Louis_Cypher
Arcane
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2016
- Messages
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A topic for samurai and ninja themed games, if you enjoy the genres. It's said that the best stories are about a war of morality, and that adventure is the greatest genre because it touches the most aspects of the human condition. The samurai of jidaigeki cinema, like the cowboys of westerns, are often loners fighting a world without honor through their wits. Both are warriors who live by a code, who use their skill to make their code reality, in a lawless world hostile to their moral ideals. The ninja are by contrast depicted as cold and proficient killers, living weapons let loose at a target. Maybe that isn't relevant to the topic, and you just want to slice stuff up making a satisfying 'snik' sound.
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The Legend of Kage 1, 2 (Arcade, NES, DS)
Especially for it's age, this looks really fast and beautiful, with a pretty epic soundtrack judging from the YouTube footage. The arcade version is obviously superior. There are also inferior ports on some of the home consoles of the time like the Commodore 64, but I doubt they are as fast or responsive as the arcade version seems, given the limitations of the hardware of that era. The NES one looked surprisingly decent however. There is also a sequel for the DS.
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The Mysterious Murasame Castle (NES)
Recently this game has been attracting renewed attention, perhaps because Hidetaka Miyazaki cited it as inspiration for Sekiro. Built on The Legend of Zelda engine, and never released in the West, the Murasame Castle game was remembered in Japan as being one of the NES's strongest titles. It plays fast, with constant sword attacks. The game has since been translated by the fanlation community, released again on the defunct Wii shop, and the main character appears in other Nintendo games like Super Smash Bros. Probably a franchise that could be revived very successfully on Switch, as a 'fast Zelda'.
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Shinobi, The Revenge of Shinobi, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Master System, Mega Drive)
The original shadow: Joe Musashi. Once one of Sega's main franchises along with Sonic the Hedgehog. There hasn't been a new release in years. The first game looks a little old (since it is on the 8-bit Master System), but the two Mega Drive/Genesis sequels had some very detailed sprite work. The classic Revenge of Shinobi (which has a good soundtrack) is hard; it was one of the first games I owned. It's sequel Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master is often included in top Mega Drive/Genesis games lists, is a little easier, has tighter controls, and is faster. Defeat the secret criminal ninja clan Zeed, and the Neo Zeed!
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Shadow Dancer, Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi, Cyber Shinobi, The G.G. Shinobi 1, The G.G. Shinobi 2: The Silent Fury, Shinobi Legions (Game Gear, Master System, Saturn)
The Shinobi series had a lot of different spin offs. First, there was the original Shinobi game on Arcade in 1987, adapted into the Master System game mentioned above. Then the sequels diverged in different directions, with the above mentioned Mega Drive/Genesis titles probably being the 'official' sequels (The Revenge of Shinobi, and Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master). The first alternative sequels were Shadow Dancer for Arcade, and it's Mega Drive/Genesis follow-up Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi. Then there was the alternative Master System sequel to the first Master System game, that was an alternative branch as far as I can tell; the Cyber Shinobi. Finally an entirely self-contained Game Gear Shinobi series, called The G.G. Shinobi. The Saturn of course received a Shinobi sequel, and it's unclear if this was intended as Shinobi IV. Defeat Cyber Zeed!
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The Ninja Warriors, The Ninja Warriors Again, The Ninja Warriors Once Again (Arcade, SNES, Switch, PS4)
This is more of a beat-em-up in the style of Streets of Rage. There isn't as much slicing things in this one for that reason. Banglar, President of the United States has issued martial law, scientists create android ninjas to fight him, and you must defeat his forces of darkness in a robotic suicide mission. After the arcade game was a sequel for the SNEs, and another sequel in 2019 for modern consoles called the Ninja Warriors Once Again. It share's a lot with Konami's X-Men arcade game.
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Kenseiden (Master System)
Damn this thing looks great. Another 8-bit action game of considerable quality that I knew nothing about. Each level is one of the medieval Japanese provinces, and you can go back to them after finishing them. Judging from the bamboo groves, feudal era walls, stone lanterns and assortment of monsters, it seems to have great presentation for the era, like The Legend of Kage.
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Ninja Gaiden 1, 2, 3 (NES, SNES)
The original Ninja Gaiden trilogy, one of the NES's most famous titles, along with the likes of Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy, and Castlevania. Also considered hardcore games just like it's modern successor trilogy. They were regarded as some of the best platformers for the NES, but like the early Castlevania games, were quite difficult. There was a re-release with some improvements, all three games compiled onto one cartridge for the SNES, with better graphics like Super Mario All-Stars.
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Ninja Spirit (Arcade, PC Engine, Gameboy)
Nice looking arcade game, considering it's age. Featuring the mythological elements common in the genre like torii temple gateways and demonic Asuras. The versions for other systems are inferior ports, although the PC Engine looks closest in terms of quality. There is an Amiga and Commodore version, but they look slow. There is even an 8-bit black and white Gameboy version, which is a decent looking retelling considering the hardware.
