Ninja Gaiden (NES)/Act 5

Stage 5-1
Right from the start, as you prepare to jump over the first gap, pause for a moment so that you can jump over both the gap and the approaching bat. Watch out for the dagger tossing demon as you wall jump up along the first column. A ninja will descend as you reach the end of the high platform, and a small hunchback will quickly hop towards you when you land on the ground below. Be sure to grab the Windmill Star along the way.

As you approach the first platform over the gap, an eagle will appear from the left side and fly across to the right. As you approach the second gap, another ninja will descend. When you jump down to the ledge with the dagger tosser, watch out for a bat that appears from the right.

You will return to the ground, only to be attacked by a new enemy, who tosses a particularly fast spinning blade that boomerangs back to him. Approach him cautiously. You can attack the blade to remove it, but he will produce more. You can try to get close to him to stab him, or you can remove him from a safer distance with the Windmill Star. Alternatively, you can wall hop up the left side of the column in an effort to avoid him entirely. At the top of the column, you'll find a Flame technique off to the left.

After dropping down from the high ledge, you'll be attacked by both a bat and a ninja. Don't let the ninja hang around long. Use the Flame Technique, or a Windmill Star, to get rid of the enemy on the next platform before jumping up to it. As you reach the edge of the last platform, an eagle will appear from below. Be sure to remove it before continuing on and jumping down to the floor below.

The candle high above the ground contains a Windmill Star. If you have the Flame technique, you can hit the candle from he floor to collect the star. Hop up the platforms, but watch out for a huncback. As you approach the edge of the last platform, a bat will appear from the right. Wait until it gets close enough before you jump so that you can leap over the bat as well.

To the left of the first high column is a health restoring potion. You can try to collect it the usual way, or wall hop your way up the left side of the column to reach it. There's a red spirit tile on the floor before the wall, but be careful of enemies respawning when you run back to the left. You will face another boomerang blade thrower at the very end of the stage. Pass through the door to advance.

Stage 5-2
You must climb your way up from the bottom to the top of this stage, which is divided into four sections.
 * Section 1:From the door, run to the left. Drop down to attack the first two enemies, and collect the blue spirit tile.  Wall jump up your way up to the next platform and carefully remove the enemy before collecting the red spirit tile on the right.  On the way down from the highest platform to the floor, you can collect the Jump and Slash technique, but it's actually not recommended.  Instead, simply fall down to the floor below and attack the hunchback before it can attack you.  Then climb up to the next section.
 * Section 2: After climbing the ladder, make the jump to the next platform, but be prepared for an eagle to suddenly appear. Remove it as quickly as possible, or try to jump over it if necessary.  When you jump over to the next platform you will be attacked by two ninjas, one from the front and one from behind.  After dropping down to the lower platform, only backtrack to the left if you really want the Flame technique.  Doing so will cause some enemies to respawn, including an eagle.  Another eagle will appear as you approach the ladder to the next section.
 * Section 3: The first ledge is patrolled by a few whirlwind kicking enemies. Make your way to the left, and when you reach the elevated platforms, you will see dragon cannons on them.  Use a special technique to remove the closest one before you approach the rest and remove them.  Up and to the right of the platform above you is a Fire Wheel technique.  If you collect it, you can run through the top two dragon cannons, and on through the bat near the end of the section.  By the time you climb up to the next section, the technique will be ending.
 * Section 4: Running to the right, take out the whirlwind kick enemy, while watching out for the eagle that descends upon you from above. You have to wall jump to reach the platform overhead, but this section is guarded by a masked enemy who tosses axes.  It's possible to take him out as you jump towards the wall.  The candle above the first potion contains a health restoring potion so don't miss it.


 * The next jump is particularly dangerous. You can't actually jump from where you are to the next platform below.  There are two ways to reach it.  The "proper" way is to jump up and fall down, catching the bottom of the wall of the platform you were standing on, and then jumping from there to the platform on the right.  A safer alternative is to wall hop up the cliff side to the top of the screen until you go up and over the top and land on the platform below.  Either way, watch out for the eagle which appears on the screen.  Finally, before you climb the ladder which leads to the next stage, pause to remove the eagle that appears or it will hit you mid-jump.

