Sword of Sodan

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Sword of Sodan

System(s): Sega Mega Drive

Publisher: Electronic Arts (US/EU), Sega (JP)

Developer: Discovery Software International,

Innerprise

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code

Sword of Sodan (ソード・オブ・ソダン) is a 1988 beat-'em-up for the Commodore Amiga by Discovery Software International. Innerprise ported it to the Sega Mega Drive for Electronic Arts in 1990.

The Sega Mega Drive port uses the same theme and story, but both gameplay and graphics have been strongly altered.

The player has to choose between a male and female sword fighter at the start of the game. The option menu allows to modify the difficulty level (Normal or Easy) and the number of lives.

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up, with gore elements, long before Mortal Kombat further popularized them. jumps, holding down the button results in higher jumps. It's also used to turn around by pushing together with or . ducks. swings the character's sword. Combined with , and other attacks are available. Attack strength depends on the current "HIT" value displayed on top of the screen. It decreases when losing a life. is used to drink potions, but these have to be selected in the pause menu first. Potions can be combined for various effects.

Enemy health is shown underneath the corresponding enemy. Enemies randomly drop potions.

Areas are usually cleared by defeating all enemies and exiting by going to the right.

Attacks have very specific hit zones, e.g. the first enemies you encounter, spear wielding guards, can not attack at point blank range, but their spear strikes outclass the player character. As a consequence, for safe combating on has to jump in and attack at point blank, or stay out of their range and counterattack. As another example, giants can only be hurt by using high attacks.

On normal difficulty, it's vital to stock the correct potions, e.g. giants have very random hit detection and their attacks can't be evaded up close, so it's useful to have invincibility in stock, or at least boost weapon strength

Potions

red = increases attack strength
orange = defeats the closest enemy
blue = restores health
transparent = no effect

red + transparent = extra life
orange + transparent = flaming brand (stronger sword with fire effect)
blue + transparent = temporal invincibility

red + orange = flaming brand (stronger sword with fire effect)

transparent x 4 = skip stage

Other combinations either have no effect or are poisenous to the player.

Version differences

(Compared to the Amiga version)

Most graphics were redrawn and/or scaled down
Swordplay is different
Stage layouts were modified
The wood area is missing
The ostrich-like creature in the dungeon stage is missing

Trivia

The game features an undocumented level skip in stage 5 (stage with invisible pits). Don't fall down the first and second pit, but deliberately fall down the third pit. This will skip directly to stage 6.

Magazine articles

Main article: Sword of Sodan/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

40

^[8]

Aktueller Software Markt (DE)

52

^[9]

Beep! MegaDrive (JP)

NTSC-J

43

^[10]

Console XS (UK)

PAL

73

^[11]

Cool Gamer (RU)

20

^[12]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

57

^[13]

Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)

38

^[14]

Famitsu (JP)

NTSC-J

48

^[15]

GamePro (US)

NTSC-U

88

^[3]

Génération 4 (FR)

22

^[16]

Hippon Super (JP)

NTSC-J

40

^[17]

Joystick (FR)

45

^[18]

Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)

40

^[4]

Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)

PAL

40

^[19]

Mega Drive Fan (JP)

NTSC-J

54

^[20]

Mega Play (US)

NTSC-U

40

^[21]

MegaTech (UK)

55

^[5]

Mean Machines (UK)

59

^[6]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

55

^[22]

Power Play (DE)

25

^[23]

Raze (UK)

PAL

73

^[7]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

25

^[24]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

45

^[25]

Sega Pro (UK)

PAL

33

^[26]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

28

^[27]

Tricks 16 bit (RU)

78

^[28]

VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US)

80

^[29]

	48
Based on 27 reviews

Sword of Sodan

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

References

↑ File:CVG UK 112.pdf, page 72
↑ File:CVG IT 04.pdf, page 88
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 File:GamePro US 020.pdf, page 76 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:GamePro US 020.pdf_p76" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 File:MDAG UK 03.pdf, page 79 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MDAG UK 03.pdf_p79" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf, page 81 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf_p81" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 File:MeanMachines UK 05.pdf, page 78 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachines UK 05.pdf_p78" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 File:Raze UK 06.pdf, page 48 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Raze UK 06.pdf_p48" defined multiple times with different content
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 233
↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 116
↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1991" (JP; 1991-09-07), page 36
↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 135
↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 215
↑ Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88
↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 103
↑ Famitsu, "1991-10-18" (JP; 1991-10-04), page 1
↑ Génération 4, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 101
↑ Hippon Super, "November 1991" (JP; 1991-10-04), page 91
↑ Joystick, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 113
↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 94
↑ Mega Drive Fan, "January 1992" (JP; 1991-12-07), page 101
↑ Mega Play, "February 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 45
↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142
↑ Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 135
↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54
↑ Sega Power, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-07), page 18
↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 192
↑ VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "March 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 44

[:File:CVG_UK_112.pdf_p72-1] File:CVG UK 112.pdf, page 72

[:File:CVG_IT_04.pdf_p88-2] File:CVG IT 04.pdf, page 88

[:File:GamePro_US_020.pdf_p76-3] 3.0 ^3.1 File:GamePro US 020.pdf, page 76 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:GamePro US 020.pdf_p76" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:MDAG_UK_03.pdf_p79-4] 4.0 ^4.1 File:MDAG UK 03.pdf, page 79 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MDAG UK 03.pdf_p79" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:MegaTech_UK_01.pdf_p81-5] 5.0 ^5.1 File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf, page 81 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf_p81" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:MeanMachines_UK_05.pdf_p78-6] 6.0 ^6.1 File:MeanMachines UK 05.pdf, page 78 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachines UK 05.pdf_p78" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:Raze_UK_06.pdf_p48-7] 7.0 ^7.1 File:Raze UK 06.pdf, page 48 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Raze UK 06.pdf_p48" defined multiple times with different content

[8] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 233

[:File:ASM_DE_1991-03.pdf_p116-9] Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 116

[:File:BeepMD_JP_1991-10.pdf_p36-10] Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1991" (JP; 1991-09-07), page 36

[:File:Console_XS_UK_01.pdf_p135-11] Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 135

[12] Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 215

[:File:CVG_UK_112.pdf_p88-13] Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88

[:File:MeanMachinesEssentialSegaGuide_Book_UK.pdf_p103-14] Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 103

[15] Famitsu, "1991-10-18" (JP; 1991-10-04), page 1

[:File:Generation4_FR_030.pdf_p101-16] Génération 4, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 101

[17] Hippon Super, "November 1991" (JP; 1991-10-04), page 91

[:File:Joystick_FR_013.pdf_p113-18] Joystick, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 113

[:File:MDAG_UK_05.pdf_p94-19] Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 94

[:File:Mdfan_JP_1992-01.pdf_p101-20] Mega Drive Fan, "January 1992" (JP; 1991-12-07), page 101

[:File:MegaPlay_US_02.pdf_p45-21] Mega Play, "February 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 45

[:File:MeanMachinesSega01UK.pdf_p142-22] Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142

[:File:PowerPlay_DE_1991-04.pdf_p135-23] Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 135

[:File:SegaPower_UK_23.pdf_p54-24] Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54

[:File:SegaPower_UK_16.pdf_p18-25] Sega Power, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-07), page 18

[:File:SegaPro_UK_18.pdf_p68-26] Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68

[:File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf_p87-27] Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87

[28] Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 192

[:File:VG.26amp.3BCE_US_26.pdf_p44-29] VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "March 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 44

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Sword of Sodan

From Sega Retro

Contents

Gameplay

Potions

Version differences

Trivia

Magazine articles

Physical scans

References