Nintendo's samurai action game for Famicom Disk System. The game that created Takamaru — Japan-only for thirty years.
Nazo no Murasame Jō was developed and published by Nintendo for Famicom Disk System in April 1986 — an action game featuring samurai hero Takamaru battling through five castles in feudal Japan, throwing shuriken and using katana techniques. The game used an overhead perspective similar to The Legend of Zelda. Nazo no Murasame Jō was a Japan-exclusive that never received an international release for nearly three decades, making Takamaru a character known only to Japanese players until his appearance as a minigame character in Nintendo Land in 2012.
About this game
The Mysterious Murasame Castle is the second original title released for the Famicom Disk System, launching just two weeks after The Legend of Zelda in April 1986. Players control Takamaru, a young samurai combating supernatural forces occupying five castles in feudal Japan, wielding a katana and throwing star-like weapons. The top-down action design runs parallel to the original Zelda but takes place in a distinctly Japanese setting — armor-clad enemies, ninja, and supernatural creatures rooted in Japanese folklore. It sold approximately 610,000 units on the FDS and remained Japan-exclusive for 28 years.
Key Features
Top-down action gameplay controlling Takamaru across five distinct castle stages. Katana melee attacks and ranged shuriken-style projectiles. Supernatural enemies drawn from Japanese folklore — armor-clad warriors, ninja, and supernatural creatures. Boss encounters at each castle. A Morse code message hidden in the instruction manual's first print run revealed the final boss's weakness.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Launching just two weeks after The Legend of Zelda in April 1986, Murasame Castle shared the FDS launch window but reached a fraction of Zelda's sales. While Zelda's fantasy world traveled internationally, Murasame Castle's deeply Japanese setting — feudal lords, samurai, supernatural enemies from Japanese folklore — made it a culturally specific work that Nintendo did not localize for 28 years. The game's protagonist Takamaru was considered for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U but was cut due to low international recognition. He appears in Pikmin 2, Captain Rainbow, and as a sticker/trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Tricks & Tales
The first print run of the instruction manual contained a Morse code message (encoded in hiragana and kanji) that revealed the final boss's weakness — but a typographical error in the first printing made the message unintelligible. The error was corrected in later printings. A TV drama special based on the game aired in 1986 on Fuji Television, featuring actor Masaki Kyomoto alongside members of the J-Pop idol group Onyanko Club. Koji Kondo's ending sequence for this game features an arrangement of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy.'
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Japan-exclusive for 28 years. First Western release was Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in Europe and Australia in May 2014, and North America in August 2014 — under the title 'The Mysterious Murasame Castle.' The original FDS hardware version is Japan-only.
Maintenance Tips
The drive belt is the most critical maintenance item. The original rubber belt (approximately 31mm diameter) stretches and eventually fails after decades of storage, preventing the drive from reading disks. Replacement belts are widely available from retro hardware suppliers and require no special tools -- a documented procedure exists in multiple collector guides. After belt replacement, the drive may need alignment, which is a more involved process. The RAM adapter board contains electrolytic capacitors that should be recapped if the unit is used regularly -- leaking capacitors can damage the PCB and corrupt disk reads. Clean the battery compartment with vinegar and a cotton swab if corrosion is present. FDS disks should be stored in their cases away from magnetic sources.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese The Mysterious Murasame Castle copies regularly.
What hardware do I need to play a Famicom Disk System game?
An FDS game requires three components: a Famicom console, the RAM Adapter (which plugs into the cartridge slot), and the Disk Drive unit (connected to the RAM Adapter). The drive requires its own power supply (six C-cell batteries or an AC adapter). Without both the RAM Adapter and disk drive, FDS disks cannot be played. The Famicom Disk System was sold exclusively in Japan and was never released elsewhere.
Are Famicom Disk System disks and drives still reliable after 35+ years?
Disk reliability varies — the magnetic media can degrade over time. More commonly, the rubber drive belt inside the FDS disk unit degrades with age, causing read errors even on undamaged disks. Belt replacement is the most common and important FDS maintenance repair. If you plan to use FDS games, have the drive belt inspected before use. A working drive with a fresh belt can read original disks reliably.
How does saving work on Famicom Disk System games?
FDS games save directly back to the floppy disk itself — there is no internal battery backup. Data is written to the disk after the save command is given, so the disk can be overwritten. To protect original game data, cover the write-enable notch with tape to make the disk read-only. Many collectors keep one play copy and one archival copy for important titles. Never power off the Famicom during a disk write operation.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy The Mysterious Murasame Castle
A short checklist for buying a used Famicom Disk System disk wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Inspect the disk and its shell
Disk System media is fragile — the magnetic disk can wear, and saves are written back onto the disk itself.
Ask whether it was tested and reads reliably; look for cracks or a warped shell in photos.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is Japanese Famicom Disk System media and requires a Famicom with a working Disk System drive.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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Mind the drive belt on the console side
Disk System drives commonly need a replacement belt to read reliably — this is a console matter, not the disk.
If reading is unreliable, the console's belt is the usual culprit, not the game.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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