Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty
Encyclopedia
Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty, known in Japan
as , is a 1995 fighting
arcade game
developed and published by Data East
.
, when power-hungry warlords rebel against the central government. To regain control over his empire, the emperor
devises a cunning plan. He prepares for the ultimate conquest for his most ambitious rivals, a challenge that no warlord is able to resist as the rewards are unimaginable. The victor will be endowed with incredible abilities and possess ultimate power, not to mention unlimited wealth. The triumph is absolute as defeat means death. Thousands of fearless warriors battle among themselves with special fighting abilities.
, where 12 of the strongest outlaws out of 108 gather to test their battle skills against each other while the Gods of War watch from above. The characters are inspired by the 108 outlaws from the Chinese classical novel Water Margin
by Shi Naian
.
ported Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty to the Sega Saturn
and PlayStation platforms. Despite the North American arcade being titled Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty, the North American home version was retitled as Dark Legend, while the Japanese title remains unchanged in the Japanese home versions. These ports include both the Original Mode, the mode that plays just like the arcade version; and the Special Mode, which adds extra moves. There is also a beginner mode that can be accessed by pressing the L or R button at the same time. In 2P Battle mode, Makoto Mizoguchi from the Fighter's History
series (also by Data East) can be unlocked. The North American version is an update from the Japanese Version and it was translated for the American audience; however, most of the Japanese text and especially voice samples remained. Some of the options has been removed as well as the option demo play. Unlike the Japanese version, you cannot select between Arcade Mode or Special Mode, instead it defaults to Special Mode.
A Japan-exclusive semi-sequel titled was later released only for the Sega Saturn, which featured several new and updated features. Along with Makoto Mizoguchi, another character from the Fighter's History series name Liu Yungmie was added to the roster.
Around 2009, G-Mode
has ported the PlayStation version of Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty over to the PlayStation 3
and PlayStation Portable
in Japan
. This port was later released in North America
on October 4, 2010.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , is a 1995 fighting
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developed and published by Data East
Data East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
.
Story
For generations, people have believed in the Chinese myth known as the Dark Legend. It occurs sometime in the 11th or 12th century when China plunges into a state of total anarchyAnarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
, when power-hungry warlords rebel against the central government. To regain control over his empire, the emperor
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
devises a cunning plan. He prepares for the ultimate conquest for his most ambitious rivals, a challenge that no warlord is able to resist as the rewards are unimaginable. The victor will be endowed with incredible abilities and possess ultimate power, not to mention unlimited wealth. The triumph is absolute as defeat means death. Thousands of fearless warriors battle among themselves with special fighting abilities.
Gameplay
The game has eleven playable characters and many locations around China to choose from. Each character fights with his/her own unique weapon while some are unarmed. If the weapon is used to block attacks too often, the character will only be able to fight with his/her bare hands and lose the weapon for the rest of the round. Fighting moves are classified under low, medium and hard in terms of attack power, in order of increasing amount of damage dealt to an opponent. Each character also has his/her own special attack to use against the opponent.Characters
The game takes place in Liangshan MarshMount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
, where 12 of the strongest outlaws out of 108 gather to test their battle skills against each other while the Gods of War watch from above. The characters are inspired by the 108 outlaws from the Chinese classical novel Water Margin
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
by Shi Naian
Shi Naian
Shi Nai'an , was a Chinese writer from Suzhou. He was attributed as the first compiler of the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Not much biographical information is known about him...
.