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Strider 1, 2 (Arcade, Mega Drive, PS1)
Dormant Capcom franchise. One of the faster arcade style ninja platformers, the action was quite acrobatic, with the protagonist able to climb many surfaces. A plasma sword, a 2048 setting, and a variety of modern locations like the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic and Aerial Battleship Balrog make it clear that this game is one of the more futuristic ninja games, quite far from the original ninja motif, but has a nice sword animation.
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Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, Shiren the Wanderer 2, Shiren the Wanderer, Shiren the Wanderer 4: The Eye of God and the Devil's Navel, Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate (SNES, N64, DS, Wii, PSP, Vita, PC)
Really this list is for action games, platformers, and stuff that is more outside the RPG genre, but for anyone interested, here is a long running roguelike RPG series featuring a wandering ronin (masterless samurai). The graphics are a bit too chibi for my tastes, but for those into roguelikes it might be interesting to get lost in for a few hours.
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Shinrei Jusatsushi Taroumaru (Saturn)
A Saturn game that never made it out of Japan, but seems to have some quite good sprite work and spells. The game looks like a Shinobi game with more magic. It's meant to be pretty good, filled with the usual esoteric aspects like mantras, demons and Sanskrit symbols. The game is also one of the rarest and most expensive to find for the Saturn.
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Shadow Warrior (PC)
The classic Doom/Blood/Duke Nukem era build-engine boomer shooter FPS. Lo Wang is a modern ninja, armed with guns and swords. Killing demons is his vocation. Making jokes while doing so is his pleasure. One of the big hitters of the era; if you like shooters with gameplay and originality, it's a must-play.
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Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, Tenchu II: Birth of the Stealth Assassins, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins (PS1, PS2)
Tenchu is probably remembered by everyone here. A PS1 game which approaches the ninja theme from the direction of a stealth game, like Metal Gear Solid, instead of the action platformer direction. The game has you stalking enemies from rooftops in 16th century feudal Japan, watching guard's patrol patterns, and setting traps. From Software developed some of the later titles, but later entries weren't considered that good.
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Tenchu: Fatal Shadows, Tenchu: Time of the Assassins, Tenchu: Dark Secret, Tenchu Z, Shadow Assault: Tenchu (PS2, PSP, DS, Xbox 360)
Various spin-off games that are not considered to be part of the mainline Tenchu series have been released, sometimes for portable systems like the PSP and DS, sometimes for home consoles like the PS2 and Xbox 360. There is also an arcade style game called Shadow Assault: Tenchu.
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Ninja: Shadow of Darkness (PS1)
One of the Western developed titles on this list, showing the worldwide appeal of the ninja. Developed by the Tomb Raider developers, Core Design, right after Tomb Raider. Protagonist Kurosawa, presumably named in honor of the famous jidaigeki cinema director, must vanquish ultimate evil from Japan.
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Soul of the Samurai (PS1)
A lesser rated PS1 game that I hadn't heard of until recently. The 3D models look quite detailed for a PS1 game, considering how some games had character models that looked like walking triangles. Since reviews are sometimes not reflective of the real appeal of a game, maybe it's not that bad; I will check it out myself soon.
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Onimusha 1, 2, 3, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (PS2, Xbox, PC, PS4, XB1, Switch)
The classic action game that opened up the PS2 era for Sony, before Devil May Cry. Onimusha however used fixed backgrounds like a PS1 game, so is harder to remaster for present day systems, similar to early Resident Evil games and Dino Crisis. I always love the over-the-top mythology in these kind of Japanese games, like Oda Nobunaga was so ambitious and he became an actual demon lol.
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Way of the Samurai 1, 2, 3, 4 (PS2, PS3)
Way of the Samurai 1 takes place in 1878, after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the start of the Meiji Period. It is set during the Satsuma Rebellion, a time when the samurai who were once the aristocracy of Japanese society are all but outlawed, like in the manga and anime Rurouni Kenshin. This is a popular setting for chambara, seeing as how the samurai are a dying breed. The series is a more restrained take on the genre, aiming to capture the feel of being in a period samurai/jidaigeki film. Unusually for a game of this kind, I think you can also make different choices which determine the outcome of the story.
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Shinobi, Nightshade (PS2)
An attempted sixth generation revival of the Shinobi series. It didn't really share a lot in common with Sega's classic, having a more stylized appearance, but is still a decent game in it's own right, if just considered a reboot with totally different aesthetics. Possibly the best scarf in video games, with Journey in second place maybe; the scarf-action genre is very niche. Nightshade was a spinoff that wasn't as well received starring a Kunoichi (female ninja).
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Otogi 1, 2 (Xbox)
The seal between the demon world and the human world has been broken, and you must restore the balance. Before Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro, From Software created these two ninja games for the original Xbox, which are now notoriously hard to play because they never got a compatibility patch, and can't be emulated well on current Xbox emulators. By all accounts they are great games, based on Japanese shinto mythology, and have the excellent FromSoft mastery of atmosphere.
