Tenchu
Encyclopedia
Tenchu is the title of a stealth game series of video games originally developed by Acquire
wherein the player assumes the role of a ninja
.
The title in Japanese literally translates in English as: "Divine Retribution", with 天 (ten), meaning heaven and 誅 (chu), meaning death penalty (another translation of this phrase, Wrath of Heaven is the title of the first PlayStation 2
entry in the series).
and Ayame
, who have been both members of the Azuma ninja clan since childhood. The two ninja serve the heroic Lord Gohda and work for him as his secret spies to root out corruption and gather intelligence in his province. However, the evil demonic sorcerer Lord Mei-Oh sought to destroy Lord Gohda, and using his demon warrior Onikage, wreaked havoc throughout Lord Gohda's province. Although Mei-Oh was killed in the first game, Onikage appeared in all subsequent games (except Fatal Shadows) as the archenemy of the two ninja, especially Rikimaru. Another major character who shows up frequently is Princess Kiku, Lord Gohda's daughter who is often the damsel in distress
.
The storyline has been continuously expanded with the release of newer Tenchu games:
Unrelated to main storyline are: Tenchu: Fatal Shadows
, Tenchu: Time of the Assassins
, Tenchu: Dark Secret
, Tenchu Z and Shadow Assault: Tenchu
.
' s "Soliton Radar").
named "Izayoi" and a scar over his right eye. He is physically stronger than Ayame but relatively slower. Ayame is a kunoichi
or female ninja who wears standard ninja clothes with her midriff exposed. She carries a pair of kodachi
. She is faster and could perform more combos than Rikimaru, but is the weaker of the two.
purchased the rights to this game from Sony Music Entertainment
, who originally published the game in Japan. However, Activision sold the rights to the Japanese game publisher From Software
in 2004.
From Software's rights agreement does not include games previously published by Activision. From Software licensed distribution of Fatal Shadows to Sega
and Tenchu Z to Microsoft
.
(1998)
Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins
(2000)
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven
(2003)
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
(2008)
(2004)
Tenchu: Time of the Assassins
(2005)
Tenchu: Dark Secret
(2006)
Tenchu Z (2006)
Shadow Assault: Tenchu
(2008)
There was an additional Japan-exclusive release for Tenchu on the PlayStation. One hundred of the best competing levels designed with the level editor of Tenchu: Shinobi Gaisen (an expanded version of Tenchu re-released in Japan) were put together to form a stand-alone, non-story based expansion set called Tenchu: Shinobi Hyakusen. The engine and game fundamentals remained unchanged. Shinobi Hyakusen is still famous for the hardest level settings among Tenchu fans, especially because of the tight time limits and the overall lack of the items, excluding the caltrops and the throwing stars. No North American or European versions were released however.
Several games were also ported to mobile phones with graphic changes. This includes: Tenchu: Ayame's Tale 3D which was released for The Sony Ericsson mobile phone series and Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven by TKO-Software and Digital Bridges which was released for mobile phones in 2005, although it used two-dimensional graphics.
featured the Tenchu series on the list of Top 10 Ninja Games Of All Time.
Acquire (game developer)
is a video game developer based in Japan, mainly known for their Tenchu and Way of the Samurai series.-Tenchu series:*Dimensional Ninja Action Movie: Tenchu *Tenchu: Stealth Assassins *Tenchu: Shinobi Gaisen...
wherein the player assumes the role of a ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
.
The title in Japanese literally translates in English as: "Divine Retribution", with 天 (ten), meaning heaven and 誅 (chu), meaning death penalty (another translation of this phrase, Wrath of Heaven is the title of the first PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
entry in the series).
Storyline
The series takes place in 16th-century feudal Japan. The original story (Stealth Assassins) revolves around two ninja, RikimaruRikimaru
Rikimaru is a fictional character in the Tenchu video game series. He is featured in every game in the series, including as a player character in most of them...
and Ayame
Ayame (Tenchu)
Ayame is a player character in the Tenchu video game series, and on of its two main characters along with Rikimaru. She is featured in all Tenchu games except of Tenchu Z.-Character biography:...
, who have been both members of the Azuma ninja clan since childhood. The two ninja serve the heroic Lord Gohda and work for him as his secret spies to root out corruption and gather intelligence in his province. However, the evil demonic sorcerer Lord Mei-Oh sought to destroy Lord Gohda, and using his demon warrior Onikage, wreaked havoc throughout Lord Gohda's province. Although Mei-Oh was killed in the first game, Onikage appeared in all subsequent games (except Fatal Shadows) as the archenemy of the two ninja, especially Rikimaru. Another major character who shows up frequently is Princess Kiku, Lord Gohda's daughter who is often the damsel in distress
Damsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
.
