Suikoden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suikoden (幻想水滸伝, Gensō Suikoden?) is a
role-playing game series originally created by
Yoshitaka Murayama. The game series is loosely based on the classical Chinese novel,
Shui Hu Zhuan by
Shi Naian and
Luo Guanzhong.
[1][2] Shui Hu Zhuan is rendered as 水滸伝 in Japanese, and read as
Suikoden. Each individual game in the series center around relative themes of politics, corruption, revolution, mystical crystals known as
True Runes and the "
108 Stars of Destiny" — the 108 protagonists who are loosely interpreted from the source material.
Though the
Suikoden games follow an irregular chronological sequence of events, the entire series takes place within the same world among continuing and overlapping histories. In some cases, several characters appear in multiple installations.
The
Suikoden franchise has been developing games since 1995 and has developed various video game titles bearing the same name. The development team of the Suikoden series started developing games using
2D or two-dimensional graphics primarily used in the first and second games, while they only incorporated
3D graphics on environments and visual effects. Suikoden III however, marked the series' complete shift from 2D to 3D as the game jumps platforms; from
PlayStation to
PlayStation 2.
The series has the following titles including prequels, sequels and spin-offs from the main series (the main series are in bold). They are arranged chronologically with their release dates:
Suikoden
- PlayStation: December 15, 1995, Japan; 1996, North America; April, 1997, Europe.
- Sega Saturn: September 17, 1998, Japan.
- Microsoft Windows: 1998, Japan; 1999 China; 1999, South Korea.
- Mobile Phones: 2008-2009, Japan.
Suikoden II
- PlayStation: December 17, 1998, Japan; August 31, 1999, North America; July 28, 2000, Europe.
- Microsoft Windows: 2003, China.
- Mobile Phones: 2009-2010, Japan.
Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 1 - Swordsman of Harmonia
- PlayStation: September 21, 2000, Japan.
Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 2 - Duel At Crystal Valley
- PlayStation: March 22, 2001, Japan.
Suikoden Card Stories
Suikoden III
- PlayStation 2: July 11, 2002, Japan; October 24, 2002, North America.
Suikoden IV
- PlayStation 2: August 19, 2004, Japan; January 11, 2005, North America; February 25, 2005, Europe.
Suikoden Tactics
- PlayStation 2: September 22, 2005, Japan (as Rhapsodia); November 8, 2005, North America; February 23, 2006, Europe; February 24, 2006.
Genso Suikoden I & II
Suikoden V
- PlayStation 2: February 23, 2006, Japan; March 21, 2006, North America; September 22, 2006, Europe.
Suikoden Tierkreis
- Nintendo DS: December 18, 2008, Japan; March 17, 2009, North America.
Genso Suikoden Pachisuro
[edit] Timeline
Main series
While the main series is numbered, each individual game takes place either before or after a consequent installation. The second and third Suikoden games were each direct sequels of their respective predecessors but with
Suikoden IV, the series began to delve into prequels in which events take place earlier than any of games. The sequence according to in-universe chronology:
Suikoden IV (143 years before Suikoden V and 150 years before Suikoden) →
Suikoden V (6 years before Suikoden
) →
Suikoden (3 years before
Suikoden II) →
Suikoden II (15 years before
Suikoden III) →
Suikoden III
Prequels and sequels
The games
Genso Suikogaiden Volumes 1 and 2, though not part of the main series takes place before, during and after
Suikoden II as well as
Suikoden Tactics which takes place before and after
Suikoden IV.
[edit] Elements
[edit] Gameplay
In the Suikoden series, the player takes control of a battle party having a maximum of six people (consisting of the protagonist and 5 other characters). The goal of the game is for the protagonist to defeat the opponents who are trying to oppose his/her team. This becomes possible as every game in the series revolves around the recruitment of the
108 Stars of Destiny; wherein the fighter characters recruited from the bunch can be used as members for the battle party; each game in the series have its respective
Stars of Destiny. The series practically makes use of running around towns on different islands and into dungeons filled with monsters or enemies. A base or headquarters will also be obtained by the player which is usually abandoned, monster-infested castles which turns into bustling communities when captured.
[edit] Battle Modes
The most typical form of battle in the series is the
turn-based battle wherein the 6-man team faces the opponents. However, it is not the sole form of battle featured in the games. There are 3 different types of battle present which
recurs and have been accustomed to every game. They are: 'Basic Battle', 'One-on-one Duel' and 'Strategic War Battle'.
