Tengai Makyō

Far East of Eden (天外魔境, Tengai Makyō^?, lit. "Devil's World Far From Heaven") is a widely popular series of traditional console RPGs that are available in Japan and Taiwan.

Though originally intended to be only three games, it has grown to encompass a number of remakes, gaidens and genre spin-offs across a variety of platforms. Despite its relative popularity in Asian countries, the series is largely unknown in other territories, with only one game released overseas.

Overview

The main series is composed of three separate games within the land of 'Jipang' (a fictional feudal Japan using the name given by Italian merchant Marco Polo), each follows a descendant of the 'Fire Clan' and supporting cast in battles against a range of often comical villains. The stories of the games, though primarily of 'fantasy' fare, also attempt to provide commentary on common misconceptions about Japanese culture by Western societies.

The first game Tengai Makyo: Ziria, released for the PC Engine CD in 1989, was notable as the first RPG released on CD-ROM and the first in the genre to feature animated cut scenes and voice acting. The game's plot was also unusual for its feudal Japan setting and its emphasis on humour; the plot and characters were inspired by the Japanese folk tale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari. The music for the game was also composed by noted musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.^[1]

Creators

The games are largely the creation of Hiroshi Adachi (under the nickname 'Ōji Hiroi') and Red Company (today Red Entertainment). Virtually all publishing tasks have been handled by Hudson Soft (now a subsidiary of Konami).

Most players will note that the series also makes reference to another 'creator', Paul Hieronymus Chada, who is presented as an 19th century Smithsonian sociologist/historian similar to that of Sigmund Freud or Karl Marx. The imagery however is part of a running joke in the series, as P.H. Chada does not exist. He is a fictional 'author' of the stories of the Tengai Makyō series, whose blatant exaggerations of 'Jipang' represent the misconceptions western societies have held with regard to Japan. 'P.H. Chada' is actually the anagram of 'Prince Hiroi Adachi'.

Games in the Series

Core Games

• Tengai Makyō: Ziria - (PC Engine CD - June 30, 1989)
  • Tengai Makyō: Ziria (Remake, iPhone)
  • Tengai Makyou Ziria: Haruka naru Jipang (remake) - (Xbox 360 - March 23, 2006)
• Tengai Makyō II: Manjimaru - (PC Engine CD - March 26, 1992)
  • Tengai Makyō II: Manjimaru (remake, PS2 - October 2, 2006)
  • Tengai Makyō II: Manjimaru (remake, GameCube - Sept. 25, 2003)
  • Tengai Makyō II: Manjimaru (remake, Nintendo DS - March 9, 2006)
• Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku (trans: 'The 4th Apocalypse') - (Sega Saturn - January 14, 1997)
  • Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku (remake, PSP - July 13, 2006)
• Tengai Makyō III: Namida - (PS2 - April 14, 2005)

Other Games

• Tengai Makyō: Fuun Kabukiden - (PC Engine CD - July 10, 1993)
• Tengai Makyō Zero - (SNES - December 22, 1995)
• Tengai Makyō Shin Den - (ARCADE, NeoGeo - July 28, 1995 (NeoGeo), December 8, 1995 (NeoGeo CD))
• Tengai Makyō: Karakuri Kakutoden - (PC-FX - July 28, 1995)
• Tengai Makyō: Kabuki Ittou Ryoudan - (PC Engine CD - February 24, 1995)
• Oriental Blue: Ao no Tengai - (Game Boy Advance - October 24, 2003)
• Tengai Makyō Mobile - (iPhone)

Canceled Games

• Tengai Makyō: Jipang Seven (Browser based game)^[2]

References

1. ^ Kalata, Kurt. "Tengai Makyou: Ziria". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://hardcoregaming101.net/tengai/tengai.htm. Retrieved 7 September 2011. 
2. ^ Tengai Makyō: Jipang Seven cancellation notice

External links

• Hardcore Gaming 101's Tengai Makyō Page
• Tengai Makyō/Far East of Eden series at MobyGames