2D action games with an ancient East Asian setting

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

Console or arcade. Can be over the top fantasy like Chuuka Taisen or just 'regular' combat like in Tenchi Wo Kurau etc.

I'm asking because I really dig the combination of the theme, action oriented gameplay and comic style these games have. Below is a list of what's know so far. Thanks to everyone for contributing so far!

Arcade:
Chuuka Taisen AKA Cloud Master
Tenchi Wo Kurau AKA Dynasty Wars
Tenchi Wo Kurau II AKA Warriors Of Fate
Garyo Retsuden
Saigo No Nindo AKA Ninja Spirit
Ken-Go
Ninja Princess
SonSon
Saiyu Gouma Roku AKA China Wall
Jigoku Meguri AKA Bonze Adventure
Torae No Michi AKA Tiger Road
Takeda Shingen
Oriental Legend
Oriental Legend 2
Road Of The Sword / The Gladiator
Ganryu

FC/NES:
Chuuka Taisen
SonSon
Ikki
Getsu Fumaden
Kage No Densetsu AKA Legend Of Kage
Fudo Myouoden AKA Demon Sword
Ninja Hattori-Kun
Kanshaku Tamanage Kantarou No Toukaidou Gojuusan-Tsugi

SFC/SNES:
Hana No Keiji
Gousou Jinrai Densetsu Musya AKA Musya
Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban
Battle Zeque Den
Shounen Ninja Sasuke

PC Engine:
Genpei Toumaden
Genpei Toumaden Kannoni AKA Samurai Ghost
Jigoku Meguri
Gokuraku! Chuuka Taisen
SonSon II
Torae No Michi AKA Tiger Road
Saigo No Nindo AKA Ninja Spirit
Takeda Shingen
Kaze Kiri

Master System:
Chuuka Taisen AKA Master System (there’s no JP release but the game can be set to Japanese with a region modded console, and it even has FM support)
Kenseiden
The Ninja
Makai Retsuden AKA Kung Fu Kid

Saturn:
Hissatsu!
Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru AKA Psychic Assassin Taromaru

Series with too many titles to list separately:
Ganbare Goemon
KiKi KaiKai
Ninja-Kun
Ninja JaJaMaru-Kun
Momotarou
Super Chinese
Suiko Enbu AKA Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty / Dark Legend
Samurai Spirits AKA Samurai Shodown
San Guo Zhan Ji AKA Knights Of Valour

Games that almost made it but are more akin to action adventure games:
Saiyuuki World
Muramasa

[BIL]

Taito's Jigoku Meguri and Capcom's Tora e no Michi instantly come to mind.





I guess Son Son and its PCE sequel might count too? Fantasy action loosely based Journey To The West, bit like Chuuka Taisen.

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

Nice, yeah, those all count. PC Engine seems to have lots of these types of games, especially arcade ports, and even more if you count the ninja games with that don't have any "out of place" elements in them.

[Stevens]

Came to say Tiger Road.

SMS has a few -

Kenseiden
Ninja Princess/The Ninja
Kung Fu Kid

[Fudoh]

Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru of course (although it's slightly 2.5D). Very atmospheric! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q2slnO4x8o

[BrianC]

Came to say Tiger Road.

BIL beat you to it, under the name of Tora e no Michi.

[rugdoctor]

Technos Japan’s China gate

[Skykid]

One of my favorite gaming themes. There are tons!

Off the top of my head:

Ganbare Goemon (series)
Kaze Kiri
Kikikaikai
Oriental Legend 1 & 2
Legend of Kage 1 & 2
Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban
Shonen Ninja Sasuke
Muramasa: The Demon Blade

[Kiken]

The weird beat-em-up/platformer hybrid that is Battle Zeque Den (SFC).


I was gonna say Hagane, but future-past Asia is probably out-of-bounds.

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

Thanks guys, I had never heard of some of these. Battle Zeque Den and Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban look interesting.

It doesn't hurt to mention games that don't exactly fit the description. I'll update the first post with ones that do once I'm home and comfortable.

Here's a few more:
Saigo No Nindo
Ken-Go
Takeda Shingen
Suikoenbu and Suikoenbu Fuunsaiki
Super Chinese series
Genpei Toumaden

[Skykid]

Battle Zeque Den - I was racking my brains for this one this morning!

Also, Super Ninja Kun on SFC, although the game is pretty bad outside of the aesthetic.

[BrianC]

Ikki Arcade/FC
Tōkaidō Gojūsan-tsugi FC

[Mortificator]

Getsu Fumaden
Ganryu

[BrianC]

Also, Super Ninja Kun on SFC

Not to mention the previous Ninja Kun games, as well as many of the Jajamaru games. From what I heard about Super Ninja Kun, I doubt it comes close to the second AC game.

While the first Goemon counts, most of the series in set in an anachronistic version of past Japan with video games, cars, robots, mecha, and references to hollywood movie stars.

[EmperorIng]

Namco's Youkai Douchuuki has a (presumably) modern lad sent straight to Japanese hell, replete with all sorts of ancient monsters, settings, and mythological baddies (and goodies). It sort of counts because the game eschews guns n' machines for old-world creepiness painted over with a slightly silly sheen. The game had a nice PC Engine revamp/port, as well as an unreleased English arcade release, Shadow Land.

[NYN]

Nazo no Murasame Jo - Famicom. Early Nintendo title.

(acknowledgement to BIL who brought it to my attention)

[BIL]

Oh hell yeah, Murasame is a badass topdown action game.



Besides general kill-crazed exploring+looting under pressure, it has one of my favourite examples of the proximity-activated melee attack (ala Shinobi / Metal Slug). Slashing motherfuckers that get too close for comfort feels smoove! Projectiles even moreso.

[OdiousTrident]

Are we avoiding stuff like Gamshara or Dennin Aleste that have a feudal Japan meets technology setting?

Arcade:

Age of Heroes – Legend of Silk Road 2
Kabuki Z – more fantasy based?
Kodure Ookami
Kicker
Legend of Silk Road
Ninja Kazan
Samurai

FDS:

Fuun Shaolin Ken
Fuun Shaolin Ken: Ankoku no Maou

GBC:

Return of the Ninja

This is as good a time as any to ask about games I’ve forgotten titles for. One is a ninja themed Breakout clone for PC that was a recent fan release.

[Mischief Maker]

Does One Finger Death Punch count?

[Specineff]

Jaleco's despicable "Hachoo!!!"

[BrianC]

Jaleco's despicable "Hachoo!!!"

Looks bad, but it's interesting that it has a throw into the screen move similar to Turtles in Time.