A prototype of the Master System Ninja Gaiden was dumped by the Image/Helsinki/Finland Group on July 9, 1999.
The entire storyline was rewritten between the prototype and final, with the prototype going more in-depth rather than the final that was done in Ryu's perspective.
Changed the location between the prototype and final. Tsutenkaku means Tower Reaching Heaven and is located in Osaka while the final is not a location but rather a martial art.
Proto
Final
RYU HEADED FOR OSAKA TO
FIND THE TSUTENKAKU SAMURAI.
BUT THE MAN HE FOUND
THERE WAS NOT THE SAMEMAN
HE HAD KNOWN BEFORE.
TSUTENKAKU HAD THE
LOOK OF A KILLER NOW.
SOMEHOW I KNEW YOU WOULD
MAKE IT AT LEAST THIS FAR,
RYU. NOW, NOTHING PERSONAL,
BUT YOU MUST BE KILLED!
>THE TSUTENKAKU SAMURAI
"I HAVE NOTHING PERSONAL
AGAINST YOU BUT YOU'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO DIE!"
>RYU HAYABUSA
"WHY IS A MAN LIKE YOU
TAKING SIDES WITH
THOSE SCOUNDRELS?"
>THE TSUTENKAKU SAMURAI
"I DON'T NEED TO
ANSWER THAT.
HERE I COME,DRAGON NINJA!"
>THE TSUTENKAKU SAMURAI
"YOU... ARE...
VERY POWERFUL.
YOU LIVE UP TO
THE REPUTATION OF
DRAGON NINJAS."
HURRY TO MOUNT FUJI! THEY
HAVE MY DAUGHTER. SHE IS A
GEISHA AND CANNOT FEND FOR
HERSELF. PLEASE...SAVE HER
...SAVE...HER...
>RYU HAYABUSA
"..."
>THE TSUTENKAKU SAMURAI
"I HAVE A REQUEST FOR YOU.
PLEASE SAVE
MY GEISHA DAUGHTER."
>RYU HAYABUSA
"DAUGHTER?"
>THE TSUTENKAKU SAMURAI
"SEVERAL MONTHS AGO,
A MAN WHO CALLS HIMSELF
THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS
KIDNAPPED MY DAUGHTER
AND BLACKMAILED ME INTO
TAKING SIDES WITH HIM.
MY DAUGHTER IS CAPTIVE
ON MOUNT FUJI.
THE BUSHIDO SHOULD BE WITH
HER CAPTORS RIGHT NOW...
PLEASE, SAVE MY DAUGHTER!"
THE SAMURAI GRIPPED RYU'S
HAND ONE LAST TIME AND DIED.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"I'VE HEARD YOUR LAST
REQUEST LOUD AND CLEAR!"
RYU HURRIED TO MOUNT FUJI.
IF THE ENEMY FINDS OUT
THAT THE TSUTENKAKU
SAMURAI WAS DEFEATED,
THEY MIGHT MOVE THE BUSHIDO
TO A NEW HIDING PLACE AND
KILL THE SAMURAI'S DAUGHTER.
MOUNT FUJI STOOD OUT
RED FROM THE MORNING
SUNLIGHT AGAINST THE SKY.
I MUST MOVE QUICKLY. IF THEY
FIND OUT ABOUT THE SAMURAI
THEY MAY HARM THE GEISHA!
>RYU HAYABUSA
"IS THAT IT?"
THAT MUST BE THEM!
SOMETHING FLASHED HALF
WAY UP THE MOUNTAIN.
IT LOOKED LIKE
A MAN-MADE STRUCTURE.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
IF ONLY I'M NOT TOO LATE..."
NINJA MASTER RYU?...THEN MY
FATHER...WHERE IS...
OH RYU...
>RYU HAYABUSA
"I'VE COME TO RESCUE YOU ON
THE REQUEST OF YOUR FATHER."
>THE GEISHA
"THEN YOU MUST BE
THE DRAGON NINJA."
>RYU HAYABUSA
"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"
>THE GEISHA
"MY FATHER TOLD ME THAT YOU
WOULD COME TO RESCUE ME.
RYU, THE BUSHIDO HAS
ALREADY BEEN MOVED TO
THE CASTLE OF DARKNESS.
YOU MUST RETRIEVE
THAT SCROLL!"
>RYU HAYABUSA
"WHERE IS
THE CASTLE OF DARKNESS?"
>THE GEISHA
"THEY SAID THAT IT WAS
OFF TO THE NORTH,
ACROSS A FROZEN SEA
AND THROUGH A CAVE."
