A Game I Bet You Didn't Know Existed! Gotzendiener is a Pure Hidden Gem

[@starlightrevenant]

Gainax (RIP) published this game, although it was left unfinished, since it was tied to a companion story serialized in Dengeki PC Engine magazine. It was developed by the orignal developers of the Lunar series.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Bummer to hear the story got cancelled

[@joshfacio9379]

Id heard they were collected and released as a book. Btw id always been curious how and why lunar never came to the pc engine cd.

[@D0Gdidthemath]

Wow! I'm surprised I haven't heard of this game before, it looks really unique.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I feel like sadly very few people know it exists

[@METR0lD]

I've always loved the look of pixel art anime style cutscenes that are so common in PC Engine games. It honestly looks better than the compression filled anime FMVs in similar PS1 games.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes they’ve aged much better

[@rgdickenson]

Ah! Glad you posted this, I forgot about this game. The podcast, Retro Game Squad, covered this a while back. I was interested in it but had forgotten to look it up. Appreciate it.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s what I’m here for :)

[@xraypunch5959]

Once the princess pickups up the sword- "I HAVE THA POWAH!!!!"

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha def has those vibes

[@ar_xiv]

Making an isometric tileset that clean is no joke. Really cool look

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It has an awesome visual style

[@MadsterV]

It's extra impressive when you consider the PCE did not have multiple background layers, it's just the one and then sprites (with fine control over priority). It's quite a feat. I've been messing with 2.5d tilesets and it's a hard problem. I should run this through an emulator and see if I can learn something.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

@MadsterV yeah would be fun to check out to see how they accomplished it

[@danfoxx2144]

Ha! Great pick To show! This game is just awesome! I actually have the real physical copy! Good stuff brother! As always!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It was one of the first games I added to the list to cover

[@chazmaru9583]

I have never been a big fan of Götzendiener but good to hear a more positive opinion. Maybe I’ll give it yet another try. The game is relatively famous in countries which had decent PC Engine communities, given it was its own answer to Landstalker. I would argue Dark Savior on the Saturn is a better version of Götzendiener. (Its game design is closer in spirit to Götzendiener than it is to Landstalker.)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Try it again. All you stand to lose is time :)

[@MagmaMKII]

This game has some excellent artwork.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Pixel art has held up super well too

[@WMARUoriginal]

Adding this to my play list ASAP

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Smart!

[@mushroom4051]

Looks great,love the cut scenes

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It packs a lot of story in

[@NIGH11]

Great video ! I always wished they'd made more games using the Landstalker engine on the genesis. I never expected too see a similar game on the PC Engine no less. The perspective can be hard to get but I feel this viewpoint makes for a look that seems beyond what these consoles could do.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

We could def use a modern game in this style. Would love it

[@brandonwaters4955]

one of the few pc-engine cd's i have! still need a console but the artwork grabbed me, ill play this soon though. i have tried it out and i love the isometric style to it

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Enjoy it when you can!

[@Charlie-Cat.]

I certainly didn't know about it VGE. Thank you for sharing this with us. 8^)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

A deep cut amongst deep cuts

[@guillaumeverdin]

Thanks. I knew the game existed but I assumed it was yet another action-RPG that required Japanese, so I'm glad I was wrong. It looks very intriguing. I added it to my wish list, in case I stumble on one copy.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Copies can still be found for an “acceptable” price

[@Gorilla_Jones]

Wow this reminds me of light crusader on Sega Genesis, which I really liked. I'll have to check this out.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Def give it a play!

[@EmersionX]

Its more like The Immortal, not crusader)

[@emrahdincer]

Reminds me somewhat of Heimdall 2 from Amiga with clever puzzles, color palette and the isometric view. I think it was even better, if you haven't tried it give it a run.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Oh yeah that game sounds familiar now that you mention it

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

I like this one. I bought it probably 15 years ago, and it's pretty interesting. The isometric view made me kinda wish there was an open world Project Overkill from PS1 (which I guess would be a little like Operation Logic Bomb, but whatever).

