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    The Genji and the Heike Clans

    Game » consists of 5 releases. Released 1986

    An action arcade game by Namco based on the Genpei War in 12th-century Japan. As the resurrected spirit of the samurai Taira no Kagekiyo, hack and slash your way through the demonic forces of Minamoto no Yoritomo and declare vengeance for your fallen clan.

    Short summary describing this game.

    The Genji and the Heike Clans last edited by Nes on 05/17/23 09:09PM View full history

    Overview

    Genpei Toumaden, loosely translated to "Genpei Tale of the Demon Revenge", is a historical-fantasy hack-and-slash action game developed and released by Namco for arcades, exclusively in Japan, in 1986. Its official localized title is The Genji and the Heike Clans, after the 1997 PS1 re-release.

    Set in 12th century Japan after the Genpei War, players control the resurrected spirit of the samurai Kagekiyo of the fallen Taira clan ("Heike") as he makes his way across a demon-infested Japan to find the Three Sacred Treasures and defeat the ruling Minamoto clan ("Genji") and its leader, the shogun Yoritomo.

    Along with its traditional Japanese aesthetic, including the use of kanji numerals, the game is unique at the time for its three types of action gameplay that switches between levels: the platformer "Side Mode", the brawler "Big Mode", and the top-down "Plane Mode". It also features non-linear progression, as players can progress through different routes using multiple level exits (which are shown as torii, or "shrine gates"), and can be forced to escape the underworld when they fall down a pit in Side Mode. In addition, players must search for the path that leads them to each to the Three Sacred Treasures, which are required to defeat the final boss.

    The game was later ported to the Sharp X68000 in April 1988 and the PC Engine on March 16, 1990. The PCE version, developed by Now Production, was later used in the PS1 compilation Namco Museum Vol. 4, where it was given its first official localization and release outside of Japan. The PCE version was later digitally re-released for the Wii (as a Virtual Console title) in Japan on October 2, 2007, while the original arcade version was digitally re-released worldwide for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on October 7, 2021 (as part of HAMSTER's Arcade Archives series).

    It later received a virtual board game spin-off for the Famicom with Genpei Toumaden Computer Boardgame, while the PCE version received a sequel in 1992 with Genpei Toumaden: Kan no Ni (which was released outside of Japan as Samurai Ghost). The game's interpretation of the real-life samurai Taira no Kagekiyo has also appeared multiple times as references and cameos in other Namco games, most notably as a playable character in the crossover tactical RPG Namco × Capcom (where he is paired with Tarosuke from Youkai Dochuuki).

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