Description
So here's an interesting game with an even more interesting history brought back to life in the 21st century by a passionate development team: "Gensei Suikoden Plus"! Before I start, I'll just say it has NOTHING to do with Konami's "Suikoden" franchise (or "Genso Suikoden", though this actually predates it anyway) but left its mark on video game history nonetheless.
The "Gensei" series was originally created back in 1994 by none other than the legends over at Compile and was one of the prominent RPG experiences provided through their "Disc Station" line-up for the PC-98 and early Windows platforms, ultimately seeing seven (7) games and two (2) interactive movies before going on a loooong hiatus in 1998. The main two games were directed and produced by Fubon Kitano and Masamitsu Niitani (aka "Moo Niitani") respectively, and the series covered traditional RPGs as well as a "Zelda-like" and Mahjong. The duo would cover most of the games in the series, but in different capacities and while the franchise was quite popular in Japan (the characters would go on to rival Arle and the Puyo Gang during the mid 90s), it saw lasting popularity across parts of South Korea even after the original Compile folded in 2003 due to its comedic nature and nuanced interactions.
While different games starred different main characters, one of the most recognized and recurring characters was a perverted "Dog Shinobi" named Smash who traveled across the land stopping bad guys, searching for treasures and training to become stronger. "Gensei Suikoden" is actually the last main RPG in the series and was originally released in 1997; the title is actually a pun of the "Suikoden" name (using different characters for the spelling) which itself is centered around the Chinese "Water Margin" legend and has almost nothing in common with it, but literally translates to "Fantasy World: The Tale of the Drunken Tiger". After 1998, nobody expected to see this series again... but then something curious happened - the I.P. was acquired by the South Korean publishers at Daewon Media Co., Ltd in 2023 and the team has been working alongside the fledgling (but well-intentioned) Korean development team at Waycoder Co.,Ltd to revive numerous franchises including "Fortress", "Ragnarok Online" (although this will actually prioritize offline and is dubbed "Project R") and more as well as original projects such as "Dopple". What's better is that, after being trapped in Japan for almost 30 years, the series would finally see some exposure in English for the Nintendo Switch and Steam.
The plot of the game is very simple; the player is placed into the role of Ataho, a highly skilled martial artist of the "Tiger Fist" who is semi-retired at the start of the game as he was tasked with protecting his clan's secrets at Mt. Tiger Cave when a "messenger" comes pleading for him to join the next martial arts tournament being held at his hometown. Ataho sees it as an honor to help represent his village and leaves to return home but strangeness is afoot as the Shadow Fist's plans are unclear and not all is as it seems. On your quest, Ataho will continue his training to grow stronger and is also joined by Rin (Lin) Shang of the Cat Clan and Smash of the Dog Tribe as well as a glimpse of many other characters from the series. For the unintiated, "Disc Station" disks / discs typically continued multiple games or previews and most titles are, by design, very "compact" experiences only lasting a few hours at most. However, "Gensei Suikoden" is one of the best games in the DS lineup as well as the Gensei series because while the game is short, it has multiple endings based on player choice and a lot of secret areas and optional quests that reward player diligence leading to the "true ending". Also, "GS Plus" is not just a significant visual improvement from its 90s version, it also features an expanded story with two additional chapters that try to bridge some gaps and offer a little more bang for the buck, being the definitive way to experience the game (but contrary to what's said, you ABSOLUTELY need prior series knowledge to fully appreciate this game).
Gameplay is linear and typical turn-based RPG fare; you go to a few towns, buy goods, and fight to gain levels. The game has decisions that shape the events fairly often and most areas can't be backtracked to, so you want to make sure everything is done before moving on (or you can rush the game and "clear" it in about 3-4hrs). One caveat is combat actually leans into martial arts, as characters can upgrade skills through repetition, change their stance to disrupt enemies or protect allies, and gain experience from enemies and level-up mid-fight. While it has a few basic QoL features like 2X speed in battle, the game is otherwise largely faithful to the original right down to encounter rates and "Barely Retouched" audio. More in the comments, but this a video showing different things in the game. Enjoy.