Sword of Vermilion

From Sega Retro


This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.


n/a

SwordOfVermilion TitleScreen.png

Sword of Vermilion
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console, Steam
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Genre: RPG

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP
¥8,5008,500 G-5502
Sega Mega Drive
US
Sega Mega Drive
UK
£49.9949.99[1]
Sega Mega Drive
AU
Sega Mega Drive
CA
Wii Virtual Console
JP
600pts600
Wii Virtual Console
US
800pts800
Wii Virtual Console
EU
800pts800
CERO
Missing Parameter!

Sword of Vermilion, known as Vermilion (ヴァーミリオン) in Japan, is an action RPG game developed by Sega under Yu Suzuki and released for the Sega Mega Drive in late 1989. It was brought to English-speaking nations in 1991 where it shipped with a 106-page hint book.

Plot

Erik V, king of Excalabria, is overthrown by Tsarkon, king of Cartahena. Before he dies, Erik tells his most trusted servant, Blade, to take his infant son and the family heirloom, the Ring of Wisdom, and escape, raising the baby as his own. Eighteen years later, Tsarkon's forces approach Wyclif, the town where Blade took the baby, requiring Blade to reveal the boy's true identity as Prince of Excalabria and sending him off to save the land by collecting a series of rings starting with the Ring of Wisdom.

Gameplay

Areas

You control the Prince in four different ways, depending on where you are:

Towns

When in towns, the game takes a top-down view. C opens the menu (described below). You may only enter buildings whose doors are open. Each town might have any of the following buildings: a church (where you can get cured of poison and curses and can save your game), a weapon shop (selling weapons, shields, and armor), a tavern (which does not appear to sell anything), an inn (where you may rest), an equipment shop (which sells consumable items), and a fortune teller's building. Furthermore, one NPC in each town will usually give you a map of an area in the overworld when you talk to him. Each town has a building (for instance, with Parma, the castle) where you must go and talk to someone (with Parma, the King) who will tell you how to get the next ring.

Overworld/Dungeons

In the overworld and dungeons, the screen splits, with a 3D perspective on the left screen and a map on the right, with some status information on the bottom. Up and Down move forward and backward; Left and Right turn 90° in the particular direction, and C opens the menu. The map on the right will only show what is immediately visible to you unless you have a map (and in the case of dungeons, which are dark by default, a light). Along the way, you will be stopped randomly by enemies who will take you into battle, find people who you can talk to, and find chests you can open for items, the latter usually placed in dead ends.

Battles

Battles take place in a top-down area the size of the screen. You always start facing down at the center of the battlefield, regardless of how many enemies there are and where they are, so act fast! C uses your sword, which you must have equipped beforehand from the menu. A uses the battle magic that you have readied beforehand from the Magic menu. Each enemy you kill gains you money, called "kims", and experience points. The battle ends when you either die, walk out the left/right sides, or kill all enemies on screen. If you are killed, you will be restored at a church, and the pontiff will take half your money for the poor.

Archmonster battles

When fighting an arhcmonster, which are bosses of this game, the battle will take place from a 2D side perspective. Right moves you forward, Left moves you backward, Down makes you duck and C swings the sword, the attack can also destroy certain projectiles. You can't escape or use magic during archmonster battles so it's a fight until either player or arhcmonster dies.

Menu

When not in a battle, press C to open the menu. You have eight options:

  • Talk: talk to a person you are immediately next to/in front of/behind
  • Item: use or discard collected items
  • Str: show incremental screens of status; C shows the next screen
  • Open: open treasure chests and doors
  • Magic: cast, prepare, or discard magic spells
  • Equip: put on, take off, or discard weapons, shields, and armor
  • Seek: look around for unusual things
  • Take: take an item from the opened treasure chest

C makes a selection. B at any time exits first a submenu, then the whole menu.

Pressing  START  opens another menu where you may choose how fast you want dialogue to appear.

History

Legacy

The game was re-released as part of Sega Mega Drive Collection for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. It was also released for the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console in Japan on 27 Febuary 2007, Europe on 1 March 2007 and North America on 5 March 2007. It was also released as part of Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection Volume 3 for Windows and is available for separate purchase on Steam.

The game has a Japanese guide book in the form of Vermilion Attack Manual Book. It also would receive a soundtrack in 2009 as Vermilion vs Rent A Hero Original Soundtrack, which also contains music from Rent A Hero.

