Terranigma Beta Version

Terranigma, AKA Tenchi Sōzō in Japan, is an action RPG developed by Quintet and published by Enix / Nintendo for the Super Nintendo in 1995 / 1996. Unfortunately, the game was never released in the US, but managed to attain cult status in Japan and Europe, regarded by some RPG fans as one of the best role playing games on the system. Before the game was released, gaming magazines published some beta screenshots, in which we can see some interesting differences:

• It was possible to climb towers using claws / bare hands, instead than chains (it’s possible to climb some walls with claws in the final game, but only much later in the game)
• There was some sort of green plant around the HUD
• Different rooms layouts
• In the first tower, the second floor looked like the third floor from the final game

A video from the same beta version was also published in “brute press” (?) VHS Vol.24 July 1995 (【非売品】ブルートプレス Vol.24 1995年7月号). If you notice more differences, let us know in the comments below!

Thanks to Youloute, Pantalytron, Crediar and Celine for the contributions!

Source: Unseen64

If Terranigma Was a 3D Cel Shaded Game

What's the bird carrying Ark around?

As you can see, in English it was translated as a gull, which could mean any number of shore birds (source). If you think that's a bit vague, look at the Japanese version:

Here it is simply called wataridori, or migratory bird. Even the English translation hints to this in dialogues, showing how gull was just a short word to stand in for migratory bird which was impossible to use, given the cartridge limitations for the recurring names.

But there's more! On the one and only Japanese board 2ch someone pointed out that you'd need a really big migratory bird for this sort of task. Well, good thing there's already such a bird that is portrayed in both Western and Eastern mythology as carrying humans or transferring souls. Its name? Shirasagi, a term denoting all big migratory birds with long beaks and white plumage, such as the stork or the white heron.

And now you know what's that bird which carries Ark around in a bag, just like a baby (subject for infinite jokes among Japanese fans).

Even more, you can see how Ark's metamorphosis in the end all ties in neatly with this. After all, storks are symbols of the soul and its next voyage. The ancient shirasagi ceremony wonderfully portrays this role, with the dancers momentarily transformed themselves in the majestic white bird.

Let's just hope Ark turned back into a human after he reached Elle's house in Storkolm (lit., stork islet). It would be a tad hard to enter the door with such a long neck.

2ch short fan fiction for the ending

A user on the Japanese 2channel posted this version of the ending. I like it. It makes sense considering what we’re told in the game and it’s a happy ending.

～エンディング～
鳥になったアークは一通り世界を飛び回って最後にストークホルムにやって来た。
そこには、表のアークの幻影があった。表アーク「やあ、来たね」
裏アーク「？？？これは夢・・？？」
表アーク「夢じゃないよ。君は再びこの世界にやってきたのさ」
裏アーク「でも俺の役目はもう終わって、この体は消えるはずだろ？」
表アーク「忘れたのかい？君にはライトガイアの血も流れているんだよ。
さあもう一度融合しよう。君にはまだやらなければいけないことが残ってるだろ？」
裏アーク「わっ！！」まばゆい光を放つ表アーク。そして次の瞬間裏アーク「・・・・・！！！これは？？体が元に戻った！？」
表アークの声「僕の役目はもう終わった。これからは君自身の人生を歩んでいくんだ。さあ！」
裏アーク「・・・・ありがとう・・」そして・・・
表エル「誰かしらこんな夜中に。もう夜中の12時近いのに・・・どなたですか？」ＴＨＥ　ＥＮＤ

Tenchi Souzou Strange Monster Names

So, did you know that...

• Huball (ヒューボール; hyūbōru) takes its name based on the whizzing sound (ヒュー; hyū) it makes when it whooshes to attack you?
• Guardner’s name (ガードナー) could also be read as Gardner? Now, where’s the garden?
• Dignal was in fact called Tignar (ティグナール)? What does it mean besides ‘grace’ in Icelandic or ‘beams’ in Latin? Maybe it comes from Tignale, Italy or likes eating Tignard cheese?
• Parionton is in fact a Peryton (ペリュトン) that Quintet misspelled as Perynton (ペリュントン)?
• The miniature Quacker (itself misspelled by Quintet) is called Iwamogeru (イワモグラ) which means 'stone mole'?
• Borfe is actually called Lesser Borfes (レッサーボルフェス)? Where is the Greater Borfes? Probably in Loulan: the similar, yet stronger, Borfes (ボルフェス) seems to point to this. There’s also a Japanese MSX game called Borfes.
• What in English is simply a bee was initially a Beagle Runt (ビーグルラント). You couldn’t make this stuff up even if you wanted to!
• The tortoise-like Dungun shooting projectiles is in fact Bullet (ダンガン; dangan)? Makes sense.
• The Basilisk is in fact just a Demi-Basilisk (デミバジリスク)?
• The fat frog monster Douma means something like Big Belly in Japanese?
• The Sabre Wolf was originally a mere Saber Dog (サーベルドッグ)?
• The evil gnomes called Rakshaki (ラクシャキ) in game are based on Rakshasas from Indian mythology?
• The Chonchons in Loulan are way out of their natural environment in Argentina and Chile?
• Bloddy Marry’s monstrous daughters are all called Carmilla? Le Fanu strikes again!
• There’s a similar magical monster called マドゥー (Madou, Maduu, Madoo, etc) in the Kirby games? It’s first appearance there is more than 2 years after Terranigma though.
• Gumin (グーミン) may refer to the Gum People?
• The fish boss Kali in the Mermaid’s Tower is in fact called Carrie (キャリー)?
• The Great Lakes monster’s name, Hitoderon (ヒトデロン) is a pun on the common starfish (海盤車; hitode)? It already appeared in Metal Max 2 which was released more than 2 years before Terranigma.
• The Phantom in NeoTokyo sewers is in fact a Necromancer (ネクロマンサー)? It is related to the Warlock (ウォーロック) in Norfest.
• The Colossus should be in fact called Charriot (キャリオット)?
• The Probes appear as Bits (ビット) in the Japanese version?
• Those enemies called Dog Soldiers in English are in fact Goblins (ゴブリン)?

Tenchi Souzou Mysteries 天地創造の謎

カボチャ
Q: クリスタルホルムにいるしゃべるカボチャ、あれって何？何でしゃべるの？
メイリン
Q: メイリンって、何で超能力者（幻影使い）なんでしょうか？
A: メイホウ爺さんには予知能力があるので、超能力を持つ家系の可能性があります。

飛行船墜落後
Q: 飛行船墜落後、アークの仲間はどうなったの？
A: 仲間達の行方はゲーム内では語られることはありません。
しかし小説版「天地創造（著：久美沙織）」ではロイドとフィーダは生き残る設定になっているそうです。

病気の女の子
Q: クリスタルホルム北西の家にいた病気の女の子が、ラストではいなくなっていましたが彼女はどうなったのでしょう？

Source

Weapons in Tenchi Souzou

These are the weapons Ark uses in Tenchi Souzou (the Japanese version of Terranigma).

Armors in Tenchi Souzou

Here are the armors from Tenchi Souzou: