Dynasty Warriors: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 230: | Line 230: | ||
==Blunder== |
==Blunder== |
||
The English voice-over of Dynasty Warriors series wrongly used a straightforward English pronunciations for the romanized [[pinyin]] names. One |
The English voice-over of Dynasty Warriors series wrongly used a straightforward English pronunciations for the romanized [[pinyin]] names. One unfortunate example is the pronunciation of Cao Pi in Dynasty Warriors 5. |
||
==See Also== |
==See Also== |
||
Revision as of 00:09, 13 September 2005
Dynasty Warriors ( 真・三國無双:Shin Sangoku Musou in Japan and 真•三国无双: Zhen Sanguo Wu/Moshuang in China; literally meaning, 'Real Three Kingdoms Hit and Miss/Unrivalled' respectively) is a series of video games created by Koei based loosely around the Romance of the Three Kingdoms epic, and is a spinoff series of ROTK ( Sangokushi/Sanguo Yanyi ). A spin-off of Dynasty Warriors is Dynasty Tactics.
Games in the Series
The games in this series are as follows:
- Dynasty Warriors (Sangoku Musou) [1997]
- Dynasty Warriors 2 (Shin Sangoku Musou) [2000]
- Dynasty Warriors 3 (Shin Sangoku Musou 2) [2001]
- Dynasty Warriors 3 Xtreme Legends (Shin Sangoku Musou 2 Moushouden) [2002]
- Dynasty Warriors 4 (Shin Sangoku Musou 3) [2003]
- Dynasty Warriors 4 Xtreme Legends (Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Moushouden) [2003]
- Dynasty Warriors 4 Empires (Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Empires) [2004]
- Dynasty Warriors PSP [2005]
- Dynasty Warriors 5 (Shin Sangoku Musou 4) [2005]
- Dynasty Warriors 5 Xtreme Legends (Shin Sangoku Musou 4 Moushouden) [2005]
- Dynasty Warriors Advance [2005]
- Dynasty Warriors 4 Hyper for Windows (Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Hyper) [2005]
- Dynasty Warriors for Nintendo DS [2005]
Game Characteristics
The first game was an obscure fighting game that was released in 1997 on the PlayStation. This game was not released under the 'Shin Sangoku Musou' title in Japan which is why there is a discrepancy in title numbers. From Dynasty Warriors 2 onward, a general is chosen as a playable character and they play through a number of levels representing certain conflicts in the time of the three kingdoms eventually defeating both of the other kingdoms and becoming the ruler of China. In Musou Mode (a gameplay mode in which the Three Kingdoms story is played out from one kingdom's perspective), the generals are usually chosen from one of the three kingdoms (Wu, Shu or Wei; however, from Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends onwards, independent generals can be selected as well). Dynasty Warriors 3 had two secret characters, Nu Wa and Fu Xi, that are not playable in Musou Mode.
Both Dynasty Warriors 3 and Dynasty Warriors 5 have individual Musou Modes for each character. Dynasty Warriors 4 has a single Musou Mode for an entire Kingdom. For example, all characters aligned with Wu play through Wu's Musou Mode. This allows for characters to be interchangeable during level breaks.second player could only pick anyone on games 1 to 3 and 5 but in 4 they could not.
The levels themselves follow a third-person beat-em-up format, where the camera is behind the player and they go around killing the enemy forces, while avoiding both the player's own death and one or more other loss scenarios (usually involving the death of the player's own superior, the loss of a critical ally or fortification, or the escape of an enemy leader). Unlike the more realistic Sangokushi series, the playable characters in Dynasty Warriors have superhuman abilities and can send enemy soldiers flying through the air with a single swipe from his or her weapon, if not killing them instantly. Certain generals can fire magical projectiles from their hands or pound the ground to create massive shockwaves. Thus, it is possible for one general to kill hundreds of enemy soldiers and defeat their commander without the aid of any AI controlled allies.
The order of events in a full (Musou) game for Dynasty Warriors 3 and 4 is as follows:
- Put down the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
- Defeat Dong Zhuo.
- Defeat the 'other' member of the alliance against Dong Zhuo (i.e. not Wu, Shu or Wei, however, this varies depending on the Kingdom).
- Defeat one of the other three kingdoms.
- Defeat the last remaining other kingdom.
Each of the main three kingdoms has additional levels that deal mainly with internal problems. Since Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Lü Bu, and Meng Huo are all defeated in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, their Musou Modes do not follow the book nor history and are pure fiction.
Dynasty Warriors 5 introduced a more realistic Musou mode. Instead of fighting in the above set of events, a general will only participate in battles they would have been alive for. Because of this, generals start off at different points in time and some generals will never encounter one another. In between stages are drama scenes in which the general will discuss the battles and their feelings on what is happening. This has given the game more of a personal view as well as kept the player up to date with what has happened in the story. Dynasty Warriors 5 also deviates from the goal of taking over China. Not all characters are interested in the conquest and a general's Musou mode may end just after their kingdom is established instead of after the last kingdom is defeated.
Because of this, some events such as saving Sun Jian's life are not possible. While you can save Sun Jian from dying in the battle, he will pass away immediately after.
Due to the space restraints of the Gameboy cartridge, Dynasty Warriors Advance only has 13 playable characters. The battle system has been reduced to basic moves and a power-up system added. The weapon system has also been overhauled with over 200 weapons. Each character can equip three different kinds of weapons adding for a unique experience. For instance, Zhen Ji can equip flutes, fans and swords while Sun Shang Xiang can equip chakram, claws and maces. The maps are a tactical type system with characters moving between spots on the map in a turn-based manner while fighting real time battles on a small battle field. The plot is essentially the same however due to the limited number of maps and characters, several events have changed. For example, Sun Ce can show up at the battle of Yi Ling despite the fact he was dead before the battle was fought. Cao Cao is also present at the battle of Wu Zhang plains when again, he was long dead. Those characters who are not playable in Dynasty Warriors Advance but are in other Dynasty Warriors games are present as generic generals with their respective profile image. However there are some generals such as Sun Quan, Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo who have unique sprites leading some fans to believe that there are more than 13 playable characters. Koei has not confirmed this.
The Dynasty Warriors series is known for their far-fetchedness in the portrayal of its characters (although in many cases the portrayal is rather accurate). For example, some generals wield weapons that are rather anachronistic - Ling Tong's nunchaku, Zhou Tai's katana, and Sun Ce's tonfas. Also, passive characters that were mentioned in the stories or in history were made fighters. Finally, the issue of mysticism is touched upon with laser beam-like powers possessed by Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi and the tornados unleashed by Pang Tong.
Playable Characters
There are 48 playable characters as of the release of Dynasty Warriors 5 (Not including Nu Wa and Fu Xi), Most of the characters were real figures from the era of the Three Kingdoms. Although some half-fictional characters were also included in the roster such as Xing Cai and Zuo Ci. Minor female characters from history has been placed on the battlefield by Koei, although aside from Zhu Rong they never fought in any of the battles.
The characters below has been sorted by the kingdom they are serving. Ultimate weapons are the best possible weapons in the stand alone game. Additional weapons (5th or 11th depending on the game) are only avaliable in Xtreme Legends.
Wei (魏)
- Cao Cao (曹操) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Wrath of Heaven
- Cao Pi (曹丕) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5
- Weapon: Double Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Chaos
- Cao Ren (曹仁) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 4
- Weapon: Buckler Blade
- Ultimate Weapon: Roc
- Xiahou Dun (夏侯惇) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Scimitar
- Ultimate Weapon: Kirin Fang
- Xiahou Yuan (夏侯淵) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Scimitar → Battle Rod (Since Dynasty Warriors 4)
- Ultimate Weapon: Demon Fang → Enforcer Rod
- Sima Yi (司馬懿) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Black Feather Fan
- Ultimate Weapon: Dark Feather
- Xu Huang (徐晃) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Pole Axe
- Ultimate Weapon: Marauder
- Pang De (龐徳) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5
- Weapon: Twin Halberd
- Ultimate Weapon: Heavenly Halberd
- Zhang He (張郃) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Claws
- Ultimate Weapon: Phoenix Talon
- Zhang Liao (張遼) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Bisento
- Ultimate Weapon: Gold Wyvern
- Zhen Ji (甄姫) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Flute
- Ultimate Weapon: Dark Moon Flute