Production credits

Source:
In-game credits


Magazine articles

Main article: Sword of Vermilion/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #2: "October/November 1990" (1990-xx-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #16: "November 1990" (1990-xx-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

Digital manuals

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
70 №1990-02, p67[8]
61 №, p85[9]
91 №115, p114-116[10]
68 №90, [1]
88 №10, p118
86 №5, p63
67 №5, p94
86 №18, p71
93 №1, p30
87 №5, p81
82 №8, p64-66[11]
94 №7, p45
71
82 №5, p74/75[12]
91 №20, p10/11
80 №23, p54
95 №25, p47
80 №6, p30[13]
81 №18, p68
Sega Mega Drive
82
Based on
19 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[14]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
73
[15]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
70
[16]
Console XS (UK) PAL
81
[17]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
91
[10]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
70
[18]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
89
[19]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
68
[20]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
53
[21]
Joystick (FR)
88
[22]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)
77
[23]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
72
[24]
Mega (UK) PAL
86
[25]
Mega Play (US) NTSC-U
73
[26]
MegaTech (UK) PAL
90
[27]
Mean Machines (UK)
82
[11]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
87
[28]
Player One (FR)
94
[29]
Play Time (DE)
73
[30]
Power Play (DE)
71
[31]
Raze (UK) PAL
82
[12]
Sega Power (UK)
91
[32]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
75
[33]
Sega Power (UK)
95
[34]
Sega Pro (UK)
80
[13]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
81
[35]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
61
[36]
Tilt (FR)
75
[37]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
82
[38]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) NTSC-U
80
[39]
Video Games (DE)
71
[40]
Sega Mega Drive
78
Based on
31 reviews

Sword of Vermilion

Mega Drive, US
SoV MD US Box.jpg
Cover
Swordofvermilion md us cart.jpg
Cart
Sword of Vermilion MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Sword of Vermilion MD US Hint Book.pdf
Hint Book
Mega Drive, JP
Vermilion md jp cover.jpg
Cover
SwordofVermilion MD JP CartTop.jpg
Vermilion md jp cart.jpg
Cart
Vermilion md jp manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, UK
Vermilion md uk cover.jpg
Cover
Vermilion MD UK Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, CA

External links

References

  1. File:Raze UK 05.pdf, page 75
  2. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 69
  3. GamePro, "October 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 73
  4. VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "October 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 39
  5. GamePro, "November 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 100
  6. Game Players Sega Guide!, "Vol. 1, No. 1: Fall 1990" (US; 1990-10-xx), page 8
  7. Sega Visions, "Winter 1990/1991" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 22
  8. File:BeepMD_JP_1990-02.pdf, page 69
  9. File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf, page 87
  10. 10.0 10.1 File:CVG UK 115.pdf, page 114 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 115.pdf_p114" defined multiple times with different content
  11. 11.0 11.1 File:MeanMachines UK 08.pdf, page 64 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachines UK 08.pdf_p64" defined multiple times with different content
  12. 12.0 12.1 File:Raze UK 05.pdf, page 74 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Raze UK 05.pdf_p74" defined multiple times with different content
  13. 13.0 13.1 File:SegaPro UK 06.pdf, page 30 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 06.pdf_p30" defined multiple times with different content
  14. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 233
  15. Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 124
  16. Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1990" (JP; 1990-01-08), page 69
  17. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 135
  18. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "January 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 22
  19. Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 103
  20. Famitsu, "" (JP; 1989-xx-xx), page 1
  21. Game Informer, "July 1999" (US; 1999-0x-xx), page 80
  22. Joystick, "Novembre 1990" (FR; 1990-1x-xx), page 118
  23. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 63
  24. Mega Drive Fan, "May 1990" (JP; 1990-04-07), page 89
  25. Mega, "April 1994" (UK; 1994-03-17), page 71
  26. Mega Play, "February 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 41
  27. MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 30
  28. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142
  29. Player One, "Mars 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 45
  30. Play Time, "6/92" (DE; 1992-05-06), page 94
  31. Power Play, "3/91" (DE; 1991-02-15), page 138
  32. Sega Power, "July 1991" (UK; 1991-06-06), page 10
  33. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54
  34. Sega Power, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-10-30), page 47
  35. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
  36. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  37. Tilt, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-1x-xx), page 52
  38. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 26
  39. VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "November 1990" (US; 1990-1x-xx), page 52
  40. Video Games, "1/91" (DE; 1991-03-27), page 90