@dungeonbuster
Seeking adventures from the archives of the past, one story at a time. I love taking a look at the history of RPGs, the tales they spin, and in shining a light on these from time to time in my threads. Let's explore together!
Although Sierra On-Line's Ken Williams considered their Japanese ambitions "a bust", Game Arts continued to experiment. They would later showcase their RPG and storytelling chops with iconic titles that also found their own way West in the years to come from Lunar: The Silver Star Story to Grandia!
Shields needed repair and you can even slowly regen health by standing still. All in all, Zeliard was a neat action RPG that had solid music, fun combat, a tough challenge, and was relatively well received. Sadly, it was also one of the last imports Sierra would make from Japan's gaming scene.
Dying teleports you to the last town visited, but you also lose all your carried gold! Fortunately, there's a bank to keep it in before heading out! There are no levels, only improvements to your health bar and it isn't automatic. You need to check in with a sage to see if you're ready!
Zeliard brought console-like action to PCs everywhere. Each side-scrolling labyrinth challenged players to discover new passages and keys as they deftly hop their way through tricky obstacles to find the next boss. It also mixed things up with a few interesting twists.
The original cinematic intro was also kept intact now with an English translation introducing players to the hero, Lord Garland, arriving after the land is cursed by the revival of the Emperor of Chaos who turns Princess Felicia to stone as a cruel herald of things to come.
Sierra's localization preserved the game's action as players spoke to NPCs for clues, traveled through maze-like areas in search of the legendary gems and the bosses guarding them, and slowly made their way through as they leapt onto floating platforms and ledges while trying to survive each battle.
The PC-88 cover for Zeliard in Japan.
The "new" cover for Zeliard as seen in the US and Europe.
Zeliard's NA/European localization had also changed its box art. The fantasy-heavy Japanese box art (left) was replaced by new art (the Viking-like guy is supposed to be Lord Garland???) when it was localized and released for English-speaking audiences.
"When I scheduled my first trip to Japan, my intent was to set up methods of selling Sierra products there. I quickly realized I (and American software publishers in general) had a lot to learn..." In 1986, Ken Williams made his first trip to Japan. He went with a rather limited understanding of their market. His opnion was that the Japanese had a lot to learn about the future of personal computing - and he was just the guy to teach them. In studying the Japanese market, Ken found that the hot machine over there was the 'Nintendo Famicom'. It was described to him as a 'cartridge based video game machine" and Ken has always held such machines in contempt. When Ken left for Japan the very first time, few Americans had ever heard of Nintendo. When he arrived there, he was simply amazed to find that Famicoms had found their way into over 4 million Japanese homes and games like 'Super Mario Brothers' were practically a national pastime. The fact that Nintendo had penetrated so much of the market, and woven itself into the very fabric of Japanese society, absolutely fascinated Ken. The video gaming skills that Japanese children displayed was simply amazing. What impressed Ken most of all, though, was the craftsmanship of the games. "From the moment I was shown the first computer game, I knew I was hooked. There was a multi-voice stereo soundtrack and an elaborate cartoon to start the game, and the animation and graphics were simply incredible. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This wasn't programming - this was an artform!"
About the same time that Ken Williams made his first sales trip into Japan, a then small company named Nihon Falcom released the first installment in what was to be a megahit Fantasy Role-Playing series. Sorcerian, as it was called, was one of the very first fantasy role-playing games ever designed for Japanese computers. It was an immediate success, and launched a new craze in Japanese gaming known collectively as 'RPG'. Unlike most games available at the time, Sorcerian combined action, elements of graphic adventures, and sophisticated role-playing. It was truly a breakthrough. On top of design innovation, the game featured graphics that were absolutely stunning, even by the high standards of the Japanese featured a soundtrack that was so incredible, it has since been rerecorded by a symphony orchestra and released on compact disk. It was a triumph in computer cinematography.
A page from a 1990 catalog for Sierra On-Line's offerings. Zeliard is listed in the lower left block for the price of $34.95
Game Arts' Thexder and Silpheed, along with Nihon Falcom's Sorcerian, had starring roles in Sierra's story of licensing Japan's PC hits as recounted in their 10th Anniversary catalog from 1990. Thexder's sequel, and Zeliard, would quietly slip into their lineup.
