Re: Ninja Gaiden Basics - What You Need To Know To Survive

mmmig · ‎03-09-2008

ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES

Simply put, Ultimate Techniques are a series of attacks strung together that deal a great amount of damage to enemies, all while granting Ryu temporary invincibility. Each weapon has its own unique Ultimate Technique and each also has its own efficiency rating.
To perform Ultimate Techniques, you have to press (and hold) the Triangle button, releasing the button when Ryu has charged enough.
Ultimate Techniques have two levels of power. With the first, Ryu is only surrounded by a blue-ish aura. Level two Ultimate Techniques envelop Ryu in a red aura. In the event you're color blind, there is an aural cue with each level charge (they aren't different, but charging Ultimate Techniques is the only time you'll hear that particular sound).
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's pretty much a no-brainer to use Ultimate Techniques, right? The answer, of course, is yes. However, we've also gone over the fact that Ryu needs time to charge the Ultimate Technique. If you're being attacked relentlessly, how can you expect to be given the time required to execute the move? The answer is two-fold: first, use a move that can either instantly kill an opponent or at the very least, amputate them so as to give you an opportunity to use an Obliteration Technique. Once you've killed even one opponent, you'll absolutely need to learn to make use of.................

ON-LAND CHARGE

As previously mentioned, you hold the Triangle button to charge an Ultimate Technique and then release the button to execute said Ultimate Technique. In cases where you have disposed of one or two opponents (thereby making Essence available), Ryu will automatcially absorb the Essence if he is not in a blocking stance. Since we've stated that blocking is mandatory, how are you going to make good use of the Essnce floating around if you can't let go of the block button? The answer: on-land charges.
By pressing Triangle immediately upon landing from a jump (hence "on-land", aka, upon landing), Ryu will automatically go into the charging stance for the Ultimate Technique and the nearby Essence will instantly be absorbed thereby giving you an instant Ultimate Technique. Brilliant, no?
To see on-land charging in action, watch the following video: CLICK ME
There are multiple ways where you can start an on-land charge. For example, you can use Wind Path to stomp on an enemy's head, then press Triangle as you land. If there is Essence floating around, your Ultimate Technique will be ready to go instantly!

mmmig · ‎03-09-2008

I stated at the beginning that in order to succeed in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, you must be ruthless and efficient. This particular section deals with that concept --- terminating foes made easy!

It goes without saying that you must be familiar with any weapon you choose to equip, be it the Dragon Sword, Vigoorian Flail, Lunar Staff, etc. As with the moves and combos listed, it's also quite tempting to just keep switching weapons just for the sake of it. As with the need for defense, you can get away with fooling around on the lower difficulty settings; when push comes to shove, however, having a near intimate knowledge of any given weapon's strengths and weaknesses goes a long way in helping you beat the game.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to a move that, along with Ultimate Techniques, should be considered your best friend:

IZUNA DROP

The fabled Hayabusa Izuna Drop is the most useful of all of Ryu's "normal" attacks for two reasons: first, it is pretty much an instant kill on any human-sized foe; second, Ryu is invulnerable as the piledriver is executed. As has been mentioned a number of times, getting quick kills benefits you as the dead bodies give off Essence --- Essence that can be used to quickly charge Ultimate Techniques.

The key thing to watch out for is the launcher, which will always be Square, Triangle (with Triangle being the move that actually knocks the enemy into the air). There are other ways to launch with different weapons if you look at the move lists (like the Tonfas and Flails, for example), but you can ignore those as they'll just complicate things. Once you see both Ryu and the enemy airborne, just input the following:

True Dragon Sword - Square Square Square Triangle
Blade of the Archfiend (aka, dual katanas) - Square Square Square Triangle
Falcon's Talons - Square Square Square Triangle
Tonfas - Square Square Square Triangle
Lunar Staff - Square Square Triangle
Vigoorian Flail - Square Square Square Triangle
Enma's Fang - Square Square Triangle

Of the above weapons, three have the ability to execute the Izuna Drop while in the air --- Falcon's Talons, Lunar Staff, and Enma's Fang. The commands are as follows:

Falcon's Talons - Jump towards enemy -> Triangle Square Triangle
Lunar Staff - Jump towards enemy -> Square Square Triangle
Enma's Fang - Jump towards enemy -> Square Square Square Triangle

To make things easier in jumping towards an opponent, I recommend that you do Wind Run (Square + X) as this move makes Ryu go towards the closest opponent.

