Developed by Vivid Image in 1991, First Samurai is an action-platformer for the SNES that sends players on a quest to pursue the evil Demon King through time. Rather than a straightforward arcade brawler, the game emphasizes exploration and survival, challenging you to navigate sprawling, non-linear levels, manage magical energy, and uncover secrets scattered throughout the environment.
How to play
You begin the game fighting barehanded and must gather enough mystical energy to summon your primary weapon, a magical sword. Your overall objective is to explore each area and locate checkpoints marked by mystical bells in order to advance. The original SNES gamepad maps to your keyboard: move using the arrow keys, use Z and X for the A and B action buttons, and press A and S for the X and Y buttons. The L and R shoulder bumpers are tied to Q and E, while Enter and Shift act as Start and Select.
Tips
- Taking too much damage will cause you to drop your magical sword. Prioritize dodging attacks to maintain your weapon advantage.
- Attack the scenery and suspicious walls. Many seemingly solid blocks can be broken to reveal food, throwing weapons, and mystical energy.
- Save your limited throwing daggers and axes for dealing with hard-to-reach enemies and dangerous traps from a safe distance.
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