Musya: Imoto's Saga or Musya: The Classic Japanese Tale of Horror, known in Japan as Gōsō Jinrai Densetsu Musya (豪槍神雷伝説「武者」 Gōsō Jinrai Densetsu Musha, roughly "Brave Spearman Jinrai's Legend - Warrior"), is a video game for the Super Famicom and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System by Datam Polystar. Seta U.S.A. translated the game into English.
The name Musya is romanized by the English translators in the Kunrei-shiki style (Musya) instead of the Hepburn romanization style (Musha).
The story is about a pikeman (described as a spearman in the Japanese version and a pikeman in the English version) named Imoto (Jinrai (神雷) in the Japanese version), who must descend to the abyss to save Shizuka, a maiden. After Imoto survives a battle in which all other combatants perish, he travels to Tengumura Village, where he collapses. The mayor, Akagi (The mayor is not named in the Japanese version), greets Imoto and tells him that Shizuka (しずか) needs to be rescued. Imoto heads into Tengumura Cavern (known in the Japanese version as Kihōshōnyūdō (鬼宝鍾乳洞)).
Imoto, bearing 16 units of health (Qi (気 Ki, meaning "life energy")), dies when the health is depleted. He carries up to three lives (命 Inochi). The game starts with three lives; once the life count is zero and Imoto dies, the game ends.
When Imoto defeats a boss, the words "monster defeated" (怨霊調伏 Onryō Chōfuku, "Vengeful Ghost Submitted") appear and the player gains a scroll containing a new spell.
Musya uses Japanese kanji characters in various parts of the game to represent modes and levels. For instance, in the Japanese version of the game, the English-language word "Pause" is not used; instead the word Ippuku (一服, meaning "break" or "to take a break") appears from both ends of the screen. In the English language version, the word "Pause" forms under the word "Ippuku," with the "Pa" under the "一" and the "Use" under the "服."
Levels[ | ]
In game cutscene of the Japanese version
- 1. Kihōshōnyūdō (鬼宝鍾乳洞 "Oni Cave") / Tengumura Cavern
- Boss: Changing Tanuki (化け狸) / Tanuki
- 2. Kodaifunbomeikyū (古代墳墓迷宮 "Ancient Labyrinth Grave") / Catacombs
- Boss: Monkey Rock (猿石) / Daruma
- 3. Chiteikaion'nenbyō (地底界怨念廟 "Hatred Palace of Underworld") / Palace of Hate
- Boss: Fierce liquid (水虎) / Gobo
- 4. Mumeishōnyūdō (無明鍾乳洞 "Dark Cave") / Cave of Darkness
- Boss: Water leech child (水蛭子) / Kappa
- 5. Kodaifunbomakyū (古代墳墓魔宮 "Ancient Evil Shrine") / Catacombs of Akuma
- Boss: Leech child (蛭子) / Haniwa and Medamao
- 6. Chiteikaijukinbyō (地底界呪禁廟 "Prohibited Cave of Underworld") / Cursed Palace
- Boss: Fierce liquid / Gobo
- 7. (Brief Intermission Level)
- Boss: (平家怨霊) / Hannya Shogun
- 8. Mōryōdōmeikai (魍魎洞冥界 "Afterlife Cave of Evil Spirits") / Watery Prison
- Boss: Monster Demon King (魍魎王) / The Evil One
Editing for the English-language edition[ | ]
The game received several edits for the North American edition. For instance, the large testes of the tanuki character were removed for the North American edition. In addition, the manji (卍) shown to reveal the amount of spell scrolls held were edited away.
The Japanese version of the game is one of the few games that uses Japanese numerals. The English version uses Hindu-Arabic numerals.
Japanese dialogue is replaced with English-language dialogue. Several Japanese characters have properties underlined in English subtitles, I.E. the English word "Pause" appears under the Japanese characters that read "Ippuku." "Health" appears next to "Ki" and "Life" appears next to "Inochi."
Attacks[ | ]
The player has five spell attacks. Imoto may hold up to four scrolls of each of the five spells:
- Thunder (雷 Kaminari) - Generates lightning that kills enemies on screen. "Jinrai," Imoto's original Japanese name, means "Spirit/God of Thunder," hence his first spell is Thunder. "Rai" and "Kaminari" are two different readings of the same kanji, 雷.
- Flame (焔 Honō) / Fire Spell - Creates a blaze of fire that kills enemies on screen
- Gem (玉 Tama) / Hero's Soul - Creates a gem that attacks enemies in sight
- Silk (糸 Ito) / Web Spell - Freezes enemies
- Returning (復 Kaeru) / Life Spell - Heals Imoto by adding five points of health
Special attacks[ | ]
When the player obtains a certain scroll, the scroll will randomly lead to one of three effects:
- Asyura (阿修羅 Ashura) - Destruction of enemies on screen
- Dai Kibhi Soh (大吉祥 Daikisshō) - Fully restored health or a bonus life if your health is full
- Kongooh (金剛王 Kongōō) - Temporary invincibility
Credits[ | ]
All of the following credited individuals are employees who created the original games; the names of employees at Seta USA who translated Musya have not been revealed.
- Executive Producer: Yukio Kakei (筧 行夫 Kakei Yukio)
- Production
- Takashi Okada (岡田 隆 Okada Takashi)
- Akiko Togawa (冨川 亜紀子 Togawa Akiko)
- Ayako Sewa (浅和 綾子 Sewa Ayako)
- TSUNTA
- Kagehōshi (荒法師)
- Game Design: DINO RIDER
- Chief Programmer: A. T. A. Sugiura (A.T.A.杉浦)
- Chief Graphic Artist: Katsunori Nakabayashi (中林 勝則 Nakabayashi Katsunori)
- Program Adviser: Suitochi Asakawa (浅川 水斗志 Asakawa Suitochi)
- Music Composer: Seiko Asukagawa (飛鳥川 清子 Asukagawa Seiko)
- Programming
- A. T. A. Sugiura
- Suitochi Asakawa
- Yoshiaki Tejima (手島 義晶 Tejima Yoshiaki)
- Graphics
- Katsunori Nakabayashi
- Takanori Wada (和田 隆則 Wada Takanori)
- Nobuki Kishima (君島 伸樹 Kishima Nobuki)
- Yū Yokoura (横浦 優 Yokoura Yū)
- Visual Demonstration
- Kagehōshi
- Sound Arrangement
- Tenpei Satō (佐藤 天平 Satō Tenpei)
- Naoto Niida (新井田 直人 Niida Naoto)
- Odd Man
- Yūichi Yamaguchi (山口 勇一 Yamaguchi Yūichi)
- Mitsuru Ishida (石田 充 Ishida Mitsuru)