About this game
Tengai Makyou II: Manjimaru (1992) is the most ambitious RPG ever produced for the PC Engine, and by some measures one of the most expensive video games ever made at the time of its release. Developed by RED Company and published by Hudson Soft for the Super CD-ROM², it is set in Jipang — a fictional Japan — and follows a twelve-year-old named Manjimaru on a journey to save the world from an ancient darkness. Its score was composed by Joe Hisaishi, the composer behind Studio Ghibli's most celebrated films. Its development budget, revealed decades later, was approximately ¥500 million — possibly making it the first AAA game production in history. It became Japan's best-selling PC Engine game.
Key Features
A full-voice-acted cast — made possible by the Super CD-ROM² format — at a time when voice acting in games was extraordinarily rare. A score by Joe Hisaishi, the composer of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke. A story set in a rich fictional Japan (Jipang) with original folklore, mythology, and characters drawing on Japanese cultural history. Animated cut scene sequences in the style of 1990s anime. An expansive world map and classic JRPG turn-based battle system. Multiple party members with distinct personalities and character arcs.
The Story Behind
In 1992, the Super Famicom was the dominant platform for JRPGs in Japan — Final Fantasy IV (1991) and Dragon Quest V (1992) were both on Nintendo's hardware. Tengai Makyou II was Hudson Soft's and RED Company's statement that the PC Engine CD-ROM format was capable of matching and exceeding what cartridges could do in storytelling and production values. The ¥500 million development budget — revealed in 2015 by lead programmer Hiromasa Iwasaki — made it possibly the first game to be produced with a budget that would today be recognised as "AAA." The voice acting, orchestral score, and animated sequences were unprecedented in a console RPG. The game received critical acclaim upon release and became the best-selling PC Engine title in Japan.
Tricks & Tales
Joe Hisaishi composed the score for Tengai Makyou II, but this was not his first video game work — he had contributed music to earlier Tengai Makyou games. However, Manjimaru marked the scale at which game music production could equal film production. The game was never officially localised into English; the complex historical and cultural references — drawn from Japanese folklore, Edo-period history, and Kabuki theatre — made localisation extremely challenging. Fan translation projects have existed, but a commercial English version has never been released. Hiromasa Iwasaki's 2015 interview revealed the ¥500 million budget figure, contextualising the game as an extraordinarily expensive production for any medium of its era.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Japan only — Tengai Makyou II: Manjimaru (天外魔境II 卍MARU). No official English version has been released. The game requires the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² interface card (System Card 3.0 or Arcade Card) to run. Fan translation patches are available for emulation use. A physical English-language cartridge has never been officially produced.
Maintenance Tips
Tengai Makyou II is a Super CD-ROM² title — it requires the Super System Card (System Card 3.0) or later interface card in the PC Engine to run. The CD itself should be handled carefully: check for scratches, especially radial scratches that can cause read errors. Clean with a soft lens cloth in straight radial strokes from the centre outward — never circular. The jewel case is worth preserving as the manual contains story and lore content valuable to the game experience.
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.
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