- Basic Battle: It is the most common form of battle. It is when the protagonist's 6-man team will have to battle out. This mode allows the player to control the 6 party members with different commands such as the 'Fight' where the player designates the action he/she wants the characters to perform, 'Run' to escape, 'Bribe' to use the party's money called Potch to bribe the enemy for escape and the 'Auto' command in which the game automatically designates the 'Attack' command for every character.
- One-on-one Duel: A battle where only a single character fights and happens only in special events. It is a turn-based duel in which the player chooses command to attack (instead of manually controlled fighting). Duels in the series is typically not time-based except Suikoden V wherein choosing a command is timed for 3 seconds. Duels are usually accompanied by dialogue exchange between the player and the enemy.
- Strategic War Battle: A turn-based strategical battle between the protagonist's side and the enemy. In more accurate terms, this is a battle between armies of the protagonist and the enemy. The protagonist's army is made up of many units which could be organized by the player however he/she desires. Every game in the series have different form of war battles most notably in Suikoden IV, where the battles are done in the sea. Suikoden V however, is the first game to make use of real-time strategy.
[edit] Development
The
Suikoden series was created, written, produced, and overseen by Yoshitaka Murayama, who left Konami near the end of
Suikoden III's development. Noritada Matsukawa took over as Senior Director of
Suikoden III following Murayama's departure.
Suikoden IV was directed by Matsukawa as well but was produced by Junko Kawano, who was the chief designer in
Suikoden I.
Suikoden V was directed by Takahiro Sakiyama, a relative newcomer to RPGs.
[edit] World, setting, and concepts
Essentially, each game follows the plot formula of a
coup d'état by corrupt power holder(s) and the main protagonist is an exile from his/her home. The plot also follows the disastrous misuse of the "True Runes" while the hero struggles, despite overwhelming odds, to bring peace to the land alongside his/her friends, and the climactic showdown with the corrupted True Rune incantation.
[edit] The 27 True Runes
The
27 True Runes are powerful sources of all magic and primal forces in the world of Suikoden. Wholly sentient and possessing their own will, the True Runes holds immeasurable power, and are the equivalents of gods in the Suikoden world. Many wars have been fought over them in the past, some instigated by the will of the runes themselves. True Runes are often sought by the powerful and influential due to their shared property of granting immortality to those who will bear them. All bearers of True Runes stop aging and become immune to disease and all other natural causes of death, though they can still die from physical trauma such as accidents or murder.
The True Runes often attach themselves to living beings. Doing so gives the True Rune holder great power over the force the rune represents as well as immortality so long as they wield the rune. Wielding the runes can also have negative consequences, as in the case of one wielder being transformed into a vampire.
[3] A True Rune has also taken the shape of a sword, as is the case with the Star Dragon Sword.
[4] They can also manifest themselves unattached from a host, as the Beast Rune did during the Highland-Jowston conflict, self-activating and then feeding of its own will.
[5]
Known True Runes
- Sovereign Rune (Suikoden, held by Emperor Barbarossa)
- Hachifusa Rune (never featured in a game, held by Yuber, and Yuber's Eight Devil Rune is assumed to be related to it)
- Circle Rune (never featured in a game, held by Harmonia's leader, Hikusaak)
- Rune of Change (never featured in a game, held by the Sindar's leader)
- Moon Rune (Suikoden, II, known as Blue Moon Rune, held by Neclord, and then Sierra Mikain)
- Night Rune (Suikoden, II, and III; its child, the Star Rune, held by Zerase, is present in V) as the Star Dragon Sword, which is wielded by Viktor during I and II, and Edge in III.
