This game is quite an ambitious follow-up to the original, with new additions such as stage hazards which I found to be a fun enough novelty, and the shadow clone power up, which was fun at times but quite difficult to control. The cutscenes and story is just as awesome as the original, with some breathtaking shots, and this game boasts a soundtrack just as good as the original.
Unfortunately, the hit detection in this game is much worse than the original. I have not found much information on this topic (for some reason, not many people talk about this???), and what information I did find online does not come to a consensus, but to my understanding Ryu's hitbox was made larger but either his sword's hitbox is smaller than in the first game or the enemy's hitboxes are smaller. Either way, what this results in is loads of instances where an attack that would have made its mark in the first game ends up whiffing here, leading to a lot of unfortunate situations. I really don't understand why the hitboxes needed to be messed with. A perfect example of consistency within a series in terms of hitboxes is the Castlevania series. In Castlevania 1-3, the hit detection is pretty spot on with the whip from title to title, so you don't really need to mess with your timing or muscle memory. You could make the argument that its fine and you just need to learn and adapt to Ninja Gaiden II's style, but I just really don't see why things could not have remained consistent within the series, especially since we have examples like Castlevania to look at.
I can't finish my thoughts on this game without mentioning the absolute insanity that is the final boss. In classic Ninja Gaiden fashion, the final boss has three forms, and if you die on one form you are booted back to the beginning of 7-2, but if you make it back you get to start on that form. Fair enough I guess, but the absolute bullshit comes when you find out that if you try to beat all three forms in one go, THE GAME DOESN'T REFILL YOUR HEALTH IN BETWEEN FORMS. So if you have one bar of life left after beating the first form, you start the second form with one bar!!! Absolute horseshit. The first game's trio were punishing but AT LEAST on your first try they had the courtesy to refill your health after each form. I have completed Ninja Gaiden's final boss, all three forms, in one go before, but I have never been able to do the same with Ninja Gaiden II.
All of this, combined with enemy placement and level design that can get absolutely insane and unhinged, makes an experience that in my opinion is a measure more difficult than the original (people apparently think this is easier than the original and I honestly just don't see it at all). This game has many elements I love, mainly stylistic, but its ultimately hampered by the many issues above. If not for the unlimited continues and me being a whore for really hard NES games, Ninja Gaiden II would be rated much lower.
Unfortunately, the hit detection in this game is much worse than the original. I have not found much information on this topic (for some reason, not many people talk about this???), and what information I did find online does not come to a consensus, but to my understanding Ryu's hitbox was made larger but either his sword's hitbox is smaller than in the first game or the enemy's hitboxes are smaller. Either way, what this results in is loads of instances where an attack that would have made its mark in the first game ends up whiffing here, leading to a lot of unfortunate situations. I really don't understand why the hitboxes needed to be messed with. A perfect example of consistency within a series in terms of hitboxes is the Castlevania series. In Castlevania 1-3, the hit detection is pretty spot on with the whip from title to title, so you don't really need to mess with your timing or muscle memory. You could make the argument that its fine and you just need to learn and adapt to Ninja Gaiden II's style, but I just really don't see why things could not have remained consistent within the series, especially since we have examples like Castlevania to look at.
I can't finish my thoughts on this game without mentioning the absolute insanity that is the final boss. In classic Ninja Gaiden fashion, the final boss has three forms, and if you die on one form you are booted back to the beginning of 7-2, but if you make it back you get to start on that form. Fair enough I guess, but the absolute bullshit comes when you find out that if you try to beat all three forms in one go, THE GAME DOESN'T REFILL YOUR HEALTH IN BETWEEN FORMS. So if you have one bar of life left after beating the first form, you start the second form with one bar!!! Absolute horseshit. The first game's trio were punishing but AT LEAST on your first try they had the courtesy to refill your health after each form. I have completed Ninja Gaiden's final boss, all three forms, in one go before, but I have never been able to do the same with Ninja Gaiden II.
All of this, combined with enemy placement and level design that can get absolutely insane and unhinged, makes an experience that in my opinion is a measure more difficult than the original (people apparently think this is easier than the original and I honestly just don't see it at all). This game has many elements I love, mainly stylistic, but its ultimately hampered by the many issues above. If not for the unlimited continues and me being a whore for really hard NES games, Ninja Gaiden II would be rated much lower.