Also worth noting are three weapons that can counter into an Izuna Drop:

True Dragon Sword - Triangle (counter and launcher) -> Square Square Square Triangle
Lunar Staff - Triangle (counter) Triangle Triangle (launcher) -> Square Triangle
Enma's Fang - Triangle (counter and launcher) -> Square Square Triangle

Countering into an Izuna Drop is very useful in situations where you are being pressured by foes. The benefits are obvious --- you're very likely to score an instant kill and have Essence to absorb for an Ultimate Technique as a result of that kill. If you're using a strong weapon, you'll likely kill more than one enemy with the Ultimate Technique which will allow you to chain another and possibly another depending on how many enemies there are.

Both Momiji and Ayane have their versions of the Izuna Drop as well. The launching command is the same (Square Triangle).

Izuna Falcon (Momiji) - Square Square Triangle
Lightwing Izuna (Ayane) - Square Square Square Square Square Triangle

Ayane's is the most awkward to complete as she sometimes doesn't launch the opponent due to her short reach. The best thing to do if you want to perform the Lightwing Izuna is to either stun your foe with her exploding kunai or do Dark Raven (her version of the Guillotine Throw) and then start the move after.

You might get thrown off with Momiji as well as she goes through the move in a slower fashion than Ryu (with all weapons except for Enma's Fang). Don't be fooled --- just input the command as you normally would and the move will execute. Momiji can do her Izuna Falcon in the air as well (same command as Enma's Fang --- see above), but the hit rate is poor.

PRO TIP for Ultimate Ninja 4 & 5

Use the Lunar Staff - If you plan on playing as Ryu, ditch all the other weapons and forget about using Ultimate Techniques as a means of distracting. Having said that, if you do Heavenly Shadow with the staff (fully charged 360 degree Ultimate Technique), there is a glitch that will kill the Hayabusa clones in one hit --- but that one hit is the last strike. If the clones do not get hit with that move, they will only take normal damage.

Izuna Drop is your friend - That being said, DO NOT FINISH THE MOVE. How exactly do you finish the move? Well, to clarify, do the Izuna but not the Drop. Basically, you want to do the following sequence and loop it (an infinite, in other words): Square Triangle Square Square. If you finish with the piledriver, the Ryu clone will be flat on the ground and there will not be any part of him that you'll be able to hit. If you do not finish the move with the piledriver, the clone will be attempting to get up in the same way Genshin does after being dropped on his head --- meaning, there will be a body part for you to hit. The timing is fairly strict, but it's completely doable. The moment you land (and not a second later), you have to begin the move again. If you delay, the clone will be a bit too far off. If done properly, you'll finish the clone off in roughly 15 seconds and end up with a 60+ hit combo.

Izuna Falcon is your friend - If you ever want a bigger challenge and want to play as one of the girls, let it be Momiji. She can loop the Izuna Falcon against the clones --- only this time, you must use the finisher.

Butter_Naif · ‎09-28-2007

Hey cool man! Did you do something similar for NGS 1? I'm still playing that one.

did 1 have trophies? I hope i can be "that damn good" one day.

(graphics matter)

mmmig · ‎03-09-2008

Butter_Naif wrote:
Hey cool man! Did you do something similar for NGS 1? I'm still playing that one.

No, I didn't make a walkthrough (or anything of the sort) for the first Ninja Gaiden Sigma. To be honest, I barely got by in that game .

Sigma 1 was my first foray into the world of Ninja Gaiden and I hadn't really learned to utilize a lot of what I've posted here. I made sure to use lots of Izuna Drops, but I wasn't consistent with using Ultimate Techniques. I should revisit Sigma 1 and see how I fare on higher difficulties now.

Butter_Naif wrote:

did 1 have trophies?