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

This to me is the definition of a hidden gem

[@moreno909bruno8]

Cool! Looks like genesis games like Light Crusader and Arcus Odissey!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Similar play mechanics and style for sure

[@goatbone]

Love the isometric style.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s super effective here

[@SonofSethoitae]

There are all kinds of quirky, weird little games on the PC Engine CD. This, Blood Gear, Tengai Makyou 2, etc. I wish there were more translations for it.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes we could def use more translations.

[@tecianeli]

PC Engine is still very unknown for me. Only Castlevania Rondo of Blood I played until now.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

There’s a deep library to enjoy

[@TitchgamerRG]

Really interesting game, Never seen or heard of it but it looks really impressive for its age etc.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Visually it’s held up quite well

[@keithlowe5512]

Never heard of this, very interesting looking, I can imagine losing a lot of hours into it back in the day.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes the puzzle solving elements alone occupy a lot of time in a good way

[@TheShoe1990]

I started playing this today on my MiSTer & I'm really digging it. How do I save my game, though?!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That I can’t remember 🤣

[@MadsterV]

I think you unlock chapters as you advance. There's just a couple of them.

[@ObiKKa]

You should revise the description text and, hopefully, the title, to state that this 1994 game actually came on the PC Engine CD, not the regular, old, cartridge platform. That's an important distinction to make. It only came in Japan, though. But it seems to be playable to foreigners with little text seen.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll take a peek

[@Hreasvalgor]

I’ve heard of this game tried to run it but couldn’t get emulator to run it. Interesting premise for game!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Try again! Worth it

[@draketungsten74]

Sounds neat!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Def worth some play time

[@simon41978]

Awesomeness. Isometric games are difficult to do well. Skeleton Krew is a good one on Megadrive.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yeah I’d say 9/10 isometric games aren’t great

[@FakYuhGoogel]

Haha "Goats"endiener makes it sound like a different thing. You can probably listen to sth like google translate, its pronounciation is usually good enough. I knew about the game but never actually watched gameplay about it and I gotta say it looks interesting. Also love the narrative twist from damsel to heroine.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Guessing wrong at pronunciations is part of the channel at this point

[@TheEgoBizarro]

I might have missed this piece of info in the vid: Does it have a language barrier? Is there lots of Japanese text? Because I haven't seen a translation of this one around.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Extremely easy to play without speaking Japanese

[@SaturnineAberrance]

If anyone out there is like me and was looking for this in their collection and was losing their mind thinking this game was indeed so obscure you couldn't find it anywhere - it's in fact a PCE-CD game, not baseline PC-E.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Ahh yes it’s CD

[@vitaAutLetum]

I thought I was nuts.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Who says you aren’t? Haha.

[@MadsterV]

aw man, that's a no then.

[@Ragesauce]

Isometric games are definitely a flavor that you either love or hate, and it's VERY game specific. I like snake, rattle 'n' roll, marble madness, soltice and super mario RPG, but I could not get into FF tactics or sonic 3d blast.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Usually it’s a hate for me. This is a total love

[@Ragesauce]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I should add jungle stike to that list, i thought that game was great as a kid.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I haven’t played that one in forever

[@Ragesauce]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I could never make it past the hovercraft section for the longest time!

[@MadsterV]

Shadowrun?

[@frommyhighhorse]

you were right. I had no idea lol

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha I know my audience

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

You'd have won this bet. And it kind of looks like an SNES game too even though it's PC Engine. Although I just got an FX Pack Pro so I have SNES on the brain.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It has some SNES vibes

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

A handful of PC Engine games did

[@ciaranmccarthy]

I was always fascinated by Japanese game devs using German names for their games.

[@blumiu2426]

They do have a bit of a history with Germany you see...

