''Sengoku Blade'', also known as ''Tengai'' outside Japan, is a horizontally scrolling

shoot 'em up Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs ) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...

video game released for

arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

machines in 1996 by

Psikyo Psikyo was a Japanese video game developer and publisher known for its shoot 'em ups and undressing mahjong games. It was founded in 1992 by former Video System staff who worked on the ''Aero Fighters'' series. Psikyo was mainly an arcade game ...

as a sequel to their 1993 shooter ''

Sengoku Ace ''Sengoku Ace'' (), fully titled ''Sengoku Ace: Tengai Episode I'' and also known as ''Samurai Aces'' in the English version, is a vertically scrolling shooter released in the arcades by Psikyo in 1993. The first game by Psikyo, ''Sengoku Ace'' ...

''. A home console version was also released 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 was the successor to the succ ...

. The game was ported years later to the PlayStation 2, and again for

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...

and Android devices and the

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...

. The game is set in a

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthu ...

version of the

Sengoku period The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Variou ...

of Japanese history, featuring demons, magic and steam-powered robotics.

Gameplay

''Sengoku Blade'' is horizontal-scrolling

. The game takes place in an imaginative and futuristic version of feudal Japan featuring steam-powered machinery. The Saturn version provides an option to choose a difficulty level between 1 and 7, configure controls, and set the number of

lives Lives may refer to: * The plural form of a ''life'' * Lives, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran * The number of lives in a video game * ''Parallel Lives'', aka ''Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans'', a series of biographies of famous m ...

between 1 and 4. The player may choose from five playable characters at the start and may unlocked two more. Items include a

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chos ...

to increase weapon power level, bombs, and bonus coins to increase score. Holding down the standard shot button can provide a more powerful shot. If the player touches an enemy ship, their weapon power level will drop by one. The player will lose a life if they get hit by an enemy bullet. If all lives are lost, continues are provided. Once the game is beaten once, a second round will begin without the ability to use continues. Score rankings and other options can be saved to the system's memory.

Plot

Story

The game is set in the world where magic and technology co-exist. A militaristic cult Shinrano, scheming the resurrection of their dark god, has kidnapped the

Shogun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...

's daughter Princess Futsu (Futsuhime) for a sacrifice. A group of heroes sets out to stop this evil plot. The game features branching storyline and several different endings, depending on the characters chosen.

Characters

The characters were designed by the now-famous Tsukasa Jun (at that time still an "underground" artist), based on the works of Hirofumi Nakamura in the original game. Tsukasa also returned to design the characters for the second sequel. * Tengai (Tengai Kano) (ターボ坊主天外) - A Buddhist warrior-monk from the previous game, who has become the main character in the sequel. (Voiced by

Shōzō Iizuka is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Fukushima Prefecture. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University. He is most known for the roles of Hakaider ('' Android Kikaider''), Doctor Neo Cortex ( ''Crash Bandicoot'' ...

.) * Miko / Koyori (Koyori Togashi) (富樫こより) - a busty

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...

shrine maiden A , or shrine maiden,Groemer, 28. is a young priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. were once likely seen as shamans,Picken, 140. but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained to perform ...

. She has become the series' symbol and a fan favourite due to her increased sex appeal in comparison to the original game. (Voiced by

Maria Kawamura , better known by the stage name , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Setagaya, Tokyo. Kawamura is a freelancer and a former affiliate of Arts Vision. In 1991, she married manga artist Mamoru Nagano. Filmography Television a ...

.) * Junis Hayate (ユーニス) - A spunky 12-year-old ninja girl with a pet

lemur Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madaga ...

-like animal named Socrates. She is the younger sister of Jane from ''Sengoku Ace'' (who had disappeared at the end of the previous game, but Junis believes that she is alive and imprisoned at the Evil Castle). (Voiced by

Hiroko Kasahara is a Japanese voice actress, J-pop singer and stage actress. She sang the ending theme song of the PlayStation 2 role-playing video game ''Shadow Hearts'', titled ''Ending Theme ~ Shadow Hearts'', and the ending theme of the PC and PlayStati ...

