Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman

Rising Zan The Samurai Gunman

Developer - UEP Systems

Publisher - Agetec

Release date – September 30, 1999

Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman is an action-adventure game developed by UEP Systems and published by Agetec for the PlayStation in 1999. The story (narrated by Terry McGovern) is notable for its mix of both eastern and western idiosyncrasy, most notably in the protagonist Zan (voiced by Greg Weber), who has traits of both a Japanese samurai and a Wild West gunslinger.

The game was also unique in that it had its own opening theme song with complete, sung lyrics, lending the game the vibe of a Western TV show from the 1950s and 1960s. The coda of the song also played at the end of each level.

Gameplay

Protagonist Zan fights using a revolver named "Johnny No More" (also the title of the game's theme song) in his left hand and a katana named "Demon Slayer" in his right.

The player can rescue hostages scattered around the level, perform several combos combining sword and gun attacks and make "All Button Events" in which all buttons in the controller must be pressed quickly to fill a bar in a limited time. These include one of seven finishing moves for the enemy boss character at the end of each level (there are nine in all); these moves themselves are rankes, from lowest to highest - "Weak", "Yeah", "Neat", "Cool", "Groovy", "Wicked", and "Bitchin'". Zan also has a bar that raises several levels, which allows him to execute "Hustle Mode" in which his sword grows to a much longer length, his attack power increases, and his speed shoots up considerably, allowing him to run and attack at extremely high speeds.

These actions, when completed successfully, reward extra score to the player, score which is summed at the end of each level and evaluates the player's performance by giving him/her a ranking. This varies in rank from lowest to highest: "Chicken", "Hero", "Sexy Hero", Ultra Sexy Hero", and "Super Ultra Sexy Hero". If the player completes the game with a high ranking, several extra features can be unlocked.