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Suikoden

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This article is about the video game series. For the first game in the series, see Suikoden (video game). For the Japanese translation of the classical Chinese novel, see Water Margin. For the video game by Koei, see Bandit Kings of Ancient China.

Suikoden
Genre(s)Role-playing video game
Developer(s)Konami
Publisher(s)Konami
Creator(s)Yoshitaka Murayama
First releaseSuikoden
Latest releaseGenso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki

Suikoden (Japanese: 幻想水滸伝, Hepburn: Gensō Suikoden) is a role-playing video game series originally created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The game series is loosely based on the classical Chinese novel, Shui Hu Zhuan by Shi Naian.[1] Shui Hu Zhuan is rendered as 水滸伝 in Japanese, and read phonetically as Suikoden. Each individual game in the series centers on relative themes of politics, corruption, revolution, mystical crystals known as True Runes and the "108 Stars of Destiny"—the 108 protagonists who are loosely interpreted from the source material.

Though the Suikoden games follow an irregular chronological sequence of events, the entire series (except for Tierkreis and Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki) takes place within the same world among continuing and overlapping histories. In some cases, several characters appear in multiple installations.

Games

The Suikoden franchise has been developing games since 1995 and has developed various video game titles bearing the same name. The development team of the Suikoden series started developing games using 2D or two-dimensional graphics primarily used in the first and second games, while they only incorporated 3D graphics on environments and visual effects. Suikoden III however, marked the series' complete shift from 2D to 3D as the game jumps platforms; from PlayStation to PlayStation 2.

The series has the following titles including prequels, sequels and spin-offs from the main series (the main series are in bold). They are arranged chronologically with their release dates:

Suikoden

  • PlayStation: 15 December 1995, Japan; 1996, North America; April 1997, Europe.
  • Sega Saturn: 17 September 1998, Japan.
  • Microsoft Windows: 1998, Japan; 1999 China; 1999, South Korea.
  • Mobile Phones: 2008–2009, Japan.

Suikoden II

  • PlayStation: 17 December 1998, Japan; 31 August 1999, North America; 28 July 2000, Europe.
  • Microsoft Windows: 2003, China.
  • Mobile Phones: 2009–2010, Japan.

Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 1 – Swordsman of Harmonia

  • PlayStation: 21 September 2000, Japan.

Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 2 – Duel at Crystal Valley

  • PlayStation: 22 March 2001, Japan.

Gensō Suikoden Card Stories

Suikoden III

  • PlayStation 2: 11 July 2002, Japan; 24 October 2002, North America.

Suikoden IV

  • PlayStation 2: 19 August 2004, Japan; 11 January 2005, North America; 25 February 2005, Europe.

Suikoden Tactics

  • PlayStation 2: 22 September 2005, Japan (as Rhapsodia); 8 November 2005, North America; 23 February 2006, Europe.

Genso Suikoden I & II

Suikoden V

  • PlayStation 2: 23 February 2006, Japan; 21 March 2006, North America; 22 September 2006, Europe.

Suikoden Tierkreis

  • Nintendo DS: 18 December 2008, Japan; 17 March 2009, North America.

Genso Suikoden Pachisuro

Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki

Timeline

Main series
While the main series is numbered, each individual game takes place either before or after a consequent installation. The second and third Suikoden games were each direct sequels of their respective predecessors but with Suikoden IV, the series began to delve into prequels in which events take place earlier than any of the other games. The sequence according to in-universe chronology is as follows:

Suikoden IV (143 years before Suikoden V and 150 years before Suikoden) → Suikoden V (6 years before Suikoden) → Suikoden (3 years before Suikoden II) → Suikoden II (15 years before Suikoden III) → Suikoden III (168 years after Suikoden IV)

Prequels and sequels
The games Genso Suikogaiden Volumes 1 and 2, though not part of the main series takes place before, during, and after Suikoden II as well as Suikoden Tactics which takes place before and after Suikoden IV.