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Fu-un Shinsengumi, Fu-un Shinsengumi: Bakumatsu-den (PS2)
Unfortunately, as far as I am aware, there is no fan-translation of these Japanese only jidaigeki games, which seem more grounded and realistic like the Way of the Samurai series. The plot seems to revolve around the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and beginning of the subsequent Meiji Resoration (a period of upheaval known as the Bakumatsu) as also depicted in the Kenshin manga, anime and film franchise.
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Ninja Gaiden 1, 2, 3 (Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, XB1, PC)
Ninja Gaiden: Black is one of the greatest video games of the entire sixth generation; the movement and combat are razor sharp. Notorious for difficulty, it was often considered the main 'git gud' game people measured difficulty against, before Dark Souls. Ninja Gaiden 2 is also pretty good. Unfortunately the Ninja Gaiden Sigma versions on PS3 were not quite as polished. They have been recently re-released on current generation consoles and Steam.
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Code of the Samurai (PS2)
This is one of the many lesser known titles on PS2, even compared to already niche titles like Way of the Samurai and Shinobido. I don't know how good it is, or whether it constitutes a hidden gem. The game seems to feature quite a heavy narrative element, told through dialogue cut scenes, judging by YouTube videos.
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Genji: Dawn of the Samurai, Genji: Days of the Blade (PS2, PS3)
The original game for PS2 is a competent action game, but it received a sequel on PS3 which wasn't as well liked. The game follows Minamoto Yoshitsune, a real person from the Heian Period, which isn't often covered in video games. The Heian period a time in Japanese history before the samurai warrior class emerged, when warriors didn't yet fight with the characteristic hallmarks of later medieval Japanese warfare like katana swords, per se, but which was covered in one of Japan's most famous works of classical literature, the Tale of the Genji.
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Blood Will Tell: Osamu Tezuka's Dororo (PS2)
Adapted from one of Osamu Tezuka's manga. Although he was known for kid's stuff like Astro Boy, and the Buddha manga, the Dororo tale is surprisingly dark in concept; about a boy born without facial features, limbs or organs, who must retrieve body parts from enemies. It was adapted as a film a few years back and also produced this adult video game.
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Shinobido: Way of the Ninja, Shinobido 1: Tales of the Ninja, Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen (PS2, PSP, Vita)
Developed by the same company, Acquire, that developed Tenchu and Way of the Samurai. Considered one of the more naturalistic ninja games, like Tenchu, and well regarded by fans despite a seemingly low critical score. Often interest in a subject matter means that a critic's opinion does not matter; they do not always see the value in something.
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Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, Naruto: The Broken Bond (Xbox 360)
I wasn't sure whether to include Naruto games on this list, for two reasons; 1). we are leaning very heavily toward cell-shaded anime games now, and 2), Naruto (as much as I enjoyed it), takes the ninja motif further away from the original concept of feudal period assassins and secret societies towards high fantasy. However, here are the two Prince of Persia-like adventure games. I won't include fighting games like Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm on this list, as there are samurai and ninja characters in many fighting games, from Samurai Showdown to SoulCalibur, and it would overwhelm the list, which is playing as ninja in the world, not confined to an arena.
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Afro Samurai (PS3, Xbox 360)
Spin-off of the manga and anime (which had Samuel L Jackson, Kelly Hu, Ron Perlman). The voice actors also returned for the game. A guy with a blade in the futuristic but strangley feudal Japan seeks revenge for his father's death. Samurai compete for headbands giving them the power of greatest warrior in the world.
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Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii, Vita)
A bit like their other games Odin Sphere and Dragon's Crown, if you are familiar with those; a relaxing hack and slash game with nice 2D art work. It also has a good soundtrack, but most of the games on this list have great soundtracks; just mixing elements of Japanese classical music with modern synth to create atmosphere often produces good results.
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Oniken (PC, Switch)
Brazillian developed Oniken is one of the first of a wave of Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden inspired side-scrolling platformers that started to appear with the takeoff of indie games around 2010. It has some really nice NES style pixel art. Later games of note that would also follow this would be The Messenger, Cyber Shadow, and the upcoming unreleased Bushiden.
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Mark of the Ninja (PC, Xbox 360, PS4, XB1, Switch)
Mark of the Ninja came along during a time of cessation in the ninja genre after the end of the sixth generation of consoles (when Japanese developers had dominated the Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube's libraries, leading to many niche experimental titles from Japan), when there was a general lull in Japanese developed action games (development teams finding it hard at the time to keep up with HD hardware), and was one of the first western-made indie games tackling ninja. There was a general paucity in the kind of 'different' games that used to come out on PS2. It is pretty good side-scroller, with interesting stealth.
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Shadow Warrior 1, 2, 3 (PC, PS4, XB1)
Wikipedia: "In 2013, publisher Devolver Digital and Polish developer Flying Wild Hog announced that they were collaborating with each other to produce a follow-up to the first game. Shadow Warrior has a larger emphasis on the story. In the game, Lo Wang goes on a quest to locate the legendary Nobitsura Kage blade with a banished demon named Hoji."
