is a 1987

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

arcade game developed and released by

Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, ...

in Japan and other parts of Asia. The player controls a young boy named Tarosuke as he must make his way through Jigoku, the Japanese concept of Hell, to reach

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

, who will determine his fate. Tarosuke can fire small " ki" bullets at enemies to defeat them; he can also charge them to increase their power. Enemies will drop money when defeated, which can be used to purchase weapons and other items in stores. Two versions of the arcade original were released: a Japanese version and an English version which was released in other Asian countries outside Japan. The Arcade Archives release includes both versions.

Gameplay

In ''Yokai Dochuki'', the player controls Tarosuke, a boy who was banished to "jigoku" for causing mischief in the world of the living. Tarosuke must venture through the monster-infested world of jigoku to reach

Yama Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities. ...

, the Buddhist deity that judges the dead, who determines his final fate. The game is divided into five levels, each taking place in specific regions of jigoku, such as "Jigoku Iriguchi" (The Gateway to Hell) and "Yuukai" (The Ghost Sea). Tarosuke must reach the end of these levels while defeating enemies and jumping onto platforms. He can defeat enemies by shooting small " ki" bullets; these can be charged to increase their power by holding down on the joystick or directional pad. Enemies drop bags of money when killed which is used to purchase useful items at stores. Tarosuke has a life bar that depletes when he is inflicted with damage; the game ends when the meter is empty. The first four stages conclude in a boss fight with an

oni An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess ...

that guards the entrance to the next stage. At the beginning of these, Tarosuke kneels at a shrine and summons a spirit named Monmotaro to defeat the oni. The player controls Monmotaro in these fights, being able to fly around and shoot powerful energy pellets. The game increases in difficulty as Tarosuke progresses, with some levels requiring him to find three secret items in order to unlock the way to the next area and search for hidden pathways. The amount of money collected and enemies killed in the final level determines which of five endings the player receives, with the best showing Tarosuke traveling to heaven, and the worst ending showing Tarosuke sent back to Hell. The

Family Computer The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...

version of the game adds a " pious" meter, which is filled when Tarosuke performs good deeds such as complete specific objectives in some levels. The pious meter also helps determine the ending received at the end of the game.

Release

The game was later ported to the

PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, thoug ...

, and

consoles with several additions and different level design; the PC Engine version and the arcade version were both later re-released for the Japanese

Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Uni ...

. The game was also followed by a Japan-only spin-off in 1990 named '' Kyūkai Dōchūki'', which is a "yakyū" (

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

) video game that plays similar to the entirety of Namco's own '' World Stadium'' series. Tarosuke also appears as a playable character in the Japan-only

role-playing Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing a ...

PlayStation 2 game ''

Namco X Capcom was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...

'', where he is teamed up with Taira no Kagekiyo from ''Genpei Tōma Den''. He also makes a cameo appearance in ''

Project X Zone 2 ''Project X Zone 2'' is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Despite the game being the sequel to '' Project X Zone'', the plot is a homage to the eve ...

'' for the Nintendo 3DS.

Reception

''Game Machine'' reported that ''Yokai Dokuchi'' was the most-popular arcade game in the month of April 1987. It went on to be the fifth highest-grossing table arcade game of 1987 in Japan.alternate url
/ref>

Notes

References

External links

Official Wii U Virtual Console website
*{{KLOV game, id=9502 1987 video games Arcade video games Bandai Namco Entertainment franchises Japan-exclusive video games Namco arcade games Now Production games Nintendo Entertainment System games TurboGrafx-16 games Video games developed in Japan Virtual Console games Virtual Console games for Wii U Single-player video games