Brandish
Encyclopedia
Brandish is a dungeon crawler and top-down view action RPG and adventure
hybrid series developed by Nihon Falcom
. Originally released in 1991
for the NEC PC-9801 and FM Towns
home computers, it was later released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
(SNES) and TurboGrafx-16
(PC Engine). The best known version in non-Japan
ese markets is the SNES port, which is the only English language
version of the game. It was published by Koei, released in 1994
in Japan and a few months later (around 1995
) in North America
. Brandish was an early attempt at using fairly sophisticated mouse controls in a real-time overhead action RPG, where the player could move forward, backward, turn, strafe and attack by clicking on boxes surrounding the player character
.
A sequel
, titled Brandish 2: The Planetbuster, was also released in 1995. The series up to Brandish 4: Tower of the Sleeping God continued in the Japanese market up until 1998
.
Soon, one of the scholars brought a tome written in an ancient language from the tower to Berebus, which they started deciphering. As they were deciphering the tome, some scholars feared that they might be laying their hands on the forbidden knowledge of the ancients also a brown and yellow color.
When the scholars decipher the tome, it read, "The Great Guardian of Berimya, the Dragon, and the Essence of Power lies in the top of the Tower; the one who possesses the Essence will possess all." Undaunted by the otherwise ominous words of the tome, Berebus decided to make the Essence of Power his own.
He secretly organized an army, which soon seized the Tower and raised their swords against the Dragon. Even the Dragon could not resist the power of Berebus' army. As Berebus grasped at the Essence of Power, the Dragon gave up its own life to destroy the Essence of Power. The Essence, losing control, transformed the King into a hideous monster and sank the entire kingdom of Berimya, including the great tower, under the ground. All people on the surface of the earth forgot about Berimya and the Tower in its center, and a thousand years
passed.
A mysterious swordsman, known as Varik, is pursued by a sorceress named Alexis (Dela Delon in Japan) who seeks revenge for the murder of her master. When Alexis catches up with Varik and attacks, her magic causes the ground beneath them collapsed and both fell into the Ruins of Berimya. The player assumes the role of Varik and must escape from the sunken city.
and PlayStation
. Also, the game was published by Koei, which was known at the time for their strategic war games and not roleplaying or action games.
The series was very popular in Japan on NEC PC-9801 computer. Brandish, Brandish 2, Brandish 3 and Brandish VT (renamed Brandish 4 when it was re-released for Windows
) were games that worked well with the technical limitations of the market dominating PC-9801 - an action RPG that was not just another console port.
The game still proved popular enough in Japan to warrant two sequels exclusively in Japan that continued the saga of Varik and Alexis (which are known in Japan as Ares and Dela), the first one being Brandish 2: The Planetbuster, released in August 1995 for the SNES. Similar to the original Japanese release of Final Fantasy IV
and Ys V, both an easy and hard version of this game were released. The next sequel was Brandish 3: Spirit of Balcan, released for PC-9801 in 1994.
The last game, Brandish 4: Tower of Sleeping God, follows a similar gameplay format with completely different storylines and characters.
Adventure (role-playing games)
An adventure is either a published or otherwise written collection of plot, character, and location details used by a gamemaster to manage the plot or story in a role-playing game. Each adventure is based upon a particular gaming genre and is normally designed for use with a specific game or gaming...
hybrid series developed by Nihon Falcom
Falcom
is a Japanese computer game company. The company was founded in March 1981 by Masayuki Kato. Falcom has played a definite role in the growth and development of the Japanese personal computer software industry. The company released the first Japanese computer role-playing game in 1983 and followed...
. Originally released in 1991
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....
for the NEC PC-9801 and FM Towns
FM Towns
The FM Towns system is a Japanese PC variant, built by Fujitsu from February 1989 to the summer of 1997. It started as a proprietary PC variant intended for multimedia applications and PC games, but later became more compatible with regular PCs...
home computers, it was later released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES) and TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
(PC Engine). The best known version in non-Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese markets is the SNES port, which is the only English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version of the game. It was published by Koei, released in 1994
1994 in video gaming
-Events:*Nintendo calls this year "1994: The Year of the Cartridge".*Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd is established and opened by Hiroshi Yamauchi and effectively ends Mattel Australia's distribution of Nintendo's products throughout Australia.*"Project...
in Japan and a few months later (around 1995
1995 in video gaming
-Events:*May 11 – Introduction of trade magazine GameWeek *May 11-16 — The 1st annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is held in Los Angeles, California...
) in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Brandish was an early attempt at using fairly sophisticated mouse controls in a real-time overhead action RPG, where the player could move forward, backward, turn, strafe and attack by clicking on boxes surrounding the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
.
A sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, titled Brandish 2: The Planetbuster, was also released in 1995. The series up to Brandish 4: Tower of the Sleeping God continued in the Japanese market up until 1998
1998 in video gaming
-Events:*Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo to the AIAS Hall of Fame*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 1st annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards...
.
Story
A long time ago, a small kingdom called Berimya was built around a lofty tower, which pierced the sky. The inhabitants of the city, guarded by a mighty Dragon, lived in peace and abundance. However, King Berebus, the ruler of Berimya, desired to expand his kingdom. He ordered the scholars to research the Tower.Soon, one of the scholars brought a tome written in an ancient language from the tower to Berebus, which they started deciphering. As they were deciphering the tome, some scholars feared that they might be laying their hands on the forbidden knowledge of the ancients also a brown and yellow color.
When the scholars decipher the tome, it read, "The Great Guardian of Berimya, the Dragon, and the Essence of Power lies in the top of the Tower; the one who possesses the Essence will possess all." Undaunted by the otherwise ominous words of the tome, Berebus decided to make the Essence of Power his own.
He secretly organized an army, which soon seized the Tower and raised their swords against the Dragon. Even the Dragon could not resist the power of Berebus' army. As Berebus grasped at the Essence of Power, the Dragon gave up its own life to destroy the Essence of Power. The Essence, losing control, transformed the King into a hideous monster and sank the entire kingdom of Berimya, including the great tower, under the ground. All people on the surface of the earth forgot about Berimya and the Tower in its center, and a thousand years
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
passed.
A mysterious swordsman, known as Varik, is pursued by a sorceress named Alexis (Dela Delon in Japan) who seeks revenge for the murder of her master. When Alexis catches up with Varik and attacks, her magic causes the ground beneath them collapsed and both fell into the Ruins of Berimya. The player assumes the role of Varik and must escape from the sunken city.
Reception and sequels
The Super NES version isn't very well known or popular because of its late release, when the SNES market was beginning to fade off in anticipation of the Sega SaturnSega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. Also, the game was published by Koei, which was known at the time for their strategic war games and not roleplaying or action games.
The series was very popular in Japan on NEC PC-9801 computer. Brandish, Brandish 2, Brandish 3 and Brandish VT (renamed Brandish 4 when it was re-released for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
) were games that worked well with the technical limitations of the market dominating PC-9801 - an action RPG that was not just another console port.
The game still proved popular enough in Japan to warrant two sequels exclusively in Japan that continued the saga of Varik and Alexis (which are known in Japan as Ares and Dela), the first one being Brandish 2: The Planetbuster, released in August 1995 for the SNES. Similar to the original Japanese release of Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
and Ys V, both an easy and hard version of this game were released. The next sequel was Brandish 3: Spirit of Balcan, released for PC-9801 in 1994.
The last game, Brandish 4: Tower of Sleeping God, follows a similar gameplay format with completely different storylines and characters.