| Characters | Description |
|---|---|
| Shi Jin Shi Jin Shi Jin is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 23rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Nine Tattooed Dragons".-Background:... |
A martial artist with a tattoo Tattoo A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes... of a dragon Chinese dragon Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs... on his back. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has little experience in the real world. He is skilled in using the sword. |
| Lin Chong Lin Chong Lin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"... |
An expert in the use of the staff Gun (staff) The Chinese word gun refers to a long Chinese staff weapon used in Chinese martial arts. It is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the qiang , dao , and the jian , called in this group "The Grandfather of all Weapons".-Variants:There are various kinds of gun, and they include the... . He appears as a mentally-troubled person as his past is overshadowed with acts of betrayal by his close friends and the death of his wife. |
| Hu Sanniang | A female fighter who uses a pair of swords. Her movements are quick, sharp and deadly but she tends to pity those who are weak and miserable. She likes to stay at Liangshan Marsh where other men of talent dwell. |
| Dai Zong | This fighter moves swiftly and possesses the special ability of "Majestic Teleport", which allows him to jet "KI (spiritual air)". He is very caring towards his friends. |
| Li Kui | This dark giant uses a pair of huge battleaxes in combat. He is reckless, rash and extremely dangerous. His attack is as powerful just as it is destructive. |
| Lu Zhishen Lu Zhishen Lu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but... |
A master in using the heavy sword. He enjoys Japanese Sake almost as much as violence. Along with his various special tricks, he also takes the advantage of the length of his sword. |
| Gongsun Sheng Gongsun Sheng Gongsun Sheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 4th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Dragon in the Clouds".-Background:... |
A Taoist Taoism Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists... magician with the ability to summon winds and thunderbolts to do his bidding. He is clumsy but extremely likeable. |
| Wu Song Wu Song Wu Song, nicknamed "Pilgrim", is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 14th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Wu Song also appears in the novel Jin Ping Mei, a spin-off of Water Margin... |
A dynamic warrior who can slay a huge tiger with his bare hands. His special tricks entail hitting with a pair of staffs and a superb throw. He has a special repeat attack which combines hits with throws. |
| Ruan Xiaoer Ruan Xiaoer Ruan Xiaoer, also known as Ruan the Second, is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature... |
Although he is the eldest of the three Ruans, his physical strength is weaker than his brothers. He is adept in gambling and psychological tactics. |
| Ruan Xiaowu Ruan Xiaowu Ruan Xiaowu, also known as Ruan the Fifth, is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature... |
The off-beat brother of the three Ruans. He dresses in a funny manner, appears selfish and looks like a mutant with a water whip. He uses frogs and fishes as weapons to keep opponents at bay along with his whip. Each of his attacks are very wild and powerful. |
| Ruan Xiaoqi Ruan Xiaoqi Ruan Xiaoqi, also known as Ruan the Seventh, is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 31st of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Living King Yama".-Background:The Water Margin describes... |
The youngest of the Ruan brothers. He is a muscular guy with an attitude. His attacks are quick and repetitive using a pair of nunchaku Nunchaku is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff.... s. |
| Chao Gai Chao Gai Chao Gai is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is widely considered as the founding father of the Liangshan outlaws' cause to serve the nation and deliver justice on behalf of Heaven... |
The second king of Liangshan Marsh who brought several fighters to join him in the marsh. He is known as the "ugly king", not only because of his personality, but also due to the fact that he was hit in the face by a poisoned arrow during a battle to the death. Legend says that he had returned from the dead. Note: Chao Gai is only playable in 2P Battle |
Ports
In 1996, Data EastData East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
ported Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty to the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and PlayStation platforms. Despite the North American arcade being titled Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty, the North American home version was retitled as Dark Legend, while the Japanese title remains unchanged in the Japanese home versions. These ports include both the Original Mode, the mode that plays just like the arcade version; and the Special Mode, which adds extra moves. There is also a beginner mode that can be accessed by pressing the L or R button at the same time. In 2P Battle mode, Makoto Mizoguchi from the Fighter's History
Fighter's History
is a series of competitive fighting games that were produced by Data East during the 1990s. The original Fighter's History was first released for the arcades in and then ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in...
series (also by Data East) can be unlocked. The North American version is an update from the Japanese Version and it was translated for the American audience; however, most of the Japanese text and especially voice samples remained. Some of the options has been removed as well as the option demo play. Unlike the Japanese version, you cannot select between Arcade Mode or Special Mode, instead it defaults to Special Mode.
A Japan-exclusive semi-sequel titled was later released only for the Sega Saturn, which featured several new and updated features. Along with Makoto Mizoguchi, another character from the Fighter's History series name Liu Yungmie was added to the roster.
Around 2009, G-Mode
G-Mode
is a Japanese company that provides mobile network game contents that specialize in Java game software in Japan. It develops and distributes games for Java-compatible mobile phones. The company also licenses contents for mobile telecommunications operators, as well as involves in the original...
has ported the PlayStation version of Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty over to the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. This port was later released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on October 4, 2010.
External links
- Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty at Hardcore Gaming 101
- Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty at arcade-history