Tokyo Majin Gakuen: Kenpucho (東京魔人學園剣風帖), launched 6/18/1998, developed by Shout Design Works, printed by ASMIK ACE
This recreation is a part of the “Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kiden” franchise, which incorporates two Ps video games after which a bunch of remakes, fan discs, and diversifications. There was supposed to be a 3rd recreation for the DS introduced in 2008, however for no matter cause it by no means got here out.
Kenpucho was particularly well-liked, producing drama CDs, anime, novelizations, manga, in addition to a fan disc add-on.
I’m going to do three posts on this recreation. This submit will probably be an outline of the system. The subsequent submit (on Wed.) will probably be disc 1, and the final submit (subsequent weekend) will probably be disc 2.
The sport is basically a mix of a visible novel and a method RPG. You spend most of your time within the visible novel half, however the SRPG half is decently carried out and is not only a lazy add-on.
The primary method that the VN facet is finished is thru the emotional responses, which you’ll be able to see above. By urgent the directional keys (for destructive responses) and the buttons (for optimistic responses) you possibly can select how your important character responds. As an example, within the above image you might be assembly Kyouichi for the primary time, and he says “we’re in the identical class, so let’s be mates.” On the left facet, you will get indignant at him, be unhappy, reply coldly, or react with uncertainty. On the precise facet, you possibly can react fortunately, you possibly can react with love, with friendship, or you possibly can merely agree with none specific emotion.
What these responses really do, although, is a bit onerous to inform. There are not any branching story paths, additional levels, completely different combats, or something like that. So far as I can inform you can be on this core good friend group even in case you are consistently indignant or chilly to them, and the instruction handbook doesn’t point out that the friendship ranges do something in fight. It’s going to change the rapid response they make (and maybe the folks round them). In some instances you’re going to get some objects by guaranteeing selections, and outdoors of the core 5 folks, there are a lot of additional characters that be a part of in case you are pleasant to them.
From what I can inform, “pleasant” is mainly the default response and for those who responded that method in each case, you’d find yourself with nearly all of the additional characters and scenes. So I feel this response matrix is extra for simply attempting to outline your avatar within the recreation in your personal functions, reasonably than as a real sturdy gameplay component. If you’re a whole asshole to everybody you would possibly simply have the primary 5 characters and it might be fascinating to see if the sport could possibly be accomplished that method with out grinding (I feel it most likely might).
I feel the artwork is fairly good they usually went with a extra VN-style of artwork than anime. The dialogue shouldn’t be voiced, though the characters do have small voice clips (like greetings), and in-battle voices for his or her assaults.
The sport is made up of 23 chapters throughout two discs. Every chapter has one or two battles in it. After the third chapter you can even go into the “old skool constructing”, which is basically a grinding dungeon — you do 5 ranges at a time, and when you clear a set of 5 ranges you can begin from there subsequent time. Or you possibly can repeat the primary ranges, as a result of for those who keep within the dungeon with out leaving, you get bonus XP in your subsequent 5 flooring.
On the finish of every chapter, you possibly can select actions for every of your characters besides the primary character, which is able to change their stats.
The alternatives are membership exercise, examine, relaxation, have enjoyable, and discuss. The final one simply enables you to discuss to the particular person and alter their friendship degree. The opposite 4 have results that differ per character, however usually Examine goes to boost spirit (for magic assault/protection), relaxation will increase HP, have enjoyable will increase motion factors, and the membership exercise differs for every particular person.
After all motion factors are a giant factor you need however as you possibly can see within the image above, “have enjoyable” at all times lowers stats as effectively (although completely different stats for every character). This makes a giant distinction per character — I discovered that some characters I might do “have enjoyable” nearly each time with out an enormous downside, whereas different characters appeared to surrender lots to do it. You possibly can select actions for all of your folks, even ones who didn’t take part within the combats for that chapter. (One factor I don’t like is that after you’ve chosen an exercise you possibly can’t change it).
The battles happen on a 3/4 grid view that you could’t rotate, though there’s a button that can present you the place everybody is that if they’re hidden behind an impediment (thankfully that is uncommon).
You at all times start together with your core 5 characters, until there’s a story cause why a few of them will not be there. Some battles could have extra characters which might be dictated by the story, after which you possibly can fill that out with the additional characters — normally to a most of 10 however typically it’s decrease.
The core characters will probably be there at the beginning, and the additional characters are available in at spherical 2. You’ll have the ability to place them the place you need, which may help lots.
The sport then goes in a participant turn-enemy flip system. You are able to do your characters’ actions in any order and even take a part of a personality’s flip after which change to a different particular person. Every particular person has motion factors. Strolling takes a sure variety of factors based mostly on the terrain, and it prices factors to vary dealing with as effectively. Every assault or means prices a sure variety of factors as effectively. There are not any limitations on what number of instances you should utilize a capability every battle (i.e. no MP or TP), it’s simply as much as whether or not you might have the motion factors left over to do it.
Every character has a “subject of view” that impacts their assaults — on this case Daigo can use his strikes on folks to the entrance or sides of him, however not again. Proper of that may be a 3×3 grid that reveals the place the character’s weak factors are (crimson is weak, blue is robust). If you happen to take a look at the checklist of assaults to the precise, you possibly can see what a part of the grid they assault, which you need to line up with their weak factors. Every transfer additionally has a energy, an motion level price, and a variety (though the vary is simply the place you activate the transfer, it’s not concerning the space of impact).
All of this makes it reasonably sophisticated to inform which assaults will probably be efficient (there’s additionally an elemental system), mercifully the designers present you the injury that will probably be completed with the assault so that you simply don’t really must assume all of it out by yourself. Lots of the strikes even have knockback results; for those who knock a personality into one other character, they are going to each take some injury.
Demise shouldn’t be everlasting, though in case your important character dies you get a recreation over (ugh). Anybody else that dies it simply lowers their friendship worth — as I mentioned earlier than it’s onerous to know precisely what impact this has. The one place you need to be sure to don’t do that is when you might have visitor characters within the battle which may be a part of your celebration later. I already missed out on one character as a result of he died within the battle the place he was a (controllable) visitor.
I’ll finish this submit with some data on the 4 core characters (other than the primary character). They’re all third yr highschool college students so that they’re 17 or 18.
Misato Aoi is on the coed council; she has therapeutic and buffing strikes in battle for essentially the most half. She appears to be the fundamental default love curiosity for the primary character.
Sakurai Komaki is a extra tomboyish one that makes use of a bow in battle.
Daigo is a martial arts fighter; he’s additionally very severe and restrained.
Horaiji Koichi is on the kendo membership and is continually flirting and has a really free character.
The fundamental story includes these folks discovering that they’ve supernatural skills and getting drawn up into numerous supernatural occasions. I’ll go into the plot extra and introduce some extra of the characters within the subsequent submit.
