WARNING: SPOILERS
Happy Friday, everyone. Today I’m going to return to the ill-fated Famicom Disk System and talk about a classic for the console: Nazo no Murasamejō, translated to The Mysterious Murasame Castle.
Nazo no Murasamejou was released for the Japan-only Famicom Disk System in April 1986 and was the second game to be released for the system, following The Legend of Zelda. It would be mostly unknown by American audiences until the game’s main theme was included as a song in Super Smash Bros Brawl. Nazo no Murasamejou was also re-released on the 3DS Virtual Console later in its career. Let’s take a look at the game, shall we?
It is set in the Edo Period in Japan. The story describes a mysterious alien creature that has brainwashed several castle lords throughout Japan. Villagers are being attacked by evil ninjas and monsters, too. The president of Japan sends Takamaru, a samurai apprentice, on a mission to find out what is going on.
The graphics of Nazo no Murasamejou are good for the Famicom Disk System with enough detail so you can tell what everything is. The music features really catchy tunes throughout the story. The Japanese folk music that plays during the field levels is probably the highlight of the game. It’s no surprise the music is good for an 8-bit game, however, when you consider the Famicom Disk System’s extra sound channel.
The game is a top-down hack-n’-slash where you control Takamaru with his trusty samurai sword. There are 5 levels in the same, each with a goal to enter the castle and defeat the possessed daimyo lord. The game is of linear layout and you have to reach the end of each level within a time limit. Doing so shouldn’t be a problem if you keep moving right along. However, like most video games, several enemies will try to stop you from reaching your destination, like ninjas, samurais, demons, and other enemies. They will stop at nothing until your character is defeated. The ninjas have different abilities depending on what color they are. Some shoot fire, some shoot shurikens, some are invisible, and some explode!
Make no mistake about it—this is a very difficult game. You only have three pieces of your health bar, and since the screen is often filled with enemies, getting hit will be a very tough thing to avoid. Some ninjas and guards also have projectiles that they are always firing in several directions—you’re guaranteed to get struck by one eventually. You can block projectiles by swinging your sword at the right time, but if there’s a projectile careening behind you, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to block it in time. There are also bombs placed throughout levels and some demons even throw them. If you want to get past them safely, you will either need to run as fast as you can or walk up to them until they activate and run away before they explode.
Ninjas always respawn, so it’s best to just avoid them and continue forward through the levels. However, if you do choose to attack the ninjas, you can obtain power-ups. You start the game with your sword and shurikens, but you can collect shuriken upgrades, like fireballs, larger stars, and the ability to shoot several shurikens in three or four different directions. These power-ups can be useful, but unfortunately, you lose them every time you get killed (which is guaranteed to happen at least once). You only have three lives, but fortunately, you get unlimited continues, which will save your sanity.
You can also obtain power-ups by destroying boxes that are placed throughout the levels. These boxes are can be in plain sight or “invisible,” meaning you have to look for them carefully. There are other power-ups besides the weapon-focused ones. You may find extra lives, extra health, an invisibility cloak, a lightning bomb (which kills most on-screen enemies) and sandals that will allow you to move faster or quickly walk on water. At the end of each level, you’ll be given boxes to break to obtain power-ups. However, strangely, if you don’t break the boxes in a certain order, they’ll disappear, and you won’t be able to obtain every power-up.
Fun fact: if Takamaru picks up 99 lives, he will become invincible. However, again, achieving this is just as hard as the game itself. You will need to completely master the game, and you will need to play through it for at least half a day.
When you enter the castles, the game only gets harder. The castles are still linear, but since there is no map, you’ll be running into one dead end after another. The ninjas will continue to attack, along with samurai and castle guards. The samurai can easily be killed, but the guards’ projectiles are tough to avoid. They’re fired in almost every direction, and each room with guards has at least three guards attacking you. Each castle also has a damsel in distress, and if you find the room they are in, there’s a chance you’ll receive an extra life. Other times, the “lady” could be a demon in disguise, which will reveal itself and chase you around the castle until you kill it.
At the end of each castle, you’ll face the possessed daimyo lord. Each daimyo lord has a distinctive ability—one fires bombs, one fires fireballs, one turns invisible, and one splits into four. These bosses are not any easier than the levels, and they will be difficult to attack them before you’re dead. After you kill the boss, a sphere that was controlling them will appear, which you must destroy to complete the level.
After struggling through four castles, you will face the possessed Murasame statue and then the evil alien itself. After that, the game is over, and peace returns to the village while Ode to Joy plays. Seriously.
Nazo no Murasamejou is a good hack n’ slash, but it’s a little too difficult for those looking for a small challenge. However, if you do want to try it out for yourself, it’s available on the 3DS Virtual Console for around $5 should you not feel like importing it. Just be warned, you’re going to be playing it for a long time.
Rating: 8/10