The Legend of Kage

Infobox VG
title=The Legend of Kage


caption=Screenshot (NES version)
developer=Taito Corporation
publisher=Taito Corporation
distributor=
designer=
series=
engine=
version=
released=Arcade
^JPN 1984
Consoles
^JPN 1986 ^NA 1987
Virtual Console
^JPN December 19, 2006
^NA February 19, 2007
genre=Action
modes=Single player
ratings=CERO: A
platforms=Arcade, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, Nintendo Entertainment System, ZX Spectrum, Virtual Console
media=
requirements=
input=

"The Legend of Kage" (影の伝説; "Kage no Densetsu") is a 1984 arcade game by Taito and was released for several contemporary home computer systems in 1986. The NES version was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in Japan on December 19, 2006, and in the United States on February 19, 2007. The arcade version also appears on the PS2 game, Taito Legends 2. A 3D remake of the arcade game is included in Taito Legends Power Up for PSP.

The object is for a ninja named Kage (pronounced "KAH-geh") to rescue Princess Kiri from mystical villains. Kage must fight his way through the forest, along the secret passageway, up the fortress wall and through the castle, rescuing her two times (three in the NES version) in order to win the game. Each time she is rescued, the seasons change. The player is armed with swords and shuriken. Grabbing a crystal ball causes Kage's clothes to change to the next level in colour and thereby attain certain powers (red: normal, green: bigger shuriken, orange: bigger shuriken and faster speed). If Kage is hit while in green or orange clothes, he does not die but revert to his normal red clothes. Grabbing a scroll causes Kage to stand still and meditate for several seconds while approaching enemies drop to the ground dead (note that although the scrolls appear in the arcade version, the crystal balls do not). The enemies are:

*Red and blue Shinobis, or evil ninja, using swords and star knives. The red shinobis also use bombs.
*Yohbohs, or magic monks, including a red Yohboh who has cast a spell on the forest to keep Kage from escaping.
*Genboh, the fire-using villain, the leader in the summer stage and can split himself in two.
*Yuki (Yukinosuke Kiri), an evil ninja, the leader in the autumn stage who uses two swords simultaneously to deflect Kage's knives.
*Yoshi (Yohshirou Yukigusa), the evil samurai warlord and leader in the winter stage whose magic confuses Kage, leaving him vulnerable.

Trivia

*Taito released a pseudo-sequel called "Demon Sword" in 1989.
*Recently, an official sequel was announced and released in Japan on March 2008 for the Nintendo DS, promptly named "The Legend of Kage 2".
*In the Manga version of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Bo-Bobo, Don Patch, and Jelly Jiggler use a move called "Legend of Kage Jump" during their fight with Kanemaru. Bo-Bobo even says, "Hey you, give me back my princess".
*A laserdisc game was made by Taito in 1984 called Ninja Hayate has a similar premise to this game and has a protagonist (named Hayate) that looks very similar to Kage in "The Legend of Kage". The game would be later released by Wolfteam in 1992 as Revenge of the Ninja for the Sega CD.
*A Legend of Kage wallpaper is unlockable in Arkanoid DS, which also features wallpapers and levels from several other Taito games.

References

[http://www.world-of-nintendo.com/manuals/nes/legend_of_kage.shtml The Legend of Kage instruction manual] .

External links

*StrategyWiki
*moby game|id=/legend-of-kage|name="The Legend of Kage"
*WoS game|id=0002848