Elements

Gameplay

In the Suikoden series, the player takes control of a battle party having a maximum of six people (consisting of the protagonist and 5 other characters). The goal of the game is for the protagonist to defeat the opponents who are trying to oppose his/her team. This becomes possible as every game in the series revolves around the recruitment of the 108 Stars of Destiny; wherein the fighter characters recruited from the bunch can be used as members for the battle party; each game in the series have its respective Stars of Destiny. The series practically makes use of running around towns on different islands and into dungeons filled with monsters or enemies. A base or headquarters will also be obtained by the player which is usually abandoned, monster-infested castles which turns into bustling communities when captured.

Battle Modes

The most typical form of battle in the series is the turn-based battle wherein the 6-man team faces the opponents. However, it is not the sole form of battle featured in the games. There are 3 different types of battle present which recurs and have been accustomed to every game. They are: 'Basic Battle', 'One-on-one Duel' and 'Strategic War Battle'.

  1. Basic Battle: It is the most common form of battle. It is when the protagonist's 6-man team will have to battle out. This mode allows the player to control the 6 party members with different commands such as the 'Fight' where the player designates the action he/she wants the characters to perform, 'Run' to escape, 'Bribe' to use the party's money called Potch to bribe the enemy for escape and the 'Auto' command in which the game automatically designates the 'Attack' command for every character.
  2. One-on-one Duel: A battle where only a single character fights and happens only in special events. It is a turn-based duel in which the player chooses command to attack (instead of manually controlled fighting). Duels in the series is typically not time-based except Suikoden V wherein choosing a command is timed for 3 seconds. Duels are usually accompanied by dialogue exchange between the player and the enemy, with the dialogue giving clues to what command the enemy will choose next.
  3. Strategic War Battle: A turn-based strategic battle between the protagonist's side and the enemy. In more accurate terms, this is a battle between armies of the protagonist and the enemy. The protagonist's army is made up of many units which could be organized by the player however he/she desires. Every game in the series has different forms of war battles most notably in Suikoden IV, where the battles are done in the sea. Suikoden V however, is the first game to make use of real-time strategy.

Development

The Suikoden series was created, written, produced, and overseen by Yoshitaka Murayama, who left Konami near the end of Suikoden III's development. Noritada Matsukawa took over as Senior Director of Suikoden III following Murayama's departure. Suikoden IV was directed by Matsukawa as well but was produced by Junko Kawano, who was the chief designer in Suikoden I. Suikoden V was directed by Takahiro Sakiyama, a relative newcomer to RPGs.

Future

In an interview conducted by Japanese website 4gamers.net regarding the RPG Frontier Gate, Konami developers revealed that the Suikoden development team has been disbanded with members scattered about teams within Konami and elsewhere. This led to speculation that the franchise had indeed been abandoned following disappointing sales of the latest entries in the series.[2]

Despite these rumours, Konami presented a trailer for a new Suikoden game on Tokyo Game Show 2011: Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web of a Century (Genso Suikoden Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki).[3] It came out in Japan for PSP on 12 February 2012 to generally lackluster reviews.

According to an article published by The Nikkei in 2015, development on the series has been halted.[4]

World, setting, and concepts

Essentially, each game follows the plot formula of a coup d'état by corrupt power holder(s) and the protagonist is an exile from his/her home. The plot also follows the disastrous misuse of the "True Runes" while the hero struggles, despite overwhelming odds, to bring peace to the land alongside his/her friends, and the climactic showdown with the corrupted True Rune incantation.

The 27 True Runes

The 27 True Runes are powerful sources of all magic and primal forces in the world of Suikoden. Wholly sentient and possessing their own will, the True Runes holds immeasurable power, and are the equivalents of gods in the Suikoden world. Many wars have been fought over them in the past, some instigated by the will of the runes themselves. True Runes are often sought by the powerful and influential due to their shared property of granting immortality to those who will bear them. All bearers of True Runes stop aging and become immune to disease and all other natural causes of death, though they can still die from physical trauma such as accidents or murder.

