Ninja Gaiden 2 – XBox 360

Ninja Gaiden 2 - Platform: XBox 360

New Game:
--------- 
Successfully complete the game on any difficulty setting, and save when 
prompted. You can start a new session on the same difficulty with your cleared 
saved game file to begin with all weapons at their current level, items, 
Essence, and stats from your original session.

Unlockables:
------------ 
Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding bonus:
  Black Jaguar costume: Successfully complete the game on the Path Of The Mentor 
  difficulty. 
  Camoflauge Ninja costume: Successfully complete the game on the Path Of The 
  Warrior difficulty. 
  Dark Blood costume: Successfully complete the game on the Acolyte difficulty. 
  Golden Ninja costume: Successfully complete the game on the Path Of The Master 
  Ninja difficulty. 
  Music Test option: Successfully complete the game on any difficulty. 
  Old Film Filter option: Successfully complete the game on any difficulty. 
  Path Of The Master Ninja difficulty: Successfully complete the game on the 
  Path Of The Mentor difficulty. 
  Path Of The Mentor difficulty: Successfully complete the game on the Path Of 
  The Warrior difficulty. 
  Survival Challenge mode: Successfully complete the game on any difficulty. 

Hidden weapons:
--------------- 
Successfully complete the following tasks to get the corresponding weapon:

  Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang: In Chapter 4, take those weapons from the 
  glass display case in the first room at the Statue Of Liberty's base. 
  Eclipse Scythe: In Chapter 6, defeat Volf. 
  Falcon's Talons: In Chapter 2, you will see another building just before you 
  go to the Dragon Shrine. Kill the ninjas there. 
  Kasari-Gama: In Chapter 5, a dead ninja will be holding this weapon on the 
  second bridge you reach on your right. 
  Lunar Staff: In Chapter 1, there is a statue in a shrine holding that weapon 
  after the halfway point. 
  Tonfa: In Chapter 7, this weapon can be taken from a dead ninja in the storage 
  room that you drop into. 

Giant Crystal Skull:
-------------------- 
Collect all 30 Crystal Skulls to unlock the Giant Crystal Skull. At the 
beginning of Chapter 13, after going through a few rooms with enemies, you will 
reach a large green pillar in a room with centaurs. The Giant Crystal Skull is 
also there. Its description reads "Obtainable only by those with superhuman 
powers of observation." Its detailed description reads "A gigantic crystal skull 
from ancient legend. According to legend, this enormous skull belonged to a 
giant who walked the earth long ago. In these ancient times, the world knew no 
peace, and tribes fought each other to near extinction. None could see an end to 
this chain of suffering, until the giant appeared. He vowed to bear the sins of 
mankind upon his own soul, and offered himself as a sacrifice to the gods. His 
skull was then locked away in a room overflowing with human suffering." The 
legend ends with the warning, "He who possesses this skull must accept the date 
of the giant as his own."

Crystal Skull Gamerpic:
----------------------- 
Collect all 30 Crystal Skulls to unlock the Crystal Skull Gamerpic. Alternately, 
select "Leaderboards" at the main menu, and scroll to a player's name that has 
already unlocked the Gamerpic (looks like a reddish-brown Crystal Skull). Click 
the Right Analog-stick and press A to play that player's video to unlock the 
Gamerpic for your own account.

Easy Yellow Orbs in Chapter 2:
------------------------------ 
When you run up the planks of wood to get onto the roof, you will fight three 
enemies. Defeat the enemies, but do not fall down to the room below. Simply kill 
the enemies, jump back to the planks, then jump back to the roof. As you land, 
immediately double charge your weapon of choice, and kill the enemies again. 
They will continue to respawn as long as you do not jump down into the room 
below. It is possible to get 120,000 Yellow Orbs in about two hours.

Rod Of Trial in Chapter 2:
-------------------------- 
The Rod Of Trial is an item that grants access to the Test Of Valor, which is a 
series of challenges found in several chapters that, upon completion of a test, 
will reward the victor with rare and useful items. In order to get the Rod Of 
Trial, defeat all the enemies running down from the stairs and into the yard. 
When you have killed all the ninjas, the candles behind the fence will light up, 
and the Rod Of Trial will appear. If you hare having difficulty defeating the 
enemies in the yard, target the archers around the perimeter before killing the 
ninjas rushing towards you. The arrows from the archers are difficult to spot, 
especially if you are surrounded by a group of ninjas. The in-game description 
of the Rod Of Trial is "A rod symbolizing the fighting spirit, cast from the 
purest of gold. Those upon whom it is bestowed face an endless path of battle, 
as though they walked through the underworld itself. It is said that those who 
carry it must face hordes of opponents in fights to the death known as Tests of 
Valor. According to legend, this treasure was one possessed by the god of war 
himself."

