Wow I didn't realise the difference was this drastic. NGS2 is my favourite action game this gen, and it's a pale imitation to Itagaki's version. I always liked Hayashi for allowing me to play NG and NG2 on PS3, and I still say that but seriously, he doesnt' get it. Better get his shit together if he wants to rise above the shadow of Itagaki.
Ninja Gaiden II: The Official GAF Thread of Chaos
- Thread starter a Master Ninja
- Start date
riceandbeans
Member
Gotta think about those casual players who can't handle it man.
New IP's should be made for them. Nothing irks me more than devs who feel the need to handicap franchises known for difficulty and challenge. It's not like challenge is a bad thing, and if it limits the audience then who the hell cares, it's an artistic choice and should be kept intact.
Nothing wrong with wanting more audience but not at the expance of the original vision. Course NGS2 is not all that bad, still challenging but NG3, they essentially ruined a franchise because they got greedy. Now even if NG returns to its former glory it will always have this stain to its name. So sad, I need to ly down.
It's not even necessary. Bayonetta and Vanquish both have an easy mode and an "easy automatic" mode that make them very accessible to newcomers. But when you play at higher difficulties, you can enjoy all the complexity the game has to offer. Dumbing down the entire game for the sake of accessibility makes no sense at all. NG3 already has the "hero mode" that makes the game easier, why the other difficulties must be gimped because of that?
Exactly right. This nonsense about striving for Call of Duty sales is ruining it for the rest of us.
bob_arctor
Tough_Smooth
Damn, I actually stopped my Mentor run way back. That's when I was in a zone and playing straight through after Warrior. I stopped at the end of Chapter 10, about to fight Elizabet. Think I'll go back this week and see how rusty I am--this thread has reminded me of NG2 greatness. I'm still partial to Chapter 10 (epic stairs are epic) as my fave but this Chapter 11 talk has gotten me curious to compare them.
ThoughtsOfSpeaking
Banned
Picked up my xbox today and popped in NG2.
I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks regarding balance.
THIS GAME IS SO FUCKING SATISFYING!!!
Seriously, I understand the hate but I just dont care. I havent played 2 in over a year but its still just as amazing as the first time I popped in the disc.
Cant wait to get through warrior so I can start have fun with the higher difficulties. Cheapness be damned, this game is still the fucking shit.
I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks regarding balance.
THIS GAME IS SO FUCKING SATISFYING!!!
Seriously, I understand the hate but I just dont care. I havent played 2 in over a year but its still just as amazing as the first time I popped in the disc.
Cant wait to get through warrior so I can start have fun with the higher difficulties. Cheapness be damned, this game is still the fucking shit.
Haunted
Member
Decided to jump back into this in honour of Ninja Dog Hayashi ruining the franchise.
Man, I just remember why I stopped playing. That cave worm in Chapter 9 is pretty much no fun to play at all. I hate it when games with a good combat system completely eschew everything that makes it good by messing it up with large enemies the system isn't designed to handle.
Man, I just remember why I stopped playing. That cave worm in Chapter 9 is pretty much no fun to play at all. I hate it when games with a good combat system completely eschew everything that makes it good by messing it up with large enemies the system isn't designed to handle.
Eh, terrible boss, but very easy to beat. Just stand at the entrance of any section and spam UTs when the worm attacks. Timing may be tricky.
Did the same thing, and agreed. One staircase fight was more rewarding than 95% of NG3.
Its unrefined but whatever, its a great ride.
Holy shit. And I just got Sigma 2 in the mail too. Figured that instead of wasting money on 3, I might as well replay II on PS3 and see how it holds up. I thought the biggest difference'd be dialed down gore/severed limbs, didn't know about easier encounters. I'll play through it anyway, just as a comparison study.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
I got Sigma 2 today as well, going to start a game in a bit.
sixteen-bit
Member
I love how this thread seems to be more active than 3's
To be fair, 3 caused many of us to go back to this.
AcceptableGhost
Member
The worm boss was definitely not done, it can bug out a lot as well. IIRC you can even just stand inside of a side cave and use the scythe UT. I honestly don't know what anyone was thinking with that boss. In one of the few good cuts from Sigma 2 they straight up removed that whole part.
Grimm Fandango
Member
I'm probably going to replay on Mentor when school is out.
Haunted
Member
Completely removed it? That's harsh, but probably a good decision. I can imagine that the level flows better without that sequence.
Host Samurai
Member
I booted up NGS1 again to see if I like it better than NG2. I must have beaten NG1 4 or 5 times across NG,NGB and NGS. My gut feeling is that I still like NG2 a bit better. I can see why many fans choose NG1 as their favorite because of the actual adventure feeling of the game, but the levels seem very bland compared to NG2. The locations are much more varied. I feel like NG suits better as level to level progression than dungeon design like NG1.
sixteen-bit
Member
NG3's suckage.
Depressed about the present and future of the franchise, I too have returned to the past.
