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Devil Kings, known in Japan as Sengoku Basara
(戦国BASARA), is a video game for PlayStation 2 first published on July 21,
2005 by Capcom.
Visually similar to the Samurai Warriors series,
Sengoku Basara takes place during the Sengoku Period, or Warring States Period,
during which Japan was split
into many minor states battling over power and land. The game
features two historical warlords as the main characters: Sanada Yukimura
and Date
Masamune. Devil Kings' main character is the Devil
King (Oda Nobunaga
in Sengoku Basara).
Staff and
cast
Staff
Characters
and actors
Localization
An extract from IGN.com interview with Capcom's Hiroyuki
Kobayashi:
- Kobayashi: In Japan, Devil Kings is called Sengoku Basara,
and it focuses on Japanese history in the same sense that Dynasty
Warriors focuses on Chinese history. So it's similar in that sense,
but with a Capcom style, a Capcom flair to it. We took the concept,
and said, "What can we do to differentiate this to make this
different from the Dynasty Warriors games?" And we decided the
secret maybe lay in some other games Capcom has done. We said,
"Let's give the characters a kind of Devil May Cry flair -- some
really cool moves, like the kind of things you might see in Devil
May Cry. Let's the characters and make them all vastly and
distinctly different from one another, like Street Fighter II."
That's the Japanese version. Then, we said, "Okay, let's release it
in North America -- what can we do to make it different again?" So
we said, "Okay, we'll make it dark." Call it Devil Kings. The main
character sold his soul to the devil. We'll darken up the
background, give more moves, more ability to power your character
up, and things like that for the American market.
- IGN: Plus it's not historically accurate?
- Kobayashi: The Japanese version of the game is based on
Japanese history. There are some fantasy elements that didn't
actually happen, of course, but enough of it is there. With the
U.S. version, we've taken that element out entirely. Some of the
backgrounds may retain that eastern flair. Many of them don't and
are brand new; many of the enemies are brand new; and it's no
longer based around the idea of feudal Japan at all. That part of
the game has now been changed to be darker, devilish.
Some significant gameplay changes were made to the Western
versions of the game. The difficulty levels were shifted to make
the game more difficult, with Easy becoming the Japanese Normal,
Normal becoming Japanese Hard and so on. Also, the fighting system
was modified, adding an element called "Priming". One of the
characters special attack was made the priming attack, and used
that attack to "Prime" enemies making them more susceptible to
damage and allowing for higher combo chains. Primed enemies are
denoted by yellow health bars with circles around them (however, if
the health bars are disabled, the circles remain). One's priming
attack is somewhat weaker than their regular attacks.
Original
characters
In Devil Kings, all Sengoku references are removed.
However, there are some important references to Mexican history, as evidenced by the use of
Spanish text in Q-Ball's stage.
Playable
characters
- Date
Masamune
-
- Devil Kings name: Azure Dragon
- His element is lightning
- The ruler of the Date clan known as the Dokuganryū (One-Eyed
Dragon). He is a cocky, ambitious warlord whose mannerism is very
close to Dante of Devil May Cry's fame. He also tends to
speak in a mixture of English. Usually wields a single
katana, but he can store and fight with six swords at once (three
in each hand, held between the fingers). He is also depicted in a
rivalry with Sanada Yukimura.
- Masamune is one of five previous generals (the others are
Sanada Yukimura, Maeda Keiji, Chōsokabe Motochika and Fūma Kotarō)
in Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes to receive a three stage gaiden. His gaiden revolves
around his elimination of Oda Nobunaga and his rivalry with
Yukimura, though he does befriend him at some point.
- Sanada
Yukimura
-
- Devil Kings name: Scorpio
- His element is fire
- One of the most distinguished warriors in the Sengoku Era who
opposes Tokugawa Ieyasu to the end. Wields two jūmonji-yari, very
hot-blooded and is fanatically loyal to Takeda Shingen. Also one of
the main characters in Sengoku Basara. Is often depicted
in a rivalry with Masamune and is a common "punching bag" for
Takeda's unnecessary brawls, though he always looks at it as a test
of strength.
- In his gaiden in Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes, Yukimura
receives "special" training from Shingen and gets Sasuke involved,
though he doesn't approve of it. In the end, Yukimura succeeds and
tries to hit Shingen with his 'new found strength', only to hit
Sasuke and gets a punch to the face by Shingen, sending Yukimura
flying away. Yukimura's gaiden can be looked as an introduction to
Heroes' new features: the Daruma mini-game and the
electric fence.
- Sarutobi
Sasuke
-
- Devil Kings name: Talon
- His element is darkness
- A ninja in the service of Takeda clan (or to be exact the
Sanada clan), counted as one of the Sanada Ten Braves. He is
sneaky, cunning and laid back but has a big sense of responsibility
when necessary. Is shown to have a friendly rivalry with the Uesugi
army's ninja Kasuga, though the latter doesn't look at it that way.
Wields two giant shuriken attached with invisible razorwire. He
also summons a crow familiar to glide down.
