So I'm guessing a few of my regular reads are wondering what's going on here?  Didn't I just post about how hard this game is and how even it's easiest difficulty is too difficult for the casual gamer?  Now I'm here with post implying how easy Ninja Gaiden is to get through.  Well I have to say I may have been a little too harsh on my first impressions.  In actuality the game has a bit of a false barrier upfront making you think the game is tougher than it actually appears. 

After struggling to get through those first couple of bosses, the boss battles in the next three chapters have been a piece of cake.  So I'm not sure if I'm just applying different techniques better or if these bosses are just a lot more dumbed down that I can easily beat them.  What has been nice is that now the levels are getting progressively more difficult as you start fighting some interesting new monsters. 

It also seems that the levels are all looking a ton better graphically with the occasionally hitting the excellence mark.  The levels in Venice has some really good looking environments but then you'll hit a rooftop battle where it's clear they missed some finalized graphics and clipping can occur.  The one thing that hasn't improved over time is the camera.  It's still annoying to babysit the camera in heated battles but still manageable.

So now that I'm almost five hours into the game and still less than half way through the game, I have to say I'm very happy with this game.  It is definitely not perfect but it is still a very fun experience.  I am enjoying slicing up werewolves, ninjas, and other bad guys.  I really enjoy all the different attacks thrown at you as well.  The game does a good job of mixing things up so you don't get into a rut fighting one character type.  I think I will be playing this game for a long time.