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Necros no Yousai

TurboGrafx-16

TurboGrafx-16

Necros no Yousai, or Neclos no Yousai, ("Fortress of Neclos/Necros") is a traditional Japanese RPG that was released exclusively on the PC Engine. It is based on the toyline of the same name, which was one of many brands of "shokugan" or "food toys" - small figurines packaged with candy that were...

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Developer
Adventure Planning Service

Released on
1990

Size
1 Player

Version
TurboGrafx-16

Requirements
NEC TurboGrafx-16

Downloads
Role-Playing

Publisher
ASK Kodansha

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Necros no Yousai, or Neclos no Yousai, (“Fortress of Neclos/Necros”) is a traditional Japanese RPG that was released exclusively on the PC Engine. It is based on the toyline of the same name, which was one of many brands of “shokugan” or “food toys” – small figurines packaged with candy that were intended for children. The toyline featured the evil sorcerer Neclos/Necros, the eight heroic champions sent to defeat him and Neclos/Necros’s various henchmonsters.

The game controls like a standard RPG and alternates between a top-down view for talking to NPCs and exploring towns and dungeons and a first-person view for its turn-based combat. The various characters launch into little animated vignettes whenever they attack, and each of the heroes has strengths and weaknesses specific to their class which the player can build strategies around.

Necros no Yousai

Overview & History

Released in 1992 exclusively in Japan for the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) platform by Irem, Necros no Yousai (The Fortress of Necros) is a dark, atmospheric action-platformer that stands out for its grotesque, biomechanical aesthetic. The game drops players into a decaying, labyrinthine fortress ruled by the titular necromancer, Necros, who has plunged the realm into eternal night by harvesting human souls. While it flew under the radar of Western audiences during the 16-bit era, it has since achieved cult status among retro enthusiasts for pushing the HuCard format to its limits with haunting visuals, eerie red-and-purple color palettes, and a pulsing, organ-driven chiptune soundtrack that amplifies the oppressive dungeon-crawling atmosphere.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard linear platformers of its time, Necros no Yousai incorporates light exploration and RPG-lite progression elements. Players control a cursed knight armed with a magical flail that can be swung in multiple directions to whip down decaying ghouls, floating skulls, and biomechanical monstrosities. Progression through the multi-tiered castle requires collecting soul fragments to unlock barred gates, navigating shifting platforms, and mastering precise, momentum-based jumps over bottomless acid pits. The game is notoriously difficult, demanding pixel-perfect positioning and quick reflexes, especially during claustrophobic vertical ascent sections. Defeating stage bosses yields permanent upgrades, such as winged boots for mid-air double jumps and heavy gauntlets capable of shattering crumbling obsidian walls to reveal hidden chambers, health extensions, and vital lore scrolls.