I think for the first playthrough, a hub world like in ng1 works great and provides a nice change of pace since you have more room to explore. For multiple playthroughs though, the varied and straightforward levels in ng2 is better in making the playthrough less boring.
NG and BLACK will always remain kings to me because of how polished the games are. NG II may have more satisfying and interesting combat, but it doesn't hold up.
Baraka in the White House
2-Terms of Kombat
I'm also finding a second whack at Ninja Gaiden 2 much more fun after reading up on the travesty that is 3.
However.
Some of these enemies almost make me throw the controller down (again) in disgust. Ninja dogs that spam their annoying fucking grab attacks, gigantic worms that spam their annoying fucking grab attacks, gigantic game-breaking bosses like the metal fish thing and the lavadillo(s), the water dragon, Dagra fucking Dai...
The bosses are incredibly shitty for such an otherwise impressive enemy menagerie.
However.
Some of these enemies almost make me throw the controller down (again) in disgust. Ninja dogs that spam their annoying fucking grab attacks, gigantic worms that spam their annoying fucking grab attacks, gigantic game-breaking bosses like the metal fish thing and the lavadillo(s), the water dragon, Dagra fucking Dai...
The bosses are incredibly shitty for such an otherwise impressive enemy menagerie.
AcceptableGhost
Member
sixteen-bit
Member
I'm relying on that in Mentor for the projectile guys. They don't become agressive and start following you unless you're close either.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
NG2 doesn't play fair, it's only right that you don't play by any rules, either.
I've been playing this off and on. It's so damn, hilariously flawed(to the point I actually LOL at how bad some of the sections are).
and it's still 10x better then NG3
I'll feel like shit if I do that, lol. But I'll try it.
AcceptableGhost
Member
Nailed it! Jesus fucking Christ!
I honestly think NG2 is best played on Warrior difficulty - the game never had a real balance/tuning pass, so the higher difficulties are more a matter of abusing invincibility frames and AI as much as possible, with 75%+ of your moves being totally useless or suicidal
Whereas on Warrior you can cruise through feeling like a badass and tearing fools up with whatever weapons and combos you enjoy using
Whereas on Warrior you can cruise through feeling like a badass and tearing fools up with whatever weapons and combos you enjoy using
I kinda agree with this, but the framerate still dips from time to time.
Also, no idea why but I haven't seen a single rocket launcher ninja. Weird since they were quite often in Mentor.
sixteen-bit
Member
Just hope they don't dismember you!
iconoclast
Member
Nah, I think Mentor is very well balanced. It's the best mode to relax on and just tear through everything. MNM is a fun challenge, but it forces certain playstyles on you because of how overwhelming it is. So I prefer the freedom of Mentor if I just want to enjoy the combat.
Robot Pants
Member
Yea that first Rasetsu is rough because of how weak your weapons are. If you use the Muramasa shop right before you drop down to the 2nd half of the level, and upgrade the Lunar to level 2, makes it a bit easier.
Haha, totally the opposite of therapeutic. But fun!!!
Haha, totally the opposite of therapeutic. But fun!!!
360 Lunar, right?
Grimm Fandango
Member
iconoclast
Member
I started playing this again as well - going to try and improve my scores in the survival missions. I just had a decent run with the tonfas, upping my HS to 9 million, but I know I can do a lot better than that. I almost made it the Master Ninja round for the first time as well, but I died on Genshin when he did his ground fire AoE attack. Gotta react fast to dodge that, especially if you're in recovery from an attack.
Game's still as godlike as ever though. I can't understate how good the survival missions are; they show why the combat in this game is absolutely peerless. I just wish it was a tiny bit less random (getting nothing but yellow essence when you have 10% health is painful). And for once, the scoring system has the most skilled players coming out on top, since it's set up like an arcade game. Best DLC ever.
Game's still as godlike as ever though. I can't understate how good the survival missions are; they show why the combat in this game is absolutely peerless. I just wish it was a tiny bit less random (getting nothing but yellow essence when you have 10% health is painful). And for once, the scoring system has the most skilled players coming out on top, since it's set up like an arcade game. Best DLC ever.
Infinite Justice
Member
I got a sealed copy of the game recently for $13.50, though its the platinum hits version. 
. On the plus side i get mission mode for free so i can't complain much.
Finally got enough free time to play this and god damn at the amount of enemies the game can push out at times plus i got some fucking epic slowdown in the first chapter. :O
also I might be re-thinking my decision to play Path of the Warrior (have some NG1 experience and a bit of NG2 when i played some of it at a friends house)...but i'll see how that goes.
. On the plus side i get mission mode for free so i can't complain much.Finally got enough free time to play this and god damn at the amount of enemies the game can push out at times plus i got some fucking epic slowdown in the first chapter. :O
also I might be re-thinking my decision to play Path of the Warrior (have some NG1 experience and a bit of NG2 when i played some of it at a friends house)...but i'll see how that goes.
Infinite Justice
Member
Yep they pack a code in the box to download it.