The True Runes often attach themselves to living beings. Doing so gives the True Rune holder great power over the force the rune represents as well as immortality so long as they wield the rune. Wielding the runes can also have negative consequences, as in the case of one wielder being transformed into a vampire. A True Rune has also taken the shape of a sword, as is the case with the Star Dragon Sword. They can also manifest themselves unattached from a host, as the Beast Rune did during the Highland-Jowston conflict, self-activating and then feeding of its own will.[5]

Known True Runes

  • Sovereign Rune (Suikoden, held by Emperor Barbarossa)
  • Hachifusa Rune (never featured in a game, held by Yuber, and Yuber's Eight Devil Rune is assumed to be related to it)
  • Circle Rune (never featured in a game, held by Harmonia's leader, Hikusaak)
  • Rune of Change (never featured in a game, held by the Sindar's leader)
  • Moon Rune (Suikoden, II, held by Neclord, and then Sierra Mikain)
  • Night Rune (Suikoden, II, and III; its child, the Star Rune, held by Zerase, is present in V) as the Star Dragon Sword, which is wielded by Viktor during I and II, and Edge in III.
  • Beast Rune (Suikoden II, formerly sealed in L'Renouille Palace, location: unknown after Suikoden II)
  • Rune of Beginning (split into the Bright Shield Rune and Black Sword Rune, Suikoden II, held by Genkaku and Han later held by the second Hero and Jowy)
  • Rune of Life and Death (Suikoden I, II, and IV, held by Ted, Ted's grandpa, and the first Hero), also known as Soul Eater
  • Rune of Punishment- was originally a tattoo scarred onto the arms of ancient Japanese executioners, developers used it in a well- known video game after adding a cooler tribal look. (Suikoden IV, held by the Queen of Obel, Graham Cray and his son, Rakgi's father, Steele, Brandeau, Glen Cott, and the fourth Hero)
  • Dragon Rune (Suikoden I, held by Joshua Levenheit, and later Milia)
  • True Fire Rune (Suikoden III, held by the Flame Champion, and either Hugo, Chris, or Geddoe)
  • True Water Rune (Suikoden III, held by Wyatt Lightfellow, and later, either Chris Lightfellow or Hugo)
  • True Earth Rune (Suikoden III; present in Suikoden II, held by Sasarai)
  • True Wind Rune (Suikoden III; present in Suikoden I and II, formerly held by Luc)
  • True Lightning Rune (Suikoden III, held by Geddoe or Hugo)
  • Sun Rune (Suikoden V; its children, the Twilight Rune and Dawn Rune, are also prominent; Sun Rune formerly held by Queen Arshtat Falenas, Dawn Rune held by the Prince, Twilight Rune held by Alenia, Sialeeds, and Lyon)
  • Gate Rune (split into the Front Gate Rune and Back Gate Rune; Suikoden I, II, III, IV, V, Front Gate Rune formerly held by Windy, Back Gate Rune held by Leknaat)

The 108 Stars of Destiny

Main article: 108 Stars of Destiny (Suikoden)

A concept borrowed from the Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan, each Suikoden game has featured 108 characters who band together to ward off a threat.

Geography

The Suikoden series is set in a world with many countries. The political geography has changed over the series chronology; while the most recent game in the setting is Suikoden V, chronologically, Suikoden IV is the earliest game while Suikoden III occurs latest within the time span of the series.

Suikoden, Suikoden II and Suikoden III are set on the Northern Continent, a land mass composed of several regions. Suikoden takes place in the Scarlet Moon Empire, which is located on southeastern coast of the Northern Continent, and is composed primarily of the Toran region, with Lake Toran at its centre. Notable locations in this area include Gregminister, the empire's capital situated in Arlus, the Warrior's Village in the Lorimar region, and the Great Forest. At the end of Suikoden, the empire is replaced by the Toran Republic.

Suikoden II is set in the Dunan region, north-west of the Toran Republic, and initially comprises the Highland Kingdom in the east and the Jowston City-States, a confederation of politically autonomous states, in the west. Significant locations in Jowston include the cities-states of South Window, Greenhill, Muse, and Two River, and the Knightdom of Matilda. Following the Dunan Unification War, the Highland Kingdom falls and it, along with the Jowston City-States unite to form the Dunan Republic. The Tinto region lying in the west, separated from Dunan by mountains, chooses to remain politically independent and becomes the Tinto Republic.

