Yokai Douchuuki
Encyclopedia
Shadow Land, known in Japan
as , is an arcade game
that was released by Namco
in 1987. It runs on Namco System 1
hardware. This game was not released in the United States, likely because of its questionable (by U.S. standards) content. However, an English-language version of the game, titled Shadowland, exists.
) fighting "yokai" (mythical Japanese monsters) on his way to his final fate, as determined by Buddha. He destroys his enemies by firing small Ki
bullets, which can be charged to increase their power, though if overcharged, he is left unable to move or fight for a few seconds. During boss battles, Tarosuke kneels at a shrine to Buddha and prays, summoning "Monmotaro" (not to be confused with "Momotarō
") a spirit which floats in the air and drops energy balls on the boss and any lackeys he has.
Like Dragon Buster
, and Wonder Momo
, Tarosuke has a life meter (labeled as "POWER"), but only one life; if the meter is empty, the game is over (unless he has a certain item). There is no score counter, but the game utilizes currency (only referred to as "MONEY"), which is used to buy items, among other things.
There are a total of 5 stages:
There are multiple paths which can be taken in many stages, which may influence which of the five endings the player gets. One of the paths leads the player to a fairly racy dance hall show, after which they are given a box. If they open the box, they might get 10,000 in money, or might be turned into an old man until they buy a particular item in a shop (this is based on the tale of Urashima Tarō
).
There are 5 different endings depending on what you do during the game:
The endings are listed in ascending order of difficulty.
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...
as , is an arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
that was released by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
in 1987. It runs on Namco System 1
Namco System 1
The Namco System 1 arcade system board was first used by Namco in April 1987 and was a major enhancement to the previous Namco System 86 arcade system board. Due to its release date, it was originally called Namco System 87 according to the Namco Museum series.Yokai Douchuuki was the first game to...
hardware. This game was not released in the United States, likely because of its questionable (by U.S. standards) content. However, an English-language version of the game, titled Shadowland, exists.
Gameplay
The player controls a boy named Tarosuke who travels through "Jigoku" (the Japanese concept of HellHell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
) fighting "yokai" (mythical Japanese monsters) on his way to his final fate, as determined by Buddha. He destroys his enemies by firing small Ki
KI
Ki or KI may refer to:* .ki, the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code top level domain for Kiribati*Ki., an abbreviation for the Book of Kings in Judaeo-Christian religious texts* Ki * Ki , a Japanese syllabic character...
bullets, which can be charged to increase their power, though if overcharged, he is left unable to move or fight for a few seconds. During boss battles, Tarosuke kneels at a shrine to Buddha and prays, summoning "Monmotaro" (not to be confused with "Momotarō
Momotaro
is a popular hero from Japanese folklore. His name literally means Peach Tarō; as Tarō is a common Japanese boy's name, it is often translated as Peach Boy...
") a spirit which floats in the air and drops energy balls on the boss and any lackeys he has.
Like Dragon Buster
Dragon Buster
is a dungeon crawl action role-playing platform arcade game that was released by Namco in 1984. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware, modified to support vertical scrolling. In Japan, the game was ported to the MSX and Famicom; the latter version was later released for the Virtual Console in the same...
, and Wonder Momo
Wonder Momo
is a beat 'em up arcade game that was developed and published by Namco exclusively in Japan. It runs on Namco System 86 hardware This game was never released outside of Japan, due to its slightly questionable content.-Gameplay:...
, Tarosuke has a life meter (labeled as "POWER"), but only one life; if the meter is empty, the game is over (unless he has a certain item). There is no score counter, but the game utilizes currency (only referred to as "MONEY"), which is used to buy items, among other things.
There are a total of 5 stages:
- "Jigoku Iriguchi" (Gateway to Hell)
- "Kugyou no Michi" (Path of Penance)
- "Yuukai" (Ghost Sea)
- "Sabaki no Tani" (Valley of Judgment)
- "Rinnekai" (Land of Transmigration)
There are multiple paths which can be taken in many stages, which may influence which of the five endings the player gets. One of the paths leads the player to a fairly racy dance hall show, after which they are given a box. If they open the box, they might get 10,000 in money, or might be turned into an old man until they buy a particular item in a shop (this is based on the tale of Urashima Tarō
Urashima Taro
is a Japanese legend about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded for this with a visit to Ryūgū-jō, the palace of Ryūjin, the Dragon God, under the sea...
).
There are 5 different endings depending on what you do during the game:
- you go to Hell
- you go to Hungry GhostHungry ghostHungry ghost is a Western translation of Chinese , a concept in Chinese Buddhism and Chinese traditional religion representing beings who are driven by intense emotional needs in an animalistic way....
World - you go to Beast World
- you return to Human World
- you go to Heaven
The endings are listed in ascending order of difficulty.
Ports and related releases
- The arcade game was later ported to the Nintendo FamicomNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(this version adds a "piousPietyIn spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...
" counter), and PC EngineTurboGrafx-16TurboGrafx-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....
consoles. The PC Engine version and the arcade version were both later re-released for the Japanese Virtual ConsoleVirtual consoleA virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
.
- The game was later followed by a Japan-only spin-off titled Kyūkai Dōchūki, a "yakyuu" (baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
) video game.
- Tarosuke also appears as a playable character in the Japan-only RPGRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
titled Namco × Capcom. In the game he teams up with Taira no Kagekiyo from Genpei Tōma Den.