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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z (PS3)
This was a Ninja Gaiden spinoff that wasn't as good as the main series, but might be alright as just a game taken by itself. Better to play the well-regarded main series if you are new to Ninja Gaiden, unless you are looking for something different to pass the time, in which case it might be worth a look.
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Aragami (PC, PS4, XB1, Switch)
One of the western developed games on this list, which started becoming more frequent around the time of the rise of indie games, (as western developers started trying to recapture the spirit of older titles from the SNES, PS1 and PS2 era). It has nice graphics, but like with many others on the list I haven't played it so can't comment on the gameplay.
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Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (PC, PS4, XB1)
This is a bit different from most games on the list. Another of the more critically well regarded games, like Onimusha, Ninja Gaiden: Black, Mark of the Ninja, Nioh, Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima, but more of a tactical game. It's in the same top-down stealth perspective of Commandos. You likewise control an operative who must move around the map using distractions, weapons, timing, etc, to deal with the on-screen enemies.
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Nioh 1, 2 (PS4, PS5, PC)
Nioh was developed by Team Ninja, the guys behind Ninja Gaiden, and was one of the first Soulslike games released after Dark Souls. They are some of the best games of the post-Dark Souls wave of action games. Nioh 1 follows the story of the real life English samurai William Adams, albeit with more demons and mythology. Nioh 2 allows character creation. Like other games in the genre, it involves blocking, parrying, depleting enemy poise, etc, but is faster than Souls.
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Shigatari (PC)
Just too beautiful not to include here, although it is an RPG, and this list is mainly for action games. Shigatari is made in the same style of those other trend of small tightly-focused indie RPGs which follow an ordinary person living in a real historical period. The game consists of trying to make your way in the world and increase your renown, similar probably to the historically impressive Roman legionary themed A Legionary's Life. The difference here is that unlike the pixel art of that game, it also uses the classical Japansese art style ukiyo-e from the period to great effect.
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The Messenger (PC, PS4, XB1, Switch)
Another indie game that attempts to revive the aesthetics of NES era of platformers like Ninja Gaiden, in terms of art style. There have been a couple of very similar one announced recently, in the last few years, so I am having trouble remembering which one is which, and which footage impressed me. Other examples of games in this style are Oniken, Cyber Shadow, and the upcoming Bushiden. The self-aware humor may grate on people.
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4, XB1)
Perhaps From Software's hardest game, and their Asian fantasy answer to Dark Souls. Interestingly Miyazaki mentioned The Mysterious Murasame Castle and Tenchu as being inspirations for developing a new ninja franchise. A few years ago there was a drout of Japanese fantasy games in the Shinobi, Onimusha or Ninja Gaiden style, but Sekiro and Nioh have revived the genre.
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Ghost of Tsushima (PS4, PS5)
The failed Mongol invasion of Japan is one of the main parts of traditional national legend, akin to the Spanish Armada for the English (also featuring a fleet-wreaking storm in both cases). You don't really get large budget movies in the jidaigeki genre that much anymore, having been out-competed by television. Japanese games have generally focused on easiest to adapt topics. So perhaps it isn't so strange that a western company made such a faithful game, especially since westerners are disincentivized from glorifying their own nation's history. You play a samurai on Tsushima island, in the straits between Japan and Korea, which is a stanging post for the Mongol fleet.
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Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time (PS4, XB1, Switch, PC)
A surprisingly good adaptation of the Samurai Jack cartoons, which had a nice artistic 'silent film' style of their own, down to Genndy Tartakovsky, who also made the original 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars short animations. It's a solid but simple game, with stages that give different rankings; ideal if you just want something easy to pick up and play. Former Team Ninja chad Tomonobu Itagaki acted as a 'supreme consultant' so perhaps it isn't surprising that it plays so smooth, given his distaste for games that waste players time or feel stilted. It tells an alternative timeline ending to the series.
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Cyber Shadow (PC, PS4, PS5, XB1, Switch)
A paragon of the indie revival of side-scrolling ninja games with 8-bit style pixel art. This is the game I was trying to remember earlier in the thread's history. It looks very sleek, and I love art like this. Cyborg ninja vs synthetic life forms who have imprisoned his clan. Description from Steam: "The world has been taken over by synthetic lifeforms. A desperate plea for help sets Shadow, the sole survivor of his clan, on one last mission to uncover what started the path to perpetual ruin."
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Bushiden (PS4, Switch, PC)
Another upcoming pixel art indie game, in the style of Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden; an era which I am all too glad is being revived. Description from Steam: "Your sister has vanished and rumors swirl that Gaoh has been resurrected with an evil army at his command. Explore for cybernetic upgrades until you are powerful enough to defeat the diabolic Gaoh and his cybergentic army once and for all in this futuristic, action platformer!"
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Trek to Yomi (PS4, PS5, XB1, XBSX, PC)
Steam: "As a vow to his dying Master, the young swordsman Hiroki is sworn to protect his town and the people he loves against all threats. Faced with tragedy and bound to duty, the lone samurai must voyage beyond life and death to confront himself and decide his path forward."
