Three Lesser-Known Sengoku-Themed Video Games

Three Lesser-Known Sengoku-Themed Video Games

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Sengoku Video Games
From Sekiro to Sengoku Basara, there are plenty of big-name examples set in the Sengoku Era. Here are a few lesser-known titles.

The Sengoku Era, also known as the Warring States period, was a long and brutal period of civil war. From the fall of the feudal system in 1467, to its re-establishment in 1615, it was a field of constant conflict to see who would arise from the power vacuum — the warring samurai, or the Pure Land Buddhist rebels who wanted to be free of samurai rule entirely?

It’s important to note that before the Sengoku period, the people who held the most power was the shogunate, or collective of generals. They held noble status, and usually came from powerful families. So when the civil unrest began, it enabled many low-ranking individuals to rise through the social tiers and become some of Japan’s greatest conquerors.

In other words, they were an antithesis to the formerly rigid social classes, pressed under the heel of the samurai. While the samurai in most contemporary popular works are mythologized as highly-skilled personifications of chivalry, most of them were quite ruthless, even to commoners.

Still, many dramatizations of the Sengoku Period prevail, especially in video games. These games particularly focus on the sengoku busho, or it put it roughly “shogun boom,” when the never-ending battles produced many generals who were technically and strategically talented.

The premier example of these dramatizations is the Sengoku Basara series, a hack-and-slash game which depicts battles a fast-paced, with more youthful portrayals of generals at the helm.

Gameplay from Sengoku Basara 3 (Capcom, 2010). Note the energetic music, rapid back-and-slash combat, and bishonen (“beautiful man”) depictions of war generals. (Source: YouTube/TNTS)

Another notable game series is the Nioh series, an action RPG (role-playing game) centered around the rise and usage of yokai (supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore) during the Sengoku Period:

Nioh 2 – All Boss Fights (No Damage)

Nioh 2 All Main Story Bosses “No Damage” & EndingNioh 2 – All Bosses “NO DAMAGE” SOLO (PS4 PRO)Mezuki 00:08Enenra 01:58Yatsu-no-Kami 04:30Imagawa Yoshimoto 0…

A boss fight from Nioh 2 (Team Ninja/Kou Shibusawa, 2020). Note the colorful setting, and featuring of yokai. (Source: YouTube/THE GAMER EYES)

And of course, there is the standalone title Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a critically-acclaimed action/adventure game with fast-paced combat and Buddhist-inspired lore.

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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – Gyoubu Oniwa Boss Fight

Gyoubu Oniwa boss fight in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice. Gyoubu is a general on a horse guarding a gate.Sekiro Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa Boss Battle.BFD, Boss Fight…

The first major boss fight in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware/2019). Just…note the difficulty. (Source: YouTube/Boss Fight Database)

As you can imagine, the aforementioned games are quite popular. However, here are three more video games set in the Sengoku period that you may not know about.

Pokémon Conquest

Pokémon Conquest is a 2012 tactical RPG by KOEI TECMO, developed for the Nintendo DS. A crossover of the long-standing Pokémon and Nobunaga’s Ambition franchises, it centers around the unification of the feudal Ransei Region. Unlike the main Pokémon series, the player acquires wild Pokémon by “linking” with them, rather than capturing them. The “link” is established by a rhythm-based minigame, similar to Dance Dance Revolution.

Linking with wild Pokémon in Pokémon Conquest. (KOEI TECMO, 2012) (Source: YouTube/MudFan)

The conquest outlined in the story is known as the Ransei Legend. Because the region’s Warriors and Warlords are all pursuing the legend, the entire region has fallen to violence and disrepair. The player character is also a newly-minted Warlord, though they choose to take a more peaceful approach to the unification. If the player successfully unifies the Ransei Region, they will encounter the Legendary Pokémon; the region’s creator.

Pokemon Conquest – (U) Intro & First Battle

This game is finally in English. I’ll try to get some Wi-Fi battles in the futureFollow me on twitter! http://www.twitter.com/OfficialShofufacebook fanpage: …

The Intro and First Battle of Pokémon Conquest. (Source: YouTube/shofu)

While the crossover was initially met with surprise in both the Japanese and international communities, the thematic elements of Pokémon and Nobunaga’s Ambition are actually quite similar. They both focus on dominating the world, region by region, until a legend is created, either via the discovery of a Legendary Pokémon, or a warlord rises as the highest conqueror of the land:

“Tell me more about the Pokemon and the Sengoku Era crossover.”

