Oriental Legend

Oriental Legend

Overview & History

Released by IGS in 1997, Oriental Legend (Xi You Shi E Zhuan) is a milestone cooperative beat-'em-up for arcade cabinets, deeply rooted in the classic Chinese epic Journey to the West. Eschewing the typical martial arts setting of its contemporaries, the game plunges players into a vibrant, mythical Tang Dynasty fantasy where historical figures and legendary demons clash. Players guide sacred pilgrims on a perilous quest to retrieve Buddhist scriptures from the Western Heavens, battling waves of corrupt spirits, shape-shifting animals, and colossal mythological bosses across richly detailed, folklore-inspired stages.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard side-scrolling brawlers, Oriental Legend incorporates intricate fighting-game style motion inputs, RPG-lite inventory management, and elemental magic systems. The roster features iconic characters like Sun Wukong (The Monkey King), Zhu Bajie (Pigsy), and Longnü, each boasting vastly different playstyles, magical spell inventories, and unique melee combos. Players can collect elemental scrolls to unleash devastating area-of-effect spells, mount mythical beasts found in the environment, and wield magical artifacts that alter combat capabilities. The combat loop emphasizes precise timing, chaining standard attacks into aerial juggles, and executing quarter-circle or 360-degree joystick specials that consume a portion of the player's health or magic meter.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause