The Legend of Kage
The Legend of Kage | |
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![]() Arcade flyer | |
Developer(s) | Taito Imagine Studios(CPC/C64) |
Publisher(s) |
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Composer(s) | Hisayoshi Ogura |
Series | The Legend of Kage |
Platform(s) | Arcade,Amstrad CPC,Commodore 64,Famicom/NES,MSX,X1,ZX Spectrum |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Hack-and-slash,[5] beat 'em up[4] |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Legend of Kage(Ảnh の vân nói,Kage no Densetsu)is aside-scrollinghack-and-slashgame developed and published byTaitoin 1985. In this game, the player controls the ninja Kage, with the objective being to get through five stages in order to save the princess Kirihime. These stages are littered with enemies, but Kage has various skills and weapons on his hands in order to get through them.
The arcade release was considered a success for Taito, and exceeded sales expectations at the time of its release. It has been ported to a variety of home systems, has had sequels and spinoffs, and has been featured on various Taito compilations.
Gameplay
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/The_Legend_of_Kage_%28screenshot%29.png/220px-The_Legend_of_Kage_%28screenshot%29.png)
The player takes the role of a youngIganinjanamed Kage ( "Shadow" ), on a mission to rescue Princess Kiri (hime) - the Shogun's daughter - from the villainous warlord Yoshi (ro Kuyigusa) and fellow evil samurai Yuki (nosuke Riko). The player is armed with akodachishortsword and an unlimited number ofshuriken.[6]Kage must fight his way through a forest, along a secret passageway, up a fortress wall, and through a castle, rescuing her twice (three times in the FC/NES version) in order to win the game.[6]Each time the princess is rescued, the seasons change from summer to fall to winter and back to summer.[6][7]
In home versions, grabbing a crystal ball causes the player's clothes to change to the next level in color and thereby attain certain powers (bigger shuriken or faster speed).[7]If Kage is hit in a home version while in green or orange clothes, he does not die but reverts to his normal red clothes.[7]
Cycles repeat after five levels are completed, and play continues until all lives are gone, which ends the game.[6][7]
Development and release
[edit]The Legend of Kagewas released by Taito in Japan in 1985, with a European release later in the year, and an American release in January 1986.[6][7][8]
According to Hisayoshi Ogura, the game's composer, development came after a fast-paced period of game development within Taito, where it eased up around this game.[9]Ogura specifically gave the game's music a distinct Japanese feeling in order for it to fit in better with the setting of the game, and he felt it was a worthy challenge for him to be able to adapt it to the sound hardware.[9]Earlier versions of the game used a sound board based around the MSM5232, the same chip found on synths such as theKorg Poly-800,[9]but an FM version of the soundtrack was also produced given Ogura's experimentation with FM sound at the time.[9]This proved to be helpful as the final version of the game used an FM sound board.[9]The game was almost shelved, but after it was placed in a game show, it was highly praised and Taito decided to give the game a full release due to the positive reception.[9]
Reception
[edit]Game Machineof Japan listedThe Legend of Kageon theirNovember 15, 1985issue as being the most-successful table arcade unit of the month.[8]According to Ogura, there were around 6,000 kits of the game sold, and this was considered a success within the company.[9]
The Commodore 64 port received a mixed review fromCommodore Usermagazine, criticizing the graphics, sound, controls and price, scoring it 5 out of 10. The magazine also saidLegend of Kagewas heavily influenced byKonami'sbeat 'em upgameShao-lin's Road,released earlier the same year.[4]The NES/Famicom port of the game received negative feedback.[citation needed]
Legacy
[edit]Re-releases
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c0/Legend_of_Kage_enhanced.jpg/220px-Legend_of_Kage_enhanced.jpg)
The Famicom/NES version was re-released on theWii Virtual Consolein Japan on December 19, 2006, and in the United States on February 19, 2007.[10][11]It was also released for the3DS Virtual ConsoleandWii U Virtual Consolein Japan.[12][13]The arcade version also appears in the compilation titleTaito Legends 2.