Easy "Feat Of A Hundred Slashes" achievement in Chapter 3:
---------------------------------------------------------- 
Move next to the save point near the first Test Of Valor warp point. From there 
you can drop down to the subway. It is here that you can get the 100-hit combo 
with almost no effort. Once you have dropped down, run toward the subway cars. 
Try to get into the little hole under the cars, and kill almost all enemies. 
Eventually you will see two enemies appear near the opening from where you came 
from. If everyone is dead, one will rush up and the other will try to hit you 
with arrows. Wait until the enemy running toward you is almost in the pit. Once 
he is that close, jump up in the air and hit him with shurikens. You should get 
about four hits each time. The ninja will just stand there and not attempt to 
block. Do this as rapidly as possible. As you hit the ninja he will stumble 
back. Eventually you will need to close the distance. Once this has occurred, 
you must start jumping back and forth to avoid the ninja shooting the arrows, 
and continue your shuriken attack on the first ninja. He will die once you have 
hit him about 70 times. Once he dies, you will hear him grunt. You will then 
have to close the distance with the other ninja. He will also run toward you to 
close the gap as well. Repeat the same trick as above (jump and throw). You will 
get the achievement easily.

Hidden Xbox in Chapter 4:
------------------------- 
Enter the Statue Of Liberty museum across from the Test Of Valor. There is a 
breakable wall that looks like it is made of straw. Slice it open to find a 
silver Xbox that will fully restore your health an unlimited number of times.
Easy Yellow Essence in Chapter 6 
Just after the Giant Skeleton mini-Boss, you will encounter more Scorpion 
Skeletons. Fight and Wall Run your way through until you get up a floor. Then, 
drop down, and make your way back up to get more Yellow Essence. Repeat this as 
many time as desired. -From: Mark Winzenread
Easy "Feat Of A Hundred Slashes" achievement in Chapter 6 
Before the Giant Skeleton mini-Boss, a large number of Scorpion Skeletons will 
attack. Jump around them, and throw shurikens until you reach a 100-hit combo.
Vigoorian Flail in Chapter 9 
Immediately after you defeat the tunneling worm mini-Boss and follow the path it 
makes out, there will be a small fork in it. If you take the fork to the right, 
you should find yourself climbing a small hill. Atop the hill is a corpse. 
Examine it to find the Vigoorian Flail.

Boss obliterations:
------------------- 
Several Bosses in the game actually have an obliteration you can perform on 
them. For example, towards the end of Silver Worm and Fire Armadillo's lives 
they will be stunned. When you can walk up, press Y to finish them off. Note: 
The greater fiends and Geshin do not have one.