The storyline has been continuously expanded with the release of newer Tenchu games:
- Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth AssassinsTenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth AssassinsTenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins is a stealth game developed by Acquire and published by Activision in North America and Europe and Acquire in Japan for the PlayStation in 2000.-Plot:...
is the prequelPrequelA prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to Stealth Assassins which depicts Rikimaru and Ayame as teenagers first being taught the ways of the ninja by their master Shiunsai, this game also indicate their fellow ninja and former master of the Azuma clan Tatsumaru. - Tenchu: Stealth AssassinsTenchu: Stealth AssassinsTenchu: Stealth Assassins is a stealth game developed by Acquire and published by Sony Music Entertainment inc. in Japan and Activision in North America and Europe for the PlayStation in 1998....
is the continuation of Birth of the Stealth Assassins. This story takes place after Tenchu 2, which is set 7 years earlier. - Tenchu: Wrath of HeavenTenchu: Wrath of HeavenTenchu: Wrath of Heaven is a stealth game developed by K2 LLC and published by Activision in North America and Europe and From Software in Japan for the PlayStation 2 in 2003....
is the continuation of Stealth Assassins. - Tenchu: Shadow AssassinsTenchu: Shadow AssassinsTenchu: Shadow Assassins is a stealth game developed by Acquire for the Wii and From Software for the PSP and published by From Software in Japan and Ubisoft in North America and Europe for Wii and the PlayStation Portable in 2008.-Story:In the land of Lord Gohda, peace has not been fully restored...
is the continuation of Wrath of Heaven.
Unrelated to main storyline are: Tenchu: Fatal Shadows
Tenchu: Fatal Shadows
Tenchu: Fatal Shadows , is a stealth game developed by K2 LLC and published by From Software in Japan and Sega in North America and Europe for the PlayStation 2 in 2004.- Plot :...
, Tenchu: Time of the Assassins
Tenchu: Time of the Assassins
Tenchu: Time of the Assassins is a stealth game in the Tenchu series. developed by K2 LLC and published by From Software in Japan and Sega in Europe for the PlayStation Portable in 2005....
, Tenchu: Dark Secret
Tenchu: Dark Secret
Tenchu: Dark Secret is a stealth game in the Tenchu series, developed by From Software and published by From Software in Japan and Europe and Nintendo in North America and Australia for the Nintendo DS in 2006....
, Tenchu Z and Shadow Assault: Tenchu
Shadow Assault: Tenchu
Shadow Assault: Tenchu is a downloadable video game in the Tenchu series for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade, developed and released by From Software in 2008.- Gameplay :...
.
Gameplay
The game perspective is third-person. There are numerous items to help the ninja on his/her mission, but unlockable items can be acquired if the player gets a "Grand Master" rating at the end of the level by being as stealthy as possible. Items and controls vary from game to game, but the gameplay is essentially the same throughout with the exception of Tenchu: Shadow Assassins. Stealth is a very important element in the game, where players have to duck, crouch, and hide behind walls to avoid detection. Enemies can be killed with one manoeuvre by using Stealth Kills, and a player can avoid detection by using the Ki meter. The larger the number, the closer the player's position to an enemy. If a player is spotted, the Ki meter will turn red, the enemy will alert everyone in the area, and the player is forced to fight hand-to-hand or hide somewhere until the enemies give up their search and resume their patrol routes (similar to Metal Gear SolidMetal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
Characters
The main characters of the Tenchu series are Rikimaru and Ayame. Rikimaru is a tall, silver-haired ninja with a single ninjatoNinjato
The , also known as or , is the most common name for the sword that the ninja are portrayed to have carried by ninja in television and movies. Historically, there is no physical evidence for the existance of this weapon. In reality, the katana was probably the ninja's weapon of choice...
named "Izayoi" and a scar over his right eye. He is physically stronger than Ayame but relatively slower. Ayame is a kunoichi
Kunoichi
is the term for a female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu .-Etymology:The term is thought to derive from the names of characters that resemble the three strokes in the kanji character for ; said in the order they are written: ku - no - ichi...
or female ninja who wears standard ninja clothes with her midriff exposed. She carries a pair of kodachi
Kodachi
A , literally translating into "small or short tachi ", is a Japanese sword that is too long to be considered a dagger but too short to be a long sword...
. She is faster and could perform more combos than Rikimaru, but is the weaker of the two.
Games
ActivisionActivision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
purchased the rights to this game from Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, who originally published the game in Japan. However, Activision sold the rights to the Japanese game publisher From Software
From Software
is a Japanese video game company founded in November 1986 known primarily for being the developers of the Armored Core, Demon's Souls, King's Field, Otogi and Tenchu series.-Games:...
in 2004.
