Ninja Gaiden II/Chapter 4: A Captive Goddess

"Alexei has transformed the Statue of Liberty into his own twisted base of operations. It is the source of the supernatural forces that twine through the city streets. As if laughing at the concept of 'liberty,' peals of thunder roar, harbingers of the threat facing civilization. The Statue must be reclaimed or humanity will suffer. After making his way to Liberty Island, Ryu's steely gaze now falls upon the Greater Fiend Alexei."

Part 1: Subways
As you begin the chapter, there will be a Muramasa Statue on your right. Shop if you wish and then continue up the tunnel. At the first bend, you will be attacked by a group of Claw Ninjas and a single Purple Ninja. After battling them, continue along the tracks until you are attacked again by a group of Sword Ninjas. After dispatching them, jump down into the hole from which they came. You will be attacked by several ninjas as soon as you hit the ground. Kill them all and continue past the wreckage of the subway trains. After passing the second train, turn left and look between the train car and the wall to find a chest containing Red Ki Essences. Continue down the tunnel, to the right of some more wreckage and a wall with graffiti on it. You will enter a subway station, where you will be attacked by a group of Bat Fiends and several Purple Fiends. After killing all of them, the tunnel forward is blocked, so jump up onto the left platform and head up the stairs under the exit sign. Save and heal at the Dragon Statue at the top of the first flight and continue up.

In the room at the top of the stairs, you will be attacked by a group of Purple Ninjas and Claw Ninjas. When they are finished, there will be several chests in this area to collect. At the back of the room, there is a door. Open it and turn left to find a chest containing an Herb of Spiritual Life. Exit that room and go through the turnstiles on the right (right side of the turnstiles) and then left past the benches for another chest containing an Herb of Spiritual Life. Go back out through the turnstiles and then through the turnstiles marked 'Exit'. Examine the corpse on the right to obtain some arrows. Before heading up the stairs, go down the left hallway and past the ticket dispensers for a chest containing a large Yellow Essence. Return to the exit stairway. On your way back to the stairs, you will be attacked again by a group of ninjas. Feel free to use a projectile attack on the barrel on the left to damage a few of them and to prevent it blowing up in your face later. When this group is dead, shoot an double-charged arrow at the barrels at the top of the stairs and proceed through the now opened gate. As you pass through it, you will be attacked by two ninjas. Take them out and proceed up the stairs.

As you reach the top of the stairs, you will be attacked by several zombie dogs. These battles are as much about luck as they are keeping up a sustained attack. I recommend the Lunar Staff as it tends to keep them at bay. When your foes are taken care of, head in the direction of the bridge and then to the right, past the rubble. You will be attacked by several Purple Ninjas. To the right of the rubble that you just passed will be a store with a 'Coin Laundry' sign on it. Go do the alley beside it to the left, heading behind the building. As you pass the brick wall on the left, do a wall run and then wall run again against the building in front of you to reach a fire escape with a Crystal Skull (#7) on it. Collect the skull and drop down to take out the ninjas below. In a dead-end alley below, search the corpse to find an Herb of Spiritual Life. Head back out to the front of the Coin Laundry building. Look right to see a ladder and a Dragon Statue behind it. Head toward the statue and Save/Heal.

Before heading up the ladder, face directly away from it and head down the alley in front of you, toward the explosive barrels. You will be attacked by four claw ninjas on your way. Take out the three explosive barrels with a charged arrow shot and open the chest revealed to received some Red Ki Essences. Head back to the ladder.

At the top of the ladder, investigate the corpse ahead for a Jewel of the Demon Seal. Continue past where you found the corpse and head right through the broken barrier. There will be another corpse to search, containing an Incendiary Shuriken. Take on the Purple Fiends that attack you while avoiding the fire breath of the Flying Fiends that hover above. Take the five of them out with some Incendiary Shurikens and continue up the road until you reach a chest containing a Grains of Spiritual Life. Backtrack just a bit to a section of broken wall beyond which you can see another ladder and a Crystal Skull (#8). Jump across to the platform and collect the skull. Before heading up the ladder, drop down and head around the corner of the building to find a Murasama Statue and a chest containing a Life of the Gods. By this point, you should have been pretty easily able to upgrade every weapon in your arsenal and have some Yellow Essences left over. Head back to where you jumped down and you will be attacked by several Purple Fiends. Kill them and head to the enclosure on the side of the building where you can perform your Flying Bird Technique to reach the ledge where you dropped down. Head up the ladder and onto the bridge, where you will be attacked by an army of Bat Fiends and Purple Fiends. Head toward the ladder at the far end of the bridge. Search the corpse beside it for some arrows and head up the ladder. Save and heal at the Dragon Statue at the top of the ladder. Head left toward the chest at the blocked end of the bridge. Along the way, several Flying Fiends will begin to attack. They are highly allergic to Incendiary Shurikens. Take them out and open the chest at the end of the path to receive a Grains of Spiritual Life. Turn around and head back, taking the path to the right of the Dragon Statue for a few more Flying Fiends and then a lovely boss fight.

