Far East of Eden (天外魔境 Tengai Makyō, lit. "Devil's World Far From Heaven") is a widely popular series of traditional console RPGs that are available in Japan and Taiwan.
Though originally intended to be only three games, it has grown to encompass a number of remakes, gaidens and genre spin-offs across a variety of platforms. Despite its relative popularity in Asian countries, the series is largely unknown in other territories, with only one game released overseas.
Overview[]
The main series is composed of three separate games within the land of 'Jipang' (a fictionalized version of feudal Japan), each follows a descendant of the 'Fire Clan' and supporting cast in battles against a range of often comical villains. The stories of the games, though primarily of 'fantasy' fare, also attempt to provide commentary on common misconceptions about Japanese culture by western societies.
Creators[]
The games are largely the creation of Hiroshi Adachi (under the nickname 'Ōji Hiroi') and Red Company (today Red Entertainment). Virtually all publishing tasks have been handled by Hudson Soft (now a subsidiary of Konami).
Most players will note that the series also makes reference to another 'creator', Paul Hieronymus Chada, who is presented as an 19th century Smithsonian sociologist/historian similar to that of Sigmund Freud or Karl Marx. The imagery however is part of a running joke in the series, as P.H. Chada does not exist. He is a fictional 'author' of the stories of the Tengai Makyō series, whose blatant exaggerations of 'Jipang' represent the misconceptions western societies have held with regard to Japan. 'P.H. Chada' is actually the anagram of 'Prince Hiroi Adachi'.
Games in the Series[]
Core Games
- Tengai Makyou Ziria - (PC Engine CD - June 30, 1989)
- Tengai Makyou Ziria (REMAKE) - (iPhone)
- Tengai Makyou Ziria: Haruka naru Jipang (REMAKE) - (Xbox 360 - March 23, 2006)
- Tengai Makyou II: Manji Maru - (PC Engine CD - March 26, 1992)
- Tengai Makyou II: Manji Maru (REMAKE) - (PS2 - October 2, 2006)
- Tengai Makyou II: Manji Maru (REMAKE) - (GameCube - Sept. 25, 2003)
- Tengai Makyou II: Manji Maru (REMAKE) - (Nintendo DS - March 9, 2006)
- Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku (trans: 'The 4th Apocalypse') - (Sega Saturn - January 14, 1997)
- Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku (REMAKE) - (PSP - July 13, 2006)
- Tengai Makyō III: Namida - (PS2 - April 14, 2005)
Other Games
- Tengai Makyō: Fuun Kabukiden - (PC Engine CD - July 10, 1993)
- Tengai Makyō Zero - (SNES - December 22, 1995)
- Kabuki Klash - (ARCADE, NeoGeo - July 28, 1995 (NeoGeo), December 8, 1995 (NeoGeo CD))
- Tengai Makyō: Karakuri Kakutoden - (PC-FX - July 28, 1995)
- Tengai Makyō: Kabuki Ittou Ryoudan - (PC Engine CD - February 24, 1995)
- Oriental Blue: Ao no Tengai - (Game Boy Advance - October 24, 2003)
- Tengai Makyō Mobile - (iPhone)
See also[]
- List of fighting games