(enter me through my door)
Me: Man, saving the universe from subspace and defeating an adulthood demon and finally hosting a big Smash Bros convention really wears a guy out. I'm just glad to be home.
Alexis: Me too.
Galleom: Yo, Andy! Have you heard of this game?
Me: What game are you talking about?
Galleom: For some reason, it looks like it never came to America until today, and it was from the 80's.
Me: An 80's game that was exclusive to Japan and has only recently been shipped out to the US? How is that even possible? Unless...I think I found what I should do now.

Newest Intro

DandyAndy1989

Me: Aloha, everybody! It is I, Dandy Andy! And welcome to another review of mine I had in mind! You know, it's been a while since I reviewed a game, and I haven't been able to think of any in mind. And then it hit me...why not play a game that had never seen the light of day outside of its country of origin until most recent years? If you don't know what I'm talking about, then I'll tell you. Today's review is on The Mysterious Murasame Castle.

謎の村雨城

That's right. A Nintendo game that a lot of people have heard of but never played because it was so limited to Japan.
Alexis: (sounding weird) But Dandy Andy! If this game has never seen the light of day outside of Japan, how did you get your hands on it? Did you emulate it? Did you download off some sort of site? Why review a game that's never ever been released in the states? You're a bad man! A bad, bad man!
Me: Well, as a lot of us may know, this game known in Japan as Nazo no Murasamejou has never really been placed on the NES, but rather on its Japanese counterpart, the Famicom Disk System. It was a game that was never released on the NES because some people thought it would bee too challenging for the players in the North American market. I mean, if it was because it was heavily focusing on Japanese culture, that would definitely not be right. And some might say it's also because it's similar to the Legend of Zelda, and that can also be an idea. But this game finally saw itself coming outside of Japan via the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Now, we can play the game that has been sitting there in our friendly neighbors where Nintendo was born. And now it's time to see what makes it tick. Let's do this!

REVIEW BEGIN!

Story

The story of the game takes place in feudal Edo period Japan, and a mysterious meteor has come down on top of one of the castles, bringing a mysterious statue to life. This statue has awoken and taken claim of the four castles of Japan. Upon that, a mysterious new castle has risen known as Murasame Castle, home to many fierce creatures from Hell. And now, you are Takamaru, a lone samurai who must travel to the four castles and stop the evil force that is plaguing your land.
Alexis: Takamaru?
Galleom: Samurai?
Me: Yes, why do you ask?
Alexis: Can we call him Tak for short?
Alexis & Galleom: (singing) Gotta play that
Blast from the past
Samurai Tak
Galleom: Hoo, a-tak!
Alexis & Galleom: Gotta play that
Blast from the past
Samurai Tak
Galleom: Hoo, a-tak!
Me: Takamaru must do away with the four demons that are haunting the castles before he can find the location of Murasame Castle. I wouldn't be surprised if this was adapted into some sort of anime OVA back in the late 80's. I mean, hey, it happened to Fire Emblem, didn't it?

Presentation

Now, on a graphical scale, I am not going to criticize the presentation heavily just because it's a much older game from the time when video game consoles were still a new idea on the marketing line.
Alexis: But you gotta admit, it does look pretty cool for a dated game.
Galleom: So, is this what Japan used to look like?
Me: Something like that. Sure, the sprites aren't too majestic, but they are as close to the Japanese cultural aspects they could get for a console like the FDS. And if you ask me, I like how the old graphics look. I'm one of those few gamers who don't give a hoot on the graphics as long as the story is gripping and the gameplay is solid. Just because the game doesn't look good doesn't mean it won't be. They did their best at emulating the concept of old world Japan. And the land you travel to even changes upon each level you traverse through. You can be running through a forest, a quick mountain area, a snowy field, or even a pond, which I will get to later. And the castles inside themselves may not look too original, but you have to remember that this is because they were trying to relate to Japanese culture and the castle interiors of that time. And even the enemies take notice of being based on creatures of Japanese mythology or bandits from then. I know I may sound like a broken record saying that, but I don't know what else much to say there. I do like how it looked close to feeling like an actual Japanese environment in that time.
Galleom: Did they have any sushi or rice balls for you to collect and heal yourself?
Me: Sushi wasn't even around back then, so no. As for rice balls, I don't know when those were made. But one thing's for sure, they knew how to deliver on making the game represent that period of its country.

