Dig That Radio

Hi there, my name is Kyle, but I'm pretty much known as "dropslash" around the internets. I was invited a while to take part in writing for The Backlog, but I'm just now getting around to it. Hey, I was busy! Anyway, I've been involved in the video game industry for about 12 years now and some of what I'll be writing here won't be exactly about playing video games as much as it will be about games and the industry in general. Such is true for the post you'll find below. Enjoy!

Ok, so this is a post I’ve been meaning to write for a while now. It’s going to be long and it’s going to be about a topic that is both generally universal and intensely personal. Music. Specifically, video game music, both original and inspired by, some of which will be included along the way. So feel free to fire up some of your favorite tunes, or jam on some of the ones here, grab a snack, and let's jump in.

Ninja Gaiden II (NES): A Game of "Milder" Attrition

Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, was nicknamed "Unconditional Surrender" Grant during the US Civil War. He earned this dubious title for his willingness to fight a battle until victory was earned, regardless of the loss of human life on either side. With this in mind, I think it is safe to say that, had he had the opportunity to play it, he probably still would have been pushed to the brink by the war of attrition that is Ninja Gaiden.

"This game is a bitch."

Modern gamers and classic gamers no doubt are already aware of the aura of impossibility that surrounds the Tecmo saga, which has been well documented in recent years with the revival of the series. It is not for the meek of heart or the impatient of mind. In fact, even these folks have likely thrown a control or two while playing one of the titles in the franchise. To best exemplify the difficulty that is, take a look at this animation, which gets right to the painful point:

Neither God nor the strategy guide can help you now!

It is this very difficulty that has relegated Ninja Gaiden to the Backlog for so long. It's a fun game. It's a game that has gotten a lot of play by me. It just also happens to be a game that 1.) Doesn't have any means of saving nor stage select, and 2.) is infuriatingly tough to play through to the end in one sitting (that is, if you can get to the end). I have spent hours upon hours upon hours throughout my life revisiting the original game, playing through the levels I have played so many times before, and still getting my ass royally kicked. It was only recently that I reached the end of the game, only to come to the abrupt realization that I was not going to be able to beat the final boss without losing my mind, playing the game for days on end, or both. I passed on the opportunity; I haven't regretted it. Maybe one day, I will find the time and the willpower (and the self-loathing) necessary to vanquish that beast once and for all. Until then, it is an accepted member of the Backlog for obvious reasons.