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Rise of the Ronin (PS5)
Coming soon from Team Ninja. Set in Edo in the late 19th century during Bakumatsu, the final years of the Edo period, the game depicts the Boshin war between the Tokugawa Shogunate and various anti-shogunate factions displeased with the western influence after the reopening of Japan following the Sakoku period.
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The Legend of Kage 1, 2 (Arcade, NES, DS)
Especially for it's age, this looks really fast and beautiful, with a pretty epic soundtrack judging from the YouTube footage. The arcade version is obviously superior. There are also inferior ports on some of the home consoles of the time like the Commodore 64, but I doubt they are as fast or responsive as the arcade version seems, given the limitations of the hardware of that era. The NES one looked surprisingly decent however. There is also a sequel for the DS.
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The Mysterious Murasame Castle (NES)
Recently this game has been attracting renewed attention, perhaps because Hidetaka Miyazaki cited it as inspiration for Sekiro. Built on The Legend of Zelda engine, and never released in the West, the Murasame Castle game was remembered in Japan as being one of the NES's strongest titles. It plays fast, with constant sword attacks. The game has since been translated by the fanlation community, released again on the defunct Wii shop, and the main character appears in other Nintendo games like Super Smash Bros. Probably a franchise that could be revived very successfully on Switch, as a 'fast Zelda'.
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Shinobi, The Revenge of Shinobi, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Master System, Mega Drive)
The original shadow: Joe Musashi. Once one of Sega's main franchises along with Sonic the Hedgehog. There hasn't been a new release in years. The first game looks a little old (since it is on the 8-bit Master System), but the two Mega Drive/Genesis sequels had some very detailed sprite work. The classic Revenge of Shinobi (which has a good soundtrack) is hard; it was one of the first games I owned. It's sequel Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master is often included in top Mega Drive/Genesis games lists, is a little easier, has tighter controls, and is faster. Defeat the secret criminal ninja clan Zeed, and the Neo Zeed!
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Shadow Dancer, Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi, Cyber Shinobi, The G.G. Shinobi 1, The G.G. Shinobi 2: The Silent Fury, Shinobi Legions (Game Gear, Master System, Saturn)
The Shinobi series had a lot of different spin offs. First, there was the original Shinobi game on Arcade in 1987, adapted into the Master System game mentioned above. Then the sequels diverged in different directions, with the above mentioned Mega Drive/Genesis titles probably being the 'official' sequels (The Revenge of Shinobi, and Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master). The first alternative sequels were Shadow Dancer for Arcade, and it's Mega Drive/Genesis follow-up Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi. Then there was the alternative Master System sequel to the first Master System game, that was an alternative branch as far as I can tell; the Cyber Shinobi. Finally an entirely self-contained Game Gear Shinobi series, called The G.G. Shinobi. The Saturn of course received a Shinobi sequel, and it's unclear if this was intended as Shinobi IV. Defeat Cyber Zeed!
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The Ninja Warriors, The Ninja Warriors Again, The Ninja Warriors Once Again (Arcade, SNES, Switch, PS4)
This is more of a beat-em-up in the style of Streets of Rage. There isn't as much slicing things in this one for that reason. Banglar, President of the United States has issued martial law, scientists create android ninjas to fight him, and you must defeat his forces of darkness in a robotic suicide mission. After the arcade game was a sequel for the SNEs, and another sequel in 2019 for modern consoles called the Ninja Warriors Once Again. It share's a lot with Konami's X-Men arcade game.
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Kenseiden (Master System)
Damn this thing looks great. Another 8-bit action game of considerable quality that I knew nothing about. Each level is one of the medieval Japanese provinces, and you can go back to them after finishing them. Judging from the bamboo groves, feudal era walls, stone lanterns and assortment of monsters, it seems to have great presentation for the era, like The Legend of Kage.
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Ninja Gaiden 1, 2, 3 (NES, SNES)
The original Ninja Gaiden trilogy, one of the NES's most famous titles, along with the likes of Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy, and Castlevania. Also considered hardcore games just like it's modern successor trilogy. They were regarded as some of the best platformers for the NES, but like the early Castlevania games, were quite difficult. There was a re-release with some improvements, all three games compiled onto one cartridge for the SNES, with better graphics like Super Mario All-Stars.
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Ninja Spirit (Arcade, PC Engine, Gameboy)
Nice looking arcade game, considering it's age. Featuring the mythological elements common in the genre like torii temple gateways and demonic Asuras. The versions for other systems are inferior ports, although the PC Engine looks closest in terms of quality. There is an Amiga and Commodore version, but they look slow. There is even an 8-bit black and white Gameboy version, which is a decent looking retelling considering the hardware.
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Strider 1, 2 (Arcade, Mega Drive, PS1)
Dormant Capcom franchise. One of the faster arcade style ninja platformers, the action was quite acrobatic, with the protagonist able to climb many surfaces. A plasma sword, a 2048 setting, and a variety of modern locations like the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic and Aerial Battleship Balrog make it clear that this game is one of the more futuristic ninja games, quite far from the original ninja motif, but has a nice sword animation.
