Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action Longplay (PC Engine CD) [QHD]

Game Info
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Developer: naxat soft
Publisher: naxat soft
Year of Release: 1994

Game Review & Impressions
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When you look at the library of titles for the PC Engine/TurboGrafx, the beat 'em up is certain an underrepresented genre. Platform games and, in particular, shoot 'em ups are ten-a-penny for the console, but fighters? Not so much. Kaze Kiri is one of the few brawlers I've played on the system, and even this was released exclusively in Japan for the PC Engine CD expansion unit, limiting it's release even further.

The game's plot, as depicted during the opening cutscene, involves saving Princess Shizuhime from the clutches of Lord Hiei. Kaze, the titular hero of the piece, is despatched to rescue said princess, and must call on all this ninjitsu skills if he is to succeed. Each stage involves beating a set number of opponents, visualised through the health bar to the top right of the screen. Once the bar is empty, travelling to the far left or right of the stage will trigger the boss, whom you must defeat to proceed to the next area. The bosses typically have a specific weakness which you'll need to discover and exploit, although I found them to be relatively simple in most cases, at least when compared to other games which use a similar mechanic; only in the latter stages does the game throw bosses at you that require a more considered approach.

What is most impressive is how the developers managed to cram so many different moves into a control scheme with just two buttons and a directional pad. It won't take long before you're chaining sword swipes, back flips and dash attacks into a dance of death that looks and feels just incredibly satisfying. It also helps considerably that your health recharges gradually, and that front and reverse flips make you invulnerable for the duration of the animation. Seldom do games afford the player such niceties, but Kaze Kiri is an exception; it enriches the experience considerably.

Despite being a tad repetitive, I had a great time with Kaze Kiri. Presentation is to a high standard, featuring some great graphics and animation, and the fighting is very satisfying. Playing the game on normal difficulty is preferable to hard mode (shown here), since enemies are fewer in number and block less often, which streamlines the experience. Overall, this is a fun game and definitely a highlight in the PC Engine's limited selection of beat 'em ups.

Chapters
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0:00:00 Introduction
0:04:41 Stage 1
0:08:29 Stage 2
0:16:24 Stage 3
0:21:59 Stage 4
0:27:02 Stage 5
0:31:24 Stage 6
0:37:48 Stage 7
0:41:30 Stage 8
0:45:34 Stage 9
0:54:17 Stage 10
0:58:09 Stage 11
1:02:46 Stage 12
1:04:05 Final confrontation
1:08:44 Good Ending
1:12:20 Bad Ending