You need a balls of STEEL!
If you are someone who is sensitive to swearing or getting angry, don't try this! This mode will constantly make you swear and get angry!
Key Legend for Farming:
By the end of Chapter 1, you'll have enough karma to level up a weapon, basically you'll have 1000k (this is without farming).
If you Farm for 1000K- Allows you to upgrade a weapon. (you'll have 2000k at the end)
If you Farm for 2000k- Upgrade a weapon to its max (you'll have 3000k at the end)
If you Farm for 3000k- Upgrade a weapon to it's max and upgrade another to level 2 (you'll have 4000k at the end)
You need to farm some karma in Chapter 1, location the scene that looks similar to DOA4 (Kokoro's stage). Or a better description, when you perform the flying bird flip, you'll end up in a nice looking garden like, with blossoms falling off tree. A small boat is located by the river (remember now?).
Now if you leave the scene, you'll encounter ninja's that shoot arrows at you, do not proceed, just move slightly until they see you and start firing at you (they have 100% sharp accuracy). Just head back to the river side, 2 ninja's will come at you. Just kill them, go back to the ninja's shooting arrows, head back to the river area, and perform ultimate techs. Repeat this process, until you have 1000 worth to upgrade a weapon. (to make the farming faster, it's best to kill the 2 ninja's with Ultimate Techniques).
When I farmed, I only farmed 1000k just to upgrade 1 weapon. What I did was, I upgraded my Lunar to level 2 and Dragon Sword to level 2.
Believe me, I don't know what weapon you'll be comfortable with but.
If you can't stand farming 3000k, just farm 2000k or 1000k.
Now for the best weapon to you. If you'll be upgrading your Dragon Sword, it's best to level it up to lvl 3. If you'll be using Lunar, leveling it to lvl 2 is good enough, but you can level it to lvl 3. But I highly recommend you farm 3000k so you can level up your Dragon Sword to lvl3 and Lunar to lvl 2 (for people who never completed Ninja Gaiden/Black/Sigma in Very Hard+).
*USE ALL YOUR NINPON!
*You'll encounter lots of Ninja who'll throw exploding shuriken's at you. No, they will tag you with 5/6 explosives. So you can't dash to aviod getting hurt.
*You need to dismember their bodies to relieve yourself from constant rushing
*BACKTRACK back to Muramasa's shop to upgrade and buy weapons.
*You need to be cheap too! Flying swallows or Jump to a wall and attack
*Use your Izuna Drop!
*Use lots of Flying Swallow when surrounded by ninjas
*Use lots of Galtino Throw, it makes you invincible to attacks and explosives. (I rarely used mine)
*Use Piercing of the Void over enemies who surrounds you (Chapter 10, Stairs.)
*Never use Art of the Phenoix, it's a piece of trash! Don't upgrade it!
*Upgrade your Art of Fire! (fireball)
*Ninpon Fire (fireball) deals less damage on firey fiends.
*If you are not playing this for karma....RUN! Forget killing every enemies, just freaking RUN to the exit.
*Use 9 lives of the Gods! (the funny thing is, I never used a single one when I tried Master Ninja, I nearly went on coma).
*Always perform Wind Path
*The camera will make the game harder!
*The slow downs, freezes and lag will make the game harder!
*Slow down and freezes will occur in Chapter 2, when you fight at the Trail of Rods (good luck on that one!)
*You'll definitely need a good luck in Chapter 11...may you rest in peace there
*TRY AND SURVIVE! Murasama just got his recession and everything is BLOODY expensive! Buying a grain cost a lot, so try not to get too many red bars.
*Make sure you have some snacks, food or drinks ready when you'll fighting bosses. Because if they grab you, it'll take time for them to release you:/
*GOOD LUCK fighting the 2 Armadillos! Not only are they frustrating, the camera makes it harder!
*In the starting point of Chapter 11, RUN all the way to the cave, the ninjas will be queuing up (game slowing down too), just use your Piercing Void (automatic lock on). Yes it'll be a pain to try and get to the cave, because you'll heavily get tagged and game will slow down like HELL.
*Only use Y (heavy) attacks on Bosses!!!
*If you'll be using Lunar at level 2 from Chapter 1, good luck! Because it's really hard to perform izuna drop, it's best to use it at level 3.
*Watch out for 6 rocket man firer, use shurikens or arrows to disturb them!
*When you perform 360 Ultimate Tech with the Lunar stick against a small fiend or ninja, make sure you press Y at the end of the animation sequence, so Ryu can perform an Izuna Drop.
*There will be bats when you open up chests, so hold down Back Directional and press the Action button to open. This is prevent bats from appearing and allow essence to appear.
*Forget about Survival Mode, just run to the exit (speed run)
*Don't upgrade the Dual Katanas!
*Best weapons to use (especially for Bosses)
Lunar: Use 360 Ultimate Techniques!!! (works best on bosses and enemies)
Jump X,Y to perform Izuna Drop, even though you don't perform izuna drop, this move deals a HARD DAMAGE! (BEST FOR BOSSES!!!!!!!)
CLAWS: Wings of the Vermilion Bird: X+X+Directional+X+Y+Y+Y+Y (Ryu will strike, teleport, and perform 3 landing kicks (like DMC4 when Dante uses the gigamash, you press Jump and Melee). Jump towards an enemy, X , hold for a sec, Y (for Izuna Drop) (Useful for Ninja's!!!)
Kurisagama: Jump, X, Y. ENOUGH SAID! (This will do the job!)
Don't forget Circle (360), Y,Y,Y (Ryu will spin the kurisagama 360).
Only use the Tonfas in the Airship chapters when you fight those robot droids. And it's Ultimate Techniques are perfect for Ninjas. In fact you'll need this Tonfas for Chapter 8 and 9!
Is Chapter 10 the Jungle? Anyway, when you are fighting those Robots that hovers on the sea firing multi rockets at you. You need to get into the water and use your gating gun.
Just like what people say "Google is your friend". I say "the scythe is your friend). This baby will make the game quite easy! Use lots of level 2 ultimate techs.
Oh yea, you may even grow stress (white/grey) hairs when you are done with this game.