navigate Ryu through a level where wind currents can push him towards and away from platforms would be difficult to manage as it is, but throw in some abysmal enemy spawns and you've essentially created a torture device disguised as a game.

Ninja Gaiden II is all around much harder than the first. The difficulty kicks up rapidly, and the final boss fight is not only an intense three phase gauntlet, but one that sends you completely back to the start of the level if you die, which you almost certainly will. The developers apparently account for this because they do throw you a bone: each time you get back to the boss it starts on whatever phase you progressed to last. That's... considerate, I guess? I think it would've been better if they dropped a health item between phases considering each one is already incredibly tough, but it's better than sending you back and starting you out at phase 1, so that's nice. Thank you, Tecmo!

Yet, despite my grievances, it's more Ninja Gaiden, and I'm gonna keep playing this crap. There's still plenty of moments where the game feels just as good as the first, even if it is overall a more uneven experience. Definitely not my favorite in the series and one I tend to skip over when I replay these games, but I can't find it within me to say it's a bad game.