The Slayers video games are single-player role-playing video game adaptations of the comic fantasy light novel, manga and anime franchise Slayers, released exclusively in Japan between 1994 and 1998. There are two different 16-bit games released in 1994 and titled simply Slayers (including one for the Super Famicom), followed by three 32-bit console games: 1997's Slayers Royal, and 1998's Slayers Royal 2 and Slayers Wonderful. The Royal series' titles are both tactical role-playing games for the 32-bit consoles.
| Slayers | |
|---|---|
 Cover art of Slayers for the PC98 | |
| Genre(s) | Japanese role-playing game Tactical role-playing game |
| Developer(s) | AIC Spirits BEC Onion Egg TamTam |
| Publisher(s) | Banpresto Kadokawa Shoten ESP |
| Platform(s) | NEC PC-9801, Super Famicom, Sega Saturn, PlayStation |
Role-playing games
editSlayers (PC98)
edit
Slayers (スレイヤーズ) was developed by AIC Spirits (additional development by Oniro and Studio Orphee, graphics by Studio Kuma) and published by Banpresto for the NEC PC-9801 on March 25, 1994.[1] It was written by Yōsuke Kuroda, art-designed by animator Masayuki Hiraoka, and composed by Shiori Ueno. In 1996, Slayers was ranked the best RPG on the system in PC Engine Fan reader poll.[2]
Gameplay
editSlayers is a first-person view dungeon crawler role-playing video game in the tradition of Wizardry, using only computer mouse controls. Its story follows the adventures of Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev, aided by up to two more party companions. Together, they explore the dungeons and other locations surrounding the city of Wilnan and fight enemies in random encounters and boss battles. In Wilnan, the player can rest and heal the party, swap or revive characters, and visit stores and story locations.
Additional party members include Slayers and Slayers Special light novel series characters Naga the Serpent, Zelgadiss Graywords, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, Philionel El Di Saillune, Lemmy Martin, and Meena, as well four original characters: Kim, Marin, Junon, and Lass. The third character slot is up for the player's choosing, but the fourth one is reserved for the story-related companions. The player directly controls only Lina and the characters do not level up.
Plot
editThe game begins with traveling Lina with Gourry as they are short of money left due to Lina's habit of her powerful spells inflicting way too much of collateral damage on their jobs, such as with her having just blown up an entire castle instead of just ridding of monsters. Luckily, they learn of a legend according to which a nearby city of Wilnan is the supposed location of the hidden treaure of a giant dragon. Upon reaching the city, they reunite with several of their past companions and begin investigating some areas around the city.
First, they go to some old ruins where get involved in the Chimera of the Year contest by gathering the creatures for young sorcerer Kim, and Lina ends up selling his winning chimera. Afterwards, they go to a nearby forest in the center of which stands a tower full of magic traps, where they encounter bandit girl Marin. Next, they decide to check a canyon and encounter a local girl named Junon who falls in love with Gourry and guides them to her village, which ends up destroyed when Lina's spell accidentally activates a dormant volcano during a lizardmen attack. Finally, they go to an old mine where they are joined by Lass, a mercenary girl who knows Gourry from his mercenary days, and the only survivor of a group that had found the dragon. They also come across both Kim and Marin before reaching the dragon temple, where they witness the dragon being defeated by Kim's chimera controlled by a rich merchant from the city. Lina destroys a magic crystal controlling the chimera, which goes out of control and the group manages to slay it. After the battle, Lina leaves as soon as possible, as she does not want to be blamed for everything that happened.
Slayers (SFC)
editDeveloped by BEC and published by Banpresto for the Super Famicom (SFC) in 1994.
Slayers Wonderful
editDeveloped by TamTam and released by Banpresto for the PlayStation in 1998.
Tactical role-playing games
editSlayers Royal
editDeveloped by Onion Egg and published by Kadokawa Shoten and Entertainment Software Publishing for the Sega Saturn in 1997, and ported to the PlayStation by Japan Art Media in 1998.
Slayers Royal 2
editDeveloped by Onion Egg and published by Kadokawa Shoten and Entertainment Software Publishing for the Sega Saturn in 1998 and for the PlayStation in 1999.
Crossover games
edit- Fantasia Re:Build, a PC and mobile game by DMM games launched in 2020.[3]
- Heroes Phantasia (sometimes written as Heroes Fantasia), a Japan-only role-playing video game developed by Banpresto and published for the PlayStation Portable by Bandai Namco Games in 2012, features the characters (both playable and non-playable) from the anime series Slayers Revolution (as well as characters from nine other anime series).[4]
- Magical Battle Arena, a 2008 action doujin game featuring Lina, Naga, and the Lord of Nightmares as playable characters.[5]
Guest appearances
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2020) |
- Dota & Dota 2
- Elemental Story
- Granblue Fantasy, a mobile role-playing game of which cast Lina, Naga, and Gourry joined in 2016.[6]
- Guardian Tales, a mobile action role-playing video game featured Lina, Gourry and Xellos as playable characters.[7]
- La Tale
- Mass for the Dead
- Puzzle & Dragons
- Ragnarok Mobile
- Tales of the Rays: Last Cradle, an RPG mobile game that featured Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia as playable characters with Xellos as a boss character as well as a costume for Reid Hershel (Tales of Eternia). Before she herself was added to the game in another collaboration event, Naga first appeared as a costume for Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear (Tales of the Abyss).[8] A playable Naga and an enemy boss Xellos were later featured in a second Slayers event.
- Valkyrie Anatomia: The Origin featured Lina and Naga as playable characters in a 2018 collaboration event.[9]
- Langrisser Mobile
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Slayers Release Information for NEC PC98". GameFAQs. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
- ^ PC Engine Fan 2/1996 p.56.
- ^ "Light Novel Anime Crossover RPG Fantasia Re:Build Gets New Details Ahead of Launch". 22 May 2020.
- ^ "The Crossover Cast In Heroes Phantasia Unleash Their Special Attacks". Siliconera.com. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "マジカルバトルアリーナ～リリカルなのはやＣＣさくら達が激突する３Ｄアクション同人ゲーム". area-zero.net. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- ^ ""Slayers" Teams Up with "Granblue Fantasy" Smart Phone Game". Crunchyroll. 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Guardian Tales". www.guardiantales.com. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "Tales of the Rays Meets Slayers in a New Collaboration Event". Siliconera. 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "Lina Inverse And Naga Join Valkyrie Anatomia In A Slayers Collaboration Event On August 13". Siliconera. 2018-08-10. Retrieved 2019-02-15.