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Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, Shiren the Wanderer 2, Shiren the Wanderer, Shiren the Wanderer 4: The Eye of God and the Devil's Navel, Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate (SNES, N64, DS, Wii, PSP, Vita, PC)
Really this list is for action games, platformers, and stuff that is more outside the RPG genre, but for anyone interested, here is a long running roguelike RPG series featuring a wandering ronin (masterless samurai). The graphics are a bit too chibi for my tastes, but for those into roguelikes it might be interesting to get lost in for a few hours.
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Shinrei Jusatsushi Taroumaru (Saturn)
A Saturn game that never made it out of Japan, but seems to have some quite good sprite work and spells. The game looks like a Shinobi game with more magic. It's meant to be pretty good, filled with the usual esoteric aspects like mantras, demons and Sanskrit symbols. The game is also one of the rarest and most expensive to find for the Saturn.
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Shadow Warrior (PC)
The classic Doom/Blood/Duke Nukem era build-engine boomer shooter FPS. Lo Wang is a modern ninja, armed with guns and swords. Killing demons is his vocation. Making jokes while doing so is his pleasure. One of the big hitters of the era; if you like shooters with gameplay and originality, it's a must-play.
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Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, Tenchu II: Birth of the Stealth Assassins, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins (PS1, PS2)
Tenchu is probably remembered by everyone here. A PS1 game which approaches the ninja theme from the direction of a stealth game, like Metal Gear Solid, instead of the action platformer direction. The game has you stalking enemies from rooftops in 16th century feudal Japan, watching guard's patrol patterns, and setting traps. From Software developed some of the later titles, but later entries weren't considered that good.
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Tenchu: Fatal Shadows, Tenchu: Time of the Assassins, Tenchu: Dark Secret, Tenchu Z, Shadow Assault: Tenchu (PS2, PSP, DS, Xbox 360)
Various spin-off games that are not considered to be part of the mainline Tenchu series have been released, sometimes for portable systems like the PSP and DS, sometimes for home consoles like the PS2 and Xbox 360. There is also an arcade style game called Shadow Assault: Tenchu.
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Ninja: Shadow of Darkness (PS1)
One of the Western developed titles on this list, showing the worldwide appeal of the ninja. Developed by the Tomb Raider developers, Core Design, right after Tomb Raider. Protagonist Kurosawa, presumably named in honor of the famous jidaigeki cinema director, must vanquish ultimate evil from Japan.
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Soul of the Samurai (PS1)
A lesser rated PS1 game that I hadn't heard of until recently. The 3D models look quite detailed for a PS1 game, considering how some games had character models that looked like walking triangles. Since reviews are sometimes not reflective of the real appeal of a game, maybe it's not that bad; I will check it out myself soon.
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Onimusha 1, 2, 3, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (PS2, Xbox, PC, PS4, XB1, Switch)
The classic action game that opened up the PS2 era for Sony, before Devil May Cry. Onimusha however used fixed backgrounds like a PS1 game, so is harder to remaster for present day systems, similar to early Resident Evil games and Dino Crisis. I always love the over-the-top mythology in these kind of Japanese games, like Oda Nobunaga was so ambitious and he became an actual demon lol.
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Way of the Samurai 1, 2, 3, 4 (PS2, PS3)
Way of the Samurai 1 takes place in 1878, after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the start of the Meiji Period. It is set during the Satsuma Rebellion, a time when the samurai who were once the aristocracy of Japanese society are all but outlawed, like in the manga and anime Rurouni Kenshin. This is a popular setting for chambara, seeing as how the samurai are a dying breed. The series is a more restrained take on the genre, aiming to capture the feel of being in a period samurai/jidaigeki film. Unusually for a game of this kind, I think you can also make different choices which determine the outcome of the story.
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Shinobi, Nightshade (PS2)
An attempted sixth generation revival of the Shinobi series. It didn't really share a lot in common with Sega's classic, having a more stylized appearance, but is still a decent game in it's own right, if just considered a reboot with totally different aesthetics. Possibly the best scarf in video games, with Journey in second place maybe; the scarf-action genre is very niche. Nightshade was a spinoff that wasn't as well received starring a Kunoichi (female ninja).
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Otogi 1, 2 (Xbox)
The seal between the demon world and the human world has been broken, and you must restore the balance. Before Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro, From Software created these two ninja games for the original Xbox, which are now notoriously hard to play because they never got a compatibility patch, and can't be emulated well on current Xbox emulators. By all accounts they are great games, based on Japanese shinto mythology, and have the excellent FromSoft mastery of atmosphere.
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Fu-un Shinsengumi, Fu-un Shinsengumi: Bakumatsu-den (PS2)
Unfortunately, as far as I am aware, there is no fan-translation of these Japanese only jidaigeki games, which seem more grounded and realistic like the Way of the Samurai series. The plot seems to revolve around the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and beginning of the subsequent Meiji Resoration (a period of upheaval known as the Bakumatsu) as also depicted in the Kenshin manga, anime and film franchise.