>RYU HAYABUSA
"I SEE, THANK YOU.
NOW LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"
Rewritten the chapter name to flow better in English.
Proto
Final
RYU HAYABUSA
"THE CASTLE OF DARKNESS
MUST BE CLOSE NOW."
I OVERHEARD THEM SAY THAT
THE CASTLE OF DARKNESS WAS
BEYOND THIS LAND OF ICE.
I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU
HERE SO HURRY BACK SAFELY.
>THE GEISHA
"YES IT IS.
BUT THE PATH AHEAD
IS UNDER THE CONTROL
OF THE SHOGUN.
IT WOULD BE VERY
DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO GET
TO THE CASTLE ALONE."
I'LL GO WITH YOU."
>RYU HAYABUSA
"NO.
PLEASE WAIT FOR ME HERE.
I'LL BE OK.
I'LL COME BACK FOR YOU."
>THE ICE MONSTER
"EVEN AFTER YOU'VE
DESTROYED ME,
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO
GET THROUGH TO
THE CASTLE OF DARKNESS."
YOU MAY HAVE DEFEATED ME,
BUT NOW YOU MUST DEAL WITH
THE WRATH OF THE DARK SHOGUN
AND HIS EVIL MINIONS. BY
ENTERING THAT CAVE YOU WILL
SEAL YOUR DOOM.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
>THE ICE MONSTER
"THE PATH AHEAD IS PROTECTED
BY CREATURES FROM
THE WORLD OF DARKNESS.
NO HUMAN CAN GET THROUGH
WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF
THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS.
AND YOU'RE NO EXCEPTION!"
AS SOON AS
THE ICE MONSTER DIED,
THE WALL BEHIND
HIM CRUMBLED.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"SO THAT'S THE ENTRANCE
TO THE CAVE."
ABOUT THAT TIME,
SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING
TO THE GEISHA
WHO WAS WAITING FOR RYU.
WELL...WELL...WHAT HAVE WE
GOT HERE? DON'T YOU KNOW
THAT IT'S NOT SAFE TO GO
OUTSIDE ALONE?
SOMETHING BAD COULD HAPPEN!
>THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS
"YOU'RE TRYING TO
MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT
FOR ME AREN'T YOU?
YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED
RIGHT WHERE I PUT YOU."
>THE GEISHA
"OH NO,
YOU MUST BE THE... SHOGUN."
>THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS
"DON'T WORRY,
I WON'T KILL YOU RIGHT AWAY.
YOU'RE STILL GOING TO
BE USEFUL TO ME."
THE SHOGUN STARED AT
THE GEISHA WITH EYES
FULL OF MADNESS AND EVIL.
THE GEISHA FELT HER
POWER BEING SUCKED AWAY
THROUGH HIS STARE AND
FINALLY FELL UNCONSCIOUS.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"THIS IS NOTHING BUT
A STONE STATUE.
WHY IS IT HERE?
AND THOSE MONSTERS...
HE EVEN USES
OTHERWORLDLY CREATURES.
JUST WHO IS THIS SHOGUN?"
ROCK! JUST COLD. LIFELESS
STONE. ONE WHO CAN CONTROL
EVEN THE EARTH SPIRIT IS
A DEADLY FOE INDEED. JUST
WHO IS THIS DARK SHOGUN?
THE CASTLE OF DARKNESS...
NOT THE KIND OF PLACE I'D
CALL HOME, THAT'S FOR SURE.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"SO THIS IS
THE CASTLE OF DARKNESS!"
THE CASTLE OF DARKNESS
WAS SHROUDED IN A BLACK,
MYSTERIOUS AURA.
AND THE MYSTERIOUS AURA
SEEMED TO DRAG
EVERYTHING TOWARD THE
HIGHEST SECTION OF THE
CENTRAL CASTLE TOWER.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"THE SHOGUN
MUST BE IN THERE.
MAYBE THE BUSHIDO IS
ALSO THERE..."
THE BUSHIDO!
AT LAST I HAVE RECOVERED
THE ONLY TRUE ARTIFACT OF
THE HOUSE OF DRAGON. NOW
TO FIND THE GEISHA AND
TAKE CARE OF THE DARK...
>RYU HAYABUSA
"THERE IT IS, THE BUSHIDO!"
JUST WHEN RYU REACHED
OUT TO GRAB IT,...
>THE GEISHA
"RYU, LOOK OUT!"
>RYU HAYABUSA
"WHAT?"
