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showing 21 games

name	publisher(developer)	year	description
Jaseiken Necromancer	Hudson Soft	1988	The first RPG for the PC-Engine. The setting is a combination of classic fantasy and horror, though I found that the only creepy thing about this game is the enormous amount of level grinding you have to do. Without this you don't have the slightest chance against the monster attacks. If you don't like this aspect in early RPGs then stay away from this game. Gameplay is very similar to "Dragon Quest II".
Yōkai Dōchūki	Namco	1988	[49]* [52]*A funny platform game. It's an arcade port with a slightly different level design. This game has a very 'Japanese style of humor' which I found quite amusing. Controls are only average though and it seemed that when you didn't hurry, some very nasty monsters appeared... making this game unnecessarily difficult.
Legendary Axe	Victor (Aicom)	1988	[142]* [70]* [70]*You are Gogan, a muscular powerhouse with enough guts to enter the Pits of Madness. Your mission: rescue the beautiful red-haired Flare. You are strong, but you also have Sting, a sacred axe to help you battle strange creatures and Jagu's savage cult - through mountain, jungle and cave. Increase Sting's power, unlock hidden levels, win extra lives and rescue Flare. If you don't, who will?This game is one of the best early PC-Engine games. Good graphics and a brilliant soundtrack make this game shine. Gameplay isn't less polished and although it's difficult it stays fair.** [52]
Dungeon Explorer	Hudson Soft;NEC HE (Atlus)	1989	A 'Gauntlet' style game with a few Adventure/RPG elements. These elements and the added story (though not an epic) make this game stand out from other clones and give extra motivation. It supports gameplay for up to 5 players simultanously which adds to the fun. One of the best and most outstanding early PC-Engine games.***Dungeon Explorer is a multiplayer action/role-playing game where up to five players can play at the same time. The story takes place in underground dungeons. Players can choose from eight different character types: Fighter, Thief, Warlock, Witch, Bishop, Elf, Bard or Knome. Depending on the character, the types of magic, attack strength and movement will all vary. To survive, players most know all about their enemies’ weaknesses. Players also must know about the special attributes of each magic spell and use them to their greatest advantage. In team-play games, working together is the key to victory.
Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead	Victor (Fun Project)	1989	This game was a big hit on Japanese homecomputer systems like the MSX2 or PC-8801, where this game is better known under the name [game=#100329]War of the Dead[/game]. So Victor decided to release the first game of the series on the PC-Engine. It's gameplay reminds a bit of Zelda 2, but the dark and post-apocalyptic scenario with lots of nightmarish creatures is more suited for adult players.
Makai Hakkenden Shada	Data East	1989	The gameplay resembles very much that of the famous Y's series. You fight monsters by just touching them from the right angle, preferably from behind or from the side. The gameplay is not as smooth and polished as in Y's. The setting is a strange mixture of samurai and fantasy themes with exotic creatures, that could have been taken right from Japanese mythology. The story is about a hero who has to find eight people who give him some kind of gems with which he has to fight the evil boss of bosses. Graphics are nothing special and not very detailed and the music ranges from "nice little tune" to "hectic noises". Well, I wasn't able to finish the game and got stuck at about 2/3 in the game, which is not that much of a loss, because in the end everything about this game cries "I'm average in every aspect".
Energy	NCS Masaya (Quasar Soft)	1989	[media=youtube]x2AkmF8b0wQ[/media]***There was a time when NCS games not automatically stood for quality. Energy is an overall bad game. Simple graphics and a soundtrack that made me nervous. Worst of all are the controls. Jumps are hardly controllable. Sometimes, when entering the next screen you directly hit an enemy without any chance to avoid it. The game features a few scenes where you have to talk to some people who give you hints or useful items, which you have to use in order to open otherwise non-accessible areas in the game. But that often meant you had to walk back and forth through nearly all of the screens from the beginning to the end and back again numerous times, just to lengthen the otherwise short game.
Susano O Densetsu	Hudson Soft (Alfa System)	1989	This game is based on some manga series that made its debut in 1979. The game is unlike "Dragon Warrior" style RPGs. Fights are in a tactical overhead view, which gives you tactical and sometimes pretty lengthy fights. There is almost no xp grinding necessary, which is a big plus. The game is quite linear with some puzzles here and there, but the dungeons are not too complicated to solve, even if you don't speak Japanese. The scrolling in the dungeons was rather annoying, because the scrolling started when you were nearly already out of the screen. So it happens more often than you would like to run into enemies unprepared. The combat text was also a bit too slow, making fights longer than necessary. I can't say what the story of the game is exactly about, just that there is the big evil boss which has minions in castles all over the place and you have to beat them all. It's a strange mix of fantasy elements with guns and futuristic elements. So not your typical High Fantasy theme. The rest is standard RPG stuff with towns, shops, weapon upgrades and lots of people to talk to. In the end it was the language barrier that prevented me from finishing the game. I had a roughly translated Japanese walkthrough but could not find an important item where it should have been and I was not able to draw any conclusions of the townspeople comments. A pity, since I somehow liked the game despite its flaws.
