TENCHU: speculation, thoughts and hype!

[Svejk]

Since the From Software teaser during the VGA's, the Tenchu hype has been sparked once again and the kindling has begun.  Granted, there's no confirmation at all that the teaser was Tenchu related, but there's alot in the short tease that points in the Tenchu general vicinity....



What all I'm seeing (and hearing) is this...

-The bloodied "device" there appears to me as a mechanical arm with a makeshift muscle per se.  Said 'mechanical arm' is tied/chained up.  Leaves my to believe that whomever's arm that is, just woke from being chained up and is tensing their arm.. thus, the mechanical muscle is tightening up... 
-Based on the small bits of the non-mechanical looking parts; namely the right side of it, looks awfully similar to Rikimaru's arm/shoulder/armor.  (check the videos below).  Did something happen to Rikimaru?  Now I never played Tenchu 4, so I wouldn't know if something did happen to him in that not-so-stellar installment.  Said mechanical parts remind me alot of the Mechanical Castle from Tenchu 3.
-Also the music, that sound of that particular instrument has been used in various tracks throughout the Tenchu soundtracks.  The particular one that comes to mind, is Tenrai Fortress...

Now I know that instrument is used in multiple games and movies with heavy Japanese influences, but just roll with me on this one. 
- And of course the quote at the end, "Shadows Die Twice"...  The Tenchu series has always had 'shadows' as a overlaying theme, or element in their games...  Shamon, folks.

Now for the appreciation... 
Even though Tenchu 1 came out right aorund the same time as the legendary MGS1, Tenchu:SA easily stood it's own ground next to MGS and carved it's own stealth game path. 

For me personally, one of the biggest things that stood out from Tenchu, was the fucking stellar-ass OST...

And DAT INTRO..


My personal favorite track is Cross the Checkpoint....

This track was so damn atmospheric, and still.. to this day... is the only Tenchu that let you grapple up into the trees.... WE NEED THIS BACK IN TENCHU!!

Tenchu2?...  This is basically the DMC2 of the Tenchu series.. Let's all pretend it simply doesn't exist...

Tenchu 3 - Again, DAT INTRO!


I remember firing this up and simply being blown away by the much improved control scheme and that butter-ass 60fps...  Accompanied by this track....

 

Also, it was really cool to have remixes  thrown in too from Tenchu 1....


Tenchu: Kurenai (aka Fatal Shadows)

Intro...


IIRK, Sega published this one in the States.  This game took me by surprise, as I was just expecting a small scale follow up to Tenchu 3, but this installment (side story?) delivered with rock solid gameplay and stellar level design and gameplay mechanics.  Unlocking all the different techniques made each level play differently everytime. 

Of course, the OST was bad-ass and delivered more classic, atmospheric Tenchu tunes… 

My personal favorite is Recapture…


Now with Tenchu 4, they tried something different with all the context sensitive style gameplay, but I found it being more a glorified point-and-click, ninja simulator.  It didn’t jive with me personally.  I may give it a go again at some point, but chances are pretty low.

Tenchu Z:
This game had some serious potential, but ultimately failed…  It was basically rushed and half-assed…  Way too many reused, shallow levels.  In Tenchu 1 even, the Castle you’re coming up on, you can actual go in it!  Same with Tenchu 3!  …not in Tenchu Z.. it’s just in background.  =( 

Now I know there’s other games out there (very few) that share similar style gameplay, like Shinobido 1 & 2 and that Aragami game, but neither of those have that Tenchu feel to them, IMO.   

But to conclude this diarrhea of Tenchu hype, …  The video game world has a mass shortage of ninja games the past 2 generations and is in dire need of a renaissance!

PLEASE LET THAT TEASER BE TENCHU!!  If so, this will skyrocket to the top of my most anticipated games!!

Tell me you all's thoughts and/or post some of your favorite Tenchu moments, music tracks or gifs!