Unfortunately (or fortunately for those who like having a high completion percentage), Ninja Gaiden Sigma does not have trophy support.

Butter_Naif wrote:
I hope i can be "that damn good" one day.

I'm still working on being "damn good," hehehe.

I do fine in situations where there are tons of enemies, but boss killing is something I have to work on. I'm just amazed by the top Master Ninjas out there that make mince meat of the bosses. Out of all the bosses, Genshin (or Fiend Genshin) is the only one that I can take on with ease. If we're talking Team Mission Mode in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, I enjoy fighting the Hayabusa clones.

Butter_Naif · ‎09-28-2007

thanks mmmig!

I started practicing my moves, and techniques last night.

Just keep playing the same stage over and over again putting stress on a particular technique.

I'm tired of using up all my spirit elixir, and my talisman of rebirth on wimps.

Plust i want to start integrating ninpo.

This game is freaking cool. you really have to learn how to fight. And there are so many tools that you can use!!

This game is freaking awesome! And i haven't even gotten to the izuna drop stuff yet.

One thing i like to do is see how far down i can slice down Doku when we first see him. haven't beaten him yet. It's tough. But i've gotten lucky enough to chop him up significantly.

Can't wait to get to NGS2. But i'm not gonna rush 1.

(graphics matter)

mmmig · ‎03-09-2008

OBLITERATION TECHNIQUES

Simply put, Obliteration Techniques are a flashy way of finishing off any opponent that has lost a limb. To perform an Obliteration Technique, simply tap the Triangle button when next to a dismembered foe. Although this seems simple enough, I can't tell you how many players I've come across online that do not Obliterate enemies that have limbs lopped off. They just continue to hack and slash. When against enemies that cannot be staggered (Werewolves, for example), they eventually get grabbed and I have to go rescue their sorry asses.

AMPUTATION 101

Against enemies that cannot be caught in an Izuna Drop, the quickest way to deal with them (outside of an Ultimate Technique) is to dismember and then obliterate. I mentioned earlier that it is a must for any Ninja Gaiden player to have a good working knowledge of what each weapon is capable of. To make things easier for you, I'll list the attacks I use to amputate opponents. Note that I am not proficient with all the weapons, so this particular post will be updated in the future as I experiment with those weapons that I'm not too familiar with.

True Dragon Sword

Tiger Roar - Square Square Triangle
Steel Splitter - Square Square Square Triangle
Undefeatable Demon - Triangle x 3
Gleaming Blade - 360 degrees on the left stick + Triangle (hold --- but only for a second)

Lunar Staff

Gleaming Shadow - Square Square Triangle

Enma's Fang

Whirlwind Slash - Square Square Triangle Triangle
Nirvana Verse - Square Square Square Triangle

Kusari-gama

Demon Cutter - There is more than one way of executing this move, but the easiest is Square, Triangle (hold when weapon makes contact with enemy). Note that this move will not work on large opponents. Against ninjas and Lesser Fiends, however, it is the only normal attack that is 100% guaranteed to dismember. EDIT 1: Using the Square, Triangle (hold) version of Demon Cutter will take off an arm; using the 360 degree rotation on left stick + Triangle, Square (hold) version of Demon Cutter will take off a leg. EDIT 2: If you perform Demon Cutter on an enemy that has been knocked down, Ryu will behead it resulting in an instant kill.

Blade of the Archfiend

Fire Dragon Spinning Descent - Square, Triangle, Triangle (more often than not, the second hit will amputate human sized opponents)
Spinning Fire Dragon - Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle (an extension of the move above, use this against the larger fiends)
Twin Continuous Cross Cut - Tilt left stick towards opponent + Square, Square, Square
Flying Dragon - Tilt left stick towards opponent + Square, Triangle
Purgatory Slash - Tilt left stick towards opponent + Triangle (hold)
Bladed Wind - Square, Square -> tilt left stick towards opponent -> Square, Triangle (has a fairly high decapitation rate)
Rise to Heaven - 360 degree rotation on left stick + Triangle

Tonfa

One Thousand Blossoms - Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
Broken Lantern - Press Triangle during Heavenly Justice***
Fleeting Blossoms - Tilt left stick towards opponent + Triangle, Triangle****
Overlapping Storms - 360 degree rotation on left stick + Triangle (high chance of amputating the legs of human sized opponents)

Falcon's Talons

Thunderous Earth - Tilt left stick towards enemy + Triangle

As you play I'm sure you'll notice that most, if not all, level 1 Ultimate Techniques will leave some enemies with missing limbs. Finish them off with Obliteration Techniques.

