Cyber Knight

Cyber Knight

Super NES cover art
Developer(s) Group SNE[1]
Publisher(s) Tonkin House[1]
Designer(s) Ryo Mizuno[2] (Super Famicom version)
Artist(s) Vegeta Kiyochan[2] (Super Famicom version)
Composer(s) Super Famicom:
Michiharu Hasuya[2]
Osamu Kasai[2]
Junko Yokoyama[2]
Series Cyber Knight
Platform(s) Super Famicom,[2] PC Engine[2]
Release date(s) Super Famicom: PC Engine:
Genre(s) Role-playing video game[2]
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution Super Famicom or PC Engine cartridge

Cyber Knight (サイバーナイト Saibā Naito, "Cyber Knight")[4] is a science fiction Super Famicom and PC Engine role-playing video game that combines the exploration of Star Trek with strategic robot combat. This game is intended for experienced role-playing gamers only. The random encounters are high even for a Japanese role-playing game with a mid-to-late 1992 Super Famicom release date (i.e., Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride) and the combat sequences (using melee attacks in addition to missiles and guns) are extremely slow.

The game was only released commercially in Japan.

There are a fan-translation from Japanese to English made by Aeon Genesis.

Two years later, a sequel was released for this game titled Cyber Knight II: Chikyū Teikoku no Yabō.

Story

In the 24th century, mankind has expanded into the reaches of outer space.[2] Meanwhile, the Earth had already disappeared as the center of human civilization. Each star system served as independent nation; war had occurred between these "countries" several times in the past. This led to a high demand for mercenaries to fight these wars for money. Some of these mercenaries went on to become space pirates due to their insatiable demand for wealth.

The crew of the starship Swordfish are in an engagement with space pirates.[2] Suddenly, the battle takes a turn for the worse and the crew activate their jump drive without a destination.[2] They end up flung across the galaxy to the galactic core.[2] The Swordfish however is badly damaged with many casualties.[2] Even the captain was killed while en route to the mysterious destination.[2] Only 26 of the crew survive, and only six of them are qualified for combat operations: the commander, two soldiers, a mechanic and a doctor.[2] They are responsible for using the six giant "Module" mechanized suits available for them after the fight with the space pirates.[2] They discover a human colony that is under attack by a relentless mechanical aliens dubbed "Berserkers".[2]

The crew must fight back against the new alien threat and explore the galaxy in order to find a way to return to Earth.[2]

Gameplay

The object is to power up the human crew members and their mechs through combat experience points, explore strange new worlds using tools/weapons, and solve the problems of each alien civilization. The first mission involves saving an Earth-like planet of big people with a circa 1992 technology level from robots who want to wipe out humanity. On that planet, the president and his wife assume the throne positions of that of a king and a queen, even though their planet is assumed to be a democracy. Other quests involving trading stuff for a universal translator, braving a lava planet, and even using hyperdrive to get from planet to planet.

Reception

On release, Famitsu magazine scored the PC Engine version of the game a 30 out of 40.[5][6]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cyber Knight (Super NES) at GameFAQs
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 Cyber Knight at MobyGames
  3. Cyber Knight (PC Engine) at GameFAQs
  4. Japanese-to-English Translations of Super Famicom video games
  5. お買い物に便利 : 新作ゲームクロスレビュー - サイバーナイト. Famicom Tsushin. No.22. Pg.17. 26 October 1990.
  6. 30 Point Plus: サイバーナイト. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.336. Pg.31. 26 May 1995.

External links