Gameplay

Now, this is going to be a bit of a long one, but the gameplay that Murasame Castle brings comes in all sorts of tricks of the trade that you will have to master if you wanna play this game. Because, let me tell you, they weren't kidding when they said this game would be a challenge. Some might say it's an NES nightmare. I don't know if that's possible since it was technically not on the NES.
Alexis: So, it would be a Famicom Fiend?
Me: Sure, let's go with that. Now, let's start with the character Takamaru. Being a traditional samurai, he wields a sword at his side that he will use to attack his enemies. He uses it to attack them for a quick kill and to block their projectiles they throw at them. He can also throw little daggers that he has an unlimited supply of.
Galleom: I never got how you could toss an unlimited amount of something from your pockets.
Me: Neither did I. The daggers are not particularly strong, but they're still good for attacking from a distance. Whenever you kill an enemy, they will sometimes drop a little scroll for you to pick up. That adds 10 points to your inventory. It is the number of how many different projectiles you can throw. Daggers cost nothing as they are the weakest you can throw. Other projectiles include a scythe that you can throw for more distance and a fireball that doesn't try as far as the dagger but does great damage. It leaves you wondering. Do you attack from a distance and take your time, or get as close as possible and blast away? You need to think on your toes in this case. There are also three tablets that you can use to upgrade the tossing ratio of your projectiles. One that allows you to toss them in three splitting directions in the path you're facing, one that shoots four of them, one in each compass direction, and one that shoots three in a straight line for great damage calculation. Personally, the last one will probably be your best choice to go with. You can also find an item that grants you invincibility, but I wouldn't recommend it as it's often located in places beyond those you just cleared out or have very few enemies for you to deal with. There is also a bow and arrow item, but I never figured out what that did. I think it gives you more distance on your shot, but I don't know. You can also pick up sandals to increase your running speed. And there are two special items. One allows you to turn invisible and sneak past enemy lines for a few seconds, and one lets you cast mighty lightning to strike down on all the enemies. But you can only use them up to three times, so use them only when necessary. The game always starts you off with an invisibility scroll when you get a game over and start over, so they are being generous there. And thankfully, you can save the game like you can in the Legend of Zelda. You know, only without having to hold reset before turning the power off. Which brings me to this. You cannot take too much damage. Three hits and Takamaru will be pushing up daisies.
Alexis: Oh. I thought he'd be dead.
Me: You can find items that will allow you to recover health, only from the looks from the sprite, I can't tell what they are. They look like some kind of white box with I think is a type of food sticking out. Well, since we don't have a manual for this, we'll just go with that. And the items can be found either through special hidden gifts or little Tanukis that are roaming around the area. You can attack them and they'll drop the item they're carrying. Thankfully, the items they drop and you find are set every time you play, so you won't have to be hoping for the item of your choosing. The problem with trying to avoid taking too much damage is that you will be facing with a lot of enemies on-screen at a time. The enemy placement is severe! It makes that of Ninja Gaiden look like that of Sonic the Hedgehog! There are little ninjas that will pop out from the background, some of which will throw shuriken, others will throw fire which you cannot block, and others will be flashing indicating they will explode when they are defeated. You do NOT want to attack those up close. Throw a projectile at them or stay away as much as possible! But sometimes, you may have to kill the flashing ninja as some paths are blocked off with mines that will only self-destruct when you get close to them and they start flashing or you kill the flashing ninja in the vicinity. So, they will not be easy to deal with. Also appearing and blocking your way are bandits that either throw bombs or spit fire at you. They will easily get in your way and attack the moment they appear. You'd best move it and then strike with the best reflexes you can muster. And the ninjas in the mountain areas are also a force to be reckoned with as they appear in a horrifying number and will throw stars at you to damage you. You're going to have to run or attack and block as much as possible around them. There is also the tengu enemy that appears in a tornado and attacks with gusts of wind. They can be very annoying, especially when they're in an area you don't want to deal with them in or where the path is blocked off by mines. And those are all the enemies on the outside area. The most aggravating part of the game is probably level 3's pond outside area where you have to get through the waters, but your movement is slowed down by half, but the enemies can move at their normal speed, and that's just a cheap shot if you ask me. How come their movement isn't hindered like mine is?