Ishihara Tsunekazu (President of the Pokemon Company): The title ‘Nobunaga’s Ambition’ holds a lot of weight among video games, doesn’t it? But for me, I think of it less as a Sengoku-themed game, and more of a ‘new regional fantasy worldaltogether.

Erikawa Yoichi (President of Koei Tecmo): For most people, the Sengoku era is a fantastical concept, right? Since ‘Pokemon’ is also a fantasy, I think they’ll find it interesting for a fictional military commander to fight a fictional battle in a fantasy world.

“What does the Sengoku Era and Pokémon have in common?”

Erikawa: Conquering gym leaders in various regions is what makes Pokemon so fun. Same goes for Nobunaga’s Ambition when it comes to conquering the various regions in Japan. In that sense, they have something in common.

Koinuma Hisashi (Co-Producer of Pokemon Conquest): This game has a similar playing style to the gym leader battles, so they’re well suited for each other.

Translated excerpt from “Details of Pokemon Conquest finally revealed! Heads of both companies answer your questions! (January 20, 2012, NLAB IT MEDIA)

Robo Aleste

Robo Aleste is a 1992 scrolling shooter by Compile, developed for the Sega CD. It takes place in an alternate version of the Sengoku era, where everyone pilots mecha, or large-scale mechanized robots. Mecha is a common trope and even subgenre of Japanese anime, so one can assume that it would have wide appeal.

The game opens with a strong and superbly localized narration that not only summarizes the common aspects of the Sengoku era, but it truly makes the player feels as if they are part of a larger, historical intrigue. The storytelling is so seamless that it’s easy to accept the more mechanized aspect of the plot. Robo Aleste alludes to the real-life foreign influence of technology during that time — however, instead of guns, foreigners brought mecha to Japan.

Mega-CD Longplay [057] Robo Aleste

http://www.longplays.orgPlayed By : MadMattyOne of a very few standout titles on the Sega CD. The developers seemed to know what they were doing and the qua…

A long play of Robo Aleste (Compile, 1992). Source: YouTube/World of Longplays

Notable historical figures, including Oda Nobunaga, serve as the in-game bosses — he in particular has a robot ninja army, known as the White Fang. One of the player characters, Kagerou, is the sole survivor of said army, and takes it upon himself to fight Oda’s enemies.

The 16-bit visuals still hold up today, along with its punchy, house music-inspired soundtrack. Though it received lukewarm reviews upon release, Robo Aleste is a rare find for those who enjoy scrolling shooters with a strong narrative. However, like most rare games these days, it has a steep asking price with no known digital ports available.

Inindo: Way of the Ninja

Inindo: Way of the Ninja is a 1991 RPG by Koei, originally developed for the PC, but it eventually was developed for the Super Nintendo. Of the three games, Inindo is the most historically accurate. It chronicles an Iga ninja’s quest for revenge on Oda Nobunaga, who destroyed the player character’s village.

The game begins in 1582, and the player character must kill the character by 1601 — historically known for the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate — or it’s game over. A more traditional RPG, the mechanics of Inindo center around dungeon crawls, turn-based combat, and making allies during the ninja’s journey.

Inindo – Way of the Ninja – [Speedrun 3:39:47] Elveskz

My best time for this Rpg for Super Nintendo.Leaderboard: https://www.speedrun.com/inindo_way_of_the_ninja

A speedrun of Inindo: Way of the Ninja (Koei, 1991). (Source: YouTube/ElvesKz)

The forging of alliances seems to hold a lot of weight in Inindo, and it involves a lot of conversations at Inns and Tea Houses. It’s a pretty long game, with the above-linked speedrun clocking in at over three hours. However, it’s best suited for those who like fantasy RPGs and accurate dramatizations of historical events.

What other Sengoku-themed games have you played? For those who are familiar with other Japanese eras (Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei, etc), what kind of games would you have developed based on theses eras? Let us know on social media.

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Thalia Harris

Thalia-Marie Harris is a North Jersey/New York native, currently residing in Tokyo, where she works as an ESL teacher and freelance writer. Her previous pieces have appeared in Metropolis Tokyo and pacificREVIEW.

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