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

lol I was waiting for that comment

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

And German in the intro to Rondo

[@axelkusanagi4139]

​@@VideoGameEsoterica I remember thinking I got the wrong version on accident. I hope it's gibberish like the English In some anime titles

[@m0rvidusm0rvidus18]

Here they knew that liberated womyn breaking the chains of patriarchy and pretending to be men could only come from Northern European society.

[@kosmosyche]

Some elements of it remind me of Landstalker, others don't. Certainly curious.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s got some similarities for sure

[@SubstituteRealitiesChannel]

The game reminds me of a chinese ms dos game call 金庸群俠傳 (Heroes of Jin Yong) but without the turn base combat. Surprised to see GAINAX logo there lol, too bad they went kaput recently.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Ooh that’s one I’ve never heard of. I’ll have to look it up

[@SubstituteRealitiesChannel]

@@VideoGameEsoterica/videos/videos it's a very popular chinese game back in the day. Don't think there's any english translation patch that i know of tho. You can even try it out on internet archive with their online dosbox.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I looked it up. Seems interesting

[@SubstituteRealitiesChannel]

@@VideoGameEsoterica/videos/videos/videos/videos it's all keyboard controls and is best to use the numpad for movement. It's been awhile since I started my copy up, but few thing to note. When you press new game, it will ask to input your name in chinese. It's expecting you to have taiwanese keyboard layout here. try J61 AU/2 for nameless, press enter to proceed After you got your name in, the next page is your starting stats which you can only randomize. press N randomize, press Y to confirm After that you are in the game.

[@v.m.9198]

You can tell the same designer at gainac who worked on sailor moon amd princess maker likely designed our heroine. It's weird seeing that, like tracing a fictional lineage

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’d have to look closer and see if I could spot the similarities

[@v.m.9198]

@@VideoGameEsoterica it reminds me a lot of the sailor moon pc98 game. She has the same "face style" as the feminine villains: beryl, an, fiero, zoisite, etc. The game itself does look like a fun landstalker clone

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Ahh I haven’t played that in forever. Probably why I didn’t notice

[@SolCresta3405]

Which quite possibly inspired that Hulu movie The Princess.

[@starlightrevenant]

and that Netflix movie starring Millie Bobby Brown

[@SolCresta3405]

@@starlightrevenant That one too. Damsel.

[@blumiu2426]

@@starlightrevenant Those came to your mind, too?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Good catch

[@SolCresta3405]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Indeed.

[@YunierViada]

I would love to play this

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Give it a shot!

[@YunierViada]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I would have to emulate it 😅

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

@YunierViada that’s fine. Doesn’t change the fun :)

[@YunierViada]

@@VideoGameEsoterica exactly!

[@kwkfortythree39]

Why PC Engine CD games are called just "PC Engine" while there is a clear cut between Mega Drive and Mega CD ones?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

No clue. Odd naming conventions

[@kathleendelcourt8136]

The kind of game that would be accused to be feminist propaganda if it were released today. 😂 The PC Engine is what the Mega CD should have been about.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

lol I dunno bout that

[@nicci_dee8292]

A great KAABMGPOPE Game Kick Ass Assasination Backstab Metal Gear Prince Of Persia Espionage Game

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Lolol say that three times fast

[@nicci_dee8292]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Gonna use that as a sample in a hardcore gabber track :D

[@Gamesackfan-bn6eg]

Now I know why you dump on T and A in games.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You do? And I do?

[@snethss]

omg. im dizzy from watching the movement

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Weird. Dont ever get that effect

[@br9809]

So its Zelda: Zelda's adventure

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It def isn’t Bonks adventure lol

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It def isn’t Bonks adventure lol

[@Pelendralaar94]

It looks so barren...like a game stuck in the alpha version 😯 but then again I'm not familiar with PC Engine games.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It works in context of the games storyline

[@srvuk]

From what was shown, it looks a little boring and repetitive.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s a slower pace. Almost adventure game style. Which I love

[@blumiu2426]

At least she paid her respects to the warrior that gave his life to free her.........