Kenseiden
Encyclopedia
is a video game for the Sega Master System
created by SEGA
. Kenseiden was released in 1988.
s and evil spirits that plague 16th century Japan. The warlocks stole the five secret scrolls and the sword of the Dragon Lord. Hayato, who has dragon blood in his veins, must recover the scrolls and sword and enter the castle and kill Oda Nobunaga
.
The game was released as Hwarang-ui Geom (화랑의 검, lit. "Sword of the Flower Knight
") in Korea and has the main character sprite altered to look like a Korean warrior and the Japanese map changed to a map of Korea.
Kenseiden features a cameo of Alex Kidd
, Sega's mascot at the time.
In the original Japanese version, Hayato is blond. In the Western versions he has black hair.
reviewed Kenseiden. He gave the game a 7.0 and said "even though I found the choice to go grim interesting and the visuals engaging, I have discovered my appreciation for Kenseiden was more of a 'love the one your with' sentiment. Master System junkies should still seek it out and give it a go, but there are indeed better games for the console that deserve your renewed attention."
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
created by SEGA
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. Kenseiden was released in 1988.
Summary
Kenseiden stars Hayato, a samurai that has to fight against warlockWarlock
The term warlock in origin means "traitor, oathbreaker".In early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch ....
s and evil spirits that plague 16th century Japan. The warlocks stole the five secret scrolls and the sword of the Dragon Lord. Hayato, who has dragon blood in his veins, must recover the scrolls and sword and enter the castle and kill 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 game was released as Hwarang-ui Geom (화랑의 검, lit. "Sword of the Flower Knight
Hwarang
The Hwarang, or "Flower Boys"., were an elite group of male youth in Silla, an ancient Korean kingdom that lasted until the 10th century. There were educational institutions as well as social clubs where members gathered for all aspects of study, originally for arts and culture steeped mainly in...
") in Korea and has the main character sprite altered to look like a Korean warrior and the Japanese map changed to a map of Korea.
Kenseiden features a cameo of Alex Kidd
Alex Kidd
is a video game character whose popularity peaked during the late 1980s and who was the protagonist of both a series of video games released by Sega and their fictional universe, as well as in numerous spin-off merchandise such as novelizations and comics...
, Sega's mascot at the time.
In the original Japanese version, Hayato is blond. In the Western versions he has black hair.
Levels
Each round represents one of the old Japanese provinces. In the Korean version of the game the rounds represent locations of Korea. After round 2, the player can choose for which level he wants to go, choosing the levels in the map. The player can go back to any level at any time after finishing it, except the final level.| # | Name of the level (Original version) | Name of the level (Korean version) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duman Tumen River The Tumen River is a 521 km-long river that serves as part of the boundary between China, North Korea, and Russia, rising in Mount Baekdu and flowing into the Sea of Japan.... (두만) |
The starting level. | |
| 2 | Cheonji (천지) | Contains boss one: Fire Wheel Warlock, based on Wanyūdō Wanyudo Wanyūdō is a figure in Japanese mythology, a relatively well-known yōkai in the folklore of Japan.-Description:... . |
|
| 3 | Haedong Balhae Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and... (해동) |
||
| 4 | Amnok Yalu River The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China.... (압록) |
Contains boss two: Benkei Warlock. | |
| 5 | Cheongcheon Ch'ongch'on River The Ch'ŏngch'ŏn River is a river of North Korea having its source in the Rangrim Mountains of Chagang Province and emptying into the Yellow Sea at Sinanju. The river flows past Myohyang-san and through the city of Anju, South P'yŏngan Province... (청천) |
Contains the first training stage. | |
| 6 | Daedong Taedong River The Taedong River is a large river in North Korea. It rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north. It then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o. In between, it runs through the country's capital, Pyongyang. Along the river are landmarks such as the Juche Tower and Kim Il-sung... (대동) |
Contains the second training stage. | |
| 7 | Seorak Seoraksan Seoraksan is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range in the Gangwon province in eastern South Korea. It is located in a national park near the city of Sokcho. After the Hallasan volcano on Jeju Island and Jirisan in the south, Seoraksan is the third highest mountain in South Korea. The... (설악) |
||
| 8 | Usan Usan-guk Usan-guk, or the State of Usan, occupied Ulleung-do and the adjacent islands during the Korean Three Kingdoms period. According to the Samguk Sagi, it was conquered by the Silla general Kim Isabu in 512. He is said to have used wooden lions or tigers to intimidate the residents into surrendering... (우산) |
Contains the third training stage. | |
| 9 | Hanyang Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... (한양) |
Contains boss three: Larva Fly Warlock. | |
| 10 | Andong Andong Andong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city... (안동) |
Contains boss four: Two-Headed Warlock. | |
| 11 | Mungyeong Mungyeong Mungyeong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk Province, South Korea. The local government, economy, and transportation networks are all centered in Jeomchon, the principal town. Mungyeong has a lengthy history, and is known today for its various historic and scenic tourist attractions... (문경) |
||
| 12 | Sabi (사비) | ||
| 13 | Geumgwan Geumgwan Gaya Geumgwan Gaya , also known as Bon-Gaya or Garakguk , was the ruling city-state of the Gaya confederacy during the Three Kingdoms Period in Korea. It is believed to have been located around the modern-day city of Gimhae, Southern Gyeongsang province, near the mouth of the Nakdong River... (금관) |
Contains boss five: Putrid Eye Warlock. | |
| 14 | Tamna Tamna The kingdom of Tamna or Tamna guk ruled Jeju Island from ancient times until it was absorbed by the Korean Joseon Dynasty in 1404. This kingdom is also sometimes known as Tangna , Seomna , and Tammora . All of these names mean "island country."There is no historical record of the founding or early... (탐라) |
Contains the fourth training stage. | |
| 15 | Yeongsan Yeongsan River The Yeongsan River is a river in south-western South Korea. It has a length of 115.5km, and covers an area of 3,371 km2. Yeongsan River starts from the Yongchubong Peak located in Yong-myeon, Damyang County, South Jeolla Province... (영산) |
Contains boss six: Death Head Warlock. | |
| 16 | Gyeongju Gyeongju Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the... (경주) |
The final level with the final boss: Yonensai: The Master Warlock. |
Reception
Levi Buchanan of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewed Kenseiden. He gave the game a 7.0 and said "even though I found the choice to go grim interesting and the visuals engaging, I have discovered my appreciation for Kenseiden was more of a 'love the one your with' sentiment. Master System junkies should still seek it out and give it a go, but there are indeed better games for the console that deserve your renewed attention."