BeaIank

Maybe a "no video means your full game run is one hour long" rule could have worked.
I will consider it for next year as I want Ninja Ryukenden III: Yomi no Hakobune in the schedule.

Yeah, I was wary of making this a speed run due to that.
This' prime candidate for speed run rules. It would work perfectly. But video is a no-no for a lot of people, sadly.

I couldn't see a way to make faster rules for Isolated Warriors in a way that wouldn't ruin the experience of such fine, underrated game.
But for Ninja Gaiden 2 I wanted something that could be done in 15 minutes. I will figure something better next time a Ninja Gaiden game shows up.

The run time being short was definitely the key. I don't want people to spend a fucking hour playing Ninja Gaiden to get a run in.
We don't have that kind of time anymore.

Current standings posted.
And thanks @PIIfor posting those funny scoreboards!

Final standings posted.

Welcome, fans of dangerous, extreme, snowy sports! It is your week to SHINE!

Get your skies, go to the mountains and do some SICK moves!

Here's the rules for SKI OR DIE, our game of the week:

• Play in Compete Mode (Register your name on the clipboard)
• You must play Downhill Blitz, Snowboard Half-Pipe, Snowball Blast, and Inner-Tube Thrash
• Add all four scores together to get your final score
• Take a picture of all four scores on the High Scores menu
• Highest score wins
• Participation: 8,000
• GENRE: Sports

The contest ends Sunday, 06/25/23 at 11 PM VGS time.  Your user name MUST be written or typed on a piece of paper and be in the picture for your score to be valid.  The entire TV screen, or computer monitor if you are playing on an emulator, MUST be in the picture for the score to be valid.  No partial screenshots will be considered or accepted.  No screenshots by hitting "print screen" on a computer will be allowed.  You must take a picture of your computer monitor.  There may be instances where this will be acceptable, but it will be at the discretion of myself and the contest organizers.  Also, the use of turbo controllers is forbidden, as well as any cheat codes, Game Genies, slow motion functions, or save states if playing on an emulator.  Also, we will only be using NTSC systems for the contests.  The use of PAL systems will NOT be allowed.  Good luck everyone and have fun.

13 minutes ago, Gloves said:

I don't mind the current ruleset, ignoring the pain in my hand.

I don't mind it either, ignoring the pain in your hand.

1 life burn would cause less hand pain. I know it all about hand pain.

But overall, this kind of rule set works for Ninja Gaiden. Imagine having to do this through the whole game?
We're too old for this shit.

OK, 1 life burn would be better. I will note this for the next Ninja Gaiden game on the contest.

7 hours ago, docile tapeworm said:

Why are we purging lives? Why not just run it 1 life?

To add some strategy to this whole thing.

You can be down to P-0 and keep playing if you burned P-2 and P-1. Or down to P-1 if you burned P-2, got back to P-2 and died again. And so on. You can die twice. That's it.
Now, if you lose your third life, you're done. You have to reach stage 3-1 by your third life or you don't have a score.

I will trust the players honour that they will only die twice in their run. We have relied on the honour system before it worked.

15 minutes ago, PII said:

That all sounds good, but does a run end if it reaches P-1 then or.....?

The run ends at 3-1. If you can't make to 3-1 after burning 2 lives, you don't have a run.

10 hours ago, PII said:

Ok, just figured out the discrepancy.  In addition to the extra life available on 2-2 the program awards an extra life at 100K. So if you get both of those extra lives and burn 2 lives you finish at P-2 rather than P-1.

Also, (NESfiend) I presume you're just goofin' but just for the record you're scoldin' for holdin' on Monday morning.  And I typicallly put up more progress scores than anybody on any given week when I'm going the distance! 

EDIT: @BeaIank There is also an extra life awarded at 200K so burning only 2 lives would most likely leave one with P-3 at the end.... 

However, it seems that whether or not burning/accumulating is efficient enough to rack points indefinitely will depend on a more specific ruleset.  

Per the current rules is the run over when one hits P-0 or P-1 respectively or does one simply have to have the correct amount of lives remaining at the end?  I've been presuming the former but If it's the latter then it looks like point racking indefinitely might be possible and if it's the former not possible, but therein lies another question:

If one burns lives prior to to the opportunity to get the extra life on 2-2 are they able to play down to P-0 up until that point and only after getting that particular extra life the rule changes to P-1?

