Hello guys,
Two years ago I got in touch for the first time with Ninja Gaiden/Shadow Warrior for the first time and it has been love at first sight. Even though this is one of the games featured in the NES Mini so it’s technically easier to beat I still haven’t got rid of the fucking Jacquio. I still don’t know how I completed Ghosts and Goblins but still havent’ beaten Ninja Gaiden…
Anyway…Ninja Gaiden is just the first title of a trilogy. The second game Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, came out in 1990 but was released in Europe in 1994, dramatically out of time (the SNES was already out since two years) so it was completely overlooked. The third installment, Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom came out in 1991 and was never released in Europe, making it a damn expensive game on this side of the Atlantic.
I already own both the US an EU version of the first game and it’s quite easy to find the second for a decent price, around 20-25€, but the third one it’s almost impossible to get, as it shows up rarely online. The last two auctions I’ve watched ended up at 70-80€ plus shipping and at the moment these are figures I’m not willing to spent for a single game, although great like Ninja Gaiden.
I think I’ll have to wait until I’ll go to visit my relatives in the US and try to look for a cheaper copy to fully enjoy the complete trilogy and in the meantime I can console myself with the other trilogies I already have: Double Dragon, Super Mario Bros. and (very soon) Castlevania (it’s incredible how I still miss the first game but I already have the third…)
I ❤ Old Games! 
Ninja Gaiden III is generally considered the worst game in the trilogy (for one, it has limited continues), so I don’t think you’re missing out on much. Then again, knowing is better than not knowing, so I feel your frustration regardless. Even as someone who doesn’t live in Europe, I remember wondering why gaming companies would delay releases of high-profile games there (and for the longest time, Australia as well) – even when there was so little text to translate. I’m glad it’s more standardized now, but it must have been irritating living outside of Japan/U.S. if you were into gaming for a while.
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If NGIII has limited continues I think I’ll never be able to complete it, since I’m still trying to complete the first game…
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You might not want to bother with the US version of the 3rd one. The reason people typically hate it isn’t because it’s a particularly bad game, but because for some insane reason they decided to only give you 5 continues in it, so it’s pretty much impossible to beat.
I’d recommend playing the version on Ninja Gaiden Trilogy for SNES or the Japanese version or a hacked rom.
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Actually when the trilogy for SNES pops up online I always try to buy it but it always end up at steep prices, too much for my wallet…
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