- Beast Rune (Suikoden II, formerly sealed in L'Renouille Palace, location: unknown after Suikoden II)
- Rune of Beginning (split into the Bright Shield Rune and Black Sword Rune, Suikoden II, held by the second Hero and Jowy)
- Rune of Life and Death (Suikoden I, II, and IV, held by Ted, and the first Hero), also known as Soul Eater
- Rune of Punishment (Suikoden IV, held by the Queen of Obel, Graham Cray and his son, Rakgi's father, Steele, Brandeau, Glen Cott, and the fourth Hero)
- Dragon Rune (Suikoden I, held by Joshua Levenheit, and later Milia)
- True Fire Rune (Suikoden III, held by the Flame Champion, and either Hugo, Chris, or Geddoe)
- True Water Rune (Suikoden III, held by Wyatt Lightfellow, and later, either Chris Lightfellow or Hugo)
- True Earth Rune (Suikoden III; present in Suikoden II, held by Sasarai)
- True Wind Rune (Suikoden III; present in Suikoden I and II, formerly held by Luc, location: unknown after Suikoden III)
- True Lightning Rune (Suikoden III, held by Geddoe or Hugo)
- Sun Rune (Suikoden V; its children, the Twilight Rune and Dawn Rune, are also prominent; Sun Rune formerly held by Queen Arshtat Falenas, Dawn Rune held by the Prince, Twilight Rune held by Alenia, Sialeeds, and Lyon)
- Gate Rune (split into the Front Gate Rune and Back Gate Rune; Suikoden I, II, III, IV, V, Front Gate Rune formerly held by Windy, Back Gate Rune held by Leknaat)
[edit] The 108 Stars of Destiny
A concept borrowed from the Chinese novel
Shui Hu Zhuan, each
Suikoden game has featured 108 characters who band together to ward off a threat.
[edit] Geography
The
Suikoden series is set in a world with many countries. The political geography has changed over the series chronology; while the most recent game in the setting is
Suikoden V, chronologically,
Suikoden IV is the earliest game while
Suikoden III occurs latest within the time span of the series.
Suikoden,
Suikoden II and
Suikoden III are set on the Northern Continent, a land mass composed of several regions.
Suikoden takes place in the Scarlet Moon Empire, which is located on southeastern coast of the Northern Continent, and is composed primarily of the Toran region, with Lake Toran at its centre. Notable locations in this area include Gregminister, the empire's capital situated in Arlus, the Warrior's Village in the Lorimar region, and the Great Forest. At the end of
Suikoden, the empire is replaced by the Toran Republic.
Suikoden II is set in the Dunan region, directly north of the Toran Republic, and initially comprises the Highland Kingdom in the east and the Jowston City-States, a
confederation of politically autonomous states, in the west. Significant locations in Jowston include the cities-states of South Window, Greenhill, Muse, and Two River, and the Knightdom of Matilda. Following the Dunan Unification War, the Highland Kingdom falls and it, along with the Jowston City-States unite to form the Dunan Republic. The Tinto region lying in the west, separated from Dunan by mountains, chooses to remain politically independent and becomes the Tinto Republic.
Sharing Dunan's western border and north of Tinto are the Grasslands, which stretch from the centre of the Northern Continent to a small portion of the continent's west coast. The area is composed of the six clans: the Lizard, Duck, Karaya, Chisha, Safir, and the Alma Kinan. Directly west of the Grasslands and bordered in the east by Tinto is the Zexen Confederacy, located on the west coast of the Northern Continent and historically an offshoot of the Grasslands. Important locations include the Zexen capital Vinay del Zexay and Budehuc Castle, which lies close to the Grasslands border in northwest Zexen. The primary conflict of
Suikoden III occurs in these areas. The northwestern portion of the continent, due north of the Grasslands and Zexen, is the Knightdom of Camaro and the surrounding Nameless Lands.
The largest country in the north is the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, located in the northeastern portion of the continent. Since its establishment, it has assimilated various neighbouring countries, such as Sanadia, as well as a portion of the Grasslands - the Kanaa clan of the Grasslands became Le Buque under Harmonian rule after the First Fire Bringer War. Notably, the Scarlet Moon Empire originally formed after obtaining political autonomy from Harmonia and taking Harmonia's old capital as its own, renaming it Gregminister, resulting in Harmonia establishing a new capital at the Crystal Valley. Harmonia is also home to the Tower, a location reserved for training and housing members of the Howling Voice Guild.
Other major areas on the Northern Continent include the Kooluk region and Kanakan. The Kooluk region was originally the Kooluk Empire during the course of
Suikoden IV and eventually dissolved in
Suikoden Tactics to be left as a group of independent settlements. It takes up most of the southern edge of the Northern continent and directly borders the Toran Republic in the east and the Dunan Republic in the north. Off the eastern coast of Toran is the island of Kanakan.
Lying directly south of the Northern Continent is the ocean and several islands, including Obel, Middleport, and Razril. At the end of
Suikoden IV, most of these islands are unified to become the Island Nations Federation. The largest island in the area, the Dukedom of Gaien, remains independent. West of Gaien is the island nation of the Kingdom of Zelant.