- Xu Zhu (許褚) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Mace
- Ultimate Weapon: Stone Crusher
- Dian Wei (典韋) Intruduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Handaxe
- Ultimate Weapon: Mad Bull
Shu (蜀)
- Liu Bei (劉備) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Gold Moon Dragon
- Guan Yu (関羽) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: guandao
- Ultimate Weapon: Blue Moon Dragon
- Zhang Fei (張飛) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Serpent Spear
- Ultimate Weapon: Viper Blade
- Zhao Yun (趙雲) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Spear
- Ultimate Weapon: Fierce Dragon
- Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Feather Fan
- Ultimate Weapon: Peacock Feather
- Ma Chao (馬超) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Spear
- Ultimate Weapon: Stallion Fury
- Huang Zhong (黄忠) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Oracle Sword
- Pang Tong (龐統) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Staff
- Ultimate Weapon: Tornado Staff
- Jiang Wei (姜維) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Trident
- Ultimate Weapon: Blink
- Wei Yan (魏延) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Double Voulge
- Ultimate Weapon: Comet Strike
- Yue Ying (月英) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 4
- Weapon: Pick
- Ultimate Weapon: Oblivion
- Guan Ping (關平) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5
- Weapon: Reverse Grip Blade
- Ultimate Weapon: Young Dragon
- Xing Cai (星彩) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5
- Weapon: War fork
- Ultimate Weapon: Ambition
Wu (呉)
- Sun Jian (孫堅) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Savage Tiger
- Sun Ce (孫策) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon:Twin Tonfas
- Ultimate Weapon: Overlord
- Sun Quan (孫權) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Master Wolf
- Sun Shang Xiang (孫尚香) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Chakram
- Ultimate Weapon: Sol Chakram
- Zhou Yu (周瑜) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Ancients Sword
- Huang Gai (黃蓋) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Club
- Ultimate Weapon: Black Shadow
- Gan Ning (甘寧) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Broad Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Sea Master
- Taishi Ci (太史慈) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Twin clubs
- Ultimate Weapon: Tiger Slayer
- Zhou Tai (周泰) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 4
- Weapon: Katana
- Ultimate Weapon: Dusk
- Lu Meng (呂蒙) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Pike
- Ultimate Weapon: White Tiger
- Ling Tong (凌統) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5
- Weapon: Nunchaku
- Ultimate Weapon: Dragon Fury
- Lu Xun (陸遜) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Dual Short-swords
- Ultimate Weapon: Falcon
- Da Qiao (大喬) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Twin Fans
- Ultimate Weapon: Qiao Beauty
- Xiao Qiao (小喬) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Twin Fans
- Ultimate Weapon: Qiao Grace
Others (他)
- Lu Bu (呂布) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Halberd
- Ultimate Weapon: Sky Scorcher
- Diao Chan (貂蝉) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors
- Weapon: Dual Maces
- Ultimate Weapon: Diva
- Dong Zhuo (董卓) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Horror
- Fu Xi (伏羲) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3, but has been taken out of Dynasty Warriors 4 and Dynasty Warriors 5
- Weapon: Bastard Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Fu Xi's Sword
- Nu Wa (女娲) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3, but has been taken out of Dynasty Warriors 4 and Dynasty Warriors 5
- Weapon: Rapier
- Ultimate Weapon: Nu Wa's Rapier
- Yuan Shao (袁紹) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Sword
- Ultimate Weapon: Sword of Kings
- Zhang Jiao (張角) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 2
- Weapon: Staff
- Ultimate Weapon: Volcano Staff
- Meng Huo (孟獲) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Gauntlets
- Ultimate Weapon: King of Beasts
- Zhu Rong (祝融) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 3
- Weapon: Boomerang
- Ultimate Weapon: Inferno
- Zuo Ci (左慈) Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5
- Weapon: Deck
- Ultimate Weapon: Trump Deck
Notes
Koei released a new series called Samurai Warriors(Sengoku Musou) that is instead based on the Sengoku Period of Japanese history. Also made by Omega Force, Samurai Warriors uses the same engine and design as Dynasty Warriors making the gameplay similar yet different at the same time. However, Samurai Warriors has a very limited cast of characters (19, including Xtreme Legends) compared to the 48 Dynasty Warriors.
Koei released 2 spin-off games to the Dynasty Warriors series: Dynasty Tactics and a sequel, Dynasty Tactics 2. The original was released in 2002 and the sequel was released in 2003.
Blunder
The English voice-over of Dynasty Warriors series wrongly used a straightforward English pronunciations for the romanized pinyin names. One unfortunate example is the pronunciation of Cao Pi in Dynasty Warriors 5.