From Software's rights agreement does not include games previously published by Activision. From Software licensed distribution of Fatal Shadows to Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
and Tenchu Z to Microsoft
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
.
Main series
Tenchu: Stealth AssassinsTenchu: Stealth Assassins
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins is a stealth game developed by Acquire and published by Sony Music Entertainment inc. in Japan and Activision in North America and Europe for the PlayStation in 1998....
(1998)
- Platform: PlayStation (console)PlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
- Developer: AcquireAcquireAcquire is a board game designed by Sid Sackson.The game was originally published in 1962 by 3M as a part of their bookshelf games series. In most versions, the theme of the game is investing in hotel chains. In the 1990s Hasbro edition, the hotel chains were replaced by generic corporations,...
- Publisher: Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, ActivisionActivisionActivision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins
Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins
Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins is a stealth game developed by Acquire and published by Activision in North America and Europe and Acquire in Japan for the PlayStation in 2000.-Plot:...
(2000)
- Platform: PlayStation
- Developer: Acquire
- Publisher: Activision
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven is a stealth game developed by K2 LLC and published by Activision in North America and Europe and From Software in Japan for the PlayStation 2 in 2003....
(2003)
- Platform: PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, PlayStation PortablePlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, mobile phoneMobile phoneA mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator... - Developer: K2K2K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...
- Publisher: Activision, From SoftwareFrom Softwareis a Japanese video game company founded in November 1986 known primarily for being the developers of the Armored Core, Demon's Souls, King's Field, Otogi and Tenchu series.-Games:...
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins is a stealth game developed by Acquire for the Wii and From Software for the PSP and published by From Software in Japan and Ubisoft in North America and Europe for Wii and the PlayStation Portable in 2008.-Story:In the land of Lord Gohda, peace has not been fully restored...
(2008)
- Platform: WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, PlayStation PortablePlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004... - Developer: Acquire, From Software
- Publisher: From Software, UbisoftUbisoftUbisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
(Europe/North America)
Spin-offs
Tenchu: Fatal ShadowsTenchu: Fatal Shadows
Tenchu: Fatal Shadows , is a stealth game developed by K2 LLC and published by From Software in Japan and Sega in North America and Europe for the PlayStation 2 in 2004.- Plot :...
(2004)
- Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
- Developer: K2
- Publisher: From Software, SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
Tenchu: Time of the Assassins
Tenchu: Time of the Assassins
Tenchu: Time of the Assassins is a stealth game in the Tenchu series. developed by K2 LLC and published by From Software in Japan and Sega in Europe for the PlayStation Portable in 2005....
(2005)
- Platform: PlayStation Portable
- Developer: K2
- Publisher: From Software, Sega
Tenchu: Dark Secret
Tenchu: Dark Secret
Tenchu: Dark Secret is a stealth game in the Tenchu series, developed by From Software and published by From Software in Japan and Europe and Nintendo in North America and Australia for the Nintendo DS in 2006....
(2006)
- Platform: Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
- Developer: Polygon Magic
- Publisher: From Software, NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Tenchu Z (2006)
- Platform: Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
- Developer: K2
- Publisher: From Software, Microsoft
Shadow Assault: Tenchu
Shadow Assault: Tenchu
Shadow Assault: Tenchu is a downloadable video game in the Tenchu series for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade, developed and released by From Software in 2008.- Gameplay :...
(2008)
- Platform: Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
- Developer: From Software
- Publisher: From Software
There was an additional Japan-exclusive release for Tenchu on the PlayStation. One hundred of the best competing levels designed with the level editor of Tenchu: Shinobi Gaisen (an expanded version of Tenchu re-released in Japan) were put together to form a stand-alone, non-story based expansion set called Tenchu: Shinobi Hyakusen. The engine and game fundamentals remained unchanged. Shinobi Hyakusen is still famous for the hardest level settings among Tenchu fans, especially because of the tight time limits and the overall lack of the items, excluding the caltrops and the throwing stars. No North American or European versions were released however.
Several games were also ported to mobile phones with graphic changes. This includes: Tenchu: Ayame's Tale 3D which was released for The Sony Ericsson mobile phone series and Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven by TKO-Software and Digital Bridges which was released for mobile phones in 2005, although it used two-dimensional graphics.
Reception
In 2010, CraveOnlineCraveOnline
CraveOnline is a male lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company AtomicOnline, the publishing division of Evolve Media Corp.- History :...
featured the Tenchu series on the list of Top 10 Ninja Games Of All Time.
See also
- List of ninja video games
- Shinobido: Way of the Ninja - a 2006 PS2 game with similar gameplay and stealth/action principals, also developed by Acquire.