Cut to Rule of Dumb
Patrick: Life isn't fair, pal! Get used to it!
Back to review
So, you are going to die a LOT in this game. Just thought I'd give you a fair warning.
Galleom: Now, what was this about the enemies on the outside area?
Me: Now that you have asked that, that's where the Legend of Zelda style comes into play. You must start off in a field area near the castle you are traveling to. However, you do not have a map to guide you, so you may end up running into dead ends or loops until you go down the right path. It's the same every time, so if you can memorize the way, you should at least have more than a chance, and a better one than from your first playthrough. Another thing to keep in mind is that you are on a time limit a la Super Mario. So, you can't waste time lollygagging and grinding for items or scrolls. You have to get there before the clock hits zero. When you get to the end, after many frustrating KO's, you will be treated to a game where there are four tanukis. Three of them have special items like 1-ups while one has nothing. If you pick the one with nothing, the game will end. You'll end up picking that one anyway, as you can have a lucky chance to get all three of the ones that have items. This is probably the only aspect that is NOT the same every time. So, choose wisely. After that, you are now entering the castle. And each castle is also like a maze, but it doesn't branch off too much. The enemies here are a bit different. You will face castle guards with swords that can easily be dealt with or annoying guards that spin around with spear weapons called Naginata to block your attack and leave little to no room to hit, thus making it so you have to attack them with a projectile or lightning or while invisible. But the most notorious part of the castles has to be the rooms with the little trolls that fire paper scrolls at you. I don't know what the Japanese call them, but they look like paper. And you can't even block or counter them. They're immune! You have to fight the trolls when they're not firing. And also, the room has fireballs shooting at you, so you're gonna have to be really good at dodging, or really lucky you don't get slaughtered. When you defeat the trolls, the way will open, but the fireballs won't stop until you leave the room. It's a big kick in the groin to have defeated the trolls only to be killed off by a fireball. And you are gonna see these trolls a ton of times to the point that they will become your most feared enemies in gaming history. There's also a fire ninja in the later castles who comes off as equally as annoying as you cannot hit through its fire shield and there's little room to hit him as he constantly throws fireballs at you. And finally, there are rooms where you see what appears to be a shrine maiden. This could be good or bad.
Alexis: Good or bad?
Me: That's right. Because, if it is good and it really is a maiden, you will get an extra life for coming to save her. But if it is bad, it will turn out to be a Hannya, a spirit of a jealous woman, and stalk you throughout the castle until you take it out. If that happens, head back to a room that you cleared out and won't have ninjas popping out to attack you and go to town on it. It has a lot of health, but it will go down eventually as long as you keep firing at it. Throughout my plays in preparation for this review, I kinda had more encounters with Hannya than I did with maidens.
Galleom: I guess you're pretty popular with the Hannya, huh, Andy?
Cut to me at a bar
Me: Say, there. You look a little lonely. You wanna go back to my place and...you know...pitch some woo?
(The lady turns out to be a Hannya)
Hannya: I'D LOVE THAT VERY MUCH!
Me: Oh, another dud.
Back to review
A pro tip. After you have rescued the maiden, or finished off the Hannya, whichever comes, you can check the spot they were in and find an item that will be very helpful to you in the rest of the castle. The bosses are always found in rooms guarded by those damn trolls. The bosses each take a certain amount of hits, but they can't be killed via your sword. You'll have to throw projectiles at them and attack them with them until they go down. The first boss is pretty standard, but the second one summons ninjas to aid him, the third one does that and also splits into multiple copies of himself and you'll have to guess which one is the real one or attack him when he reveals himself, and the fourth one fires orbs that split off in eight directions. You're going to have to be on your toes now more than ever. And when you defeat them, the orb that were their life sources will be released and you take it and the level will be cleared. And after you do that a gruesome grueling four times...

