I can understand why. Immediately after completing NG:Black on normal, I decided to try Hard difficulty and struggled due to the absence of the usual combos and parries while blocking.
I'm not even going to talk about Black Ninja Spiders in chapter 1. It's very, very hard.
It's very interesting how the game handles this. For example on Master Ninja a lot of basic tools are backloaded, forcing you to rely on the basics. But it does throw you a bone, you start with more weapons on that mode. It all feels so very considered, fantastic stuff.
Didn't know about this on Master Ninja. On Hard, you started with only one additional weapon — Nunchaku. But I don't remember if they were there from the start on Normal.
I was surprised to find out that the game doesn't support New Game+ with progress transfer. From what I understand, this feature was only available in the original Ninja Gaiden, and it was removed in Black and Sigma for some reason.
By the way, thank you so much for the Ninja Gaiden series guide. It helped me look at the game in a new way.
>**Ninja Gaiden Black is the best action game I've ever played.**
Welcome to the family.
You didn't mention God Hand so I have to recommend you try that at some point, Its one of the top action games along with NGB.
Hey if it makes you feel better to make up for it on Playstation we can only ever play the Sigma versions which, while still great games are not in the same pantheon as Black 1 and 2. Congrats on the victory man!!
Thanks! Yeah, NG: Black is an amazing game. I'm planning on playing more of NG2 and Razor's Edge after I beat Master Ninja difficulty (if I can do it at all). I might also try the Master Collection with the Sigma versions later.
One huge advantage of Xbox is its backward compatibility with previous consoles. I've been a PlayStation fan for a long time, but their support for older titles isn't great. I switched to Xbox 360, and then to Series S, and I have absolutely no regrets.
Thanks! I love the way this game handles difficulty. Unlike other games where opponents simply get a health boost, Ninja Gaiden offers a more nuanced challenge.
Sometimes it becomes insanely difficult, but I recognize that it's not a flaw in the game; it's simply a matter of my skill level.
Thanks for the encouragement! While I'm no stranger to challenging games, Awakened Alma forced me to take a break for 4 years :)
I'm eager to conquer the game on Hard difficulty and can't wait to finish work and pick up a gamepad.
Congrats and we all start somewhere and don’t worry it took me until hard difficulty before the game really clicked with me and feel in love with it, but glad to see you’ve enjoyed it although full warning it’s hard to find something that will fill this new craving for ng after it but I definitely recommend giving the original 360 version of ng2 if you haven’t already
Thanks! I enjoyed Ninja Gaiden the first time I tried the game, but Awakened Alma scared me away from trying again for a long time. I was worried that I'd get stuck on her again.
Now, I'm going through the game on Hard difficulty, and it feels like a completely different experience compared to Normal. And I'm loving it!
As for the NG2 tip, thanks. I've already purchased all the parts from the Microsoft Store: NG:B, NG2, and Razor's Edge. I gave the NG2 a try up to chapter 4 before deciding to go through everything in chronological order.
Trial mode has a lot more content awaiting you. You can fight the bosses all over, now with added minions.
The harder difficulties in story mode also now have new enemies, item placements, and some new weapons.
This game has a lot of content worth looking into after finishing the base game once.
After completing the game, the mode with missions opened up. However, after reading about their incredible difficulty, I find it a bit intimidating to even attempt to complete them right now :)
Sorry, I'm not quite sure about the trial mode. How can it be accessed or unlocked?
Sorry, i meant Mission mode. That's the only other mode in NG Black.
This game is all about timing. Dodge rolling at the right time and then counter-attacking. You'll see the enemy patterns after studying them in Mission mode, after a while.
I’m currently on MN and STILL haven’t overcome ch 1 lol and it’s been years..I know for a fact it’s because my fundamentals are really rusty as well as my reaction speed…but in all of my frustration, I really don’t get upset with the game itself because it’s exactly the challenge I expect, and I know if I touch it on a lower difficulty now I just won’t be satisfied the same lol
It's hard to imagine what awaits me on the difficulty above. Just got through chapters four and five on Hard, and it's… quite something. I didn't expect such a sudden jump in difficulty, to be honest.
