Shin Onigashima

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Shin Onigashima
Box art 1 (left) and box art 2 (right) of Shin Onigashima.
Disc 1 box art (left) and Disc 2 box art (right).
Developer(s) Pax Softnica
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Platform(s) Famicom Disk System, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console
Release date JPN September 4 1987 (disc 1) FDS
JPN September 30, 1987 (disc 2) FDS
JPN August 4, 2004 GBA
JPN June 19, 2007 VC
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single player
Media Floppy disk, Cartridge

Shin Onigashima (新・鬼ヶ島 "New Onigashima"?) is a video game title for the Famicom Disk System developed by Pax Softnica and released by Nintendo.

Contents

[edit] Famicom Disk Version

The FDS version was released on September 4, 1987 and September 30, 1987 as Famicom Mukashibanashi Shin Onigashima (ふぁみこん昔話 新・鬼ヶ島 "Famicom Fairytales: New Onigashima"?).

[edit] History

As indicated by the game's subtitle, the game borrows heavily from traditional Japanese fairytales such as Momotarō and Princess Kaguya. Most text-based adventure games of the time were written in the style of mystery novels, where the player had to solve a murder or crime of some sort, but Shin Onigashima's fairytale-like plot gave a much softer and accessible feel to the genre.

A remake of the game titled Heisei Shin Onigashima was released for the Super Famicom in 1997 and 1998. It was also redone for the Game Boy Advance as part of the Famicom Mini series on August 4, 2004. The Virtual Console release came on June 19, 2007. The game was never released outside of Japan.

[edit] Plot

Once upon a time, there was an elderly couple living in Nagakushi village, a small village located far up in the mountains. The couple had no children, until one day, they were entrusted with the care of an infant boy and girl, as prophesied in a dream. The years went by, and when the two children were 8 years old, there was a terrible occurrence in the western capital. An evil dragon suddenly appeared in the city, turning humans into Oni; devils that suck away the souls of other humans. The Oni advanced as far as Nagakushi village, stealing away the souls of the elderly couple. Fortunately the two children were left unharmed, and they set out on a quest to save their adopted parents, not realizing that this adventure would reveal the secret of their true origins...

[edit] Characters

The two protagonists are listed with their default names.

Donbe
A little boy born from a rice bowl floating down the river. Not the most intelligent of children, but wields massive strength for his age.
Hikari
A little girl born from a glittering bamboo tree. Smart and resourceful, but physically weak. Acts as Donbe's older sister.
Elderly couple
The old man and old woman who raised Donbe and Hikari. Their souls are stolen by the evil Oni.
Ringo
A dog that was waiting for Donbe at the foot of the bridge. Loyal and obedient.
Matsunosuke
A monkey that joins the group at Kikaigamori Forest. Boisterous and sometimes disobedient.
Ohana
A pheasant bird that joins the group at Shiraishi Spring. As the final member of the group, it uses its abilities to ferry the group over to Onigashima.
Ittaisan
The narrator of the game. Appears as a merchant from a neighboring town within the storyline.
Kintaro
A mysterious English-speaking boy wearing sunglasses and a red haramaki. Guides the group along their adventure.
Tengu
An odd-ball tengu who was hiding out in the oni fortress. He takes a liking to the two protagonists, and follows along with the group to Onigashima.
Hinoesama
A god-like being who appears before the protagonists as a star. Hinoesama reveals the evil forces behind the terrible events occurring throughout the world, and entrusts the protagonists with the task of restoring order.
Oni
Evil monsters that steal the souls of humans to give to the dragon. They are actually humans whose souls have been stolen by other oni.
Ankoku no Keshin (The Avatar of Darkness)
An evil creature from the world of darkness. Appears in the form of a dragon to eat the souls of humans.
Otohime
The legendary hero that sealed the Avatar of Darkness into a treasure box ages ago. She is also the princess of the Ryukyujin; a tribe living deep beneath the seas.

[edit] Gameplay

Donbe (left) and Hikari (right) in Shin Onigashima.
Donbe (left) and Hikari (right) in Shin Onigashima.