Final Level/Ending

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

So, after dying over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over...
Alexis: ANDY!
Me: ...and over again, you finally make it to Murasame Castle, and it is not going to be a walk in the park on your first time.
Cut to Planet of the Apes
George Taylor: IT'S A MADHOUSE! A MADHOUSE!
Back to review
Me: The enemies in here are ludicrous. Many of them will leap up and attack you, landing on the spot you're on or throwing fireballs at you. And there are a ton of fire bandits in certain paths. There are also bridge guardians that fire off their own projectiles, but they're probably the easiest part to deal with as they can only fire one at a time and you can tell where and when they'll fire. Just him them when they open their mouths and you got them. Heck, they go in a pattern, so if you kill off the one that hasn't fired yet, the next one won't fire at all!
Galleom: Now that's using your head!
Me: I guess the programmers knew having them fire at the same time was a little too much. But the worst part of this area is that some of the puddles you walk through are bloodstained. And if you walk into those, you will not be able to move until you are attacked. So, it's best to stay away from them. However, if you have a pair of sandals on for this area, you can actually move through them no problem. It's a real life saver. And when you make your way through the dreaded castle, you will meet up with the demon statue that has been plaguing all of Japan! And if this is your first time, you are definitely going to go nuts against it. It will fire a 3-way projectile or an orb that will ricochet off the walls and explode upon contact or attempt to counter. You can only attack it when its gaping maw opens up, so you will have to time it just right. Or, of course, you could do it the cheap way.
Galleom: Ooh! I like the cheap way!
Alexis: Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!
Me: You can attack it from the side when it opens up. Your projectiles aren't even fazed by the wall, so you can attack from there if you don't want the frustration to kick in.
Galleom: I bet a lot of people are gonna follow that idea.
Me: But just because the statue is defeated doesn't mean you're done yet.
Alexis: Not done?
Me: No, Alexis! There is still the very essence of the demon that had taken control of it. And it's not a very long way to it. It's a few rooms to power yourself up and heal yourself while avoiding giant eyes that fire eye beams at you. There, you face off against the final boss, the demon possessing the statue. And most of the fight is dodging the eyes that will aid it in battle and knowing when to attack it when its mouth is open. It will breathe fire when it does. Just keep attacking it and eventually, you will take it down. The skies of Japan are brightened once again and a message pops up. And since this game used to be exclusive to Japan, chances are a few people will know what it says. I have no idea what it says myself. To any of you looking at this, if you know what it says at the end, could you tell me what it says? I tried everything and searching all over the place, but found no leads. So, I would appreciate it if you know what it says and told me. Thanks in advance. And the game kinda just does what a lot of old games used to do.
Alexis: And what's that, dare I ask?
Me: It loops in back on itself. So, you'll be playing through this adventure forever.
Galleom: That sucks.

Bonus Content

Alexis: Wait! This game has bonus content?
Me: Well, sort of. And this is bonus content that is 99.99% impossible to obtain given the very nature of this game. And emphasis on the 99 bit, because if you can somehow farm 99 lives total, Takamaru will become eternally invincible! How's that for a big payoff for your big struggle?
Galleom: Now, Takamaru is the most powerful Nintendo character of all time!
Me: I thought that was Pit. Anyway, getting 99 lives is not going to be an easy task, especially with what you have to remember and repeat. Chances are, you're going to be replaying this game for a few days. You'd better get your 3DS charger on stand-by for this. Other than that, I don't think it's worth it as it will just reset upon turning the game off and back on.
Galleom: How would you know? Did you try this before?
Me: Well, no. But the game always starts you off back on the default setting of three lives when you continue from where you left off. So, you can say goodbye to that. And also, when you save your game, you'll now see the names of the people who worked on this game. Didn't show up before, so they'll show up now.

The Struggle

So, what do I have to say about The Mysterious Murasame Castle? I have to say that it does not mess around. It doesn't pull any punches. It's really one of those games that really makes you feel hardcore for beating something like this. One of the biggest struggles of all time was learning the direction to go into, and the other was figuring out the best strategy to take out certain enemies. I know for sure that this game is really gonna be one of those games that fresh players will not want to try out right away. They'll have to train a little before moving onto a juggernaut like this.
Alexis: So, did Takamaru ever get back to his time?
Me: Uh...he was ALWAYS in his time. This is the wrong samurai you're thinking about.
Alexis: Come on, can't you take a little joke?
Me: After struggling through beating this game a couple of times...I guess I could. Just be sure to learn the many things it'll throw at you, people!

Final Verdict

The Mysterious Murasame Castle, AKA Nazo no Murasamejou, has indeed shown me just what it's like to experience a truly intense test of gaming. It was fun, it was nice to see what this game is like after all these years, and I can see why a lot of people like it. Now, this game also got remade into Samurai Warriors 3 for the Wii, but I never heard of that series back then and was unaware that they remade that game. But hey, I'm happy I got the chance to experience the game it was originally portrayed, and that's good enough for me. If you're up for a little challenge, or a big one, then give this game a go and become a true samurai warrior yourself. As for newcomer gamers, I think it's best you get the handle of other games before you try something like this. With that in mind, guys, this game gets my gamer ranking of...Recommend It!

Recommend it

That's about it for today! And now, if you'll excuse me, I've got something to do for June to plan. As always, stay as fine and dandy as always. Till then, I am Dandy Andy. Tootles. (dials up phone) Hey. It's me. Listen...how about next month we get together and, oh, I don't know...pal around for a crossover review or two? (nudges eyebrows)

Alexis & Galleom: (singing) Gotta play that
Blast from the past
Samurai Tak
Galleom: Hoo, a-tak!
Alexis & Galleom: Gotta play that
Blast from the past
Samurai Tak
Galleom: Hoo, a-tak!

DeviantArt

DandyAndy1989 Productions