Dimensional Ninja Action Movie: Tenchu

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Dimensional Ninja Action Movie: Tenchu
Image:rikimaru.jpg
Developer(s) Acquire
Publisher(s) Sony Music
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release date Flag of Japan February 26, 1998
Genre(s) Stealth Action
Mode(s) Single player
Media CD-ROM

Dimensional Ninja Action Movie: Tenchu (天誅) is a stealth game in the Tenchu series. It was released in Japan on February 26, 1998. This first version of the game is somewhat different from the Western version of Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and the Japanese re-make Tenchu: Shinobi Gaisen. The game comes with 8 levels, missing Cross the Checkpoint and The Corrupt Minister, plus each level only has one layout.

Contents

[edit] Story

The series takes place in feudal Japan. The story revolves around two ninja: Rikimaru (力丸) and Ayame (彩女). Rikimaru is a tall, silver-haired ninja with a single ninjato named Izayoi and a scar over his right eye. He is stronger than Ayame but relatively slower. Ayame is a kunoichi, or female ninja, wearing standard ninja clothes with her midriff exposed. She carries a pair of kodachi. She is faster and has more combos than Rikimaru, but is the weaker of the two. Both have been members of the Azuma ninja clan since childhood.

The two ninja serve the heroic Lord Gohda, and work for him as his secret spies to root out corruption and gather intelligence in his province. However, the evil demonic sorcerer Lord Mei-Oh seeks to destroy Lord Gohda, and using his demon warrior Onikage who wreaks havoc throughout Lord Gohda's province.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Main characters

  • Rikimaru - The current head of the Azuma clan of ninja, under the service of Lord Gohda. He wields the sword Izayoi, which is passed from generation to generation of successive leaders of the Azuma clan. His master and predecessor as head of the clan was Shiunsai, who was killed by another member of the clan, Tatsumaru. Dedicated, honourable, and withdrawn, Rikimaru would sacrifice his own life without hesistation, something he does at the end of Stealth Assassins only to reappear in Wrath of Heaven/Return from Darkness. However, he is not to be underestimated and shows no mercy to his opponents, something he is constantly reminded of each time he thinks about the scar left over his eye by Tatsumaru. His ability to retain his composure and sense of destiny allows him to undertake missions others would consider suicidal.
  • Ayame - The only other surviving member of the Azuma clan, also under the service of Lord Gohda. She was the last student chosen by the previous leader of the clan, Shiunsai, who discovered that she was talented and adept at learning whatever she was taught (unlike Rikimaru) but never had the patience to master it. She is tough and kills with a cold-hearted efficiency and without hesitation. However, she has been known to show a softer side to Princess Kiku, the daughter of Lord Gohda, whom Ayame loves like a sister. Ayame's caustic tongue is as infamously sharp as her blades. She is bold and quick, yet silent and cunning.
  • Lord Gohda - Lord Gohda is the daimyo who controls the azuma clan. He has one daughter named Kiku. His wife Lady Kei died 7 years ago when a rival warlord attacked and burned down his castle. Used to treachery and betrayal among his own blood he only relies on his most trusted advisor Sekiya Naotada and the Azuma Ninja Clan.
  • Princess Kiku - Kiku is Lord Gohda's only daughter and therefore his only link to his late wife Lady Kei. Kiku is a sweet but spoiled girl. Ayame is like an older sister to her. Being Lord Gohda's only heir and therefore soon to be ruler of the small Gohda realm, her life is in constant danger.
  • Sekiya Naotada - Sekiya Naotada is Lord Gohda's Advisor. The small and kind man often brings information to Gohda's attention and is usually present at discussions of upmost importance. The death of Gohda Matsunoshin's father at an early age put the responsibility of overseeing the Realm and its young ruler in the hands of Naotada. He did his best to raise Matsunoshin in accordance with the wishes of the previous Lord. Naotada is both a father figure to Matsunoshin, and the young Lord's most trusted advisor. One of Sekiya's daughters is married to Lord Gohda's finance minister Kataoka.

