The Sailor Moon video games were released in Japan during the height of the media franchise's popularity. By 1998, twenty games were released.[1] The games released as of 1995, each had sales figures of about 200,000 to 300,000.[2] They have never been released in any other country, with the single exception of the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon game developed by Angel, which was released in France in 1994.[3] The games are hard to find in any other country unless downloaded from the internet as ROMs.
Bandai produced a small number of Sailor Moon games, but the majority were handled by a Japanese game company called Angel. Early games were side-scrolling fighters, whereas later games were unique puzzle games, and even later titles chose to go a versus fighting game style. Another Story was the only game to stand out, being a role-playing video game. Panic in Nakayoshi World was also released, an overhead Adventures of Lolo-style puzzle game featuring characters from various Nakayoshi-printed manga. Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon are playable characters.
The games mainly saw release on the Super Famicom, with the first side-scroller being ported to the Mega Drive. A separate arcade side-scrolling fighter was also released. In addition, two side-scrolling adventure games were produced for the Game Boy (Sailormoon and Sailormoon R), and a side-scrolling game was also produced for the Game Gear (Sailormoon S).
The first versus fighting game from the series was released for the 3DO. However, as the 3DO did not sell well outside of Japan, this game has gone largely unnoticed. Produced by Bandai themselves as opposed to Angel for the other two, this game is considerably different. A final versus fighting game was released for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation.
The last Sailor Moon-related game to date was released in November 2001 - Happy Chibiusa World.
A game was released in the U.S. for the PC. It was a minigame compilation titled The 3D Adventures of Sailor Moon. Aside from the theme, the games did nothing to tie in to the series.
On July 15, 2010, Bandai Namco Games Europe announced development of a new Sailor Moon video game for Nintendo DS, Sailor Moon: La Luna Splende, an adventure game featuring environmental puzzles that takes place in Molly/Naru's dreams.[4]
| Sailor Moon | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Angel (Super Famicom) Ma-Ba (Sega Mega Drive) |
| Publisher(s) | Angel (Super Famicom in Japan) Bandai (SNES in France) Ma-Ba (Sega Mega Drive in Japan only) |
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, SNES, Super Famicom, Sega Mega Drive |
| Release date(s) | SNES/Super Famicom Version Sega Mega Drive Version
|
| Genre(s) | beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | 1 Player or 2 Players |
| Media/distribution | SNES/Super Famicom Cart, Mega Drive Cart. |
Sailor Moon (美少女戦士セーラームーン, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon) is a beat 'em up video game developed by Angel in 1993, and ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was translated into French in 1994. The Sega Mega Drive version was developed and published by Ma-Ba, although certain elements were recycled from the Super Famicom version.
The game is set in the first series of Sailor Moon, and the player takes control of one or two of the five heroines (Guardian Senshi). Each Senshi has some sequences of blows , three aerial attacks (neutral, moving forward/backward, downward) and a special charge-up projectile.
The game is divided into five stages:
NOTE: If the game is played on Easy Mode, only the first two stages are playable, and the ending only shows a stationary image of the Inner Senshi with Usagi as Princess Serenity from the ending scene although the music does not play at that point.
The five heroines are:
The enemies are mostly the youma of the Dark Kingdom that appeared in the anime, but if more than one of the same kind appears at once, the others are coloured differently (a common device for this genre of games):
This game was translated into French in Europe, but was never imported to the United States. In the French translation, there were many errors:
The Mega Drive version features most of the stages from the SNES version but a few were removed and replaced. Some of the boss battles are different as well, and a new hidden final boss, Queen Metallia is featured when playing on Hard Mode. The Mega Drive counterpart does not contain any of the music from the SNES game, with the exception of the main theme song at the title screen, bosses also has their own song rather than a generic theme for all of them. The game has different endings for each playable character
| Sailor Moon R | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Bandai |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai |
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | 1 Player or 2 Players |
| Media/distribution | Super Famicom cassette |
A sequel was produced to the first Sailor Moon game which introduced a new playable character, Chibiusa. Unlike other Sailor Moon games, Sailor Moon R was developed and published by Bandai, instead of Angel. The sprites from the previous game were redesigned with more detail and more animation frames for this game and the later games. Like the Mega Drive version of the previous game, the bosses has their own theme music. By playing the game on hard mode, there is a minor change to the ending that involves Sailor Pluto.
The game has four stages:
Monsters in this game were all droids summoned by the Akayaha Sisters (who don't even appear in the game) Like the previous game they are several different shades of them:
Other differences from the first game include a special attack which allows the player to perform a special attack that destroys all on-screen enemies.
| Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S - Jougai Rantou!? Shuyaku Soudatsusen | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Angel |
| Publisher(s) | Angel |
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom |
| Release date(s) | 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | 1 Player or 2 Players |
| Media/distribution | Super Famicom cassette |
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S - Jougai Rantou!? Shuyaku Soudatsusen is a fighting game developed by and published by Angel and released on December 1994.
The game features three game modes. A single-player plot-based Story Mode, as well as a Tournament Mode and 2-Player Versus Mode where all the Senshi are selectable including the Outer Senshi. Sailor Saturn is the only senshi not featured in the game.
| Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Bandai |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai |
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | 3DO Interactive Multiplayer |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | 1 Player or 2 Players |
| Media/distribution | 3DO CD-ROM |
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S is a 2D fighting game for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, featuring nine Sailor senshi (Sailor Saturn is not present) and based on Sailor Moon S season. Each Senshi has a set of special attacks. Virtual camera is zooming during battle, approaching the fighters and retreating from them. Opening intro combines sprite and 3D animation.
| Sailor Moon Arcade | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Gazelle |
| Publisher(s) | Banpresto |
| Distributor(s) | Tecmo |
| Designer(s) | Junya Inoue |
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release date(s) | March 1995 |
| Genre(s) | Beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | 1 Player or 2 Players |
| Cabinet | Upright |
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (or Sailor Moon Arcade) is a 1995 beat 'em up video game developed by Gazelle (one of the offshoots of shooter developer Toaplan) and published by Banpresto in March 1995. The game has been described as a beat 'em up inspired by Capcom's Final Fight.[13] It was designed by Junya Inoue, who also designed Toaplan's Knuckle Bash, another beat 'em up inspired by Final Fight.
