Ninja Gaiden II/Chapter 6: The Lycanthrope's Castle

"The canals running through this city lead to a giant castle, a once beautiful architectural legacy now transformed into the lair of the Greater Fiend Volf. Volf's iron fist reigns over an army of werewolves. He is a Berserker, as bloodthirsty as a beast, and his never-ending hunger for battle has led him to prepare a fitting arena for a duel to the death with the world's most powerful Ninja"

Part 1: Water Cavern
If you missed the chests listed prior to the boss fight in the last chapter, don't despair. Now is your chance to collect them. There is one in each of the collonades.

The cutscene at the beginning of the chapter will reveal the way out of this water cavern. Head back to the platform where you began the boss fight in the last chapter, facing in the same direction as you were when the fight began. Drop into the water and head left toward the large staircase. In between two columns will be a section of broken column to stand on. Jump up on it and perform a Flying Bird between the two pillars on either side. At the top, you should see a Muramasa statue to your left. Go right up the slanted roof and look left and down when you reach the top. On a small ledge just below is a Crystal Skull (#13). Drop down and collect it. Head back onto the roof and left to find a small hole in the roof containing a chest with 30000 Yellow Essences. Nice. Go to the Muramasa statue if you wish and take out the Ghost Fish here.

To the right of the Muramasa statue is a break in the wall. Time for some platforming. Head onto the pillars above. On the second pillar, kill the Ghost Fish that swarm you, being careful not to drop into the water below unless you like the idea of swimming back to the colonnade and starting over. At the top of the archway take out several more Ghost Fish, then head to the left edge, across the pillars and to the ledge beyond. Head left when you reach the ledge, kill the Ghost Fish here and open the chest for an Herb of Spiritual Life. Head back up the path along the ledge until you reach a gap in the ledge. Wall run across.

When you reach the opposite ledge, you will be attacked by several Water Scorpions. Take them out and proceed along the ledge and left to find a chest containing Red Ki Essence. Turn around and head toward the circular pillar structure ahead. Jump across onto the platform supported by the pillars. Several Ghost Fish will appear when you land. Walk around the structure and they will swarm you. Attack them and jump to the next series of pillars. Open the chest on the large pillar to the left for a Devil Way Mushroom. Jump onto the platform and through the door. Save/heal at the Dragon Statue here. Head into the cave to be attacked by a group of Water Scorpions. Progress farther to be attacked by another group of Water Scorpions. Search the corpse in this room to receive a Jewel of the Demon Seal to upgrade one of your Ninpo. Head to the door at the end of the cave complex.

Inside is a rather ominous pile of bones. Run around the pile for a while and you will be attacked by a large cluster of Skeletal Scorpions. Defeat them and then continue running around the room for a while. Eventually a cutscene will trigger and you will be in for a Miniboss fight.

Miniboss: Skeleton
At first, this boss appears overwhelmingly difficult. His attacks deal heavy damage and stun you. He will grab you if you get close. However, if you spent some Yellow Essence on a full upgrade for your Kusari-gama, this boss is cake. Run around behind him and just start drilling him with your Y combos. Eventually he will fall down. When he does, repeatedly attack him with Y. He will get up and shove you into his mouth and run into a nearby wall. When he does, this spells his end. After Ryu extricates himself from the creatures mouth, turn immediately toward him and start spamming him with Y combos. Lather, rinse, repeat. Fairly simple. A short cutscene will follow.

Part 2: Caverns
After the Miniboss falls, the blocked shaft that you probably saw before will be unblocked. Enter it and perform a Flying Bird to reach the top. Run along the ledge until you reach a broken bridge over a gap. Do a wall run to cross the breach. When you reach the large ledge ahead, several Water Scorpions will attack. Kill them and open the chest here for an Herb of Spiritual Life. Continue along the ledge to another breach. Wall run to the top ledge where you will be attacked by a few more Water Scorpions. Kill them and head through the door. Just inside, several Skeletal Scorpions will attack. Kill them off quickly and head into the open cavern. Here you will be attacked by more Water Scorpions. Open the chest here for another Herb of Spiritual Life. Continue through the tunnel ahead, killing Skeletal Scorpions until you reach a gap. Perform a Flying Swallow to cross it. You will immediately be attacked by more Skeletal Scorpions. Kill them and then wall run across the right wall to bypass the next gap. Enjoy another skirmish with some Skeletal Scorpions. Head up the tunnel and fight several more Skeletal Scorpions. Halt when you reach the brick shaft. This part is a little tricky. Wall run to the opposite wall in whatever direction you choose, just keep it up. Flying Bird your way out.

When you reach the top, you will be beside a guillotine. Slice the rope beside it to reveal a Crystal Skull (#14). Use the Dragon Statue here for a much-needed save/heal. The door to the right of the Dragon Statue is locked, so head up the stairs to the right. At the top of the stairs is a Muramasa Statue to the right and a stone ladder up to a lookout tower. Up the ladder there is a chest containing a Grains of Spiritual Life. Head down the ladder and back to the stairs for a cutscene.

