GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

Tengai Makyou II: Manjimaru Impressions, Tengai Makyou III update

We take a look at the upcoming PS2 and GameCube remakes of Hudson's Turbo Grafx RPG, and also receive some new information on the game's sequel.

1 Comments

The RPG Tengai Makyou II: Manjimaru was originally released on the Turbo Grafx CD in 1992, and the new PS2 and GameCube remakes seem to have the same sort of 2D look as the original, at least at a glance. This includes traditional-looking menus to complement the game's graphics. But after playing the game for a while, we noticed the remake's new 3D graphics, which include 3D backgrounds, such as the field map and towns. The characters that move around the map look like traditional sprites when standing still, but once they start moving, it becomes fairly apparent that they are cel-shaded 3D characters. Likewise, the enemies in the game's battle scenes are also cel-shaded, which lets them move smoothly during the fights. There seem to be no recognizable differences between the GameCube and PlayStation2 versions of Tengai Makyou II in terms of graphics, though the PlayStation 2 version of the game seems to have much longer load times, especially when switching between maps, going to the battle screen, or even simply walking into a house--the GameCube version of the game, by comparison, has no noticeable load times in these cases at all.

Hudson has not released much new information on the follow-up to this game, the newly-announced sequel Tengai Makyou III, at the Tokyo Game Show. It is known that the sequel will take place in Kyuushuu, a real location in Japan located at the southern end of the island. The game's storyl will revolve around a magical mirror, one of three sacred treasures from an ancient Japanese fable. Tengai Makyou III will adopt a number of other traditional Japanese folklore stories as well. The new sequel is expected to be longer than Tengai Makyou II, and will feature 3D graphics. In addition to the main character Namida and heroine Ichiyo, the names of the three supporting characters have now been revealed. The swordsman wearing a wolf's head is named Toubei; the mysterious blond female ninja is Tsugumi; and the muscular monk is named Ushibouzou Moukaku. Also confirmed to be in the game is the ape Manteau, who has been appearing since the first release in the Tengai Makyou series. We'll have more details on Hudson's Tengai Makyou games as we receive them.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Join the conversation
There are 1 comments about this story