They pulled that shit in Super G&G on the SNES too. I spent months perfecting my ninja asskickery only to find out I had to do it all over again. I never touched the game again
For those of you not in the know, after you beat the game, you have to go ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE START, and play through it again, except now all the enemies are faster and meaner. AND you have the beat the game the second time with the right weapon, or you have to start the last level from the beginning.
This was the first NES game I ever played. It scarred me terribly.
Years ago, someone pointed out that the monster that kidnaps the princess isn't holding her with its arms. She's just sort of stuck to the monster's crotch.