 One key feature of this version is its two new difficulty settings—the easy Ninja Dog and the very hard Master Ninja.Itagaki added Ninja Dog after receiving complaints of "Ninja Gaiden" being too hard in its default incarnation, although he believed that, with persistence, any player was capable of completing the game.Hence he ensured that those players selecting Ninja Dog would be subjected to gentle mockery by the game—players on this difficulty setting receive colored ribbons as accessories, and Ayane treats Ryu as an inferior.