[toku]

wanted from soft to go back to armored core but them doing a new tenchu would be even better.

[paprikastaude]

If it was Tenchu, they would have probably just said it, just like they openly said that one of their upcoming games will be the revival of Armored Core. I think this project will be to Tenchu (and other FROM titles with a Japanese setting) what Souls was to King's Field.

[bork]

Bruh, you're getting way too hyped up for something that is not going to happen.

I mean, I would much rather have a Tenchu game than a Souls game, but...doubtful.

Go play Aragami already. 


Maybe fire up a PS2 emulator and try Shinobido.

[Svejk]

Bruh, you're getting way too hyped up for something that is not going to happen.

I know... but it has to happen now!!  All my Dragon's Dogma 2 hype energy has transferred to this now.   

Go play Aragami already. 


Maybe fire up a PS2 emulator and try Shinobido.

I thought Shinobido 2 was the better one?  And wasn't it only Vita?  I'm just assuming of course..  But I remember trying one of the Shinobido's, but really thought it played bad...  whichever one where you start off crossing a bridge to a guard on the other side?  It was so NOT Tenchu...
I do still need to try Aragami I suppose... just not feeling the main character at first... but will still consider.

[Bebpo]

I like Tenchu but I'd be really surprised if they make another one.

wanted from soft to go back to armored core but them doing a new tenchu would be even better.

AC is happening for sure. They have 3 games in development and AC is their backbone.

I like AC but it's always been so jank it's kinda mediocre a lot. I'm hoping in the new modern From that is now making polished titles with that Souls money that the next AC will be awesome.

[bork]

I thought Shinobido 2 was the better one?  And wasn't it only Vita?  I'm just assuming of course..  But I remember trying one of the Shinobido's, but really thought it played bad...  whichever one where you start off crossing a bridge to a guard on the other side?  It was so NOT Tenchu...
I do still need to try Aragami I suppose... just not feeling the main character at first... but will still consider.

Shinobido (PS2) - Has an English translation in PAL regions; did not get released in the U.S.
Shinobido Takumi (PS2) - Japanese only.  Expansion pack with 130 fan-made levels from the level editor.
Shinobido Homura (PSP) - Like the original has a PAL translation.  Has smaller levels and some control differences; I think this is the one you may have tried since you start on a bridge.
Kamiwaza (PS2) - "Honorable mention" here.  Spin-off where you play as a thief instead of a ninja, focusing on sneakin' and stealin'.
Shinobido 2 (Vita) - The last game released and the only U.S. release.  Got localized and is pretty good, albeit repetitive.  Vita-only; does not work with Vita TV, even when using a hacked Vita TV some of the control stuff is kind of hard to do without a Vita.

It's all pretty "Tenchu" because it was made by the same people...who made Tenchu.    Control is a little looser and it's more free-form stuff in stages, though.

Shinobido PS2:


Shinobido PSP:


Kamiwaza PS2:


I burned a copy of Shinobido PAL back in the day (hey, I bought the J-version!) but never did play it.  I ought to get a PS2 emulator set up and try it out.

[Let's Cyber]

Stop making these threads brehs, you're bad luck. Every game you're hyping up is going to turn to vaporware or didn't exist to begin with.

 

[paprikastaude]

Stop making these threads brehs, you're bad luck. Every game you're hyping up is going to turn to vaporware or didn't exist to begin with.

 

2017 man. We're slowly going back to pre-PS360 goodness. The dreams are becoming a reality.

[Raist]

Well, there's a Kunai soooo

[Himu]

Was interested in new Tenchu. Clicked. And it's fan speculation. No new Tenchu.