Altered Beast	NEC Avenue (Bits Laboratory)	1989	Zeus has called upon you! Only a brave and fearless warrior can save his beloved daughter, Athena, from the cunning clutches of Nelf, evil Lord of the Underworld. Risen from the grave, you are presented with supernatural powers beyond this world. Collect the mystical spirit balls and transform into an awesome array of creatures - as Strongman, punch and kick harder than ever before, as WereWolf and WereTiger, rip the flesh of the demons of hell, and as Bear, knock out your enemies with one bad breath! You hear the distant cries of the beautiful Athena and as the terrors of the Underworld tighten their grasp, the beast within you rises to face the final battle!* [1]*Didn't like the Mega Drive version very much, so my expectations for the PC-Engine version were quite low, but the end result was even worse than I thought. The slow scrolling and mostly slow and unresponsive movements of your character, especially when in human form make the game dull and frustrating.
Tiger Road	Victor;NEC Interchannel (Advance Communication Company)	1990
Splatterhouse	Namco;NEC Technologies (Namco)	1990	[142]* [70]* [90]* [62]* [49]* [33]* [22]* [52]* [37]***Rick and Jennifer, both parapsychology students at the local university, are visiting West Mansion, site of the research lab where the famed Dr. West conducted some of his most gruesome experiments. A sudden storm forces them to find shelter inside the mansion. Once inside, they are attacked by monsters. Jennifer is kidnapped and Rick is knocked unconscious. Hours later, Rick awakes to find himself covered in blood, with the Terror Mask stuck to his face. His only hope is to depend on the ancient powers of the mask to give him the strength and courage to find Jennifer. Now Rick's fight has begun! Splatter your way through 7 stages of side-scrolling horror action. Armed with cleavers and shotguns, Rick must fight his way through the monsters of West Mansion and defeat the bosses at the end of every stage. The creepy music, gruesome monsters, gory action and shocking events leading up to the finale will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Sindibad: Chitei no Daimakyuu	Information Global Service	1990
Rastan Saga II	Taito	1990
Momotarō Densetsu Turbo	Hudson Soft	1990
Legendary Axe II	Victor;NEC Technologies (Victor)	1990	The Axe is back... with twice the force and twice the fury of 1989's Videogame of the Year! This time it's against brother locked in deadly combat. Your old brother has summoned forces of unspeakable evil to take control of the kingdom. Treachery rules! Your only hope is the legendary royal sword! But will its power be enough to overcome the Cliffs of Chaos? The Skull Dungeon? And the treacherous Crypts of Slime? Only your courage, your fighting skill, and the Legendary Axe can answer! [22]* [63]* [52]* [37]*** [27]
Zipang	Pack-In-Video (Arc System Works)	1990
Cross Wiber: Cyber Combat Police	Face (Sankindo)	1990	[142]* [62]* [22]* [52]* [37]*** [27]
Momotarō Densetsu II	Hudson Soft	1990
Cadash	Taito;Working Designs (ITL)	1991	Arise brave warrior, your services are once again needed! Baarogue the Destroyer has kidnapped the King's only daughter, Princess Sarasa, and is now bent on universal dominance! Become a powerful Fighter, a resourceful Mage, a magic-laden Priestess, or an agile Ninja in your quest to return peace to the once tranquil land of Deerzar! Be wary on the path to your goal! Baarogue has littered it with many foes, from the re-animinated Hands of Stone to the Giant Pedra-Pods of Dokra-Ri. Enlist the services of a trustworthy friend to aid you, for this quest allows two brave souls to venture forth together via the TurboTap. You must scceed, for Baarogue's dark power grows by the second, and soon no soul will be able to halt his advance!* [22]* [52]*** [37]
Silent Debuggers	Data East;NEC Interchannel (Data East)	1991	Make your way through a dungeon-like space station and defeat the prowling monsters in this real-time first-person shooter. You're a member of the elite Debuggers, a group of warriors who are jacks-of-all-trades. Assigned to inspect an unmanned space station, you have exactly 100 minutes to get in, destroy the monsters lurking in each block, make your way to the lowest level and deactivate the automatic detonator placed there. With each monster that slips by you, the core block becomes harder to survive in, so speed is key in preserving the facility and each separate block. Experience the thrill of survival as the timer ticks away and you uncover the truth of the events that occurred.
Toilet Kids	Media Rings (Bits Laboratory)	1992

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