The game is played by selecting commands which make the characters talk to, use, or examine various objects or characters. Progress is marked by changes in the illustrative image in the top-right corner of the screen. One of the most distinctive features of the game is the "Change Character" command, used to switch between the two main characters (Donbe, the boy, and Hikari, the girl). The characters can move through the story separately at times, and may be called upon to do tasks that the other main character cannot accomplish on their own. The use of this command in certain situations can trigger dialogue particular to each character, bringing out the peculiarities of each. This is essentially a form of zapping, but a similar command was implemented in EVE burst error.

The game also utilizes the FDS's feature of being able to exchange game discs while the device is powered on. The game is divided into two discs, and the player must exchange discs while the FDS is still powered on in order to activate the second disc (note: Disc 2 is not playable without the first). This format was also used in the game's sequel Yūyūki and the Famicom Tantei Club series.

[edit] Critical response

The game's difficulty is rather high, as very few hints are given in solving mysteries, and many circumstances can lead to the "game over" screen. Even so, the game's warm graphics and plot consisting of numerous interwoven Japanese fairytales was positively received by fans and critics alike. The in-game music, written by Koji Kondo, is regarded in equally high esteem, and the game is considered an undeniable success as Nintendo's first text-based adventure game.

[edit] Super Famicom version

Heisei Shin Onigashima
Box art 1 (left) and Box art 2 (right).
Developer(s) Pax Softnica
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Platform(s) Super Famicom, Nintendo Power, Satellaview
Release date Nintendo Power
JPN December 1, 1997
SFC
JPN May 23, 1998
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single player
Media Cartridge

Nine years after the release of the FDS version, BS Shin Onigashima Kataribu no Heya (BS新・鬼ヶ島 語り部の小屋 "BS New Onigashima: Broadcast Clubhouse"?). was released in October, 1996, for the Super Famicom's Satellaview unit. The game takes its plot from the original version, but is presented from the viewpoint of the three helpers who join the protagonists during the game (the dog, monkey and pheasant). In-game music was transmitted via radio, and Ittaisan, the game's narrator, appears in-between chapters to sum up the storyline. Ittaisan was voiced by Ichirō Nagai.

The SFC version uses the same command menu gameplay implemented in the FDS version, but the "Change Character" command was not included due to time constraints. Satellaview games are often only broadcast during a limited time period, and using the command would complicate the game to an unnecessary degree. New tweaks by the developers were to include platform-style action scenes, and to set time limits for choosing certain commands.

On December 1, 1997, BS Shin Onigashima was redone for a commercial release on the Nintendo Power, as Heisei Shin Onigashima (平成 新・鬼ヶ島 "Heisei Era: New Onigashima"?) with the original FDS version included as a bonus. Its popularity prompted a cartridge release on May 23, 1998. This version was also released in two discs, but unlike the FDS release, it is possible to play the second disc without having finished the first.

[edit] Changes

The Satellaview broadcast was divided into four chapters, and in the SFC release, the first two chapters make up the first disc, and the latter two make up the second. "Jizo Ittaisan" are placed throughout the game, which allow the player to save. There are no time limits for choosing commands, and a golden buddha statue in the likeness of Mario appears in the first chapter.

The original FDS version is unlocked after all four chapters are completed. This was not a complete port of the original, as several changes were made to the text and in-game music. An opening demo of Donbe and Kintaro in a sumo match is added, and colors appear darker than the original.

[edit] Game Boy Advance version

Famicom Mukashibanashi Shin Onigashima was released for the Game Boy Advance on August 10, 2004 as part of the Famicom Mini: Disk System selection series. Unlike the previous installations, the GBA version does not require changing between discs; the entire game is played on one cartridge. The game itself saw no major changes, but on-screen menus were fixed to accommodate the GBA. Load and save times were eliminated by the use of the faster cartridge, allowing the game to run without breaks.

[edit] Appearances in other media

Hikari and Donbe appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a collectable trophy, and also made a cameo appearance in Kirby's Dream Land 3. Furthermore, in the Wii game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the music heard in the title screen and Chapter 4 - Neighboring Village parts of Shin Onigashima were combined and arranged by Masafumi Takada of Grasshopper Manufacture into a selectable music track for the "Summit" (Ice Climber-based) stage. The title of the song is Shin Onigashima. A song from Shin Onigashima is playable in the Nintendo DS music game Daigasso! Band Brothers.

[edit] References

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[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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