[bork]

More Tenchu~ thoughts:

-I loved Tenchu 1 so much back in the day.  Particularly the Japanese re-release, Tenchu Shinobi Gaisen.  When the game got localized, Activision had Acquire add additional content that the Japanese version didn't have.  So later on Sony Music released Shinobi Gaisen, which had all the content from the American version, plus a level editor.  I fucking loved this.  It was pretty limited, but so awesome.  Later on a fan disc, Shinobi Hyakusen, containing 100 levels, was released, starting the trend of them doing this with some other releases down the line.  Tenchu 2 also had a level editor that was improved, but I actually liked the one in Tenchu 1 more.  It was the more-polished game out of the two.  Tenchu 2 should have been released on the Dreamcast or PS2, IMO.

-The K2 developed games steadily got better with each release during the PS2/Xbox/GC era.  Fatal Shadows was the highpoint, IMO. 

-Tenchu Z wasn't very good at all.   The downfall of K2 started here.  They went on to go back to SNK (a lot of the staff made Samurai Shodown 1 and 2!) and made Samurai Shodown Sen...which had a look and sound very much like something out of a Tenchu game.  Unfortunately, the game was total crap and killed SS.  SNK may finally be bringing it back this year, though. 

-There was also the awful, awful Tenchu DS game and a weird Bomberman-like overhead view game that came out on XBLA.  I bought both...immediately sold off DS and when I went online with the XBLA game on day one...nobody was playing.  I never found a single game to join ever. 

-The PSP got a number of Tenchu games.  The first and only original game was released as "Time Of The Assassins" in English.  I really liked it at the time although I'm sure if I tried it now it would seem dated.  I remember gushing over it on GAF and getting shit for it from a lot of people.  Most hated the short, PS1-level draw distance.  It didn't bother me and I loved how the game had so many unlockable playable characters and the return of the level editor.


-Two of the PSP releases were ports from From Software- both of the PS2 games got ported over.  The PSP was already dead in the States when this was going on, IIRC.  Can't remember if these had new content (I think Tenchu 3 had the stuff added in from the XBox port) or not but they were good ports overall.

-Tenchu 4 also got a PSP release.  I preferred this to the Wii version of the game, since it didn't have that stupid waggle control garbage.  It was also a really good port.

-Tenchu 4 was supposed to be the first in a trilogy, but that obviously didn't happen and Acquire went on to make more Way Of The Samurai games and Shinobido 2, before dropping the feudal Japan stuff and making otaku-focused Akiba's Trip games. 

-There was one more Tenchu game released.  Tenchu 4 Plus came out later on for the PSP and was not localized.  It added a multiplayer mode.  IIRC this was 2P co-op but I'm not sure if the levels were original or just variations of the regular levels already in the game.  Nobody ever really talked about it and I think I was pretty much done with the PSP at that point, so I didn't bother importing it.

My favorite song from a Tenchu game:

Love it when the guitar starts and other instruments kick in.  Feels like something out of a bad-ass opening movie scene.

[Raist]

Love it when the guitar starts and other instruments kick in.  Feels like something out of a bad-ass opening movie scene.

Sounds like it could be part of Kill Bill's OST.

[Svejk]

Not sure about T4 on PSP, but I was highly impressed with the Tenchu 3 port.  I may give T4 another try on my phone's PSP emu. 
As you mentioned, the draw distance was kinda poor on most of these releases, although it kinda fit the mood, IMO.  So yeah, I didn't mind it much.   I agree about Fatal Shadows too..  That was the pinnacle of the series for me.  It was so fucking good, I couldn't stop playing it!   I remember back in the Swap days, we just got DMC3:SE and Fatal Shadows at the same time in store.  I snagged up DMC3 (you know, because it's DMC!)  I took it home... but never opened it..  took it back the next day and got Fatal Shadows instead...  No regrets whatsoever... Especially after a month or so, going back to get DMC3, it was good, but was glad I got FS at the time instead.

I've been needing to download PCSX2 on teh laptopz and try some more of Shinobido's.  I've been really tempted to play through T3 again anyway.  I don't recall whether I Grandmastered everything on it.  I know I Grandmastered T1 and FS though.  Even though T1 had those tank-ass controls, it still was relatively rock solid.   

