Kenseiden

n/a

US/EU JP KR
Kenseiden
System(s): Sega Master System
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Peripherals supported: FM Sound Unit
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Official in-game languages: 日本語 English 한국어
Release Date RRP Code JP 1988-06-02 ¥5,5005,500 G-1358 US 1988-11 7013 EU 1988 MK-7013-50 UK 1989-03 £24.9524.95 MK-7013-50 SE 19xx AU 1988 7013 BR 19xx KR 1990-02 GB-2358

Kenseiden (剣聖伝) is a platform action game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Master System. The game uses the FM Sound Unit for enhanced music when running on a Sega Mark III or Japanese Master System.

The game was released as Hwarang-ui Geom (화랑의 검, "Sword of the Flower Knight") in South Korea. The main character sprite was altered to look like a Korean warrior and the map of Japan was changed to a map of Korea.

Story

The samurai Hayato must fight warlocks and evil spirits that plague 16th century Japan. The warlocks stole the five secret scrolls and the Sword of the Dragon King from his family. Hayato, who has dragon blood in his veins, must recover the scrolls and sword from the Black Magic Castle in Edo.

Gameplay

Map

The game is an action platformer similar Konami's Castlevania series. The player controls Hayato, battling supernatural horrors in 16th century Japan. Hayato walks with or , kneels with , and jumps with . He walks up staircases with or and down staircases with or . He enters doorways with . He attacks with his katana with . He can perform an upward slash from a kneeling position with +. He can also attack while jumping.

Hayato's strength is indicated by a bar at the top of the screen. He loses strength whenever an enemy attacks him. His strength is carried over from stage to stage. If he loses all of his health, he loses a life. The game ends if he loses all of his lives, but it can be continued if the player has found the Diary item. The player can find items that grant extra lives and continues, and extra lives are also awarded for every 20,000 points earned.

There are sixteen rounds total, each taking place in a different old province of Japan. After completing the first round, the next round is selected from a map. The player can cycle through the rounds with and select the currently flashing province with . The rounds available on the map depends on the last round completed. The player can backtrack and replay a previously completed round.

Some of the rounds contain a warlock that Hayato can battle. If he is victorious, the warlock drops a scroll that teaches Hayato a new ability. Some of the round are "training rounds," which contain an optional obstacle course through a dojo filled with arrows and spikes. Hayato loses the challenge if he is hit by anything but can retry it if he fails. He is given a reward such as an extension of his strength bar or a defensive talisman if he succeeds.

Secrets of the Scrolls

These special techniques are learned by defeating warlocks and collecting the scrolls that they drop.

Ability	Button Combination	Description
High Jump (高跳び)	+	Gives Hayato the ability to jump higher.
Crushing Head Attack (からたけわり)	+	An upward standing sword slice that allows Hayato to hit enemies above him as well as in front of him.
Splitting the Helmet (兜割)	+ (in mid-air)	A sword slash that can be performed while jumping.
Cutting the Air (真空斬り)	+	A maneuver that attacks enemies both in front of and behind him from a kneeling position.
Wild Wheel Sword (乱射と)	or	Allows Hayato to walk while cutting with his sword in a spinning motion.

Items

	Gourd of Life (瓢箪)
	Partially restores Hayato's strength.
	Medicine Case (印籠)
	Completely replenishes Hayato's strength when he takes fatal damage. Hayato can carry one at a time.
	Sword (かたな)
	Upgrades the power of Hayato's attacks.
	Talisman of Protection (御守)
	Increases Hayato's defenses so that he takes less damage from enemy attacks.
	Secret Scrolls (秘伝書)
	Teaches Hayato a new technique. Obtained by defeating warlocks. Also fully replenishes his strength.
	Wooden Doll (こけし)
	Gives the player an extra life, up to a maximum of 9.
	Diary (日記)
	Gives the player the opportunity to continue the game after running out of lives.

Rounds

	Higo (肥後)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Chikuzen (筑前)
	Maps: 1️⃣ | 2️⃣
	Nagato (長門)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Iyo (伊予)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Tosa (土佐)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Izumo (出雲)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Settsu (摂津)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Yamato (大和)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Kaga (加賀)
	Maps: 1️⃣ | 2️⃣
	Iga (伊賀)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Owari (尾張)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Echyu (越中)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Suruga (駿河)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Echigo (越後)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Mito (水戸)
	Map: 1️⃣
	Edo (江戸)
	Map: 1️⃣

Versions

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English	Kenseiden	Kenseiden
Japanese	剣聖伝	Kenseiden
Korean	Hwarang-ui Geom (화랑의검)	Sword of the Flower Knight

Hints

• 

  US hints

Magazine articles

Main article: Kenseiden/Magazine articles.

Promotional materials

File:SMS DE TVAdvert 1989.mp4

SMS DE TV advert (1989)

File:SMS DE TVAdvert 1989.mp4

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 85 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 85 The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) PAL 85 Computer Action (DK) 50 Console XS (UK) PAL 64 Game Mania (UK) 85 The Games Machine (UK) PAL 86 Micromanía (segunda época) (ES) 70 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 85 Sega Power (UK) PAL 75 Sega Pro (UK) 61 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 64

	75
Based on 12 reviews

Kenseiden

Master System, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, US
Cover
Manual

Master System, EU
Cover
Cart

Master System, EU (Sega®)
Cover

Master System, EU ("No Limits")
Cover

Master System, SE

Master System, AU
Cover
Cart

Master System, BR (cardboard)
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, BR
Cover
Cart

Master System, KR
Cover
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 516ed32e MD5 6ae8f011701608ae8b765a26eb0b7ce1 SHA-1 3fce661d57e8bc764e7190ddbee4bf3d3e214c6c	256kB		Cartridge (EU/US)
?	CRC32 05ea5353 MD5 f4c3327b0f92e09b21f59e90fd273c2f SHA-1 cd349833ff41821635c6242a0b8cef7e071103d5	256kB		Cartridge (JP)