One important thing to keep in mind is that enemies with missing limbs are, in certain ways, more dangerous than those that have all limbs intact. Why? They're desperate and they can deal heavy damage if left unchecked. The safest way to perform an Obliteration Technique is to first stun that particular enemy by way of shuriken or Wind Path.

***Heavenly Justice isn't a move in the traditional sense. Rather, it's a way Ryu can extend or abruptly get out of a combo by canceling out of the current one. To use Heavenly Justice, you can either press L1 and tilt the left stick towards the direction of your choice --- or you can simply tap X. I prefer the latter. Going back to Broken Lantern, you can do Square, Square and then interrupt that with Heavenly Justice by pressing X. The tell tale sign that you've done the move is you'll see Ryu dash with an after image glimmer. As soon as Ryu dashes, press Triangle to execute Broken Lantern. Note that Heavenly Justice is exclusive to the Tonfas.

****For extra damage, cancel the second hit of Fleeting Blossoms into Broken Lantern via Heavenly Justice. Sound confusing? Follow this sequence: Tilt left stick towards opponent + Triangle, Triangle, X, Triangle. This combo does a lot of damage against bigger fiends and boss types.

mmmig · ‎03-09-2008

Ultimate Techniques (continued)

As was previously mentioned, each weapon's Ultimate Technique has an efficiency rating of sorts. To clarify, some are fantastic in all respects while some, while relatively weak overall, excel against certain enemy types. Below is my take on each weapon's Ultimate Technique.

True Dragon Sword

Oblivion Cross Cut (level 1) - Not all that useful other than the invincibility you get while the Technique is active. On Path of the Acolyte and Path of the Warrior, this will result in an instant kill on low level ninjas, but on Path of the Mentor and Path of the Master Ninja, you'll be lucky to amputate an opponent with this. The best course of action if you do use Oblivion Cross Cut is to immediately follow up with a quick combo to add to the damage and hopefully score a critical hit.

Blade of the Dragon's Scales (level 2) - Instant kill on most enemies and is pretty much guaranteed to deal critical hits (i.e., dismemberment). The drawback? On some enemies (like the Demon Spawn, aka, gargoyles or the Water Demons, aka, those metallic scorpion-like creatures) Ryu will dash through after the initial flurry of slashes and the Technique grinds to a halt as the enemies are knocked down.

Roaring Gleam (level 1 - 360 degree spin on Left Stick + Triangle) - Very small area of effect and not all that powerful to boot. On Path of the Warrior, the most damage I dealt to a low level ninja was a lopped off leg. Best to avoid using this one altogether.

True Dragon Gleam (level 2 - 360 degree spin on Left Stick + Triangle) - Although this also has a small area of effect, it is at least an instant kill on all human sized enemies.

Vigoorian Flail

Golden Dragon (level 1) - Weak. 'Nuff said.

Dancing Phoenix (level 2) - See above.

Although you can add more hits (and a bit more damage) to both the level 1 and level 2 charges of the Flail's Ultimate Technique by mashing on Triangle while said Technique is active, it is still vastly outclassed by the other weapons.

Enma's Fang

Crimson Hellfire (level 1) - Great against ninjas, dogs, and Lesser Fiends due to the area of effect. At best it's an instant kill, at worst, well, they'll still be standing. More often than not, however, ninjas and Lesser Fiends will have a limb taken off.

Eternal Hellfire (level 2) - Absolutely devastating against ninjas and Lesser Fiends. Eternal Hellfire is an instant kill against all ninja types (except for the Incendiary Shuriken ninjas where it sometimes kills them outright and other times appears to do nothing), Lesser Fiends, low level (pink) Demon Spawn, gray Water Demons, Executors, and those damn ninja dogs. Most of the other enemies will get dismembered if close by.

