About this game
Getsu Fuuma Den (1987) is one of Konami's most distinctive Famicom titles: a hybrid action game that blends side-scrolling combat with an RPG overworld, dark Japanese mythology, and a samurai protagonist facing the armies of the underworld. Players guide Fuuma Getsu through three hellish realms to defeat the demon king Ryukotsuki and rescue his brothers. Never released outside Japan, it became a foundational text in the vocabulary of dark-fantasy Japanese games — and a cult classic revisited with a roguelike sequel in 2022.
Key Features
The game alternates between two modes: an overhead map where Fuuma moves between stages and collects equipment, and side-scrolling action stages where he fights enemies with his sword, whip, and sub-weapons. Bosses guard the entrance to each hell realm. Experience points and equipment upgrades give the game an RPG skeleton beneath its action surface. The visual aesthetic draws heavily from Japanese Buddhist and Shinto mythology, with grotesque enemy designs unlike anything else on Famicom at the time.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Released in 1987, Getsu Fuuma Den arrived at the height of the Famicom's creative golden age, alongside Konami's other landmark titles like Castlevania (1986) and Contra (1987). Its decision to blend action with RPG mechanics anticipated the 'Metroidvania' approach years before that term existed. The game's specifically Japanese mythological framing — yokai enemies, Buddhist imagery, a protagonist drawn from samurai legend — made it a touchstone for games that would later define the aesthetic of Japanese dark fantasy.
Tricks & Tales
Getsu Fuuma Den was never officially released outside Japan, yet it has long circulated in translated fan patches among retro gaming communities. The game's hero Fuuma Getsu appeared as a playable character in Konami's crossover titles, keeping the character known even to players who never played the original. In 2022, Konami released GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon for Nintendo Switch and PC — a roguelike spiritual successor that introduced the franchise to an international audience for the first time.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Japan-exclusive release. No official Western version was ever produced. Fan-translated ROM patches exist for those wishing to experience the game in English.
Maintenance Tips
Standard Famicom cartridge care: clean the edge connector with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. This cartridge does not contain an internal battery, so no battery replacement is needed.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
Direct purchase supports this museum directly. eBay Top Rated Seller · 1,750+ reviews · 100% positive feedback.
Unexpected Discoveries
Games you weren't looking for — but might be glad you found.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
Share your memory ↑