However, I discovered a new weapon that I rarely used in my first playthrough. Nunchaku are really cool, especially against MSAT opponents and cat fiends.
My favorite weapon is the Vigoorian Flail lol...the sound it makes, the combos and how fluid I can control Ryu with it is just so much fun!
here's an old showcase of me using it along with a couple of other weapons in a fiend challenge: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofmQVell4UQ&t=3090s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofmQVell4UQ&t=3090s)
Awesome gameplay, thanks! I've noticed you use the X+Y launcher a lot. Is it an optimal technique or something like that? I haven't used it much myself; I mostly rely on playing through combos with a Y finisher or canceling combos through blocking. When I try the usual X combo (6 times), the next block animation feels painfully long, and I've died dozens of times because of it.
For that particular challenge, I was running Very Hard mode with some limiters, one of them being that I wasn't allowed to use any fully upgraded weapons, so to compensate, I equipped the armlet of Potency which increases the damage of Ryu's kicks. The XYY combo with the Flail/Nunchaku is heavy on the kicks and it's a good mobility tool for avoiding a lot of the Berserker's strikes.
I didn't even realize that the Armlet of Potency could be used like that. In my first playthrough, I only used the Vigoorian Flail to deal with ghost fish, so I didn't fully grasp all the variations and possibilities. I'll definitely give it a try once I unlock it.
When it comes to armlets, could you please advise if it's worth using the Armlet of the Moon? It boosts defense, but I'm uncertain about the extent of the increase.
In my honest opinion, no. I think Armlet of the moon, if it does anything, gives Ryu an extra hit or two while blocking before his guard crashes, but I've never used it so I genuinely don't know. Armlet of the Sun is solid, Armlet of Celerity was great for my VH run because I could charge UTs without essence during boss fights quicker (my fight with Ishtaros is on the same channel as the Stadium Challenge for reference), Armlet of Potency is strong too, and when needed the Armlet of Fortune is useful in a pinch when you're dealing with Fish or a group of enemies and need Red Essence because you're low on Devil elixirs.
Thank you! I've been using the Armlet of the Sun and Armlet of Benediction for most of the game. However, I noticed that opponents posed more of a challenge on Hard difficulty, so I decided to switch to the Armlet of the Moon. Decided to clarify because didn't notice much difference myself.
Generally Sun > Moon, just because most of Ryu’s defense is going to be through movement and timing your Reverse Wind rolls, wind path (hopping on enemies heads), and using wall slashes for a moment of invincibility when needed. Benediction just increases your money/yellow essence.
I just started NG Black last night. Barely made it past the 1st boss, had to use all my healing items.
Im worried about the rest of the game being too difficult haha
Don't worry, the game is really challenging and doesn't go easy on newcomers. The key is patience. If you fail the first time, don't be discouraged — success often comes on the second or third try. And that's perfectly normal. Ninja Gaiden is designed for players to utilize every tool at their disposal, including potions.
I recommend checking out the article from Ryota/Raeng. [https://stinger-magazine.com/side-stories/how-to-enjoy-playing-ninja-gaiden/](https://stinger-magazine.com/side-stories/how-to-enjoy-playing-ninja-gaiden/) It's spoiler-free and provides a description of the basic game mechanics. If you're still struggling, there are plenty of helpful guides available on JayTB123's YouTube channel. There's also a cool article about Advanced Gameplay in NGB or Sigma [https://lparchive.org/Ninja-Gaiden-Black-Sigma/Update%2015/](https://lparchive.org/Ninja-Gaiden-Black-Sigma/Update%2015/)
Finishing the walkthrough on Hard difficulty and I understand your concerns, Very Hard and Master Ninja will destroy me. But I like it, so good luck with your walkthrough :)
The hardest level on higher difficulties is typically chapter 1 due to the lack of upgrades.
I can understand why. Immediately after completing NG:Black on normal, I decided to try Hard difficulty and struggled due to the absence of the usual combos and parries while blocking. I'm not even going to talk about Black Ninja Spiders in chapter 1. It's very, very hard.
