Kishin Douji Zenki: Batoru Raiden (Super Famicom)

Kishin Douji Zenki: Batoru Raiden (Demon Child Zenki: Battle Raiden) is a sidescrolling action platformer for the Super Famicom, based on the manga/anime series that ran from 1992 to 1996, which focuses on a demon guardian spirit who’s been sealed away by a powerful monk and later revived by the monk’s descendant in the form of a bratty demon child.

The game is in Japanese and there have been no English ports, but it’s hardly a point of contention because the game can be played without any need to understand the story - just go from point A to point B while killing every monster that blocks your path. But in case the story is important for you and you’re a big fan of the series, it is worth pointing out that the game diverts a lot from the source, presenting a simpler version of events (many important characters won’t be making an appearance, for instance.)


Graphics and Audio

In terms of visuals, Kishin Douji Zenki: Battle Raiden is one of the most beautiful games on the Super Famicom. The graphics are nowhere near anime-quality, but it does a good job of creating 16-bit facsimiles of the characters. You will be forgiven if you mistake it for a Playstation title if you’re just looking at screenshots and gameplay videos. It’s also safe to say that it will remind people of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, even though it technically predated SotN at least a year.

Audio is well above what you’d expect from an SNES game, featuring audio that is able to mimic the characters voices from the anime. They’re mostly grunts and shouts of attack names, but considering the year and the console it’s on, the audio is excellent (although like many retro games, it can be a tad repetitive.)

Gameplay

The player will control Zenki using the D-pad and the face buttons (B for jumping and Y for attack.) The D-pad only allows him to walk, but he is capable of dashing forwards or backwards using the R and L triggers, respectively. He can also perform a flip when B is pressed twice, which will be necessary in order to reach some places.

The game will put players in control of both the child and adult versions of Zenki, but there will be no in-game transformations. You will be given control of the characters when the story requires it.

You play as this little guy...

However, it’s not purely cosmetic as child Zenki is weaker and limited to one attack and a special diving kick. Adult Zenki, on the other hand, gains access to a variety of special attacks using different button combinations (e.g. holding down the Y button and releasing it makes him do a Raigekiha while tapping it rapidly makes him do a Gurengeki) while you’re not forced to use all of the attacks, you will find that some of them DO serve a purpose and will make certain things easier.

...who can transform into this big guy.

Batoru Raiden isn’t technically a metroidvania, though there are instances where you can access hidden areas using specific moves, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The stages are of decent length, not long enough to bore you but not short enough to be unsatisfying. The enemies are varied and aren’t simple palette swaps. The stages are also refreshingly different from one another, so the game won’t make you feel like you’re going around in circles. Additionally, reaching the end of the stages is rewarding because you will be greeted by unique end-level bosses that require specific strategies to beat.

Replayability

Batoru Raiden fairly short with only 5 stages under its belt, and there’s no incentive to replay the whole game BUT it is important to keep in mind that around that time, games were meant to be finished in one sitting, as fast as you can, and replayed everytime you have an hour or so to spare. New Game+ and alternate endings at the time were rare and/or limited to genres that require length and time investment, like RPGs. Basically, Kishin Douji Zenki: Batoru Raiden is a good pick-up-and-play action platformer for the SNES, and one that won’t have you bored by the 3rd stage. It’s also a good example of what Nintendo’s iconic 16-bit console can do in the hands of devs who know what they are doing.