[edit] Enemies

  • Echigoya - Originally a fair trader from the merchant class Echigoya has grown bitter because no matter how wealthy he will ever be, he will never be able to be as powerful and respected as a Samurai. Merchants are not allowed to become Samurai. Therefore he has turned to underhand ways including protection, loan-sharking and gambling. He is now nothing more than a corrupt merchant who lusts for power and is able to bribe his way out of any difficult situation. He is a greedy character who likes nothing more to count his money or harass young women in his private residence. His estate is well guarded and his bodyguard Hanbe Sasaki guarantees for Echigoya's privacy and safety.
  • Hanbe Sasaki - Hanbe is very self confident and knows how to use his sword skills. He killed many warriors and in the end he grew arrogant. To show everyone that he is the best sword fighter he killed his own master, who had raised him since a child, and became a wanderer. After some years of he grew tired of wandering and was introduced to Echigoya. Echigoya employed Hanbe as his bodyguard. Hanbe is a drunkard and prefers spending time with easy girls, rather than training his sword skills.
  • Goo - Goo is a very simple, cave dwelling creature. He has an affection for animals and can befriend them, often spending time in his great chamber with wolves or bears. Goo likes playing all sorts of games, torturing is one of them. In this version of Tenchu (also if you understand Japanese) you discover that Goo is the son of ON, the manji cultist leader.
  • Captain Balma - Balma is a Spanish pirate who makes profit through smuggling illegal cargo and theft. He has come to Japan, whose gates are now open to foreign trade, and Gohda provinence to take advantage on the good natured Japanese. He has huge and well-armed pirate followers with bad manners. His ship has vast cannons.
  • On - On is the leader of the Manji Cult and the mother to Goo. Through theft she came in possession of a magical stone in which an ancient evil spirit is trapped. On has eaten the stone to hide it inside her belly from thiefs. The stone has the power to control minds and to turn human bodies into creepy, dancing, fire breathing and brainless zombie-like creatures. On takes the stone from temple to temple to build a powerful army of zombie-like followers. Whether she is building this army to assist Lord Mei-Oh in his attempt to take over Gohda province is not revealed.
  • Onikage - A mysterious Ninja who serves Mei-Oh, the King of Hell. He has fought against Rikimaru several times, and he considers Rikimaru to be his ultimate rival, despite him being human, while Onikage is demonic in nature. Onikage seems to have some sort of past connection with the Azuma Clan, though this connection is currently unknown. He first crossed paths with Rikimaru, Ayame, and Tatsumaru during the Burning Dawn incident, under the title of "Suzaku, the Red Sparrow." He seemed to have some sort of strange romance with Yukihotaru, the Princess of the Fireflies, but later killed her, stating "I have no love for weakness, only power." Whether this is some sort of twisted love, or even love at all, is unknown. He was later recruited by Tenrai to retrieve Shichishito, the sword of Mei-Oh, his shadow faced off against Rikimaru's shadow, followed by a battle between the real warriors. He failed to retrieve the sword, but was counting on the possibility that Rikimaru would use steel from the Demon Blade to repair his own sword, the Izayoi. After facing Rikimaru again in the depths of Tenrai's fortress, he shows a side totally unlike himself, by addressing Mei-Oh. "Master Mei-Oh........ It was a true honor to serve you..... please forgive my failure...." He then proceeds to throw himself into a chasm, and apparently explodes. It is likely that he will return in the next Tenchu installment, as explained by a cutscene after the credits, where he has apparently found a way to bring Mei-Oh back to the Human world. Onikage attacks with a vast array of kicking attacks.
  • Mei-Oh - Lord Mei-Oh is the King of Hell who seems determined to deliver chaos and destruction to the worlds. He has a mysterious interest for the Azuma Ninja Clan and Lord Gohda's small province. Trapped in another realm he seeks entrance to this world. A special portal allows him to travel between the times and dimensions, but once it has been closed it is very difficult to re-open it. His right-hand man Onikage prepares everything for Lord Mei-Oh's arrival. Shichishito is the magical sword Lord Mei-Oh wields.

[edit] Gameplay

As with the newer releases, Tenchu is a game based on stealth, set in a 3rd person perspective with a Sly Cooper style turn and move system. Unlike the other games in the Tenchu series, there are minor differences to the gameplay.

  • The graphics for the option screen, mission select screen and item select screen are all different (see below for link).
  • At the beginning of each level, there is a small amount of dialog from the voices of the target. These were not translated in the western releases.
  • The map only shows your entry point and not your current location.
  • Each attack has to be timed correctly for the next strike to follow, no more button mashing.
  • The 180 degree reverse spin is absent.
  • On the first level where you face Hanbe Sasaki, Echigoya doesn't run off and hide, so you have to fight both him and Hanbe (the death of Echigoya ends the mission whether Hanbe is alive or not).
  • Levels 4 and 5, Cross the Checkpoint and The Corrupt Minister, are absent.
  • The bosses have different styled weapons, but fight less aggressively than the remakes.
  • The Ki meter has no numbers, instead it is a small green lantern that grows when an enemy is near.
  • Running through water does not alert the guards.
  • The games AI is the same but the enemy fight much more aggressively.
  • There is only one layout to each of the 8 missions.
  • The ending for is done in animation, similar to Paddington Bear, there is also dialog that again did not make the western version (see link below).

[edit] External links

[edit] Official

[edit] Non-official

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Tenchu video games