TENGAI MAKYŌ: ZIRIA

天外魔境ZIRIA（てんがいまきょうじらいあ）

Game

Release

1989-06-30

Genre

Battle Adventure Drama Fantasy Discrim RPG

Platform

TurboGrafx-CD
TurboDuo

Rating

CERO A (All Ages)

Plyrs.

Char. Des.

Tsujino Teruyoshi

Art.

Tsujino Teruyoshi

Summary

"TENGAI MAKYŌ" is a computer RPG game series for the PC Engine CD-ROM2, released by Hudson. It is commonly known as "TENGAI." It debuted as the first Japanese-style RPG series in gaming history. The unit of experience is not "level" but "dan."

The project and original concept were by Hiroi Oji, who was leading Red Company (now Red Entertainment) at the time. The "TENGAI MAKYŌ" series is set in the fictional country of "Jipang," around the 16th to 18th centuries, based on the concept of "the mistaken view of Japan from the West." It focuses on the exploits of those who inherit the blood of the "Fire Clan," who have appeared and saved the country from crises since ancient times.

"TENGAI MAKYŌ: ZIRIA" is the first work in the Tengai Makyō series. At the time, CD-ROMs were just beginning to be used for encyclopedias and dictionaries, but the game took full advantage of the large capacity of the PC Engine CD-ROM². It featured animated visual presentations and voice acting, delivering groundbreaking performances for games of the era. Additionally, it drew attention from outside the gaming industry by using three pieces, including the main theme, composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The game is set in the land of "Zipang," located at the eastern end of the world. A thousand years ago, it faced a crisis of annihilation due to the "Demon Tribe" leader Masakado, but warriors calling themselves the "Fire Clan" appeared and challenged Masakado. The battle lasted for one hundred days, and many of the Fire Clan perished. However, after a fierce struggle, the Fire Clan succeeded in sealing Masakado deep underground using the power of "three jewels," bringing peace to Zipang. A thousand years later, the Daimon Church emerges, attempting to resurrect Masakado, and the story begins with the young descendant of the Fire Clan, Jiraiya, setting off on a journey to stop them.

Images

Seichi

The setting of "TENGAI MAKYŌ: ZIRIA" is the Bando region (modern-day Kanto region).
The setting of "TENGAI MAKYŌ II: MANJI MARU" is the Yamato region (modern-day Kansai and Chugoku regions).
The setting of "TENGAI MAKYŌ III: NAMIDA" is the Kyushu direction (modern-day Kyushu region).

Trivia

The English title is "FAR EAST OF EDEN."
In the three works of Series I, II, and III, the "Three Sacred Treasures" of Japanese mythology play a significant role. In this work, the "Jewel" is a key item.
The main characters "Jiraiya," "Tsunade," and "Orochimaru" are inspired by and depicted under the same names as characters from the late Edo period yomihon titled "Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari," published from Tenpō 10 (1839) to the first year of Meiji (1868). In "Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari," Tsunade is portrayed as Jiraiya's wife, while Orochimaru is his archenemy. Ten years after the release of this work, characters with the same names appeared in Kishimoto Masashi's manga "NARUTO," which began serialization in 1999 and has become more widely known worldwide.
In this Japanese-style RPG, the counter for "level" is expressed as "段(dan)".