Which is harder: Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania?

[Gamerforlife]

It seems any time Ninja Gaiden gets compared to something else, I am going to find the something else harder I have a harder time with Devil May Cry games than modern day Ninja Gaiden games for example

[Ziggy]

Well I just beat Ninja Gaiden for the first time today. Again, I only started playing it a few days ago. And again, I played Castlevania many more times before I was able to finally beat it. I really don't know if I'm better at games now (compared to when I couldn't beat Castlevania) or if Ninja Gaiden just comes easier to me than Castlevania first did.

At this point, I really don't think either game is as hard as the internet makes them out to me. Difficult, yes. Needing to replay each level a dozen times before you get the hang of it, yes. But impossibly hard... I just don't think so.

I'm still keeping my vote on Castlevania being the harder game. I don't care what you say, you can only get hit 4 times in the last two levels. For that reason alone, I think it makes the game harder. Even some one like me, that has beaten CV a million times, one slight mistake will cost you your life in the last level. Ninja Gaiden, on the other hand, you can take soooo many hits and it doesn't really matter. Once you get to 6-3 you can get as many game overs as you want, and start out at 6-3 again. In CV, if you didn't make it to Drac's staircase, you're gonna start at the beginning of the level again. And if you didn't find a good way to get past the bats, that means HELL for you!


I thoroughly enjoyed Ninja Gaiden, btw. I haven't tried a new game on the NES that I liked this much in a while. I've played a couple of levels from NG 2 and 3, but have yet to sink my teeth into either. My goal is to try and beat 2, then move onto 3.

[chupon]

Great Post Zig! I can't even read everyone's comments because I just have to chime in.

Castlevania is harder. The reason is because of the last stage and Dracula and his forms are insane.

I'm gonna wager a bet and say that everyone who says Ninja Gaiden over Castlevania has never actually beaten either.

I've taken both down on original hardware without cheats.

Castlevania is difficult all the way through but really ramps up on the last level and final boss fight. Ninja Gaiden is a rough ride too, but just doesn't crescendo the way Castlevania does.

I gotta say that i think the majority who have voted are incorrect.

I'd be interested to see / hear who has actually beaten both, one or the other, or neither.

[CFFJR]

@Chupon

I mentioned it earlier when I first responded, but I've beaten Castlevania, and I've never beaten Ninja Gaiden, despite owning it and playing it for far longer. I think NG is the harder game.

I suppose I should sit down and really put some time into it, but I'm probably just gonna get pissed off. I don't enjoy busting my ass in games as much as I used to.

[Gamerforlife]

Yeah, I also found Castlevania to be harder. I never beat it but I've finished NG 1 and 2 more than once

[rainnyx4]

It's possible that Ninja Gaiden is in fact easier than CastleVania from a gameplay point of view. However, the frustration factor of getting sent back after dying on the last boss in Ninja Gaiden puts it way above CastleVania in overall difficulty.

[Bradtemple87]

Definitely Ninja Gaiden, damn dive bombing eagles

[Ziggy]

It's possible that Ninja Gaiden is in fact easier than CastleVania from a gameplay point of view. However, the frustration factor of getting sent back after dying on the last boss in Ninja Gaiden puts it way above CastleVania in overall difficulty.

This happens in Castlevania too, though. If you have lives left, you get sent back to where ever the last "check point" was, but if you lose all your lives, you get sent back to the beginning of the level. In fact, whenever you lose all your lives, you get sent back to the beginning of the level.

This is in direct contrast to Ninja Gaiden. If you're on (for example) 5-1 and you make it to 5-2 then lose all your lives, you still start at 5-2! This is another thing that, in my opinion, makes NG easier than CV.

[Zing]

I can get through Castlevania without losing a single life. Ninja Gaiden is much more difficult once you get to stage 6. I admit that the previous levels are easy.

Both games have a weapon that renders the game almost broken. In Castlevania, it is the fire bomb. If you memorize where the fire bombs are, and where all the other weapons are (to avoid them), you could get through the entire time without any of the bosses touching you. They literally won't be able to move!

In Ninja Gaiden, the weapon is the jump slash (I forget the actual name). You can kill bosses in one attack. You can run non-stop through the levels. Just don't pick up any other weapons and grab as much power as you can. The thing that makes this game harder is all of the places you can fall to your death.

[Ziggy]

HOLY WATER!

Yeah, that spin attack (whatever it's called) definitely breaks NG like the holy water breaks CV. But I find it a little harder to keep in NG. Not too hard to avoid picking up other weapons, after you learn where they all are. But the fact that it consumes 5 points (or whatever they are called) to use, and that you automatically use it when jumping, makes it a little difficult. I learned that you can hold down to avoid using it, but that's a little hard to pull off all the time.