Zeliard (1987) is an action RPG by Game Arts that debuted on the PC-88 in Japan. An ancient demon defeated thousands of years ago threatens to return, a princess is turned to stone, and scattered gems of legend must be gathered to save the land! (a jumping and slashing thread)
Imagining it plays out like this
Phantasy Star blended together top-down overland views for travel with 3D dungeons with twisting corridors and passages. It was also a world where magic and swordsmanship existed alongside high technology allowing players to eventually explore the different worlds of the Algol System where the quest takes place in. Phantasy Star is also notable for having a strong female protagonist as the lead, something that was uncommon with console or PC-based RPGs (or games in general) at the time.
A 1989 ad for the North American release of Phantasy Star, an RPG for the Sega Master System
Phantasy Star cast players as Alis, the sister whose brother was slain by those loyal to the wicked King Lassic. Teaming up with new friends, she will quest to free the Algol System from his rule!
Star Cruiser (1988) | RPG | PC platforms and Sega Mega Drive | Arsys Software
This sci-fi action RPG debuted on the PC-88 in Japan before bringing its polygons to the Sega Mega Drive. With an upgradeable ship of your own, and a land tank, its open world sandbox beckoned to would-be space heroes!
Lady Stalker: Challenge from the Past (1995) | action RPG | Super Famicom | Climax Entertainment
Also subtitled with "The Apocalypse Engine" in the title screen, this spinoff of Climax's Landstalker from the Sega Genesis in 1992 stars a new protagonist -- Lady -- in an offbeat quest for treasure!
Niji no Silk Road (1991) | RPG | Nintendo Famicom | Advance Communication Company
In this offbeat, turn-based adventure taking place in the age of Marco Polo, you'll quest across the Middle East and Asia by trading goods, buying camels to carry more wares, and avoiding death from dehydration!
Mega Man Battle Network 2 (2001) is a real-time tactical RPG for the Game Boy Advance by Capcom. Three months after the events of the first game, Lan and his NetNavi buddy, MegaMan.EXE, look forward to summer vacation from school. But a mysterious enemy is making its move! (a virus busting thread)
Its fun battles, save anywhere function, and familiar foes with turn-based tricks helped to make Battle Network 2 a hit with fans and critics as another RPG outing for the Blue Bomber. Capcom would even repackage it with the rest of the series in 2023 for a new generation of would-be virus busters!
Last year's Mega Man Battle Network offered an interesting twist on the standard Mega Man theme, mixing RPG-inspired gameplay with an innovative, action-based battle system. It comes as no surprise that a follow-up is already upon us (this is Capcom, after all), but this time around, it feels less like a sequel and more like a remix of the original game. Battle Network 2's graphics and sounds are only slightly improved over those of its predecessor, and the general game structure is mostly the same as well: Wander around, talk to people, get on the Net and bust viruses (i.e., explore dungeons and fight enemies), etc. Still, the core gameplay has been fine- tuned and improved upon quite a bit with many subtle but welcome enhancements. New "wild card" Chips allow for a greater variety of combinations during battle, and the fact that you no longer refill HP automatically after each fight makes combat strategy that much more important. Revolutionary it ain't, but if you liked the first Battle Network, chances are good you'll dig the sequel as well. John R.
ware! Mega Man is jacking into cyber- space to wipe the net clean. Yet another variation of the Mega Man universe, Mega Man Battle Network 2 is a deceptively engaging action/adventure/RPG hybrid in which you play as both Mega and his alter-ego Lan. While this good-looking game seems simple at first (the happy-go-lucky music doesn't help), it then opens up to reveal a decent adventure challenge. Lan is confronted by a fair amount of familiar hunt-and-gather puzzle solving, but that's all really just a setup for the real action when he jacks into cyberspace as Mega Man. PROTIP: Replenish health with Recov Battle Chips during virus fights. Whittle viruses down to one, then dodge shots and drag Recov from the Folder. The dependable controls aren't required to do much, but the gameplay's kinda fun. From the ol' 3/4-overhead view, Mega runs around to activate stuff like computer subroutines and switches that fix problems facing Lan back in the real world. Virus battles pop up RPG-style, and motley teams of monster-like viruses gang up on Mega. It's simple, real-time com- bat, but it keeps your thumbs pumping and the strategy grabs you. Boss confrontations even deal some respectable damage. Battle Network 2 works well as a Game Boy Advance game. If you can't get enough of Mega, this cart challenges you to think if you want to be the Man.
Reviews gave it passing marks on the whole. While it didn't dramatically shift the formula, what was there worked just fine for fans according to John R. writing EGM's June 2002 review. GamePro's Brother Buzz in their July 2002 review gave it a solid score, remarking it "works well" as a GBA game.