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Ninja Gaiden 1, 2, 3 (Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, XB1, PC)
Ninja Gaiden: Black is one of the greatest video games of the entire sixth generation; the movement and combat are razor sharp. Notorious for difficulty, it was often considered the main 'git gud' game people measured difficulty against, before Dark Souls. Ninja Gaiden 2 is also pretty good. Unfortunately the Ninja Gaiden Sigma versions on PS3 were not quite as polished. They have been recently re-released on current generation consoles and Steam.
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Code of the Samurai (PS2)
This is one of the many lesser known titles on PS2, even compared to already niche titles like Way of the Samurai and Shinobido. I don't know how good it is, or whether it constitutes a hidden gem. The game seems to feature quite a heavy narrative element, told through dialogue cut scenes, judging by YouTube videos.
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Genji: Dawn of the Samurai, Genji: Days of the Blade (PS2, PS3)
The original game for PS2 is a competent action game, but it received a sequel on PS3 which wasn't as well liked. The game follows Minamoto Yoshitsune, a real person from the Heian Period, which isn't often covered in video games. The Heian period a time in Japanese history before the samurai warrior class emerged, when warriors didn't yet fight with the characteristic hallmarks of later medieval Japanese warfare like katana swords, per se, but which was covered in one of Japan's most famous works of classical literature, the Tale of the Genji.
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Blood Will Tell: Osamu Tezuka's Dororo (PS2)
Adapted from one of Osamu Tezuka's manga. Although he was known for kid's stuff like Astro Boy, and the Buddha manga, the Dororo tale is surprisingly dark in concept; about a boy born without facial features, limbs or organs, who must retrieve body parts from enemies. It was adapted as a film a few years back and also produced this adult video game.
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Shinobido: Way of the Ninja, Shinobido 1: Tales of the Ninja, Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen (PS2, PSP, Vita)
Developed by the same company, Acquire, that developed Tenchu and Way of the Samurai. Considered one of the more naturalistic ninja games, like Tenchu, and well regarded by fans despite a seemingly low critical score. Often interest in a subject matter means that a critic's opinion does not matter; they do not always see the value in something.
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Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, Naruto: The Broken Bond (Xbox 360)
I wasn't sure whether to include Naruto games on this list, for two reasons; 1). we are leaning very heavily toward cell-shaded anime games now, and 2), Naruto (as much as I enjoyed it), takes the ninja motif further away from the original concept of feudal period assassins and secret societies towards high fantasy. However, here are the two Prince of Persia-like adventure games. I won't include fighting games like Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm on this list, as there are samurai and ninja characters in many fighting games, from Samurai Showdown to SoulCalibur, and it would overwhelm the list, which is playing as ninja in the world, not confined to an arena.
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Afro Samurai (PS3, Xbox 360)
Spin-off of the manga and anime (which had Samuel L Jackson, Kelly Hu, Ron Perlman). The voice actors also returned for the game. A guy with a blade in the futuristic but strangley feudal Japan seeks revenge for his father's death. Samurai compete for headbands giving them the power of greatest warrior in the world.
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Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii, Vita)
A bit like their other games Odin Sphere and Dragon's Crown, if you are familiar with those; a relaxing hack and slash game with nice 2D art work. It also has a good soundtrack, but most of the games on this list have great soundtracks; just mixing elements of Japanese classical music with modern synth to create atmosphere often produces good results.
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Oniken (PC, Switch)
Brazillian developed Oniken is one of the first of a wave of Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden inspired side-scrolling platformers that started to appear with the takeoff of indie games around 2010. It has some really nice NES style pixel art. Later games of note that would also follow this would be The Messenger, Cyber Shadow, and the upcoming unreleased Bushiden.
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Mark of the Ninja (PC, Xbox 360, PS4, XB1, Switch)
Mark of the Ninja came along during a time of cessation in the ninja genre after the end of the sixth generation of consoles (when Japanese developers had dominated the Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube's libraries, leading to many niche experimental titles from Japan), when there was a general lull in Japanese developed action games (development teams finding it hard at the time to keep up with HD hardware), and was one of the first western-made indie games tackling ninja. There was a general paucity in the kind of 'different' games that used to come out on PS2. It is pretty good side-scroller, with interesting stealth.
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Shadow Warrior 1, 2, 3 (PC, PS4, XB1)
Wikipedia: "In 2013, publisher Devolver Digital and Polish developer Flying Wild Hog announced that they were collaborating with each other to produce a follow-up to the first game. Shadow Warrior has a larger emphasis on the story. In the game, Lo Wang goes on a quest to locate the legendary Nobitsura Kage blade with a banished demon named Hoji."
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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z (PS3)
This was a Ninja Gaiden spinoff that wasn't as good as the main series, but might be alright as just a game taken by itself. Better to play the well-regarded main series if you are new to Ninja Gaiden, unless you are looking for something different to pass the time, in which case it might be worth a look.