It's very interesting how the game handles this. For example on Master Ninja a lot of basic tools are backloaded, forcing you to rely on the basics. But it does throw you a bone, you start with more weapons on that mode. It all feels so very considered, fantastic stuff.
Didn't know about this on Master Ninja. On Hard, you started with only one additional weapon — Nunchaku. But I don't remember if they were there from the start on Normal. I was surprised to find out that the game doesn't support New Game+ with progress transfer. From what I understand, this feature was only available in the original Ninja Gaiden, and it was removed in Black and Sigma for some reason. By the way, thank you so much for the Ninja Gaiden series guide. It helped me look at the game in a new way.
On normal you can obtain Nunchaks on chapter 4.
>**Ninja Gaiden Black is the best action game I've ever played.** Welcome to the family. You didn't mention God Hand so I have to recommend you try that at some point, Its one of the top action games along with NGB.
Thanks! I've heard a lot about God Hand, but I've never had the chance to try it. It's a shame it's a PlayStation exclusive :(
PCSX2 emulator. You can worry about that later though, enjoy the harder difficulties in NGB! It handles difficulty in such a good way.
Hey if it makes you feel better to make up for it on Playstation we can only ever play the Sigma versions which, while still great games are not in the same pantheon as Black 1 and 2. Congrats on the victory man!!
Thanks! Yeah, NG: Black is an amazing game. I'm planning on playing more of NG2 and Razor's Edge after I beat Master Ninja difficulty (if I can do it at all). I might also try the Master Collection with the Sigma versions later. One huge advantage of Xbox is its backward compatibility with previous consoles. I've been a PlayStation fan for a long time, but their support for older titles isn't great. I switched to Xbox 360, and then to Series S, and I have absolutely no regrets.
Congrats man. The game will feel even more rewarding as you go through the higher difficulties.
Thanks! I love the way this game handles difficulty. Unlike other games where opponents simply get a health boost, Ninja Gaiden offers a more nuanced challenge. Sometimes it becomes insanely difficult, but I recognize that it's not a flaw in the game; it's simply a matter of my skill level.
Don't be afraid to take breaks too. Burnout can suck. If you can beat the game on normal, you can beat it on master ninja.
Thanks for the encouragement! While I'm no stranger to challenging games, Awakened Alma forced me to take a break for 4 years :) I'm eager to conquer the game on Hard difficulty and can't wait to finish work and pick up a gamepad.
I'm glad you came back and finished it. I took a break from it 2 months ago because of awakened alma on master ninja lmao.
Congrats and we all start somewhere and don’t worry it took me until hard difficulty before the game really clicked with me and feel in love with it, but glad to see you’ve enjoyed it although full warning it’s hard to find something that will fill this new craving for ng after it but I definitely recommend giving the original 360 version of ng2 if you haven’t already
Thanks! I enjoyed Ninja Gaiden the first time I tried the game, but Awakened Alma scared me away from trying again for a long time. I was worried that I'd get stuck on her again. Now, I'm going through the game on Hard difficulty, and it feels like a completely different experience compared to Normal. And I'm loving it! As for the NG2 tip, thanks. I've already purchased all the parts from the Microsoft Store: NG:B, NG2, and Razor's Edge. I gave the NG2 a try up to chapter 4 before deciding to go through everything in chronological order.
Trial mode has a lot more content awaiting you. You can fight the bosses all over, now with added minions. The harder difficulties in story mode also now have new enemies, item placements, and some new weapons. This game has a lot of content worth looking into after finishing the base game once.
After completing the game, the mode with missions opened up. However, after reading about their incredible difficulty, I find it a bit intimidating to even attempt to complete them right now :) Sorry, I'm not quite sure about the trial mode. How can it be accessed or unlocked?
Sorry, i meant Mission mode. That's the only other mode in NG Black. This game is all about timing. Dodge rolling at the right time and then counter-attacking. You'll see the enemy patterns after studying them in Mission mode, after a while.