Using "chips", MegaMan.EXE can arm himself with a variety of attacks in addition to his arm cannon. A "charge" gauge also slowly fills during battle and once powered up, you can select more 'chips' to use in the fight up to a limit. Chips are used up but you can find more from foes and stores!
Battle Network 2 followed the first game's mechanics closely with the addition of a few new elements. Like before, players can explore Lan's 21st century neighborhood, talk to NPCs, and "jack" into devices to explore the Net with the help of MegaMan.EXE to do battle with viruses.
Mega Man Battle Network 2 (2001) is a real-time tactical RPG for the Game Boy Advance by Capcom. Three months after the events of the first game, Lan and his NetNavi buddy, MegaMan.EXE, look forward to summer vacation from school. But a mysterious enemy is making its move! (a virus busting thread)
Tower of Doom (1987) | action RPG | Intellivision | INTV
This action RPG was a remarkably sophisticated dungeon crawler for the Intellivision offering "adventures" of varying difficulty, different characters (classes) to play as, stats to grind, an inventory/interaction system, and even an automap!
This incredible illustration showing a Giger-esque bio-mechanical figure was by sci-fi artist, Naoyuki Kato, which was also used for the box packaging in Japan. Published by Irem in Japan, the ad tells the story of a gigantic alien object on a collision course with Earth, populated with multiplying lifeforms, and it is up to this transforming warrior to stop it before it arrives by detonating ten devices within it!
A teaser ad from late 1987 in Japan for Guardic Gaiden, an action adventure by Compile for the Nintendo Famicom
Teasing a release date of January 29th the next year, the fate of Earth rests in the hands of a "powerful female warrior". Outside Japan, it would be known as The Guardian Legend.
When you found stairs leading to the next level, this screen would play out. The screen on the right showed your footsteps coming down the steps. On the left was the automap and below that, your current inventory.
When you run into a monster, the screen on the right changed to a 2D, side view where you attack the monster with an attack button, could bribe it with an item, or retreat by moving left.
The game screen showed the top-down view of the dungeon on the right, the automap on the upper left block, and your current inventory below the automap.
The title screen for the game.
Tower of Doom (1987) from INTV was an action RPG for the Intellivision. Players chose from different classes and how many floors they wanted to challenge in their escape from the Tower. More floors also added more challenges on top of making sure you also didn't starve to death! (a towering thread)
Brain Lord (1994) | action RPG | SNES | Produce!
Dragons have vanished from the world and your father has also disappeared in his quest to find them. Now it falls to you to follow his trail! This action RPG did its best to distinguish itself with a creative feast of puzzles to go with the action.
A BASIC program with a comment on line 1 1 REM BOBBY'S DISK PROGRAM -- JAN 16 1984"
The main reason I was excited for the Commodore 64 Ultimate was because I have all my old disks and hardware. I expected most of the disks to have disk rot but I was wrong - most are fine!
I found one of the first programs I wrote on a disk my dad labeled "Bobby's Disk #1" - I was 6 and a half.
A statistics screen for your character in Hillsfar. Hillsfar wasn't one of SSI's "Gold Box" games, but it sat between Pool of Radiance (their first) and Curse of the Azure Bonds (their second), all based off of TSR's AD&D ruleset. Here, you can see my character name, class, and attributes!
Hillsfar had a number of mini-games that you could engage with like this shooting range for archery.
The city of Hillsfar could be explored in first person with a map of the city on the right to show you where you were going. There were many buildings, like inns and taverns, to explore for gossip along with a large number of locked doors to keep sticky fingers from their wares.
The title screen for Hillsfar showing the walled city, some of the woods nearby, and its name at the top of the screen. A rolling bank of clouds hovers just behind the city as a path in the foreground winds past.
Hillsfar (1989) was an action RPG by Westwood Associates for various PC platforms like MS-DOS and the Commodore Amiga. In this solo, AD&D RPG, players found themselves in the city of Hillsfar where they could take on local quests or engage in arena combat for fame and fortune! (a smol thread)
Steam Next Fest is winding down but managed to try out a few more demos like this one for Clockwork Ambrosia. I had the metroidvania munchies and this one hit the mark for me in a lot of charming ways from the pixel art and puzzle areas to the 'surprise' ending. Yay for Legs of Coiled Steel!
If you see this, post a knight.
Doom RPG (2005) | RPG | mobile phones | Fountainhead Entertainment
Initially released on mobiles, this grid-based, 90° turning, palate cleansing exercise for John Carmack turned id's classic into a dungeon crawler that included walks with a demon dog of your own. Gnaw and chew until it is done!
