I played it many days, but after almost a year of trying to beat it, we were selling our system.
So I sat down on the last day and decided I was going to beat the game. I played with such focus, getting further than I had ever gotten before, blazing past the hordes of instantaneously spawning eagles + Show Spoiler +
OMG IT WAS RYU'S FATHER! I fought hard, but his life didn't go down. My ninja was eating fireballs to the face when I suddenly realized that I needed to attack the glowing, clown-nose-like orb in the middle of the room instead of the invincible boss. + Show Spoiler +
No problem, right? I'll only go back a stage, right?
Wrong. I went back to right before Malth. I about cried, and then my parents took away the game to sell it.
Ever since that day nearly 12 years ago, I have obsessed about that cursed game. I couldn't beat it! I FAILED!
But then my parents got a Wii. And the Wii had an emulator, which was cheat-free (unlike the CPU emulators) and played like the original game - extremely punishing and yet so friggin' awesome.
So I sat down today and played it for three hours. I slayed the blind barbarian with the butcher knife, I killed the flail-spinning beefcake, I slit the jumping guy's throat, I mutilated the lizard thingies, and I riddled Malth's body with orange-colored shurikens. + Show Spoiler +
There he was, Ryu's father. And there it was, that annoying orange blob. I spun around, using my ninja velocity to dodge the fireballs and slayed the father. YES! I FINALLY BEAT THE GA...
No. Suddenly I am fighting the Jacqios. And he is flying, and throwing fireballs that I can't dodge. I die, but I know how to beat him. But I am back three stages...
30 minutes later I fight him again. Sweet, I don't have to fight Dad this time. But wait, I don't get my life refilled? That means I have to kill the Jacqio with 8 bars of hea....dead.
Ok, so I burn through those too-familiar stages again. This time I am ready, and I have reflexes. I slay the Jacqio, and stab him a few times extra just to show him how pissed off he made me. So, credits, right?
OH SHIT! DEMON STATUES BLAH BLAH ECLIPSE!!! Fucking huge scary monster. Well shit. + Show Spoiler +
So he is spewing scythes out of his mouth and they hurt, BAD. Like four life. So, I start slicing his head. After about 15 slices and me losing a bunch of health, it falls off. And then runs into me and hurts me for one damage. Wtf?
Ok, so what's left? His head is off but apparently his neck is now spewing the deadly scythes. Ok, so I start cutting off his tail. It falls off. Then I see my final attack point: His odd, bulging, sack thing. I start slaying it and...oops, forgot to keep track of that "life" thing.
Three stages back. Ouch. I'm pissed. So I go through them again to fight him. Now, I won't admit how many times I died fighting him and restarting far back, but let's just say I nearly destroyed the Wii controller.
But finally, in a close match, I slay him with three health remaining! YES! And then I get a crappy story ending and credit sequence. And Ryu's father dies, so I guess this means that this takes place after Ninja Gaidens on the XBOX?
Anyways, I am here to say that I finally defeated this game legitimately. No emulators to rewind or save. Nothing but pure grinding and frustration. BUT I BEAT IT! So this means I am a man now, right?
So hopefully some of you can relate to this tale of frustration, excitement, more frustration, more frustration, more frustration, and finally, frustration and then victory. I love this game but I hate it so much! But now, my soul can rest, knowing that I have finally beaten that game which has been haunting me in my dreams since we sold the NES...(sob)