Tenchu is a popular video game franchise involving ninja warriors. It is popular for its sword-fighting, stealth gameplay, and the eerie environs of feudal Japan. It is one of the first ninja games to incorporate stealth, a very crucial aspect of Ninjitsu that's often ignored in ninja media. However, aside from having traditional martial arts battles, the game incorporates elements of fantasy and Japanese mythology. So far, the franchise has had two games for Sony Playstation, two games for Playstation 2, and one game for Xbox.

The word "Tenchu" means "Wrath of Heaven."

Story

The franchise takes place in feudal Japan. It revolves around two ninjas: Rikimaru and Ayame. Rikimaru is a tall, gray-haired ninja with a single sword and a scar over his eye. He is stronger than Ayame but relatively slower. Ayame is a kunoichi, or female ninja, wearing standard ninja clothes with her midriff exposed. She carries a pair of twin short swords. She's faster and has more combos than Rikimaru, but is the weaker of the two.

The two ninja work for Lord Gohda, and work for him as his secret spies to root out corruption and gather intelligence in his province. However, the evil Lord Meioh seeks to destroy Lord Gohda, and using his lackey Onikage, wreaks havoc throughout Lord Gohda's province.

Name Meanings

Rikimaru = "Circle of Power"

Ayame = "Iris"

Kiku = "Chrysanthenum"

Onikage = "Demon Shadow"

Meioh = "Dark King"

Gameplay

The game is played in a third-person perspective. There are numerous items to help the ninja on his mission, but unlockable items can be acquired if the player gets a "Grandmaster" rating at the end of the level. Items and controls vary from game to game, but the gameplay is essentially the same throughout. Stealth is a very important element in the game, where players have to duck, crouch, and hide behind walls to avoid detection. Enemies can be killed with one hit by using "Stealth Kills", and a player can avoid detection by looking at his Ki meter. The smaller the number, the closer the player is to an enemy. If a player is spotted, the Ki meter will turn red and the enemy will alert everyone in the area, and the player is forced to fight hand to hand.

Franchise History

This summarizes the franchise's history in the North American releases only.

Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (1998) Platform: Playstation Developer: Acquire Publisher: Activision

Tenchu 2: Birth of the Assassins (1999) Platform: Playstation Developer: Acquire Publisher: Activision

Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (2003) Platform: Playstation 2 Developer: K2 Publisher: Activision

Tenchu: Return From Darkness (2004) Platform: Xbox Developer: K2 Publisher: Activision

Tenchu: Fatal Shadows (2005) Platform: Playstation 2 Developer: K2 Publisher: Sega

Activision purchased the rights to this game from Sony, who originally published the game in Japan. However, Activision sold the rights to the Japanese game publisher From Software in 2004. From Software 's rights agreement does not include games previously published by Activision. From Software licensed distribution of their latest installment, Fatal Shadows, to Sega.