.) * Sho / Shoma (Shoumaru) (翔丸) - A young swordsman

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp ...

who is in love with the kidnapped Princess Futsu and feels some crush with Koyori. He wants revenge for the death of his mother and sisters. During the game, it is revealed that his father is the lord of evil, Kiyatsu (the final boss of the game). (Voiced by

Takehito Koyasu is a Japanese voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.Doi, Hitoshi"Koyasu Takehito" ''Seiyuu Database''. January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011. He is affiliated with and representative of T's Factory, a voice acting agency he founded ...

.) * Katana / Hagane (ハガネ) - A

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of History of Japan#Medieval Japan (1185–1573/1600), medieval and Edo period, early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retai ...

robot attempting recover its human body. Katana is really a swordswoman called Hagane and during his ending with Junis, she reveals her first name: Kirie. (Voiced by

Hōchū Ōtsuka is a Japanese voice actor and narrator affiliated with the talent management firm Crazy Box. He is best known for his roles as the voices of Kyao Mirao in '' Heavy Metal L-Gaim''; Mont Blanc Noland in ''One Piece''; Yazan Gable in ''Mobile Sui ...

.) * Flush (Flash) / Ayin (Shine-Ain) / Kain / Aine (閃光のアイン) - A one-eyed archer samurai from the previous game, now as a secret character. He is looking for his sister Asuka again. (Voiced by

Norio Wakamoto is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with the Sigma Seven talent agency. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University. On adult works, like OVAs or dating si ...

Release

Originally released for the arcades in 1996, ''Sengoku Blade'' was first ported to the

on November 22 of that same year. This version was released as a two-disc double set, including a bonus

omake ''Omake'' (, usually written ) means ''extra'' in Japanese language, Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga term to mean "extra or bonus." In the United States, the term is most often used in ...

CD-ROM which featured hundreds of ''Sengoku Ace'' series artworks (including the official art, guest art, and

fan art Fan art or fanart is artwork created by fans of a work of fiction and derived from a series character or other aspect of that work. They are usually done by amateur artists, semi-professionals or professionals. As fan labor, fan art refers t ...

from a contest by Psikyo), and now is rare and expensive to obtain. Exclusive for the Saturn conversion was the implementation of voices during the brief

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 the addition of Marion from the ''

Gunbird is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up developed by Psikyo and released in arcades in 1994. In the US, it was published by Jaleco. It has been re-released multiple times, including on the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Steam. When originally local ...

'' series as a bonus hidden character. In 2004, the game was also ported to PlayStation 2 as part of the ''Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 2: Sengoku Ace & Sengoku Blade'' by

Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It ...

, which was re-released one year later as a budget-range title. The Japanese release contains both ''Sengoku Ace'' and ''Sengoku Blade'', but in Europe the two games were sold separately. In 2014, the game was released internationally for

and Android mobile devices in Japanese, English and Korean. It was also released for the

in 2018. The game's manga adaptation was published on August 4, 1996. The game's original soundtrack was released by

Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affil ...

and

Scitron is a Japanese record label that publishes video game music albums. List of video game albums released A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z ...

on May 17, 1996. Several PVC figures were also released for Koyori and Junis, as well as for the demon-ninja villainess Kaen (火燕) who has become one of the game's most popular characters.

Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Sengoku Blade'' on their June 1, 1996 issue as being the thirteenth most-successful arcade game of the month. In a ''

gamesTM ''GamesTM'' (styled as ''gamesTM'') was a UK-based, multi-format video games magazine, covering console, handheld, PC and Arcade games. The first issue was released in December 2002 and the magazine was still being published monthly in Englis ...

'' retrospective, ''Sengoku Blade'' was found to be a simple but enjoyable shooter and given a score of 8 out of 10. They praised the unique graphical style and detail and compared the game favorably to Psikyo's earlier shooter ''

''. In 1997, the Japanese ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' ranked the game's Koyori as the 47th best female character on the platform. The Saturn version has become a collector's item.

Sequel

It was followed by '' Sengoku Cannon: Sengoku Ace Episode III'', released for the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 200 ...

in 2005.

Notes

References

External links

''Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 2: Sengoku Ace & Sengoku Blade'' official website

''Sengoku Blade for Nintendo Switch'' official website''Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 2: Sengoku Ace & Sengoku Blade''
at

MobyGames MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms. The site is supported by banner ads and a small ...

''Sengoku Blade''
at

Giant Bomb ''Giant Bomb'' is an American video game website and wiki that includes personality-driven gaming videos, commentary, news, and reviews, created by former ''GameSpot'' editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis. The website was voted by ''Time'' ma ...

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