Hagane [Model SHVC-AHGJ-JPN]

鋼 HAGANE © 1994 Hudson Soft.
(Hagane)

Hagane is an intense ninja-action platform game developed by Red and published by Hudson Soft. The game takes place in a futuristic steam-punk world distinctly themed on Feudal Japan. The Koma clan has plotted to turn the world into dust and their army is now ready to launch a scathing attack. The Fuma clan was severely defeated by the invader, but a wounded warrior survived the fierce assault - Hagane (meaning steel) used to be human, but he was turned into a machine by the old priest Momochi in order to survive his fatal condition. Now encased in a cyborg shell, his ninja skills and spiritual powers are humanity's last hope. Hagane can run, jump and do forward and backward flips. He comes equipped with an arsenal of weapons - the short range Katana sword and the throwing chain can be both used at will (the latter is especially useful to grapple onto ceilings and walls, and to climb to higher grounds), whereas the explosives and Suzaku Shurikens come in limited quantities and must be replenished periodically. A limited special attack can also be unleashed to clean surrounding enemies in the blink of an eye. Hagane can use a vast array of special moves - shoulder buttons activate forward and backward flips, but pressing Y or B while charging these flips triggers special attacks, such as a flaming kick or a powerful flaming dragon punch. He can also jump and dash in the air - this last move is at the core of the gameplay and allows the mechanical ninja to escape many of the challenges the Koma clan throws at him. Hagane consists of five large areas, each divided into several sub-stages and featuring multiple mini-bosses.