Stage 5-3
Once again, you must climb from the bottom to the top, only now through six even more challenging sections.
 * Section 1:Start by climbing up the yellow ladder to the right, then jump to the left. The enemies here seem quite basic, but they throw a large number of them at you. When you come close to the ladder on the left side, a dog will appear, so be prepared to jump over or attack it.  A Flame technique can be found above the small column, and a red spirit tile is back to the right above the high platform.  If you collect it, drop to the floor from the right side to avoid all the enemies which gather to the left.
 * Section 2:In addition to club tossing enemies, this section introduces ninjas who are equipped with jet packs and throwing stars. The fly across the swing tossing stars at you.  The stars are difficult to avoid, but you can slash them away with your sword.  Try to remove them as quickly as possible as you proceed to the right.  Don't risk your health for the two bonus point bags contained above the green platform.  You can actually cause the final club thrower who guards the ladder to disappear if he backs up off the right side of the screen.
 * Section 3:Climb to the top pf the ladder before jumping off to the left. Collect a throwing star from the first candle, and use it against the machine gunner on the next platform beyond the gap. This enemy is difficult to get close enough to kill with a sword.  As you jump over the next gap, a bat and a cheetah will appear simultaneously.  Do you best to jump over both of them as you cross over the gap.  Once you reach the left side, you have the option to climb up and run back to the right to claim the items in the candles.  Going back far enough will net you one extra life.  If you choose to do it, be sure to grab the Fire Wheel technique from the candle closest to the ladder leading to the next section first.  Collect all the items and turn around to run back before the technique wears off.  As you approach the ladder, and eagle will appear from the right.  Remove it before climbing up.
 * Section 4:Once you arrive and jump from the platform above the ladder, continue running to the right non-stop until you land on the platform with a bazooka soldier. You should simultaneously jump under a running commando, and cause an eagle to fly off the left side of the screen.  Kill the soldier instantly and continue on.  Watch out for a bat from the right as you approach the next platform.  Once again, you will see a bazooka solider, and a running commando will jump toward you.  You'll have to time your jump as best as you can between attacks to take out the squatting solider.  As you approach the edge of the platform, a bat will appear, along with a machine gunner on the platform below.  Take out the bat, and then wait for the gunner to get as close to the left as possible before jumping over his head and taking him out from the other side.  Then climb up the ladder.
 * Section 5:Climb the ladder and hop to the left. As you approach a hunchback, an eagle will appear from the right. Kill the hunchback and jump over the eagle, then attack it when it returns.  When you are below the dagger tossing demon, you can jump up to attack it, and then jump up to collect a red bonus point bag and a Flame technique.  The ground below will populate with boomerang blade throwers, and the eagle will reappear when you drop down to the ground, so be careful.  Decide whether you wish to attack them before you climb up, or try to ignore them entirely and dash up to the next section.
 * Section 6:After hopping on top of the platform above the ladder, it is not recommended that you drop down to the lower platform unless you don't have the Flame technique and you really wish to have it (it won't help much.) Instead, jump up and remove the easier enemies.  The two candles on the right (a blue Spirit tile, and the Windmill Star) aren't really worth risking your life for at this point either.  Collect them if you are confident that you can get them without damage.  Otherwise, simply climb up the ladder.

Stage 5-4
You will encounter Malth at the top of the stage. You will challenge him, and he will compare you with your father, much to Ryu's surprise. Then the battle will begin, and your health meter will be fully restored as a courtesy. The battle with Malth is truly difficult, and is often a point which very few players ever pass. To make matters worse, if you are defeated by Malth, your next life will start off at the very bottom of Stage 6-3, and you are forced to survive the climb back up the top.

Malth alternates between two positions, and attacks with an electric energy attack that is so fast, that it appear impossible to avoid. It takes three units of health from you, so you can only survive six hits. However, it is possible to dodge his attacks. The only way it can be done is by jumping on top of the small column on the right and leaping toward Malth's head while he is gathering the energy in his hand. The idea is to be so high up in the air, that his projectile won't have time to get that high before it passes you. However, your timing must be very sharp, and you must make sure not to jump too far to the left and land on top of Malth. If for some reason you ever get thrown to the left of Malth, the battle is as good as lost. Likewise, you can get thrown off the gap on the right if you're not careful.

It is far easier to perform this maneuver when Malth attacks you closer to the column than when he is further back. In fact, it is a lot tougher to dodge the projectiles when he attacks from the left position. It is theoretically possible to defeat Malth without taking any damage, but it takes a degree of practice that the game doesn't really offer you since you start at the bottom of 6-3 if you lose.

For this reason, many players simply choose to dodge the attack when thrown from the right, and allow the attack to hit when thrown from the left. This gives you a chance to hold still and get several swings against Malth. You should be able to take four units of health away from him, giving you an advantage when he only takes away three with the shot that hits you. However, you must successfully dodge every attack that gets thrown when he stands to the right in order to survive.

Whichever technique you rely on, if you defeat him, Ryu will accuse him of murdering his father. However, Malth will inform Ryu that his father is still alive, and that if he continues, Ryu will find his father, but it will be the last thing he ever sees...