It seems to me then that a run must end if one hits P-1 and presuming one hits 200K they would either have P-2 or P-3 left depending on whether or not that extra life on 2-2 is collected.

You can burn two lives and that is it. And I will make it so that you must pick the life at 2-2, but only once if you decide to farm 2-2.

I will be relying on the honour system for this one, but you got two lives to use to farm points. Use them wisely. You need to reach 3-1 within your third life or your run is invalid. If needed, I will privately require video proof of a run if it looks suspicious.

Still up to 3-1.

It will be a challenge to find who will master stages 1 and 2 best in terms of score.

Also, I don't remember there being any extra life till 3-2, so I think I will allow one to burn lives.

Since every 10 seconds of time is worth 900 points at the boss defeat and I couldn't find a single enemy that was worth more than 300 points up to Stage 3-1 in the runs I watched, we will do highest score for this one.

Farming enemies won't be worth it.

Current standings posted.

I will give you guys till tomorrow to decide between high and low score.
1 live high score might be nice and fast.

Yes, you can force enemies to respawn just by going back on the screen. So high score it would be a matter of farming the enemies that give you the highest amount of points while draining the timer away.

Do you guys prefer going low score, finding the best way to avoid enemies, or burn lives and go high score for this one?

9 hours ago, NESfiend said:

When I go through the right door off the street, I get 3 street thugs. Then left door is 2 Jacks. Then right door puts me back on the street. Where am I going wrong here? Does the door coming off the street not count in the sequence listed?

Use whatever maze route you find it works for you. Watch a playthrough if needed. I will consider all of them valid.
This' just not the week for me to try and force a route onto you all.

Welcome, players.

This week your ninja skills will be tested in Ninja Gaiden 2.
The rules are as follow:

• Play till stage 3-1
• Pause the game at stage 3-1 and take the picture of your score
• You must reach stage 3-1
• You must pick the extra life at 2-2, but you can only do it the first time you reach 2-2.
• You are allowed to burn up to 2 lives. So you can die twice during your run. You die a third time, your run is done and you don't have a score.
• Highest score wins
• Genre: Action

The contest ends Sunday, 06/18/23 at 11 PM VGS time.  Your user name MUST be written or typed on a piece of paper and be in the picture for your score to be valid.  The entire TV screen, or computer monitor if you are playing on an emulator, MUST be in the picture for the score to be valid.  No partial screenshots will be considered or accepted.  No screenshots by hitting "print screen" on a computer will be allowed.  You must take a picture of your computer monitor.  There may be instances where this will be acceptable, but it will be at the discretion of myself and the contest organizers.  Also, the use of turbo controllers is forbidden, as well as any cheat codes, Game Genies, slow motion functions, or save states if playing on an emulator.  Also, we will only be using NTSC systems for the contests.  The use of PAL systems will NOT be allowed.  Good luck everyone and have fun.

It is all fine, your score is valid. When it is time for this again, I will come up with a different ruleset, like I did for Battletoads and now Ninja Gaiden 2,

The FAQ I followed gave those directions:

1. Take the Right Door - Enemies: Four Street Thugs w/sticks (two at a time)
2. Take the Left Door - Enemies: Three Kims (two at a time)
3. Take the Right Door - Enemies: 6 Motorcycle riders (one at a time)
4. Take the 2nd Left Door - Enemies: Six Joels (three at a time)
5. Take the Left Door - Enemies: Nine Angry Japanese School Girls (three at a time)
6. Take the Right Door - Enemies: Three Jacks (three at a time)
7. Take the Right Door - Enemies: Seven Motorcycle Riders (one at a time)
8. Take the Left Door - Enemies: Six Jacks (three at a time)
9. Take the Middle Door - Enemies: SABU!*

9 steps to get to the boss and likely a better route for scoring too.

Bearcats route was right, left, left, middle, right

Use whichever works for you. I don't have the means to try both and settle on which one to use. My physiotherapist already scolded me enough yesterday for daring to play an hour of SF6.