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Aragami (PC, PS4, XB1, Switch)
One of the western developed games on this list, which started becoming more frequent around the time of the rise of indie games, (as western developers started trying to recapture the spirit of older titles from the SNES, PS1 and PS2 era). It has nice graphics, but like with many others on the list I haven't played it so can't comment on the gameplay.
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Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (PC, PS4, XB1)
This is a bit different from most games on the list. Another of the more critically well regarded games, like Onimusha, Ninja Gaiden: Black, Mark of the Ninja, Nioh, Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima, but more of a tactical game. It's in the same top-down stealth perspective of Commandos. You likewise control an operative who must move around the map using distractions, weapons, timing, etc, to deal with the on-screen enemies.
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Nioh 1, 2 (PS4, PS5, PC)
Nioh was developed by Team Ninja, the guys behind Ninja Gaiden, and was one of the first Soulslike games released after Dark Souls. They are some of the best games of the post-Dark Souls wave of action games. Nioh 1 follows the story of the real life English samurai William Adams, albeit with more demons and mythology. Nioh 2 allows character creation. Like other games in the genre, it involves blocking, parrying, depleting enemy poise, etc, but is faster than Souls.
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Shigatari (PC)
Just too beautiful not to include here, although it is an RPG, and this list is mainly for action games. Shigatari is made in the same style of those other trend of small tightly-focused indie RPGs which follow an ordinary person living in a real historical period. The game consists of trying to make your way in the world and increase your renown, similar probably to the historically impressive Roman legionary themed A Legionary's Life. The difference here is that unlike the pixel art of that game, it also uses the classical Japansese art style ukiyo-e from the period to great effect.
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The Messenger (PC, PS4, XB1, Switch)
Another indie game that attempts to revive the aesthetics of NES era of platformers like Ninja Gaiden, in terms of art style. There have been a couple of very similar one announced recently, in the last few years, so I am having trouble remembering which one is which, and which footage impressed me. Other examples of games in this style are Oniken, Cyber Shadow, and the upcoming Bushiden. The self-aware humor may grate on people.
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4, XB1)
Perhaps From Software's hardest game, and their Asian fantasy answer to Dark Souls. Interestingly Miyazaki mentioned The Mysterious Murasame Castle and Tenchu as being inspirations for developing a new ninja franchise. A few years ago there was a drout of Japanese fantasy games in the Shinobi, Onimusha or Ninja Gaiden style, but Sekiro and Nioh have revived the genre.
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Ghost of Tsushima (PS4, PS5)
The failed Mongol invasion of Japan is one of the main parts of traditional national legend, akin to the Spanish Armada for the English (also featuring a fleet-wreaking storm in both cases). You don't really get large budget movies in the jidaigeki genre that much anymore, having been out-competed by television. Japanese games have generally focused on easiest to adapt topics. So perhaps it isn't so strange that a western company made such a faithful game, especially since westerners are disincentivized from glorifying their own nation's history. You play a samurai on Tsushima island, in the straits between Japan and Korea, which is a stanging post for the Mongol fleet.
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Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time (PS4, XB1, Switch, PC)
A surprisingly good adaptation of the Samurai Jack cartoons, which had a nice artistic 'silent film' style of their own, down to Genndy Tartakovsky, who also made the original 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars short animations. It's a solid but simple game, with stages that give different rankings; ideal if you just want something easy to pick up and play. Former Team Ninja chad Tomonobu Itagaki acted as a 'supreme consultant' so perhaps it isn't surprising that it plays so smooth, given his distaste for games that waste players time or feel stilted. It tells an alternative timeline ending to the series.
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Cyber Shadow (PC, PS4, PS5, XB1, Switch)
A paragon of the indie revival of side-scrolling ninja games with 8-bit style pixel art. This is the game I was trying to remember earlier in the thread's history. It looks very sleek, and I love art like this. Cyborg ninja vs synthetic life forms who have imprisoned his clan. Description from Steam: "The world has been taken over by synthetic lifeforms. A desperate plea for help sets Shadow, the sole survivor of his clan, on one last mission to uncover what started the path to perpetual ruin."
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Bushiden (PS4, Switch, PC)
Another upcoming pixel art indie game, in the style of Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden; an era which I am all too glad is being revived. Description from Steam: "Your sister has vanished and rumors swirl that Gaoh has been resurrected with an evil army at his command. Explore for cybernetic upgrades until you are powerful enough to defeat the diabolic Gaoh and his cybergentic army once and for all in this futuristic, action platformer!"
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Trek to Yomi (PS4, PS5, XB1, XBSX, PC)
Steam: "As a vow to his dying Master, the young swordsman Hiroki is sworn to protect his town and the people he loves against all threats. Faced with tragedy and bound to duty, the lone samurai must voyage beyond life and death to confront himself and decide his path forward."
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Rise of the Ronin (PS5)
Coming soon from Team Ninja. Set in Edo in the late 19th century during Bakumatsu, the final years of the Edo period, the game depicts the Boshin war between the Tokugawa Shogunate and various anti-shogunate factions displeased with the western influence after the reopening of Japan following the Sakoku period.
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