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Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??


What exactly is this game?

Tenchu Wrath of Heaven is the third game in the Tenchu series. The game follows two ninja, Rikimaru and Ayame, as they foil a vaguely defined evil plan by some rear end in a top hat.

The story has never been the drawing point of the Tenchu series, the real draw is BADASS NINJA FIGHTS

https://zippy.gfycat.com/UncommonSafeAnteater.webm

How will this LP go?

I've played this game a ton since I was a kid, and my co-commentator, Grace, has never had any interaction with the series beyond what I've mentioned. To make matters even more complicated, we (well, I) will be playing the tried and tested Liquid Dan Stealth Drinking Game! The rules are as follows:

-1 Alert (!! symbol) = 1 drink
-1 Healing Item (not counting Ninja Rebirth) = 2 drinks
-1 Game Over = 1 shot of liquor (Polar Ice Vodka in this case)

Hey this looks a bit wonky

Tenchu Wrath of Heaven is a game FULL of early PS2 jank. We're playing this on an actual PS2 hardware, we're sorta stuck with whatever the game gives us. This includes horribly balanced lighting and in-engine frame blending. Consider it a 'charm' of the era.

Originally we were going to play it on my old-school PS3 with backwards compatibility, but uh



The important thing is I got the disk back out.

What's the spoiler policy?

Tag anything that hasn't happened yet, unless it's about Secret Character or the Secret Dialogue Option, don't mention either of those at all until they happen. :colbert:

So how good are you at this game?

Here's a hint at what's to come.

https://twitter.com/HetzerGonnaHetz/status/703480758946680832

Episodes:

Playlist

Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 1 - Expert Ninja
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 2 - Oni Issues
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 3 - Wooden Gear Solid
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 4 - The Phantom Bullshit
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 5 - Anime Confessions
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 6 - Tenrai's Stupid Fortress of Jerks
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath of Heaven Episode 7 - Mystical Plot Coupons
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath of Heaven Episode 8 - Thanks Gohda
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 9 - The Anime Trenches
Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 10 - The Lowest Effort Dunk

Danaru fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Mar 28, 2016

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Geop
Oct 26, 2007

As someone who had to crack open a bricked PS3 to get a disk out, you have my sympathies.

Also, I've been stoked for this for a while now :dance:

Mikl
Nov 8, 2009

Vote shit sandwich or the shit sandwich gets it!
Aw yeah. Love the Tenchu series, and love you guys. Really looking forward to this one.

LogicalFallacy
Nov 16, 2015

Wrecking hell's shit since 1993


I remember this game quite fondly, though most of what I did was just dick around with my brother in multiplayer. I will say that the two of us are really looking forward to watching you get absolutely smashed, especially when you get to the undead missions.

Five
Jan 6, 2009

Please don't die

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


For all the jank this game has, the music is pretty cool. Though drat that camera looks like total balls.

Also what's up Command Mission buddy :v: And it's the PS2 version instead of the GC one, which means you get to enjoy a lower encounter rate!

WaltherFeng
May 15, 2013

50 thousand people used to live here. Now, it's the Mushroom Kingdom.
I would say that Tenchu 3 is the best game in the series (After Metal Gear Rising, that is!) I have fond memories of this game, especially the multiplayer

WaltherFeng fucked around with this message at 07:07 on Feb 28, 2016

Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??
Wrath of Heaven has pretty rad multiplayer, we might even get a chance to show it off, but given that Grace is in the states and I'm in Canada, there's a couple logistical problems there :v:

One thing I really miss was the level editor in Tenchu 2. My buddy and I used to spend days tweaking out bullshit levels to make each other angry. Kaizo was real for us long before we discovered emulators

Gargamel Gibson
Apr 24, 2014
Rikimartin is my favourite ninja.

Mikl
Nov 8, 2009

Vote shit sandwich or the shit sandwich gets it!
Finally watched the episode.

I'm a '90s kid, but I actually completely agree that we're lucky we're not in the '90s any more.

SgCloud
Oct 30, 2011
Oh boy, I remember I played this game way when I was younger and was incredible in love with it. I had fond memories of it for years until I replayed it on an emulator. And then, well...

It didn't really hold up to what I was remembering and I can really see all the hints that the rest of the series wouldn't far better. It's a real big shame, considering what they could have done out of it.

