Sengoku Blade

Sengoku Blade,[lower-alpha 1] also known as Tengai outside Japan, is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up video game released for arcade machines in 1996 by Psikyo as a sequel to their 1993 shooter Sengoku Ace. A home console version was also released for the Sega Saturn. The game was ported years later to the PlayStation 2, and again for iOS and Android devices and the Nintendo Switch. The game is set in a historical fantasy version of the Sengoku period of Japanese history, featuring demons, magic and steam-powered robotics.

Sengoku Blade
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)Psikyo
Publisher(s)Psikyo
Taito (PS2)
Atlus (SAT)
Blue Bean Soft (Korea)
MOBIRIX (mobile)
Designer(s)Hirofumi Nakamura
Artist(s)Tsukasa Jun
Composer(s)Masaki Izutani
SeriesSengoku Ace
Platform(s)Arcade, Sega Saturn, PlayStation 2, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
ReleaseArcade
Saturn
  • JP: November 22, 1996
PlayStation 2
  • JP: December 2, 2004
Switch
  • JP: March 29, 2018
Genre(s)Shoot 'em up
Mode(s)Single player, co-op
Arcade systemPsikyo 1st Generation

Gameplay
Sengoku Blade features a style reminiscent of feudal Japan

Sengoku Blade is horizontal-scrolling shoot 'em up.[1] The game takes place in an imaginative and futuristic version of feudal Japan featuring steam-powered machinery.[2][3] The Saturn version provides an option to choose a difficulty level between 1 and 7, configure controls, and set the number of lives between 1 and 4.[4]:6–7

The player may choose from five playable characters at the start and may unlocked two more.[2][4]:10–11 Items include a power-up to increase weapon power level, bombs, and bonus coins to increase score.[4]:8–9 Holding down the standard shot button can provide a more powerful shot.[2]

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.[4]:8–9

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'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[5] 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.)
  • Miko / Koyori (Koyori Togashi) (富樫こより) - a busty Shinto shrine maiden. 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.)
  • Junis Hayate (ユーニス) - A spunky 12-year-old ninja girl with a pet lemur-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.)
  • Sho / Shoma (Shoumaru) (翔丸) - A young swordsman ninja who is in love with the kidnapped Princess Futsu and feels some crush with Koyori.[6] He wants revenge for the death of his mother and sisters.[7] 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.)
  • Katana / Hagane (ハガネ) - A samurai 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.)
  • Flush (Flash) / Ayin (Shine-Ain) / Kain / Aine (せんこうのャイン) - 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.)

Release

Originally released for the arcades in 1996, Sengoku Blade was first ported to the Sega Saturn on November 22 of that same year.[8] This version was released as a two-disc double set, including a bonus omake CD-ROM which featured hundreds of Sengoku Ace series artworks (including the official art, guest art, and fan art from a contest by Psikyo), and now is rare and expensive to obtain.[3] Exclusive for the Saturn conversion was the implementation of voices during the brief cut scenes, and the addition of Marion from the Gunbird series as a bonus hidden character.[9]

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, 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.[8] In 2014, the game was released internationally for iOS and Android mobile devices in Japanese, English and Korean.[1][10] It was also released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018.

The game's manga adaptation was published on August 4, 1996.[11] The game's original soundtrack was released by Pony Canyon and Scitron on May 17, 1996.[12] Several PVC figures were also released for Koyori and Junis,[13][14] as well as for the demon-ninja villainess Kaen (火燕[15])[16] who has become one of the game's most popular characters.[17][18]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Sengoku Blade on their June 1, 1996 issue as being the thirteenth most-successful arcade game of the year.[19]

In a gamesTM 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 Gunbird.[2] In 1997, the Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine ranked the game's Koyori as the 47th best female character on the platform.[20] The Saturn version has become a collector's item.[2][3]

Sequel

It was followed by Sengoku Cannon: Sengoku Ace Episode III, released for the PlayStation Portable in 2005.

Notes
  1. Sengoku Blade (戦国ブレード｜Sengoku Burēdo) fully titled Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II

References
  1. "Arcade Shoot-Em-Up Tengai Reappears For Smartphones". Siliconera. 2014-06-14. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  2. "gamesTM 27". Archived from the original on 2016-04-10. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  3. "Reportaje Juegos Ocultos y Olvidados, Vol 10 PC". MeriStation.com.mx. 2014-11-30. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  4. Sengoku Blade (instruction manual) (NTSC-J, Sega Saturn ed.). Atluls. 1996.
  5. "人気絵師が勢ぞろいした「絵師100人展」が秋葉原UDXで開催 - GAME Watch". Game.watch.impress.co.jp. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  6. "Ending for Tengai-Sho, Miko Team(Arcade)". Vgmuseum.com. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  7. "long range bullet: Tsukasa Jun: Game Contributions". Longrangebullet.namakoteam.com. 2004-04-29. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  8. "Sengoku Blade". Arcade Gear. Archived from the original on 2014-01-31. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  9. "Sengoku Blade Koyori & Marion translated dialogues (Sega Saturn)". YouTube. 2010-12-29. Archived from the original on 2016-04-26. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  10. "戦国ブレードがせっかく移植されたのに、おっぱいが見えないだけで騒ぐゲーマーの見苦しさ - iPhoneゲーマーな日々". Gamecast-blog.com. 2014-06-05. Archived from the original on 2016-09-16. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  11. "刃−Ｙａｉｂａ−". Interq.or.jp. Archived from the original on 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  12. "PCCB-00216 | Sengoku Blade". VGMdb. Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  13. "Koyori ‹ Characters ‹ Encyclopedia - MyFigureCollection.net (Tsuki-board.net)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  14. "Junis ‹ Characters ‹ Encyclopedia - MyFigureCollection.net (Tsuki-board.net)". MyFigureCollection.net. 2012-12-31. Archived from the original on 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  15. "ゲームのおにゃのこ敵@ wiki - 戦国ブレード". 9.atwiki.jp. 1980-01-01. Archived from the original on 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  16. "彩京 戦国ブレード 1/6 「火燕」 岡山フィギュア 新品 の通販 | カラメル". Calamel.jp. Archived from the original on 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  17. "ロングソード連合プレイ日記 聞き取りレビュー2014 回答者：MLさん 戦国ブレード（サターン） 弱小チームには参加をご遠慮していただきましょうか、ねぇ？カナディアンマンさんにスペシャルマンさん". Gamaboy.ken-shin.net. Archived from the original on 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  18. "年齢認証確認". DiGiket.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  19. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 519. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 June 1996. p. 21.
  20. Sega Saturn Magazine (Japan) (25/1997): 129. 1997-07-25. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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