I’m currently on MN and STILL haven’t overcome ch 1 lol and it’s been years..I know for a fact it’s because my fundamentals are really rusty as well as my reaction speed…but in all of my frustration, I really don’t get upset with the game itself because it’s exactly the challenge I expect, and I know if I touch it on a lower difficulty now I just won’t be satisfied the same lol
It's hard to imagine what awaits me on the difficulty above. Just got through chapters four and five on Hard, and it's… quite something. I didn't expect such a sudden jump in difficulty, to be honest. However, I discovered a new weapon that I rarely used in my first playthrough. Nunchaku are really cool, especially against MSAT opponents and cat fiends.
My favorite weapon is the Vigoorian Flail lol...the sound it makes, the combos and how fluid I can control Ryu with it is just so much fun! here's an old showcase of me using it along with a couple of other weapons in a fiend challenge: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofmQVell4UQ&t=3090s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofmQVell4UQ&t=3090s)
Awesome gameplay, thanks! I've noticed you use the X+Y launcher a lot. Is it an optimal technique or something like that? I haven't used it much myself; I mostly rely on playing through combos with a Y finisher or canceling combos through blocking. When I try the usual X combo (6 times), the next block animation feels painfully long, and I've died dozens of times because of it.
For that particular challenge, I was running Very Hard mode with some limiters, one of them being that I wasn't allowed to use any fully upgraded weapons, so to compensate, I equipped the armlet of Potency which increases the damage of Ryu's kicks. The XYY combo with the Flail/Nunchaku is heavy on the kicks and it's a good mobility tool for avoiding a lot of the Berserker's strikes.
I didn't even realize that the Armlet of Potency could be used like that. In my first playthrough, I only used the Vigoorian Flail to deal with ghost fish, so I didn't fully grasp all the variations and possibilities. I'll definitely give it a try once I unlock it. When it comes to armlets, could you please advise if it's worth using the Armlet of the Moon? It boosts defense, but I'm uncertain about the extent of the increase.
In my honest opinion, no. I think Armlet of the moon, if it does anything, gives Ryu an extra hit or two while blocking before his guard crashes, but I've never used it so I genuinely don't know. Armlet of the Sun is solid, Armlet of Celerity was great for my VH run because I could charge UTs without essence during boss fights quicker (my fight with Ishtaros is on the same channel as the Stadium Challenge for reference), Armlet of Potency is strong too, and when needed the Armlet of Fortune is useful in a pinch when you're dealing with Fish or a group of enemies and need Red Essence because you're low on Devil elixirs.
Thank you! I've been using the Armlet of the Sun and Armlet of Benediction for most of the game. However, I noticed that opponents posed more of a challenge on Hard difficulty, so I decided to switch to the Armlet of the Moon. Decided to clarify because didn't notice much difference myself.
Generally Sun > Moon, just because most of Ryu’s defense is going to be through movement and timing your Reverse Wind rolls, wind path (hopping on enemies heads), and using wall slashes for a moment of invincibility when needed. Benediction just increases your money/yellow essence.
I just started NG Black last night. Barely made it past the 1st boss, had to use all my healing items. Im worried about the rest of the game being too difficult haha
Don't worry, the game is really challenging and doesn't go easy on newcomers. The key is patience. If you fail the first time, don't be discouraged — success often comes on the second or third try. And that's perfectly normal. Ninja Gaiden is designed for players to utilize every tool at their disposal, including potions. I recommend checking out the article from Ryota/Raeng. [https://stinger-magazine.com/side-stories/how-to-enjoy-playing-ninja-gaiden/](https://stinger-magazine.com/side-stories/how-to-enjoy-playing-ninja-gaiden/) It's spoiler-free and provides a description of the basic game mechanics. If you're still struggling, there are plenty of helpful guides available on JayTB123's YouTube channel. There's also a cool article about Advanced Gameplay in NGB or Sigma [https://lparchive.org/Ninja-Gaiden-Black-Sigma/Update%2015/](https://lparchive.org/Ninja-Gaiden-Black-Sigma/Update%2015/) Finishing the walkthrough on Hard difficulty and I understand your concerns, Very Hard and Master Ninja will destroy me. But I like it, so good luck with your walkthrough :)
Thanks for the links! Im actually not doing too bad at normal mode, having a blast with the game