Sharing Dunan's western border and north of Tinto are the Grasslands, which stretch from the centre of the Northern Continent to a small portion of the continent's west coast. The area is composed of the six clans: the Lizard, Duck, Karaya, Chisha, Safir, and the Alma Kinan. Directly west of the Grasslands and bordered in the east by Tinto is the Zexen Confederacy, located on the west coast of the Northern Continent and historically an offshoot of the Grasslands. Important locations include the Zexen capital Vinay del Zexay and Budehuc Castle, which lies close to the Grasslands border in northwest Zexen. The primary conflict of Suikoden III occurs in these areas. The northwestern portion of the continent, due north of the Grasslands and Zexen, is the Knightdom of Camaro and the surrounding Nameless Lands.

The largest country in the north is the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, located in the northeastern portion of the continent. Since its establishment, it has assimilated various neighbouring countries, such as Sanadia, as well as a portion of the Grasslands – the Kanaa clan of the Grasslands became Le Buque under Harmonian rule after the First Fire Bringer War. Notably, the Scarlet Moon Empire originally formed after obtaining political autonomy from Harmonia and taking Harmonia's old capital as its own, renaming it Gregminister, resulting in Harmonia establishing a new capital at the Crystal Valley. Harmonia is also home to the Tower, a location reserved for training and housing members of the Howling Voice Guild.

Other major areas on the Northern Continent include the Kooluk region and Kanakan. The Kooluk region was originally the Kooluk Empire during the course of Suikoden IV and eventually dissolved in Suikoden Tactics to be left as a group of independent settlements. It takes up most of the southern edge of the Northern continent and directly borders the Toran Republic in the east and the Dunan Republic in the north. Off the eastern coast of Toran is the island of Kanakan.

Lying directly south of the Northern Continent is the ocean and several islands, including Obel, Middleport, and Razril. At the end of Suikoden IV, most of these islands are unified to become the Island Nations Federation. The largest island in the area, the Dukedom of Gaien, remains independent. West of Gaien is the island nation of the Kingdom of Zelant.

Due south of the Island Nations is the Southern Continent, a landmass composed primarily of three countries: the Queendom of Falena, and its neighbours, the theocracy of Nagarea in the southwest and the New Armes Kingdom in the southeast. As the setting for Suikoden V, Falena has a large network of rivers and lakes throughout the country and the Ashtwal Mountains in its northern region. Key locations include the cities of Stormfist and Doraat in the west; Rainwall, Estrise, and Sable, located on the Armes border, in the east; Lelcar, Lordlake, and Sauronix in the south; and the Falenan capital, Sol-Falena, and the holy land of Lunas, governed by the Oracle, in the north. Falena has been protected from the militant theocracy Nagarea since the mountain pass between the nations was destroyed, though Armes continues to remain a threat throughout Suikoden V.

Northeast of Falena also appears portion of a landmass of considerable size. West of the Northern and Southern Continents and the Island Nations is a landmass referred to as the Western Continent, of which few details are known. Scattered across the world are mysterious ruins attributed to the lost Sindar race, which is a recurring theme throughout the Suikoden series.

Music collections

The Suikoden games have generally been considered to have soundtracks very well liked by the gaming community, though they have only been released in Japan as of 2007.

A series of arranged soundtracks were released from late 2001–2004. Despite the first being released slightly before Suikoden III and the last at around the same time as Suikoden IV, the music was always taken from music in Suikoden, Suikoden II, Suikoden III, and (rarely) the Suikogaiden side-stories.

Publications, adaptations, and other material

Many publications, such as the Suikoden World Guide and Suikoden Encyclopedia, exist for the Suikoden series, though the majority are only in Japanese. Suikoden and Suikoden II have light novel adaptations written by Shinjiro Hori released only in Japan. Suikoden III was adapted into a manga by Aki Shimizu, which was released in English markets by Tokyopop.

Cameos

The protagonist of Suikoden I is one of the characters in this game.

The protagonist of Suikoden I is one of the selectable characters in this game.

See also

References

  1. ^ Cave, Ronnie. "Hardcore Gaming 101: Suikoden". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 29 October 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ http://www.4gamer.net/games/132/G013230/20110721001/
  3. ^ http://www.siliconera.com/2011/09/17/new-genso-suikoden-game-announced-for-psp/
  4. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (3 August 2015). "New article on Konami paints a bleak picture". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  5. ^ Suikoden II game

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