Yeah Tenchu Z was such a disappointment...  The higher def graphics and draw distance was what I was looking forward too, but it fell flat ...  makes me sad just thinking about it again. 

So even if this is no Tenchu reboot, I'd love to see remasters of some sort... but that would be even more unlikely. 

[paprikastaude]

What's the word on the one that came out on Wii and PSP? I'm new to PSP and probably need to get back to Wii before its online shop closes soon, so this would be a good opportunity either way to check that game out.

[Positive Touch]

I gave up on the series after t2 was trash but god damn the first game was so fun back in the day. used to sit around with friend and see who could find the best route through a level. along with metal gear it was one of the first great 3d stealth games.

[bork]

What's the word on the one that came out on Wii and PSP? I'm new to PSP and probably need to get back to Wii before its online shop closes soon, so this would be a good opportunity either way to check that game out.

Tenchu 4 was a very different kind of game compared to the previous entries.  Combat isn't a thing except in certain 'forced' circumstances where you're locked into a battle (boss fights, IIRC).  Instead the focus is purely on stealth and hiding in the shadows.  It's almost more puzzle-like in some ways.  I really enjoyed it, but I did not like the waggle crap on the Wii version and so would recommend the PSP version instead.  There's no difference between the two content-wise.  I remember someone who handled the U.S. version saying that they toned some of the waggle crap down or made things easier to do, but I'd still just go with PSP so you don't have to deal with it at all.

I gave up on the series after t2 was trash but god damn the first game was so fun back in the day. used to sit around with friend and see who could find the best route through a level. along with metal gear it was one of the first great 3d stealth games.

You gave up right before they switched developers! 

But I still think that dated engine and technical issues from the time aside, the original game is still the best in the series.  It was something new and the aesthetic was awesome.  That was back when the Playstation was getting so many amazing original new titles.

[I'm a Puppy!]

User was warned for this post: Breaking people's hearts.

[bork]

Not sure about T4 on PSP, but I was highly impressed with the Tenchu 3 port.  I may give T4 another try on my phone's PSP emu. 
As you mentioned, the draw distance was kinda poor on most of these releases, although it kinda fit the mood, IMO.  So yeah, I didn't mind it much.   I agree about Fatal Shadows too..  That was the pinnacle of the series for me.  It was so fucking good, I couldn't stop playing it!   I remember back in the Swap days, we just got DMC3:SE and Fatal Shadows at the same time in store.  I snagged up DMC3 (you know, because it's DMC!)  I took it home... but never opened it..  took it back the next day and got Fatal Shadows instead...  No regrets whatsoever... Especially after a month or so, going back to get DMC3, it was good, but was glad I got FS at the time instead.

  I remember that!  We were both pretty hooked on it.  Didn't even think about trying out some of the PSP games on my phone.     But I'd rather try on a PC where hardware acceleration means nice and high resolutions and texture filtering.

[Raist]

I don't think this will necessarily be Tenchu 5 or whatever, but I can see From rebooting it with souls-like gameplay and a gritty / supernatural / gore setting.

But then again Miyazaki is at the helm know. He could just be trolling.

[toku]

its gonna be bloodborne 2 only the settings gonna be fuedal japan instead of victorian fantasy london

[Let's Cyber]

its gonna be bloodborne 2 only the settings gonna be fuedal japan instead of victorian fantasy london

That would be legit tbh

[BlueTsunami]

Its fucking Tenchu and anyone who says otherwise we gonna take this outside

[paprikastaude]

its gonna be bloodborne 2 only the settings gonna be fuedal japan instead of victorian fantasy london

Needs to be fake 19th century Japan to correlate with prior fake 19th century england.

[Bebpo]

its gonna be bloodborne 2 only the settings gonna be fuedal japan instead of victorian fantasy london

As long as it’s still Lovecraft Souls and Chthulu is coming out of the Sea of Japan, I’m cool with that.