- Takeda
Shingen
-
- Devil Kings name: Red Minotaur
- His element is fire
- Leader of the Takeda clan, famous for its cavalry. Has a large,
imposing frame and a brilliant mind as well. Wields a giant axe.
Often starts large and unnecessary brawls with Yukimura, sometimes
for no reason, usually by wrestling or exchanging names while
punching each other at the face.
- Uesugi
Kenshin
-
- Devil Kings name: Frost
- His element is ice
- Leader of the Uesugi clan, Takeda Shingen's rival as well as a
devout monk to Bishamonten. He looks very feminine, but his
accomplishments earned him the nickname "God of War". Wields a
katana and uses a style seemingly based on iaijutsu (yet heavily
stylized as he has great speed).
- Kasuga
-
- Devil Kings name: Venus
- Her element is light
- A fictional ninja serving the Uesugi clan (her name may be from
Kōsaka
Masanobu's former name Kasuga Toratsuna). She fell in
love with Uesugi Kenshin at first sight (while attempting to
assassinate him, nonetheless) and became his most loyal ninja. She
takes her duties seriously, and also makes rivalries with Nōhime
(regarding on those they protect) and Sarutobi Sasuke (ninja
rivalry, and the fact that their personalities contradict each
other). Wields two small ringblades in Sarutobi Sasuke's style, but
in Sengoku Basara 2, she wields eight kunai (four on each
hand) tied with invisible razorwire. Like Sasuke, she can glide
down using an owl familiar.
- Oda
Nobunaga
-
- Devil Kings name: Devil King
- His element is darkness
- The first of the three unifiers. Nobunaga is much similar to
his counterpart in Onimusha. He is ruthless and will stop at
nothing until the world bows to his might. Wields a sword in one
hand and a shotgun in the other.
- Nōhime
-
- Devil Kings name: Lady Butterfly
- Her element is fire
- Nobunaga's wife, who Nobunaga happens to not care very much
for. Very devoted to him, although she shows no mercy to her
enemies. Wields two handguns and is also able to unleash other
types of guns such as a cannon, shotgun or gatling gun.
- Mori
Ranmaru
-
- Devil Kings name: Hornet
- His element is lightning
- The young page of Oda Nobunaga. He eagerly desires recognition
from his master and will fight eagerly for him. Wields a bow.
- Akechi
Mitsuhide
-
- Devil Kings name: Reaper
- His element is darkness
- An Oda vassal who would eventually betray Nobunaga. Contrary to
the usual portrayal of Mitsuhide (especially in Onimusha and
Samurai Warriors), here he is depicted as a sadistic psychopath
that enjoys the suffering of other people; possibly of a greater
evil than Nobunaga himself. This is depicted as one of two
characters who can hurt his allies, though they don't lose life.
Wields two scythes. Devil Kings cut him from the game, making him
an NPC instead.
- Itsuki
-
- Devil Kings name: Puff
- Her element is ice
- A fictional character representing the Ainu tribe from Hokkaidō. She leads a rebel
group for the sake of the peasants suffering due to war. She has a
special taskforce wearing pink vests called the "Itsuki Fans Club"
in Sengoku Basara 2. In Devil Kings, she speaks
with a Southern United States accent. Wields a giant hammer.
- Zabii/Xavi
-
- Devil Kings name: Q-Ball
- His element is fire
- Based on the Christian missionary Francis Xavier. Zabii is a missionary
whose intention is to spread the love of God in Japan. Very
proficient with machinery; his stronghold contains traps and
mechanical drones (bearing resemblance to himself and dubbed the
Mecha-Q's in Devil King). An inside joke is that his
angels resemble miniature versions of himself with curly hair and
appear whenever he wants them. In Devil Kings, he speaks
with what seems to be an Italian accent. Wields two hand
cannons.
- Maeda
Toshiie
-
- Devil Kings name: Lark
- His element is fire
- Another of Oda's most prominent vassals, though he doesn't seem
so in the game. A strong family man, he loves his wife Matsu (and
adopted nephew Keiji in Sengoku Basara 2) dearly but he
doesn't have much for brains and seems to be perpetually famished,
often asking Matsu for more food, even though he's had enough. He
is also the usual target of Keiji's pranks which often lead him to
chase Keiji around the house. Wields a trident. He was also cut in
Devil Kingss.
- Matsu
-
- Devil Kings name: Bramble
- Her element is wind
- Wife of Maeda Toshiie. She's more responsible than her husband
but still loves him whole-heartedly. Due to her characteristics,
fans call her "the ideal housewife". Has a unique ability to summon
animals. Wields a katana in Uesugi Kenshin's style, but in
Sengoku Basara 2, she wields a naginata.
- Shimazu
Yoshihiro
-
- Devil Kings name: Zaan
- His element is lightning
- The daimyo of Satsuma. Although old, he is a great warrior who
is not to be underestimated. He is also known for his impeccable
ambush parties. He is the desired target of Honda Tadakatsu. Wields
a broad sword. He was cut in Devil Kings.