BY THE TIME RYU
TURNED AROUND,
THE SWORD WAS ABOUT
TO DESCEND ON HIS HEAD.
HE TRIED TO DODGE THE BLOW
BUT HE WAS NOT FAST ENOUGH.
THE SWORD CUT DEEPLY
INTO HIS LEFT SHOULDER.
>THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS
"I'LL GIVE YOU CREDIT
FOR COMING THIS FAR.
BUT YOU AND THIS GIRL ARE
GOING TO DIE RIGHT HERE."
>THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS
"WITH THAT WOUND,
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO FIGHT.
I'LL USE THIS GIRL AS A
LIVING SACRIFICE TO
BRING OUT THE FULL
POWERS OF THE BUSHIDO.
THE TIME WHEN I CAN RULE
THE WORLD IS HERE AT LAST!"
...I THINK, IF YOU EXAMINE
THE SITUATION CAREFULLY,
YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU ARE
IN NO POSITION TO BE MAKING
THREATS. THOUGH YOU HAVE
COME MUCH FARTHER THAN I
WOULD HAVE EXPECTED YOU
STILL FAIL TO REALIZE THE
POWER YOU ARE UP AGAINST!
IT IS BECAUSE OF YOUR LACK
OF PERCEPTION THAT IN THE
END I, THE DARK SHOGUN,
WILL BE THE MASTER OF THE
EARTH. HA! HA! HA!
>RYU HAYABUSA
"DARN! IF ONLY
I HAD MORE STRENGTH.
DRAGONSWORD...
DRAGONSWORD..."
SUDDENLY THE DRAGONSWORD
AND BUSHIDO STARTED
HUMMING IN UNISON.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?"
>THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS
"OH NO,
THAT SWORD YOU'RE HOLDING,
IS IT THE DRAGONSWORD?"
RIGHT THEN,
THE BUSHIDO EMITTED
A STRONG LIGHT THAT SENT
THE SHOGUN FLYING BACK.
THE BUSHIDO TRANSFORMED
INTO A BALL OF LIGHT AND
ENTERED INTO RYU'S BODY.
>THE BUSHIDO TRANSFORMED
"MY STRENGTH IS BACK!"
>THE GEISHA
"RYU!"
THE GEISHA RAN TO RYU.
>THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS
"YOU FOOL.
YOU'VE TAKEN THE BUSHIDO.
I'LL TEAR YOUR BODY
TO SHREDS TO GET IT
BACK IF I HAVE TO."
>THE SHOGUN OF DARKNESS
"AAAGH...
I WON'T BE DESTROYED...
I'LL BE BACK SOME DAY..."
AAAGH...NO...I REFUSE TO
DIE...I'LL BE BACK...I'LL
BE BAAAAAAACK...
THE EVIL SPIRIT UTTERED
THESE WORDS AS IT
DISINTEGRATED QUICKLY AND
DISAPPEARED FROM THE GROUND.
AT THE SAME TIME,
THE CASTLE OF
DARKNESS BEGAN TO CRUMBLE.
>RYU HAYABUSA
"THIS WHOLE PLACE
IS GOING TO CRUMBLE.
LET'S GET OUT OF HERE.
FAST!"
>THE GEISHA
"YES RYU."
Proto
Final
>THE GEISHA
"DID THE SHOGUN DIE?"
YOU NEVER KNOW. HE MAY
APPEAR AGAIN LIKE HE SAID
...BUT I'LL GET HIM NEXT
TIME TOO! NO MATTER HOW
MANY TIMES HE COMES BACK!
>RYU HAYABUSA
"I DON'T KNOW.
HE MAY APPEAR AGAIN
LIKE HE SAID...
BUT I'LL GET HIM
NEXT TIME TOO!
NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES
HE COMES BACK!"
In Chapter 5 (The Land of Enemy/Enemy Turf), after the second screen transition (which indicates a checkpoint), you have to make your way down into an ice cave with spikes on the ceilings and the same slippery surfaces as before. There are two sections of ceiling-spikes you need to crouch-walk through (or just slide through letting ice physics take care of traversal), but the prototype also has a red slime enemy in the first corridor and two in the second.
Proto
Final
Given that these enemies cannot be defeated easily from a grounded state even when crouching, combined with the ice physics, the knockback on hit, the low spiked ceiling, the fact that enemies can respawn off-screen, and that the player may not necessarily have powerups like the Dragonfire or Fireball, the developers probably realized having enemies here was needlessly difficult if not unfair.
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