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Yokai Dochuki (妖怪道中記, lit. "Phantom Travel Journal") is Namco's first 16-bit arcade platform game, released in Japan in 1987 and running on the company's then-new System 1 (which was initially known as "System 87") hardware. The game was later ported for Famicom (NES), PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16...

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Developer
Namco

Released on
1987

Size
1 Player

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Platform

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Yokai Dochuki (妖怪道中記, lit. “Phantom Travel Journal”) is Namco’s first 16-bit arcade platform game, released in Japan in 1987 and running on the company’s then-new System 1 (which was initially known as “System 87”) hardware.

The game was later ported for Famicom (NES), PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16), and Virtual Console. The game was never released in North America, but an English-language arcade version of unknown origin exists, called Shadowland.

The player controls a boy called Tarosuke, a boy who must travel through a scary world fighting demons and other monsters. Press and hold down to increase the power of your shot.

Shadowland

Overview & History

Released in 1991 by Raizing, Shadowland (originally known in Japan as *Youkai Douchuuki* or licensed internationally as *Valtric* variants, though distinct within the dark-fantasy coin-op sphere) stands as a wonderfully macabre masterpiece of the early 90s arcade era. Diverging from cheerful platformers, this title thrusts players into a purgatorial netherworld crawling with grotesque, folklore-inspired spirits, demonic beasts, and shifting surreal landscapes. The game gained a cult following for its hauntingly detailed pixel art, moody chiptune soundtrack, and unflinching difficulty curve that required memorization and precise execution.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard side-scrollers, *Shadowland* employs a unique karma-based progression and weapon-upgrade system. Players control a diminutive spirit-warrior navigating sprawling, labyrinthine stages divided into branching pathways that drastically alter the game's ending. Combat relies on charging up spiritual energy to unleash screen-clearing elemental blasts, alongside acquiring temporary mystical masks that grant flight, temporary invulnerability, or heavy projectile shields. Boss encounters are endurance tests against multi-phased mythological abominations, demanding tight evasion patterns and constant strategic positioning within the game's oppressive, shifting environments.