Due south of the Island Nations is the Southern Continent, a landmass composed primarily of three countries: the Queendom of Falena, and its neighbours, the theocracy of Nagarea in the southwest and the New Armes Kingdom in the southeast. As the setting for
Suikoden V, Falena has a large network of rivers and lakes throughout the country and the Ashtwal Mountains in its northern region. Key locations include the cities of Stormfist and Doraat in the west; Rainwall, Estrise, and Sable, located on the Armes border, in the east; Lelcar, Lordlake, and Sauronix in the south; and the Falenan capital, Sol-Falena, and the holy land of Lunas, governed by the Oracle, in the north. Falena has been protected from Nagarea since the mountain pass between the nations was destroyed, though Armes continues to remain a threat throughout
Suikoden V.
Northeast of Falena also appears portion of a landmass of considerable size. West of the Northern and Southern Continents and the Island Nations is a landmass referred to as the Western Continent, of which few details are known. Scattered across the world are mysterious ruins attributed to the lost Sindar race, which is a recurring theme throughout the Suikoden series.
[edit] Music collections
The
Suikoden games have generally been considered to have soundtracks very well liked by the gaming community, though they have only been released in
Japan as of 2007.
A series of arranged soundtracks were released from late 2001-2004. Despite the first being released slightly before
Suikoden III and the last at around the same time as
Suikoden IV, the music was always taken from music in
Suikoden,
Suikoden II,
Suikoden III, and (rarely) the
Suikogaiden side-stories.
- Genso Suikoden Music Collection Produced by Hiroyuki Nanba — a 10-track arrangement released on December 29, 2001. The production and arrangement were both done by Hiroyuki Namba, as the name indicates.
- Genso Suikoden Music Collection Produced by Kentaro Haneda — another 10-track arrangement released on April 24, 2002. Kentarō Haneda was only the producer; the arrangements were done by Kousuke Yamashita, Michiru Oshima, Rie Akagi, Kenji Yamamoto, and Hiroshi Takagi.
- Genso Suikoden Vocal Collection ~La passione commuove la storia~ — a 10-track arrangement released on July 3, 2002. The first piece is an instrumental, but the other tracks all feature vocals. The arrangement was done by Kousuke Yamashita, Hiroshi Takagi, and Megumi Ohashi. Performers included Yuko Imai, Risa Oki, and Yoko Ueno.
- Genso Suikoden Vocal Collection ~Distant Stars, Echoes of Love~ — a 10-track arrangement released on January 22, 2003. The arrangement was once more done by Kousuke Yamashita, Hiroshi Takagi, and Megumi Ohashi. Performers included Sanae Shintani, Yuko Imai, and Tomoko.
- Genso Suikoden Piano Collection ~Avertunerio Antes Lance Mao~ — a 13-track arrangement released on December 18, 2002, arranged by Shusei Murai. Despite the name, these are not piano solos; most include orchestral backup, and some have vocals as well.
- Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection — a 12 track arrangement in the style of celtic music released on March 5, 2003. The arrangements were done by Yoko Ueno, Mina Kubota, Yuko Asai, Shigeyoshi Kawagoe, and "The Rain Book."
- Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection 2 — a 12-track arrangement released on August 20, 2003. Arrangement was done by Yoko Ueno, Yuji Yoshino, Yuko Asai, and Shigeyoshi Kawagoe.
- Genso Suikoden Music Collection ~Asian Collection~ — a 12-track arrangement released on November 27, 2003. It was arranged by Kiyoshi Yoshida, Hidenori Maezawa, Yuko Asai, and Shigeyoshi Kawagoe.
- Genso Suikoden Piano Collection 2 — a 12 track arrangement released on January 21, 2004, arranged by Shusei Murai.
- Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection III — a 13 track arrangement released on April 14, 2004, arranged by Yuji Yoshino.
Publications, adaptations, and other material
Many publications, such as the
Suikoden World Guide and
Suikoden Encyclopedia, exist for the
Suikoden series, though the majority are only in Japanese.
Suikoden and
Suikoden II have light novel adaptations written by
Shinjiro Hori released only in Japan.
Suikoden III was adapted into a
manga by
Aki Shimizu, which was released in English markets by
Tokyopop.
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