Inindo: Way of the Ninja
Encyclopedia
Inindo: Way of the Ninja (伊忍道 打倒信長 or Inindou Datou Nobunaga, スーパー伊忍道 打倒信長 or Super Inindou Datou Nobunaga in its Super Famicom version
) is a role-playing video game
developed by Koei. Originally released for the PC8801SR, PC9801, MSX2
home computer
and Sharp X68000
, it was remade for the Super NES
platform, which was released in North America
.
The game is a non-historical account of Japan's
warring states period
. In that sense, Inindo can be considered as a spin-off
of the long-standing Nobunaga's Ambition
series.
ninja
whose village has been destroyed by the conquest of the ruthless warlord Oda Nobunaga
. The ninja must travel across feudal Japan, enlisting the aid of numerous ninja, sages, hermits, ronin, samurai, wizards and other companions, in order to avenge his clan.
The game is a fictitious account of the end of Oda Nobunaga's campaign to conquer and unify all of Japan. The beginning of the game references the rebellion of Akechi Mitsuhide
at Honnō-ji
Temple, where the historical Nobunaga died by committing seppuku
. The time of the game over point (the year 1601) would be just prior to the birth of the Tokugawa Shogunate
under Tokugawa Ieyasu
.
Several hazardous dungeons stand in the path of victory, as well as a selection of optional dungeons which can be played in any order the player chooses. Encounters with monsters and outlaws occur randomly in dungeons and in the game's world map, during which the player characters and NPCs
can move around the battlefield in turn-based fashion to attack, cast magic spells and use items.
To complete the game, the player must recruit NPCs in order to successfully survive dungeons and large scale battles. In order to recruit other characters, the player must build up a certain degree of trust by talking with them at Tea Houses and Inns. Not every character can be recruited: characters of rival clans will not join the player.
There are strategy and war simulation elements to game as well. By gaining the trust of a Japanese feudal lord
, (by spying or committing acts of sabotage on competing daimyo), the player can join in the battle for the provinces that characterized the era. The outcome of these battles changes the lords' possession of individual provinces, which can alter the outcome of the game and aid or hinder the player's progress. Neighboring provinces to Nobunaga's must be conquered in order to advance to the final section of the game.
In the middle of the stories, the player follows either the "normal" path or the "magician" path, which is randomly selected after completing the first dungeon quest. Each path leads to different enemies during random encounters. For example, "magician" path causes Western type monsters such as Hellhound
or Marchosias
to appear.
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...
) is a role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
developed by Koei. Originally released for the PC8801SR, PC9801, MSX2
MSX2
MSX2 may refer to:* Msh homeobox 2, a human gene* The second generation of the MSX home computers...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
and Sharp X68000
Sharp X68000
The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030...
, it was remade for the Super NES
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...
platform, which was released 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...
.
The game is a non-historical account of Japan's
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...
warring states period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
. In that sense, Inindo can be considered as a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the long-standing Nobunaga's Ambition
Nobunaga's Ambition
is a series of turn-based grand strategy role-playing simulation video games, first released in 1983 by the Japanese video game developer Koei.Games in the franchise have been released on a variety of gaming platforms, including the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive,...
series.
Story
Set in 1582, the player assumes the role of an IgaIga Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today western Mie Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Iga bordered on Ise, Ōmi, Yamato, and Yamashiro Provinces.-Geography:...
ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
whose village has been destroyed by the conquest of the ruthless warlord Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
. The ninja must travel across feudal Japan, enlisting the aid of numerous ninja, sages, hermits, ronin, samurai, wizards and other companions, in order to avenge his clan.
The game is a fictitious account of the end of Oda Nobunaga's campaign to conquer and unify all of Japan. The beginning of the game references the rebellion of Akechi Mitsuhide
Akechi Mitsuhide
, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji...
at Honnō-ji
Honno-ji
is a temple of the Nichiren branch of Buddhism located in Kyoto, Japan. Its honzon is mandara-honzon from Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.-History:...
Temple, where the historical Nobunaga died by committing seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
. The time of the game over point (the year 1601) would be just prior to the birth of the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
under Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
.
Gameplay
The actual game begins in the year 1582. If the player does not kill Nobunaga by the year 1601, the game is over.Several hazardous dungeons stand in the path of victory, as well as a selection of optional dungeons which can be played in any order the player chooses. Encounters with monsters and outlaws occur randomly in dungeons and in the game's world map, during which the player characters and NPCs
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
can move around the battlefield in turn-based fashion to attack, cast magic spells and use items.
To complete the game, the player must recruit NPCs in order to successfully survive dungeons and large scale battles. In order to recruit other characters, the player must build up a certain degree of trust by talking with them at Tea Houses and Inns. Not every character can be recruited: characters of rival clans will not join the player.
There are strategy and war simulation elements to game as well. By gaining the trust of a Japanese feudal lord
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
, (by spying or committing acts of sabotage on competing daimyo), the player can join in the battle for the provinces that characterized the era. The outcome of these battles changes the lords' possession of individual provinces, which can alter the outcome of the game and aid or hinder the player's progress. Neighboring provinces to Nobunaga's must be conquered in order to advance to the final section of the game.
In the middle of the stories, the player follows either the "normal" path or the "magician" path, which is randomly selected after completing the first dungeon quest. Each path leads to different enemies during random encounters. For example, "magician" path causes Western type monsters such as Hellhound
Hellhound
A hellhound is a supernatural dog, found in folklore. A wide variety of ominous or hellish supernatural dogs occur in mythologies around the world, similar to the ubiquitous dragon...
or Marchosias
Marchosias
In demonology, Marchosias is a powerful Great Marquis of Hell, commanding thirty legions of demons. He is a strong and excellent fighter and very reliable to the conjurer, giving true answers to all questions...
to appear.
Major class names
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 忍者 | Ninja |
| 僧侶 | Sage |
| 道士 | Wizard |
| 侍 | Warrior |
Class names
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 伊賀忍者 | Iga Ninja Iga-ryu Iga-ryū 伊賀流 is a historical school of ninjutsu. It became one of the two most well-known ninja schools in Japan, along with the Kōga-ryū. The Iga-ryū originated in the Iga Province in the area around the towns of Iga and Ueno... |
| 甲賀忍者 | Koga Ninja Koga-ryu Kōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka... |
| 伊賀女 | Female Iga Ninja |
| 甲賀女 | Female Koga Ninja |
| 風魔衆 | Fuma Ninja |
| 根来衆 | Negoro Ninja Oniwabanshu The was a group of onmitsu government-employed undercover agents established by the 8th Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune . They are sometimes described as "ninja".- History :... |
| 僧侶 | Mendicant |
| 僧兵 | Sohei Sohei were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate.... |
| 山伏 | Hermit |
| 羅漢 | Sage |
| 道士 | Mystic |
| 方士 | Magician Fangshi Fangshi was a category of Chinese technical specialists that flourished from the third century BCE to the fifth century CE. English translations of fangshi encompass alchemist, astrologer, diviner, exorcist, geomancer, doctor, magician, mountebank, monk, mystic, necromancer, occultist,... |
| 飯綱使い | Sorcerer |
| 武士 | Samurai Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau... |
| 浪人 | Ronin Ronin A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege.... |
| 剣術家 | Swordsman |