Tonfa

Spring Wind (level 1) - Amazing.

Uncontrollable Bloom (level 2) - Amazing.

The Tonfa boasts the most devastating level 1 and level 2 Ultimate Techniques in the game --- bar none. Although it doesn't quite have the raw power of say, the Blade of the Archfiend's level 2 Ultimate Technique, both Spring Wind and Uncontrollable Bloom reign supreme in their ability to dismember and as such, full contact will result in an instant kill on ALL enemies*. Barring some sort of environmental interference with the attack animation, there is no exception to this.

*The exceptions are against enemies that cannot be dismembered (i.e., Rasetsu, acid worms)

Eclipse Scythe

Underworld Eruption (level 1) - For a weapon of this size, the level 1 charge is quite pathetic, to be honest. Don't bother using this unless you're about to get hit and you haven't been able to fully charge up.

Empire Destroyer (level 2) - Great against all human sized foes, Chainsaw Zombies, Water Demons, and low level Wolves. Compared to the Ninja Gaiden II version, the Eclipse Scythe has been nerfed considerably.

Massacre Sweep (level 1 - 360 degree spin on Left Stick + Triangle) - Pathetic. Avoid using.

Extermination Sweep (level 2 - 360 degree spin on Left Stick + Triangle) - Slightly above pathetic.

Blade of the Archfiend / Dragon's Claw & Tiger's Fang

Path of the Demon Dragon (level 1) - As is the case with Oblivion Cross Cut of the True Dragon Sword, this will result in an instant kill on weak enemies, but not much more after that. If possible, always try to fully charge up.

Eight Heavenly Dragons (level 2) - Very good. Instant kill on pretty much everything but has the same drawback as Blade of the Dragon's Scales (see True Dragon Sword).

Kusari-gama

Pounding Gate (level 1) - Not all that great. Just like other not-so-great level 1 UTs, use this only for the invincibility if a hit is unavoidable.

Dance of the Nine Dragons (level 2) - Very good. While technically not as damaging as other Ultimate Techniques, Dance of the Nine Dragons has a wide area of effect and is an instant kill / guaranteed amputation against the more annoying enemies: Demon Spawn (aka, gargoyles), Marionettes (aka, spiderchick bots), Water Demons (aka, those metal scorpions), Chainsaw Zombies, Werewolves, and ninja dogs.

Falcon's Talons

Claws of a Hundred Beasts (level 1) - Use only for invincibility.

Fury of the Divine Beasts (level 2) - Pretty good damage, but very poor area of effect. Typically Ryu will only focus on one enemy so odds are, you'll only have one Essence orb after. If it's Blue or Red Essence, then consider yourself lucky. At any rate, the Talons (and the Flails, for that matter), are crappy weapons and you're really better off using something else.

Lunar Staff

Eight Destructions (level 1) - Don't bother using.

Dance of Flame (level 2) - Although this does fairly good damage due to the burst of fire at the tail end of the attack, I'd still lump this in the "not really worth using" group.

Hazy Shadow (level 1 - 360 degree spin on Left Stick + Triangle) - Amazing.

Heavenly Shadow (level 2 - 360 degree spin on Left Stick + Triangle) - Amazing.

As most Ninja Gaiden veterans know, Hazy / Heavenly Shadow is one of the best Ultimate Techniques in the game. Firstly, like the Kusari-gama's UTs, Hazy / Heavenly Shadow fully animates regardless of whether you make contact with an enemy or not. As such, you don't really need to wait until the last second to hit confirm. Secondly, Hazy / Heavenly Shadow deal heavy damage on ALL enemy types and is an instant kill against the vast majority. Although some enemies will be left standing, Hazy / Heavenly Shadow is guaranteed to dismember. NOTE: Against the red Werewolves (the stronger variant), avoid using Heavenly Shadow as there is some sort of hit box error where the latter portion of the UT will be hit or miss. Use Hazy Shadow as much as possible.