Sakura Taisen
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| Genre: Dramatic Adventure | |
| Developer: Red Company and Sega | |
| Publisher: Sega | |
| Original Platform: Sega Saturn (September, 27, 1996) | |
| Ports: Sega Dreamcast | |
| Sony PSP (As Sakura Taisen 1&2) | |
| Windows PC | |
| Sony PS2 Remake(Atsuki Chishio ni) | |
| Remake for imode cellphones (Sakura Taisen Mega Game) | |
| Number of Players: 1 | |
| Buy the Saturn Version at Play Asia | |
| Buy the Dreamcast Version at Play Asia | |
| Buy the PSP Version at Play Asia |
1996 was a big year for both video game and anime fans; Shin Seki Evangelion, a series that would forever change western perceptions of anime and become a major franchise, had just finnished it's run, Sailor Moon was also nearing it's end with the Sailor Stars series. Other future classics were just beginning,
like Ruroni Kenshin and Kodomo No Omocha. On the Video game side Squaresoft challanged our preception of console RPGs and the Mario franchise, with Super Mario RPG. It was a great year to be a fan, and it was in that climate that the Sakura Taisen franchise was born.
Sakura Taisen was really unlike any game that had come before, it took the elements of popular anime and put the main character on the driver's seat giving him the role of the main character. It combined turn based strategy, and dating sim/visual novel story telling, to completely simulate an anime from start to finish. You played through
episodes, and saved at eyecatches. It also drew on a rich cultural and historical background.
It is the 1920s, Tokyo is propserous thanks to steam powered technology, but it is still rebuilding from the war against the Kouma Demons.
You play as Oogami Ichiro, a recently graduated naval officer, who has been assigned his first command, the prestigious
position of commanding the Teikoku Kagekidan(帝国華撃団） Imperial Assault Troupe, and defending the capitol against future demon invasions.
The only problem is once you arrive you find out it's not an Assault Troupe, it's an all-female Operetta Troupe, a different spelling of
Teikoku Kagekidan (帝国歌劇団), run by an old retired general, who just asked his army buddies to send him some help. Of
course you eventually learn this is just a cover for the Assault Troupe after all. You have to command a team of 6 very
special and spirited girls from different countries chosen for their spiritual power and ability to pilot the special
Koubu Armour, get them to work as a team, save the world and of course find true love with one of them... all in a days
work.
A story that has it all, tragedy, action, romance and just the right ammount of comedy...
Sakura Taisen is a classic that scored number 13 on Famitsu's reader's choice top 100 games of all time. And well worth checking out.
| GAME INFO | GAMEPLAY | MEDIA |
| Game Credits | Gameplay Basics | Screencaps |
| Reviews | Walkthroughs | Official Art |
| Suggested Links | Maps | Videos |
| Unit/Move Info | Sounds |
