Shuihuzhuan: Liangshan Yingxiong

Shuihuzhuan: Liangshan Yingxiong description

Wonderful and not a bit too old for the 1997 RPG-fighting game based on one of the classic Chinese literary works. Previously released products based on the literary works of the genre UNL (武俠). For example, this is the game The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, created by the eponymous book by the famous Hong Kong writer Jin Yoon (金庸). But there is another equally heroic literary work in Chinese culture...

We are talking about the book, written in the XVI century: it is one of four so-called classical Chinese novels – a work "the water margin" (水滸傳), author – Shi Niang (施耐庵). By the way, it is believed that this novel was first written in the genre of UNL. It tells about the life 108 noble, politically correct speaking, adventurers, living on the slopes of mount Liang (梁山). For obvious technical reasons, the authors of the game are unable to provide us with all the characters, so you can try to fight only four main ones. So, who are they?...

The first one is Lin Chung (林冲) is a young warrior, armed with a spear. The following character – Lou Jicheng (鲁智深), his face "barmeister" look, he is armed with a wide forked blade attached to the end of long sticks. Even among these rough men have the perfect "flower" – a girl named Jin er (錦兒), it with two hoops looks just like a member of team China in gymnastics, but this appearance is deceptive: the girl is as strong a martial arts master as the rest. And the last hero of this game – Yang Zhi (楊志), experienced a courageous warrior armed with a sword.

The game's graphics done in Chinese maximum artistic style - well, just everything looks like on genuine white rice paper. And almost all the characters in the game have a stylized cursive font with a brush, so even disassemble them people who start to learn Chinese writing will be quite difficult. The texts of the dialogues between the characters and the introductory description is made more readable printed style will be Deprived, but it is also tiring on the eyes.

In General, the format of the fights and movements similar to the implementation of another Chinese RPG game – Legend of Power Book (1992), however, is exactly the opposite. The proportion of RPG/Fighting in this game is different from Legend of Power Book to the other extreme side of fighting games a lot, and role-playing component added to a minimum. Still there is a nice difference: in battle added an extra dimension into the screen, and the enemy thus can be circumvented. In the Legend of Power Book plus coordinate was available only in the mode of movement, and in the battle it was impossible to get around an opponent. Characters can fight with weapons and a variety of techniques that can pick up and use various items. Modes of movement and fighting are a single unit, so combat jumps are also used to overcome obstacles (fences, broken bridges, etc.). The enemy is a variety of categories and types. Basically it will be brigands, beggars, urban bandits, and there is even a fun water demons, emerges from the water and spitting some vomit. The passage is very simple. Fighting in fighting games until all the "bad" will not be killed, then moving on a little area further, yet again, will not find another "romantics," the high road, etc.

The game implemented a multiplayer "co-op". In the main menu you can select modes: one player, playing two or even three. But now the bad news – about management, mutilated such technical solutions. In General, it is clear that the game was ported from console version (probably Japanese), and so the management for multiple users everything is well, just sad. After all, the original management was with the joystick. To implement such a task in easy to process on a standard keyboard is almost impossible. The main shock keys to characters: Tab J. the displacement of the first character: Q, W, E, A, S, D (this is analogues arrows to move the cursor in menu), motion of the second character: the same alignment in the vicinity of a key K, and the third movement is not found (he had a stroke Tab). Enter the control code in the beginning of the game is confirmed not Enter, and Tab. However, this combination of poor management still does not discourage the desire to play at least alone.

The musical theme in the game, as befits the Taiwan games made in great heroic style. Sometimes "interrupt" notes from the other well-known melodies, which have become "classics" in fighting games, is, of course, the theme music from Mortal Kombat. Animation figures are very high quality, even you can see them tense breath during the battle. Graphic resolution on the choice of the player is 320x240 or 640x480. Despite the difficulties with the Chinese language and obscure Chinese characters, a normal player will probably be able to play in a game in which vividly realized the great essence of Chinese martial arts, literature, calligraphy and painting.

Not sure how to pass your time, why not play our classic videogame Shuihuzhuan: Liangshan Yingxiong online? And the best part, it is for free!

Source: Archive.org, Mobygames.com