, also known as ''Far East of Eden'', is a series of
role-playing video game
Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
s released in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. The series was conceived by
Oji Hiroi
, real name , is an author and video game developer. He co-authored '' Samurai Crusader'' with Ryoichi Ikegami. He also created the '' Far East of Eden'' and ''Sakura Wars'' role-playing video game franchises, and wrote the ''Sakura Wars'' manga. ...
and developed by
Red Company
is a video game developer and publisher based in Japan. Originally founded in 1976 as (though it did not begin doing business until 1985), it was reorganized and succeeded by a new company on December 4, 2000, under its current moniker of Red ...
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
.
The series became popular in Japan, where it was one of the most popular RPG series during the
16-bit era
In the history of video games, the fourth generation of video game consoles, more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era, began on October 30, 1987, with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine (known as the TurboGrafx-16 in Nort ...
, along with
Enix
was a Japanese multimedia publisher who handled and oversaw video games, manga, guidebooks, and merchandise. It was founded in 1975 by Yasuhiro Fukushima as Eidansha Boshu Service Center, initially as a tabloid publisher and later attempting t ...
's ''
Dragon Quest
previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a series of role-playing video games created by Japanese game designer Yuji Horii (Armor Project), character designer Akira Toriyama (Bird Studio), and composer Koi ...
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...
''. Its success was partly because the original ''Tengai Makyō'' was the first RPG released for the new
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains computer data storage, data computers can read, but not write or erase. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold b ...
format, which it utilized to create a bigger game and introduce fully voiced animated
cut scene
A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s and CD music to the genre.
The series grew to encompass a number of remakes, gaidens and genre spin-offs across a variety of platforms. Despite selling over 2.2 million copies in Japan, the series is largely unknown in other territories, with only one game released overseas.
Overview
The main series is composed of three separate games within the land of 'Jipang' (a fictional
feudal Japan
The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC whe ...
using the name given by Italian merchant
Marco Polo
Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...
), each follows a descendant of the 'Fire Clan' and supporting cast in battles against a range of often comical villains. The stories of the games, though primarily of 'fantasy' fare, are inspired by and a parody of misconceptions about Japanese culture by Western societies.
The first game '' Tengai Makyō: Ziria'' (1989), released for the
PC Engine CD-ROM²
The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a home video game console developed by Hudson Soft and manufactured by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. The first console of the fourth generation, it launched in ...
system, was notable as the first RPG released on
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains computer data storage, data computers can read, but not write or erase. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold b ...
and the first in the genre to feature animated cut scenes and
voice acting
Voice acting is the art of performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animated, off-stage, off-sc ...
. The plot and characters were inspired by the Japanese folk tale '' Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari'' (with the protagonist's name deliberately misspelled, per the fantastic theme). The music for the game was also composed by the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
winning musician
Ryuichi Sakamoto
was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
. The game was previewed in the November 1990 issue of ''
Computer Gaming World
''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...
''. The writer Roe R. Adams (also a co-developer for the ''
Wizardry
Wizardry may refer to:
* ''Wizardry'' (video game series), role-playing video game series, originally published by Sir-Tech
** '' Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord'', the first game of the series, released in 1981
* ''Wizardry'' (The ...
'' games) described it as "a truly gigantic game" that "seems to be about the size of 2 or 3 '' Ultimas'' put together." He suggested that, if "
NEC
is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered at the NEC Supertower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It provides IT and network solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Inte ...
can handle the mammoth translating job, ''Ziria'' could be the game hit of 1991" unless, "of course,
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
Sega
is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
with '' Phantasy Star III''."
The sequel '' Tengai Makyō II: Manjimaru'' (1992) was reportedly the most expensive game ever made up until that time; the game's lead programmer Hiromasa Iwasaki later revealed the development budget was about ( at the time, or adjusted for inflation), making it possibly the first
AAA game
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Gaming
* AAA (video game industry) - a category of high budget video games
*'' TripleA'', an open source wargame
M ...
production on CD-ROM. The music was composed by
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, inclu ...
, known for composing soundtracks to
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation studio based in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It has a strong presence in the animation industry and has exp ...
's
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
films such as ''
Castle in the Sky
also known as ''Laputa: Castle in the Sky'', is a 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was produced by Isao Takahata, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toei. The film stars t ...
'' (1986), ''
Princess Mononoke
is a 1997 Japanese animated historical drama, historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Set in the Muromachi period of Japanese history, the film follows Ashitaka, a young Emishi prince who journeys west to cure his curs ...
'' (1997) and ''
Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese Anime film, animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho. There were plans to release ''Tengai Makyō II'' in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, but due to the
TurboGrafx-16
The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a home video game console developed by Hudson Soft and manufactured by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. The first console of the fourth generation of video game con ...
's failure in that market, no ''Tengai Makyō'' games would be released there up until '' Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash'' (1995).
Creators
The games are largely the creation of
Oji Hiroi
, real name , is an author and video game developer. He co-authored '' Samurai Crusader'' with Ryoichi Ikegami. He also created the '' Far East of Eden'' and ''Sakura Wars'' role-playing video game franchises, and wrote the ''Sakura Wars'' manga. ...
and Red Company (today
Red Entertainment
is a video game developer and video game publisher, publisher based in Japan. Originally founded in 1976 as (though it did not begin doing business until 1985), it was reorganized and succeeded by a new company on December 4, 2000, under its c ...
). Virtually all publishing tasks have been handled by
Hudson Soft
was a Japanese video game company known for releasing numerous titles across video game consoles, home computers, and mobile phones. Headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo, it also maintained an office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. F ...
.
The series is purported to be based on a book entitled "Far East of Eden" written by a Paul Hieronymus Chada (typically written as P.H. Chada), who is presented as a 19th-century Smithsonian professor of oriental studies. The book and P.H. Chada do not exist, and 'P.H. Chada' is actually derived from 'Prince (Oji) Hiroi'. This is part of how the setting is supposed based on the misconceptions Western societies held with regard to Japan in the past. The person "Hiroshi Adachi" credited as creating the series is also fictional, with the roles he is credited for actually being performed by Hiroi. "Adachi"/"Chada" also had a personal website which was actually run by Hiroi.
Oji Hiroi and Red Company would later become known for creating the ''
Sakura Wars
is a Japanese steampunk media franchise created by Oji Hiroi and owned by Sega. It is focused around a series of cross-genre video games. The first game in the series was released in 1996, with five sequels and numerous spin-off titles bein ...
'' series for the
Sega Saturn
The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it is the successor to the succes ...
. ''Sakura Wars'' adopted various elements from the series, including a pre-modern Japanese setting and the use of animated cutscenes and voice acting.
Games
Entries in the franchise have been released for several different console and mobile platforms, including remakes for newer systems, such as the PSP compilation ''Tengai Makyō Collection'', which contains the main four PC Engine titles.
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
titled was made in 1990.
''Tengai Makyō'' was also included in the two volumes of the 1992 manga anthology by Minori Shobo, which featured stories about different Hudson franchises.
''Tengai Makyō II'' protagonist Manjimaru Sengoku appears as a playable character in the 2003 crossover fighting game ''
DreamMix TV World Fighters
is a 2003 crossover fighting video game developed by Bitstep and published by Hudson for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. Exclusively released in Japan on December 18, 2003, the game features characters from Hudson and Konami video game series ...