The enemies AI is incredibly silly, most of the levels lay outs are uninspired (the later levels even more so), the combat simplistic, the music isn't really on par with the one in Tenchu 1 and the story is simply laughable and uninteresting.

I would be really interested in a reboot of the series improving the points i mentioned. given that the main idea of the Game is really cool and overall still implemented in a stylish way. It just feels like they were kinda lazy and didn't think about the extra steps what would have to be taken in order to to make the games more memorable.

Death Zebra
May 14, 2014

I have 1, 2, and 3 and hate 3 the most. The first thing that annoyed me is that Rikimaru seems to be deliberately pulling his attacks to lower his attack range. Also, those tight indoor spaces; there's no need for that bullcrap.

I honestly thought that Tenchu was popular at the time, certainly when 2 came out. Everyone I knew at the time wanted it though that's like....3 people :classiclol:

An enhanced remake of 1 and 2 would be great. It wouldn't even have to be all that impressive for my money. Just a bit of an upgrade to the graphics and a serious increase to the draw distance.

Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

You keep buying IPAs. Why do you keep buying IPAs.
I drink crazy triple IPAs on the reg and I still feel bad for you.

Anyways:

TENCHU 3 gently caress yaeh!
I played the Rikimaru mission 1 forever since it was fun as gently caress and what came later was just frustrating for kid me.

Derek Barona
Dec 8, 2009

WHO'S YOUR FRIEND?!
Minor fact for non-Tenchu nerds, I'm pretty sure the guy you were sent to kill here, Tokubei, is in fact the sleazy merchant son of the sleazy merchant whom you were sent to murder the poo poo out of in the first level of the original game. I was more of a 2 guy myself, but I distinctly remember playing this game one time and thinking "Huh, just gonna rehash the old starter mission, huh?"

Death Zebra
May 14, 2014

I was actually unsure whether he was related or the developers gave so little of a poo poo that they just ripped off the first level of Tenchu 1. You'd think this one would have learned not to pull horrible poo poo like this from his dad being assassinated.

Grace
Dec 18, 2015

C'MON SOMETHING AWFUL LETS GET SICK'NIIIIIING

Rigged Death Trap posted:

You keep buying IPAs. Why do you keep buying IPAs.
I drink crazy triple IPAs on the reg and I still feel bad for you.

for your entertainment

and mine

darealkooky
Sep 15, 2011

You sayin' I like dubs?!?
I played the heck out of this game back in the day.

I've tried to play the PS1 games but it just feels so awkward to move in those games

jizzy sillage
Aug 13, 2006

Please play multiplayer versus mode, and endlessly chain FLY BABY and DIE BABY.

Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Derek Barona posted:

Minor fact for non-Tenchu nerds, I'm pretty sure the guy you were sent to kill here, Tokubei, is in fact the sleazy merchant son of the sleazy merchant whom you were sent to murder the poo poo out of in the first level of the original game. I was more of a 2 guy myself, but I distinctly remember playing this game one time and thinking "Huh, just gonna rehash the old starter mission, huh?"

Also the whole scene with the merchant and corrupt official/noble is practically a trope in Japan.
Down to the sideways framing of it and all.

Iirc it was based on a scene in a theater play that involved the same kinds of characters and people liked it so much it just become enshrined as a theatric or cultural trope.

It also appears in final fantasy legend 2:



Theres a few more details but im phoneposting so im not bothered.

Rigged Death Trap fucked around with this message at 12:33 on Feb 29, 2016

Koorisch
Mar 29, 2009
Oh hey, it's this game, I remember playing the Xbox version of this.

Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??
I looked it up, and apparently ol' Ricky is responsible for murdering three Echigoya family members, the third one being in "Time of the Assassins", a PSP game. Two other Echigoyas die in Tenchu Z which looks a LOT like fanfiction.

If anyone is curious, Yamcha's real name was "Tajima" apparently. My personal favourite bit of info about Tajima is

quote:

He also appears in Ayame's story, as a boss battle, and is also killed.

Waffleman_
Jan 20, 2011


I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

I looked up Tenchu Z and it sounds like Tenchu Xenoverse. It's separate from the continuity and you create your own ninja and go on missions given to you by Rikimaru.

Also there's co-op.

Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??
:siren:New Episode!:siren:

Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 2 - Oni Issues

Seriously Gohda, build a loving fence or SOMETHING.

Golden Goat
Aug 2, 2012

Oh hey I loved these games and their magic grappling hook!

I remember one of the items being super broken for getting max ranks though can't remember which one.

Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Danaru posted:

:siren:New Episode!:siren:

Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 2 - Oni Issues

Seriously Gohda, build a loving fence or SOMETHING.

Lets make Japan Great Again.

ModeWondershot
Dec 30, 2014

Portu-geezer
For people curious about the awesome, awesome soundtrack, it's by Noriyuki Asakura, longtime composer with Acquire and the Tenchu series in particular, but he has also done other series like Way of the Samurai, a side-game of theirs called Kamiwaza, and most recently part of the soundtrack for the Knights of Sidonia anime series. The man is one of my favourite composers, and he loves his slide guitar.

Also, I love that this game's alert system is somewhat effective but not completely immune to being screwed with. This is most apparent when using a certain third character with animal calls but at the same time I am sure it can be screwed with in other ways.

Hope you have fun, my drunken ninja friends.

Golden Goat
Aug 2, 2012

Oh yeah the poison rice is the best tool in the game! When your target goes to pick it up they're like vision or awareness is like zero so you can run up and stealth kill them.

Plus if you do it while they still have it in their hands you can get the rice ball back!

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Yeah the poison ball and darts looked like they'd do the trick for the waterfall bit. OTOH, oni everywhere.

Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??
:siren:New Episode!:siren:

Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 3 - Wooden Gear Solid

He mentioned something interesting, Tenrai is pursuing new research. He claims what they’re doing in Amagai is the missing piece.

A weapon to surpass Wooden Gear.

Kerris
Jul 12, 2006
Don't you fucking dare compliment a woman's voice on the forums, you fucking creepy stalker.
The banter makes this a great Let's Play, Danaru, but is the gameplay going to improve in future episodes? :v:

Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??

Kerris posted:

The banter makes this a great Let's Play, Danaru, but is the gameplay going to improve in future episodes? :v:

Not in the next episode, that's for sure

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


"ronins"

And to be fair, the enemy sight lines are some bs. And there was totally dudes right outside the loading tunnel.

Kerris posted:

The banter makes this a great Let's Play, Danaru, but is the gameplay going to improve in future episodes? :v:

The gameplay is perfect what are you talking about :colbert:?

Section Z
Oct 1, 2008

Wait, this is the Moon.
How did I even get here?

Pillbug
Dan I love watching video games screw you over because comedy, but seriously consider a 10 second safety on "Same guy alerts multiple times" or something because that's some special grade bullshit to put up with.

If you think that's too generous, put Grace in charge of declaring if it was ten seconds or not :v:

Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??
A Ninja never backs down from a challenge, and neither does a Canadian :colbert:

Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??
The thing about IPAs is they have a real nasty habit of hanging at the back of your tongue, every inhale puts the taste in your mouth, every exhale blows the taste through your nose. If you're doing a drinking game with a heavy IPA, don't loving run out of water.

:siren:New Episode!:siren:

Let's Play Tenchu Wrath Of Heaven Episode 4 - The Phantom Bullshit


I don't think we hit triple digits but we sure got closer than I wanted to.

Also I know I butchered the story of Musashi, but it's still pretty drat funny.

ZenVulgarity
Oct 9, 2012

I made the hat by transforming my zen

Please don't die Danaru

Croccers
Jun 15, 2012
As if you don't use caltrops more. Being a teenage that was terrible at janky stealth game, caltrops with explosives were my favourite combo.
Also watching them hop around is funny.

ZenVulgarity
Oct 9, 2012

I made the hat by transforming my zen

Whatever happened to this series as a whole

Mikl
Nov 8, 2009

Vote shit sandwich or the shit sandwich gets it!
IPAs have the nasty habit of going "what should we use for flavour? Well, I guess ALL THE HOPS ALL OF THEM will do."

Which is fine if you happen to be someone who likes hoppy flavour. Because you can taste nothing else. Only hops.

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Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

The muramasa does buttloads of damage.
Which is good if youre bad at stealth. Which you shouldnt be if youre playing this game.

Rigged Death Trap fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Mar 7, 2016

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