The player controls one of the five original Senshi. Each of them has some animated sequences of blows and has their own special attack that does damage to all on-screen enemies at once. The special attacks can only be used after collecting crystals from around the game. Mostly, the fighting is physical rather than magical.[13]
The player fight up to one dozen enemies at one time, and the enemies are assorted villains from the series.[13]
| Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon: Another Story | |
|---|---|
Box art to Another Story |
|
| Developer(s) | Angel |
| Publisher(s) | Angel |
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom,Super Nintendo |
| Release date(s) | 22 September 1995 [1] |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| Mode(s) | 1 Player |
| Media/distribution | 1 Super Famicom Cart |
Another Story is unique among the Sailor Moon games as it is an RPG. In battle, compatible Sailor Senshi (2 or 3) can use "Link Techniques",[14] which are unique team up attacks with various effects, be they offensive, healing, or defensive. EP (energy points) regenerate after each battle.[15] The storyline of the RPG is fairly linear. All ten members of the Sailor Team are playable. Only five members of the Team can be in the player's party at one time. For a good part of the game, the storyline dictates which Senshi are playable, however further into the game the player may choose which Senshi are in the party (though certain Senshi are sill required to be in the party at certain points).
The game appears to be set between the third and fourth story arcs. The story combines its own elements with those of both anime and manga, such as Tuxedo Mask's anime-based rose-throwing, or Chibiusa's manga-based use of the Holy Grail to become Super Sailor Chibi Moon. Throughout the game, the player can also collect puzzle pieces which make an image of the Senshi and Tuxedo Mask. If the puzzle is completed, there is a reward at the end.
While the game was never internationally released, a fan translation exists, though it gets some of the characters' names wrong and sometimes uses fan names or names from the dub instead of the Japanese names. However, the Japanese, unedited names for the main characters are consistently used throughout the game, even with some names transliterated instead of translated (for example, the Mystical Silver Crystal is always referred to by its Japanese name, "Ginzuishou").
In Another Story, a sorceress named Apsu arrives from the 30th century. She has gathered a group of girls from Crystal Tokyo and ordered them to affect the past in order to change the future to her liking, with the ultimate goal of attaining the Mystical Silver Crystal. Her followers are called the "Oppositio Senshi," and succeed in changing the fates of the defeated villains from the first three story arcs, bringing deceased villains back to life and turning reformed and healed individuals back to the darkness.
With the advice of the ghosts of the Shitennou, the Senshi set out to regain the Barazuishou (Rose Crystal), Tuxedo Mask's stone (which replaces the Golden Crystal in the game) in order to change Sailor Moon's destiny back, and to save Crystal Tokyo.
Locations in the game include familiar ones such as places around the Azabu-Juuban neighborhood in the Azabu district of Minato-ku, Tokyo, such as Usagi, and Mamouru's Houses, Mugen Academy, Usagi's School, Osa-P, the Hiwaka Shrine and the Crown Center. Other familiar locations outside Tokyo include the Silver Millennium, Crystal Tokyo and the Black Moon Clan's UFO. The senshi also visit new locations such as Tibet, Canada, a village hidden under a glacier in Switzerland, and Turkey. The Earth Kingdom during the time of the Silver Millennium can also be visited.
The Senshi will call out most of their special attacks when used in battle. Some attacks, such as "Sharbon Spray Freezeing" only have grunt, while some manga only moves, such as "Wink Chain Sword" or "Chronos Typhoon" have had their name cries recorded just for the game.
The game has two endings. If the player loses to the final boss, Chibiusa and the remaining Senshi will fight a slightly easier form of it and the player will receive the "bad" ending.
The villains in Another Story are all named after Babylonian gods, corresponding in both element and astrological symbolism to each of the regular Senshi.
| Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS - Zenin Sanka!! Shuyaku Soudatsusen | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Angel |
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 players |
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS - Zenin Sanka!! Shuyaku Soudatsusen is a 2D fighting game for the Super Famicom based upon the Sailormoon SuperS season. In story mode five inner senshi and Chibimoon are available. In two players mode (versus other player or versus computer) all ten senshi are selectable. Tournament and training modes are also present.
| Sailor Moon SuperS Shin Shuyaku Soudatsusen | |
|---|---|
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Sega Saturn |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 players |
Sailor Moon SuperS Shin Shuyaku Soudatsusen is a 2D fighting game for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn
All ten senshi are playable in two player mode. However, in story mode, players can only choose from the six main senshi. All six major senshi now have four specials techniques, three power attacks, and their new power from the show. The four other senshi only have three powers available to them.
Players can also customize chraracters, by assigning up to 20 points to increase the attributes of each of the characters. The game offers four levels of difficulty, ranging from Easy to Hardest. [16]
| Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Gazelle |
| Publisher(s) | Banpresto |
| Series | Sailor Moon Games |
| Platform(s) | Arcade game |
| Release date(s) | 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Quiz game |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 Players |
Quiz Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon - Chiryoku Tairyoku Toki no Un is a quiz game developed by Gazelle (one of the offshoots of shooter developer Toaplan) and released by Banpresto in 1997. It is based on the Sailor Moon S arc.
This article incorporates text translated from Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon (jeu vidéo) from the French Wikipedia.
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