Crystal Skull locations:
------------------------ 
The Crystal Skulls are found at the following locations:
Chapter 1
  1. After getting the Fire Ninpo, you will come outside to a ledge where you 
  are supposed to jump off and land below to fight more enemies. If timed 
  correctly, you can jump across to the roof on the other side to get the Skull 
  you can see from where you are standing. If you fall short, use the ladder to 
  climb up and try again.
  2. The Skull is found next to the first flaming archers you encounter. Run up 
  and jump off the tree halfway down the stairs as you walk towards the bridge 
  they are firing from.
Chapter 2
  3. Go to the river bed shortly after learning the Water-Run technique. The 
  Skull is resting on the bottom near the end of the river before the bridge. 
  Hold A to dive down and collect it.
  4. Defeat the sub-Boss in the room with the giant golden dragon winding 
  around. Go to the second floor, and jump to the platform on the left-hand 
  side. Smash through the wall to find a hidden room with the Skull on one of 
  the shelves.
Chapter 3
  5. Near the beginning of the sewer area, after learning the Wind Blades 
  technique, there should be a short path to the right with a metal staircase. 
  Ascend the stairs to reach the Skull near the top.
  6. After you learn how to perform the Invisible Path technique, go the 
  opposite way of the main path. There is a small crevice in the wall you can 
  run back and forth on to reach a rock platform with the Skull.
Chapter 4
  7. Go to the streets shortly after exiting the subway. After running for a 
  little while and turning a few corners, you will find an open area and some 
  crowded apartment buildings to your right. There is a Skull on one of the 
  steel apartment exterior staircases/balconies near a ninja corpse. Use Wall 
  Run to reach it.
  8. Near the middle of the level when jumping from the broken overpass to a 
  ladder, you should see a ledge with a Skull on it in front of you. Either use 
  a correctly timed jump to reach it, or wait until after you get above that 
  area and climb back down a ladder to collect it.
  9. The Skull is on the girders inside the Statue Of Liberty. When you are 
  climbing up the stairs to the saved game point, jump on the girders in the 
  middle of the room. You should see the Skull resting on one of them.
Chapter 5
  10. Located on a boat in the second body of water you can access. Instead of 
  crossing the bridge, hang left and go around the corner to where you obtain 
  the Kusarigama. Run across the river. The Skull is on one of the boats.
  11. Shortly afterwards, you will walk into a marketplace with some tables and 
  chairs with a single exit on the right-hand side. The Skull is immediately to 
  your right outside the doorway you exit.
  12. After collecting the Spear Gun and swimming through about two areas, there 
  will be groups of exploding jellyfish creatures. Reach the second group of 
  such creatures on your right in a small passageway. They will respawn for 
  awhile. Keep killing them and collect Essence. After they are all dead, swim 
  over there to find a Skull at the bottom of the floor to your left.
Chapter 6
  13. At the very start of the level, immediately turn around and jump on the 
  section of roof behind you that slopes down into the water. Cross over to the 
  other side of the roof. Walk down a few step to find the Skull tucked away 
  very close to where you were originally standing when the level began.
  14. When you reach the guillotine, cut the rope for the Skull.
  15. In the library with a fireplace inside the castle where you fight a lot of 
  ninjas, there is a Skull on one of the bookshelves. It will appear after you 
  make the books fall out by hitting the bookshelves.
Chapter 7
  16. When you first reach the controls at the front of the ship and start 
  destroying them, a Skull will be uncovered slightly to the left of the main 
  control panel.
  17. The Skull is hidden in an alcove on your right after you start walking 
  into a new hallway around the time that you find the Tonfas off a dead ninja. 
  It is near some debris.
Chapter 8
  18. The Skull is in the snow when you are crossing the minefield. It is found 
  after the first section of mines where everyone was shooting at you through 
  the windows of the three story building.
  19. Once you get back inside again and leave the bell tower, you will begin 
  descending a winding square staircase. The Skull is in one of the holes on the 
  wall with candles in it.
  20. After you enter the subway, in the room before where you find the 
  dignitary's ID card is a Skull on the right-hand side of the room.
  21. The Skull is on one of the gears about halfway up the area where you are 
  jumping from one to another. It is on one of the medium-sized horizontal 
gears.
Chapter 9
  22. Go to the big open body of water you reach with the two searchlights. Go 
  all the way to the right-hand corner. The Skull is behind one of the big 
  wooden towers.
  23. After using the Jade Mask and entering a new area, you will eventually 
  reach a rope you must use to climb across to reach the other side. About 
  midway through this climb (just past the giant tree), is a branch you can turn 
  and swing towards on your right. Swing to this and then to one more branch for 
  the Skull.
  24. After defeating the worm Boss, immediately after the game save is another 
  area with smaller worm enemies. The Skull is on the far right-hand side of 
  this room on the ground.
  25. After watching the short intermission sequence with the dead ninjas 
  floating down the river, jump into the water. The Skull is in a small alcove 
  on the left near the bottom, midway to the other shore.
Chapter 10
  26. After the fight with the worm enemies in the acid pit, use a Flying Bird 
  Flip to reach the area above you. Wall Run on the wall to your immediate left, 
  then jump to the one on the right. Once back on solid ground, turn around and 
  Wall Run one more time from the wall on the left, and jump to the ledge in 
  front of you to reach the Skull.
  27. Once you enter the area with many flying dragon enemies, you will quickly 
  reach a path descending to the area below. Once it levels out, follow it 
  around to the left instead of where you normally go. The Skull is on the 
  ground in a small open area.
Chapter 11
  28. After you pass the second shop, you will climb up a ladder and jump out a 
  window into a familiar village setting from the original Ninja Gaiden. Go to 
  the right of the village, and turn right into a narrow alley near the exit. 
  There is a Skull in the far back right corner of this alley.
  29. Pass through an underwater tunnel into a new area. The Skull is in a 
  clearing inside a small wooden structure on the right.
  30. Immediately after leaving the ninja fortress, instead of climbing across 
  the rope in front of you, go to your left, and drop down into the opening in 
  the floor. Follow this area back to the beginning of the original game, and 
  jump down all the ramps to the far bottom left to find the Skull.