- Honda
Tadakatsu
-
- Devil Kings name: Iron Ox
- His element is lightning
- One of the greatest generals under Tokugawa Ieyasu. A giant man
clad in armor, possessing great strength in each of his blows. For
some reason, he resembles a giant robot, which he may be in the
game. He also cannot talk, so fans don't know what he is thinking
unless they can translate the noises he makes, written as lengths
of exclamation points. Due to his size, nature and his abilities,
fans often call him Hondam and
for good reason. Wields a huge drill-spear.
Non-playable characters
- Tokugawa
Ieyasu
-
- Devil Kings name: Irdene
- His element is lightning
- The third of the Three Unifiers. Although small in size, he
makes it up with his trust over his generals as well as his control
over his most prized general (or creation), Honda Tadakatsu. Wields
a bladed staff in Maeda Toshiie's style. In Sengoku Basara
2, Honda Tadakatsu's Story Mode has Ieyasu being kidnapped
again and again by the other characters (in fact, usually in front
of Tadakatsu just after he has saved Ieyasu from the previous
kidnapping), which results in Tadakatsu going on various journeys
to rescue him, this is sometimes credited to Ieyasu's experience of
being a hostage of Imagawa when he goes by the name Matsudaira
Takechiyo (he is referred as Takechiyo in Tadakatsu's story mode).
He is playable in Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes; his Basara
includes summoning Tadakatsu to the field and have him perform his
Basara. Sengoku Basara 3 had his design revamped into an
older and taller version of himself and fights with brass
knuckles.
- Chōsokabe Motochika
-
- Devil Kings name: Arslan
- His element is fire
- Daimyo of Shikoku. He was called "Little Princess" in his
childhood, but earns himself the nickname of "Demon" later in life.
Rules over the sea. His fortress has a cannon which repels his
opponents and several mechanical machines. His crew often call him
"aniki" (brother). He become playable in Sengoku Basara 2.
He wields a long anchor-like spear that is respectively equipped
with a metal chain, which he uses as both his weapon and his mode
of land transportation. He speaks with a Romanian accent in
Devil Kings. In Tadakatsu's Story Mode in Sengoku
Basara 2, Motochika is included as one of Ieyasu's kidnappers.
Ironically, in Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes, he ends up forming
a friendly rivalry with Ieyasu. Motochika appears within many
variable conflicts as a supposed rival to Mōri Motonari.
- Mōri
Motonari
-
- Devil Kings name: Kahz
- His element is light
- Daimyo of Chūgoku. Known as 'the Great Motonari' for possessing
a great tactical mind, but thinks very little of his subordinates
and sees them as disposable pawns. He, like Mitsuhide, can hit his
allies with his weapon. He becomes playable in Sengoku Basara
2. In Sengoku Basara, he uses a saihai in Kenshin's style.
In Sengoku Basara 2, he wields a ringblade, which he can
separate to become twin blades. He has a habit of watching sunset;
his Basara includes creating his own sun draining his enemies'
life. He is depicted as the rival of Chōsokabe Motochika. In his
Story in Sengoku Basara 2, he confronts and taunts Motochika for
being always protected by his pirate "brothers", and Motochika asks
if he (i.e. Motonari) was always alone. Motonari replies that he
only needs one person to understand him - himself.
- Hōjō
Ujimasa
-
- Devil Kings name: Orwik
- His element is ice
- Head of the Hōjō clan. Mostly known for his impressive castle,
Odawara, and his defensive stance towards the brewing war. Wields a
multi-bladed spear (he used to have Maeda Toshiie's style, but was
given his own style in Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes). He honors
his ancestors wholeheartedly as well, though in Sengoku Basara
2 Heroes, where he becomes playable, he is shown to be scared
at his ancestors' wrath, as his Basara involves him being scared to
hell when the spirits of the ancestors comes in and he ends up
crawling throughout the battlefield, with his ancestors following
him and damaging the enemies that comes in contact.
- Imagawa
Yoshimoto
-
- Devil Kings name: Muri
- His element is light
- Daimyo of Suruga; childish and cowardly but will fight when
ultimately cornered. His lack of resolve costs his soldiers to lose
heart multiple times while still in battle (i.e. his soldiers fall
to the ground and can be killed in one single hit), though his
occasional bursts of courage would enable them to get back on their
feet - until the next time he panics again, that is. In Sengoku
Basara 2, he confuses his enemies by promoting his head
archers to his rank, thus confusing the player to where he really
is. Wields a giant fan. He is playable in Sengoku Basara 2
Heroes; his Basara involves him disco dancing with dance
lights shown, and him getting his head smashed by the disco ball
and tripping in the end.
Sequels
Two sequels, Sengoku Basara 2 and Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes, have been
released in Japan. A 2D fighting game spinoff, Sengoku Basara
X, has also been released. The newest title to the franchise
is Sengoku Basara Battle Heroes, developed exclusively for
the PlayStation Portable released on
April 2009. Sengoku Basara 3 has been announced for the Wii and PS3 and is slated for a 2010 release.[1]
References
External
links
| Works by Production I.G |
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| Feature films |
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| Television series |
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| Original video animations |
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| Video games |
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