Miniboss: Blind Giant Fiend
He's big, but he's slow and not that tough. Work your way around behind him using dashes and equip the Lunar Staff. Use a few charged-up Ultimate Techniques and he will fall to his knees. When he does, perform an Obliteration Technique on his head to finish him. You will see a brief cutscene.

Part 2: Liberty Island
After the scene, you will instantly be attacked by a large group of Bat Fiends and Purple Fiends. Be careful here. If you die, you will have to fight the miniboss again. The Bat Fiends will no longer stay in the air. They will swoop down and ram you. After the battle, head toward the door in the bottom of the statue. Search the arrow-ridden corpse for some ... arrows and continue down the hall, where you will be attacked by two claw ninjas. Take them out and enter the museum room, where you will be attacked by several more Claw Ninjas and Purple Ninjas. Break the glass in front of the Dragon Statue to Save/Heal. Examine the Samurai armor for a humorous description and then search the case to the left of it for the Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang as well as a fill-up of Incendiary Shurikens just to the left of it. In the case behind it, slice the wooden curtain for an giant XBOX logo which can heal you infinitely. To the left of this is a scroll containing the Vigoor Mythology. Turn around and enter the portal to begin the second Test of Valor.

Test of Valor II
Your favorite friends, the Purple fiends are back, but en masse. This would be a great time to try out that new Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang combo as well as your Incendiary Shurikens. A few X attacks with your swords will drop a limb from the Fiends and leave them open to an easy Obliteration. Since they are fairly slow it is easy to farm loads of Yellow Essence here. If you begin to get beaten up, switch to the Lunar Staff and just combo them to death. When the long battle ends, you will be rewarded with a handy Talisman of Rebirth. Exit via the portal.

Part 3: Inside the Statue
Head through the door to the left of where you picked of the Vigoor Mythology Scroll. Kill the Fire Archers and Claw Ninjas and enter the large room at the end of the hall with the torch in the middle. Kill the Purple Ninjas and Claw Ninjas here. Head up the stairs. Head right at the top and double wall run onto the platform to the right. Search the corpse here for a Devil Way Mushroom. Wall run to the next ledge and head toward the window, which will be broken in by a Purple Fiend. Take him out and drop down. Kill the Purple Fiends here and head right to find a chest with an Herb of Spiritual Life in it beside the stairs. Head left to the other staircase and up them. At the top of the stairs you will be attacked by several Purple Fiends and some Flying Fiends. Kill the Flying Fiends with Incendiary Shurikens and then focus on the Purple Fiends. When they are dead, head up the right stairs for another battle with Purple Fiends. Kill them off and then head up the left stairs. Head around to the back side of the building. Along the way Purple Fiends will attack. Kill them off and head through the open door at the back of the building.

Kill the Ninjas inside this room and head to the alcove at the back of the room for a chest containing a Live of the Thousand Gods. Head up the stairs. When you see the Dragon Statue, turn around and face down the stairs. You should see Crystal Skull #9 to your right. Do a double wall run and then jump to land on the beams in the center of the stairwell. Jump across to the platform with the Crystal Skull on it. Collect the skull and head back to the Dragon Statue to save/heal. Drop down to the first floor again and perform a Flying Bird within the elevator shaft to reach the platform at the top.

At the top of the elevator shaft, kill off the Claw Ninjas and Fire Archers that appear. Head up two flights of steps and then double wall run to reach the beams above this room. On the far beam will be a chest containing an Herb of Spiritual Life. Head up the stairs to the empty room and hang a right out onto the terrace. Quickly duck back inside and use your bow to take out the large quantity of Flying Fiends in this area. When they are finished, head back out onto the terrace and examine the chest to receive a Life of the Gods. Head back inside and up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, proceed forward. There will be a Muramasa statue here. Head past it to see a corpse which contains a Devil Way Mushroom. Head up the spiral staircase. When you see the broken section on the left with a blood splatter behind it, jump out and perform a Flying Bird technique to reach the top of the shaft. Kill the Claw Ninjas at the top and head right. Examine the corpse for a scroll containing The Four Greater Fiends, Part 2. Head up the stairs for a cutscene and a Boss Fight.

Boss: Greater Fiend: Alexei
Alexei is incredibly easy. By now you should have fully powered up Claws. Just use the Flying Swallow Technique to damage him greatly followed by a quick flurry of X attacks and a dash. If you keep him tied up, he won't be able to grab you and he will fall very quickly. Watch the brief cutscene to end the chapter.