Garyo Retsuden is an eccentric overhead run-and-gun arcade game developed and released exclusively in Japan by Data East in 1987. Featuring a highly stylized and bizarre interpretation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the game tasks you with rescuing a princess held captive by Lu Bu. You choose from three brothersโLiu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Feiโeach wielding distinct weapons, and battle your way through hordes of unusual enemies ranging from two-headed tigers to flying pickles.
How to Play
Insert coins with the Shift key and press Enter to start. Use the arrow keys to move your character in eight directions, and press Z and X to fire your weapon (bow and arrows, axes, or throwing knives). As you defeat enemies, collect coins to buy power-ups such as weapon upgrades and speed shoes. You can also mount horses that act as a shield, absorbing enemy hits. Pay close attention to your life bar: rather than depleting in size, it changes color from blue to yellow and finally to red as you take damage.
Tips
- Always look for horses to ride. They provide crucial extra hits, absorbing damage that would otherwise deplete your health.
- Grab as many coins as possible early on to upgrade your weapons, as the bizarre enemy waves can quickly overwhelm a basic attack.
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