A3Dremake of the arcade game along with the original arcade version is included in the 2006 compilationTaito Legends Power Upfor thePlayStation Portable.The game is still side-scrolling.
The Revised Legend of Kagewas included in theTaito Nostalgia 1release along with the original game. It features two new playable characters, Ayame and Ganin. Ayame is a ninja who can throw bombs similar to the red ninja in the game and has an unlimited supply of throwing knives. Ganin is a dog who can breathe fire similar to the monks in the game and can perform a spin attack that does not have much range but leaves him invulnerable for an instant and kills any enemy that touches him. There is also a new final Boss that all the characters face which is a giant green cobra that slithers on the ground back and forth on the screen at the end of each second run through the levels. It is the only enemy that does not jump into the air.
Sequel
[edit]A follow-up game was developed by Lancarse for theNintendo DS,and published by Taito in 2008. Taito's parent company,Square Enix,published a North American localization of the game later that year.[14]
See also
[edit]- Ninja Hayate(Taito, 1984) follows a young ninja (who even looks like Kage) attempting to rescue a kidnapped princess.
- Demon Sword(Taito, 1989) has similar gameplay toThe Legend of Kage.
References
[edit]- ^"Video Game Flyers: Legend of Kage (EU)".The Arcade Flyer Archive.Retrieved7 June2021.
- ^"Legend of Kage (Registration Number PA0000275892)".United States Copyright Office.Retrieved8 May2021.
- ^Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006).アーケードTVゲームリスト quốc nội • hải ngoại biên (1971-2005)[Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 136–7.ISBN978-4990251215.
- ^abc"Legend of Kage".Commodore User.No. 40 (January 1987). 20 December 1986. pp. 4, 29.
- ^"First Samurai".Computer and Video Games.No. 121 (December 1991). 15 November 1991. pp. 28–30.
- ^abcde"Legend of Kage, The – Hardcore Gaming 101".Retrieved2021-10-17.
- ^abcdeM. Thomas, Lucas (21 February 2007),The Legend of Kage VC Review - IGN,retrieved2021-10-17
- ^ab"Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル hình TVゲーム cơ (Table Videos)"(PDF).Game Machine(in Japanese). No. 272.Amusement Press, Inc.15 November 1985. p. 21.
- ^abcdefg"Sơ の FM âm nguyên を sử った『 ảnh の vân nói 』で tự do に thủ đoạn を phát huy! Tiểu thương lâu tin lành họa chế tác sở × an đằng võ bác đối nói 【サウンドコンポーザーに tin く! / còn tiếp đệ 9 hồi ・ trước biên 】".シシララTV(in Japanese). Archived fromthe originalon 4 October 2022.Retrieved4 September2023.
- ^"VC ảnh の vân nói".
- ^"Legend of Kage, The at Nintendo:: Games".nintendo.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-11-22.
- ^"Ảnh の vân nói | ニンテンドー3DS | Nintendo".
- ^"Ảnh の vân nói | Wii U | Nintendo".
- ^Harris, Craig (20 October 2008),Legend of Kage 2 Review - IGN(published 2009-10-20),retrieved2021-10-18
External links
[edit]- Legend of Kageat theKiller List of Videogames
- Legend of Kageat Lemon 64
- The Legend of KageNES instruction manual
- The Legend of Kageat SpectrumComputing.co.uk
- 1985 video games
- Arcade video games
- Amstrad CPC games
- Commodore 64 games
- MSX games
- Nintendo Entertainment System games
- Nintendo Switch games
- PlayStation 4 games
- Video games about ninja
- Hack and slash games
- Platformers
- Side-scrolling video games
- Sharp X1 games
- Square Enix franchises
- Video games about samurai
- Video games scored by Fred Gray
- Video games scored by Hisayoshi Ogura
- Video games set in feudal Japan
- Virtual Console games
- Virtual Console games for Wii U
- ZX Spectrum games
- Single-player video games
- Taito arcade games
- Video games developed in Japan
- Arcade Archives games
- Hamster Corporation games