Game of the Day 1/29/2016: Samurai Ghost

[celerystalker]

Samurai Ghost for the Turbografx 16 is a sidescrolling fighter/platformer not entirely unlike Splatterhouse, and probably not so coincidentally it's also by Namco. You play as an undead Samurai who must traverse Japan, reach the capital, and take down the evil warlord and cleanse the land. The sword-based combat provides a unique wrinkle, as you can swipe in various directions, block, and parry, which largely comes into play against the boss creatures. It's somewhat methodical, but the pacing is solid, with the occasional shift in level design such as being chased by raging flames or platforming over lava.

The graphics feature large, detailed sprites that are animated fluidly, although some motions do look a tad awkward. The music is creepy, and the scratchy laugh of the old priestess between level really sticks with me.

While it's the only English release in the series outside of emulation of the arcade game on Namco Museum vol. 4, it's actually the second game in the Genpei Toumaden series, which also entails another PC Engine platformer and this Famicom/Board game hybrid my brother and I are working on translating:



I like this one for its smooth animation, creepy theme, and cool swordfights. Played it? Liked it? Hated it?

[Edmond Dantes]

So this is a sequel? What was the first game like?

Having only recently owned a TG16 in any form I might need to pick this thing up... unless I can find Namco Museum volume 2 (why is volume 2 so hard to find, yet volumes 1 and 3 are seemingly everywhere?)

[celerystalker]

So this is a sequel? What was the first game like?

Having only recently owned a TG16 in any form I might need to pick this thing up... unless I can find Namco Museum volume 2 (why is volume 2 so hard to find, yet volumes 1 and 3 are seemingly everywhere?)

The first game is also a platformer, but has both smaller sprite, fast-paced platforming areas and larger sprite areas more like Samurai Ghost. When reading this, I also realized I made a typo. It's vol. 4 that has the arcade game on it. I have vol. 2 on the brain, because I have had trouble finding it, and it has arcade Dragon Buster on it. I think 1 and 3 were the only two to get greatest hits re-releases, because I run into the same thing you do there. I could go to stores today locally and probably find at least 10 of each of 1 and 3, but even if I see one of the others, it'll likely be over priced and disc only.