After the scene, head down the stairs. Kill the two Werewolves that attack and head through the open door beside the Dragon Statue. Kill two more Werewolves on the stairs and proceed downward. Enter the door at the bottom of the stairs and kill off four more Werewolves and a Greater Werewolf that attack you here. The bridge to the left is closed so head up the stairs. Kill the three Water Scorpions that attack you here and proceed upward. You will reach a landing with some cannons and a corpse. Search the corpse for a refill of your arrows. Continue up the stairs. Kill off the three more Water Scorpions that attack on the next flight of stairs. When you reach the top balcony, you will be attacked by more Water Scorpions and several Flying Fiends. When the Flying Fiends are dead, head across the pool of water. On the other side, you will be attacked by several more Water Scorpions and Flying Fiends. Kill them off and head into the portal to begin the Fourth Test of Valor.

Test of Valor Four
This Test of Valor is considerably easier than past tests. It consists of several Water Scorpions and some Bats. Seriously. Kusari-gama Y attacks will end this battle very quickly. You'll be rewarded with a Lives of the Thousand Gods. Hang on to that.

Part 3: Palace
When you exit the portal, head up the stairs to the palace entrance. The door is locked, as you probably expected. Head left to a narrow balcony. You will be attacked by several Water Scorpions here. Open the chest ahead for some Red Ki Essences. Head to the balcony on the right side of the palace entrance. Kill the three Werewolves that attack here and use the Dragon Statue to save/heal. Head up the ladder beside the statue. On the landing above, search the corpse between the two cannons for some arrows. Head left from here into the dead end corner. Perform a Flying Bird to reach the level above.

This is bat country. Take out the Flying Fiends with your arrows. They will respawn for a while, but eventually die off entirely. Head up the stairs and onto the roof, along the left hand side. Kill the werewolves that engage you. There are four in total. Round the corner for a puzzle cutscene. Time for some jumping. Walk along the ledge and grab onto the first flagpole. Climb out and line yourself up with the large, circular stained glass window in front of you. Now leap to the second and third poles and then off through the window. You will drop into the cathedral below. Many Water Scorpions will attack you here. Kill them all and progress forward to the altar ahead. Open the chest on the altar to receive a Bronze Key. Head out the door at the back of the church.

In the courtyard ahead, search the corpse to the right for Inukoma's Notebook. Enter the door with steam coming out of it. Drop down the shaft into a kitchen area. Kill the Werewolves that attack you. Head to the door in the rear left of the room and smash the barrels to reveal a chest containing a Life of the Gods. Enter the door here and head right to find a Dragon Statue. Save/heal and head to the door on the left of where you entered. When you enter this great hall, five Werewolves will attack you. Kill them off and head through the door on the same wall as the door through which you entered this room. Kill the Werewolves and Greater Werewolves in the dining room. Go through the door at the rear right hand side of the room.

In this hallway, kill off the Werewolves that attack you and head through the door at the far end of the room. In the armor room, kill off several Water Scorpions. When they are finished, examine the glowing object in the center of the room to receive the Cast Iron Key. Exit through the door to your left to find yourself back in the great hall. Head up the main stairway and left at the statue. Head left again and examine the chest at the end of the balcony for an Herb of Spiritual Life. Head back to the statue and up the right stairs. Use the Cast Iron Key on the door here.

Head up the stairs and kill off the two Explosives Ninjas and use the Dragon Statue on your right to save/heal. Continue up the stairs. Open the door at the top and take out the Explosive Ninjas within. Examine the corpse here for a copy of The Four Greater Fiends, Part 3. Knock books off of the shelves in the rear left of the room to reveal a Crystal Skull (#15). Head to the fireplace and Flying Bird up the chimney. In the room at the top, kill the Water Scorpions and head through the door. In the next room, you will be attacked by several Explosives Ninjas. Kill them and jump into the fireplace here.

At the top of the chimney, use the Dragon Statue to your left to save/heal. Jump across the two flagpoles ahead and onto the opposite balcony. Head left here. Go past the stairs and head left. Drop into the pit below the flagpoles, climb the ladder and head to the Muramasa Statue and chests containing Ghost Fish and Red Ki Essences. Use the flag poles to return to the balcony and then head up the stairs. The door at the top will be locked. Head back down the stairs and fight off the Werewolves and Greater Werewolves that appear. When they are defeated, examine the blue light that appears on the ground to receive a Golden Key. Head back to the door at the top of the stairs. Watch the cutscene that follows.

When the cutscene ends, you will be attacked by a large group of Greater Werewolves. Kill them off and then examine Volf's throne to open a trapdoor in the floor. When you land, kill the Water Scorpions waiting for you. On your left is a chest containing an Herb of Spiritual Life and on your right is a Dragon Statue. Save/heal and continue down the hall and out the door. You are back outside the entrance to the palace. Head right and down the stairs. Kill your way through two groups of Water Scorpions and down to where the drawbridge was locked earlier in the level. Once on the now-open bridge, the door will close behind you and several Flying Fiends will appear. Kill them with arrows. Don't bother to switch to single-person view, just jump around randomly and mash the B button, collecting the blue orbs that are dropped. The locked gate will open when they stop respawning. Head through it and past the short hallway to a door. Open the door for a cutscene and a boss fight.

Boss: Greater Fiend Volf
Volf, like many of the bosses in this game, is much easier than he looks. He is vulnerable toward standard physical attacks. Jump straight at him and perform Flying Swallow attacks with your Falcon's Talons, followed by an X or Y attack flurry when you land behind him. He will fall very quickly. However, now you have another problem. After a brief cutscene, a large amount of werewolves will attack. Luckily, you have a new weapon, the Eclipse Scythe, which will make very short work of them. Keep killing Werewolves and Greater Werewolves until a cutscene triggers to end the level.