TATAKAI NO BANKA
( Trojan )
Game Cover
Game
闘いの挽歌
©Capcom 1986
Release: 1986-12-24 (¥5500)
Cartdridge CAP-TA
Action game

American Version
country
Released in America as
TROJAN
( NES-TJ-USA )

European Version
country
Released in Europe as
TROJAN
( NES-TJ-XXX )
Tatakai no Banka (known as Trojan in the rest of the world) is a side scrolling action game by Capcom, and conversion of an arcade game of the same name originally released in 1986. The game is set in the near future where human civilization has been lost - warlords from enchant times have risen from the dead and plunged the world into a dreadful war and into darkness. In this post-apocalyptic wasteland, it's up to a small group of resistance fighters to protect humanity from total annihilation. The player takes control of Ryu, a lone warrior who sets on a journey to infiltrate the enemy's hideout and to defeat the enemy's leader - the evil Akiresu (aka 'Achilles'). He comes equipped with a lethal sword and a shield - this weapon combination is at the core of the gameplay, and the player must strategically block attacks and projectiles before inflicting any damage in order to survive. A sharp blow can also send both weapons flying out of his grasp, forcing him to fight with his bare hands and feet until he recovers them. Various items are hidden throughout the game, such as winged hearts (health), shoes (high jumps), keys (unlock doors) and the extremely rare power icons (upgrade the sword) and speed icon (increases running speed). Some are dropped by defeated enemies, whereas other are hidden inside underground rooms or booby-trapped bonus urns. Tatakai no Banka features seven stages (the first six are divided into two sections each), a two-alternating player mode and an one-on-one two players versus mode.
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Tatakai no Banka (Trojan) arcade Tatakai no Banka (which translates as 'The elegy of battle') was an arcade game originally released in 1986 (picture on the right). The game is better known in the west as Trojan. The Famicom version tested here seems to be the only home conversion ever made until the original arcade game was eventually included in the Capcom Classics Collection released for the Playstation 2 in 2006. As a side note, it seems that the NES port of Trojan was also part of Nintendo Vs. System arcade series. However, the 8-bit port shows significant differences - the arcade game featured special tiles (such as high jumps) which were replaced by traditional powerups, and secret underground rooms were also scattered around the game. Finally, the progress-map and the two-player versus mode are exclusive to the Famicom port. Interestingly, Ryu's alter ego is called Trojan in the Japanese version, which also became the name of the main character in the American and European versions of the game, where he is simply described as the 'Trojan Warrior'.

Teaser text copied from the American version:
Prepare yourself for the exciting confrontation with the ancient evil army. You are at the controls. The fate of throngs of suffering people held hostageby the brutal king's troops await freedom by Trojan! Release your imagination. Grab hold of the controls. For you are Trojan. Happy. Light-hearted. Spirited. Yet, often considered irresponsible. But Trojan...you are a superb physical being who's mastered the martial arts. Fated with relentless energy and determination, you muster courage, embarking on the challenge of invading the enemy's territory to rescue the captives from the army of the evil empire. You manipulate the controls, creating movement of Trojan's protective armored shield and the wielding of his shining sword. As Trojan, you battle knife throwing enemy troops. But watch out, for if you are hit with your opponent's weapons, you would lose your shield and sword, and would fight with your bare hands. Can Trojan and you successfully defeat the enemy and rescue the people of the world? You control their destiny!


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Japanese Guidebook
Japanese Guidebook
Japanese Guidebook
Japanese Guidebook


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Tatakai No Banka (Trojan) manual
Click on picture to enlarge

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After getting a Game Over, wait until the game returns to the title screen. There, hold up and press start to continue where you died.


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In truth, this Famicom port of Tatakai no Banka is overall better balanced than the original arcade game - the difficulty feels fair and the rate of enemies was reduced to manageable levels. But I'm not a big fan of games that use 'up' to jump - well, Famicom controllers only have two action buttons, so Capcom didn't have much choice. But this results in one cheap death after another, and makes the controls feel really stiff. Tatakai no Banka is definitively a game you can't beat in a hurry, and this is especially true in later stages - you will be dead meat if you don't huddle behind your shield and block enemy attacks before striking them with your sword. Tatakai no Banka features a compelling level design with a wide variety of locations, but you'll have to be dedicated and show patience to master the fiddly controls.




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