Ninja Ryuuken Den II - Ankoku no Jashin Ken (Japan)
also known as Ninja Gaiden II - The Dark Sword of Chaos
NES / Famicom
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 1990
86
Ad
✪ Reviewed on September 5, 2023
80
The sequel surpasses the original on almost every level. Refined mechanics, even more dramatic cutscenes, difficulty maintained. The trilogy's peak for many. Absolutely essential.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player12+
Description
Japanese Ninja Gaiden sequel featuring Ryu battling Ashtar and his cursed sword. Published by Tecmo, released in Japan in 1990. Ryu with new techniques, enriched narrative cutscenes and epic bosses. Second Ninja Ryuuken Den on Famicom.
Ninja Ryuuken Den II - Ankoku no Jashin Ken review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
More intense still, the sequel deploys nervy, melodic electro-rock themes of heightened dramatic power. Tecmo's music galvanises Ryu's clashes with an urgency and flair rare on NES. This sonic richness, cut for frantic action, raises the series to a peak of the genre.
The Japanese Famicom version of 'Ninja Gaiden II', Japan-exclusive under this name with a distinct cover and title. The cart is rarer boxed than the US version and stands as a coherent piece of the original Famicom trilogy. Boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated manual gains value as Western collectors seek to complete the unrebadged Famicom trilogy. The cote climbs hard.
Memorable bosses
A sharpened sequel, this second chapter grants Ryu twin shadows that multiply his attack and reshape the approach to each guardian. Snowy settings and storms toughen ever more spectacular clashes, punctuated by polished cutscenes. Better paced than their elders, these bosses keep a formidable demand that rewards mastery of patterns and positioning.
Is Ninja Ryuuken Den II - Ankoku no Jashin Ken still worth playing in 2026?
Ninja Gaiden II - The Dark Sword of Chaos, known as Ninja Ryuuken Den II - Ankoku no Jashin Ken in Japan, surpasses the original on nearly every front. Refined mechanics with double phantom ninjas, even more dramatic cinematics, levels featuring weather elements and sustained difficulty. For many, the peak of the NES trilogy. Still an absolute essential classic today.
