Japan’s 2nd Rarest Saturn Game | Psychic Killer Taromaru

[@Sworddancer48]

The Koban oval gold coin equaled roughly three Koku in the Edo period. One Koku is the amount of rice needed to feed one person for one year. So for the average peasant in those days, that's a LOT. The more you know...

[@goranisacson2502]

... That is some needed context that really alters the perception that Dungeon Chill proposed of the scene, man. These Psychic Killers are ROLLING in it.

[@Gatorade69]

Is that the same kind of gold coin that is on Meowth's forehead ? While I didn't know how much it was worth I assumed it is probably something special/worth more than a regular coin.

[@Sworddancer48]

@@Gatorade69 Yes, it's the same gold coin. Meowth's design is based on a type of Japanese figurine that brings good fortune and money.

[@giselletorres4156]

@@Sworddancer48 Maneki Neko?

[@CarlosGutierrez-ef2pd]

Thats not a very accurate way of measuring thingz

[@SonofSethoitae]

The symbols that they use to aim their psychic abilities are Siddham letters. They're used to render Sanskrit, and you see them mostly in Esoteric Buddhism, like the Shingon and Tendai schools. Both of which were and are associated with psychic powers and magic. Enkei's looks to be the seed syllable Hrīḥ, the syllable of Great Compassion associated with Avalokitesvara (Guanyin/Kannon Bosatsu) and Amitabha (Amida Butsu), and Taromaru's appears to be a stylized āṃḥ, the seed syllable of the buddha Mahavairocana (Dainichi Nyorai).

[@dungeonchill]

I figured they had to have some meaning. Thanks for sharing that info!

[@Scarfman4108]

The Esoteric Buddhism connection also makes me think that the boomerang-y weapon the final boss has is a vajra, a cermonial/ritual club also used in Hinduism and symbolising overwhelming spiritual force and power.

[@turtleofpride4572]

Sir Is there any good sources I can start down the rabbit hole with? That sounds absolutely fascinating!

[@luisvidal4690]

As a devout buddhist I am very interested in learning more. Do you have any text recommendations for those schools within buddhism/esoteric buddhism?

[@SonofSethoitae]

@@turtleofpride4572 There's not much published about Japanese Esoteric Buddhism in English, but there are a few books (mostly about Shingon): Shingon Buddhism: Theory and Practice by Kiyota Minoru Kukai: Major Works by Yoshita S. Hakeda Shingon: Japanese Esoteric Buddhism by Taiko Yamazaki

[@CoffeePleaseThnx]

Oh man, I remember seeing this game advertised in on old issue of Gamefan magazine when I was a kid! At the time the American name was "Psychic Warlock Assassin" and, as the only one in my friend group with a Saturn, I wanted it to come to America SO BADLY. I'm pretty sure I still have the magazine. If I can find it, I'll scan the article and share it!

[@CoffeePleaseThnx]

Holy cow I totally found it. It's in one of three issues of Gamefan I managed to hang onto from 1997. I also found out it's harder than hell to photograph 25 year old glossy magazine pages. Do you have a social media I can share these to DC?

[@CoffeePleaseThnx]

LOL oh wait, I found an archive of the issue: Vol 5, issue 4, pg. 109-111 (April 1997) ia902903.us.archive.org/16/items/GameFan9700/GameFan%20Vol.%205%20-%2004%20(Apr%201997)%20Castlevania%20-%20Symphony%20of%20the%20Night.pdf

[@NAP8X]

I had the same issue of Gamefan and remember thinking the game looked really cool too.

[@RobinZeg]

I want to see it

[@jonbourgoin182]

I also want to see it. Please post a link if you manage to upload it

[@AceKuper]

Fire Circle Demons are probably Wanyūdō\Wanyudo aka "Firewheel" or "Soultaker" variation .They are a pretty common Japanese demon that is usually a chariot wheel on fire with a head in the center. But can also be just a wheel on fire.

[@Lincolnlogsoff]

This channel is killing it lately! Feels like my interests in collecting PS2 horror/other unique&rare titles, indie horror, j-horror, and vidya lore coming together.

[@sunekoo]

It’s a shame there isn’t an in game tutorial (like silhouette mirage) that explains the intricacies of the combat, as it’s actually quite complicated. Your first instinct is to play it like a regular run and gun which doesn’t work at all and will make the game feel clunky. A shame because the combat is really well done and unique once you learn it.

[@dungeonchill]

Yeah. I wonder if the manual explains it. Unfortunately it’s only in Japanese. It took me a bit before I realized that your shots would chain on enemies. Once I figured that out though, the game really opened up.

[@justman4891]

Man...us USA saturn owners got ripped off. All the good games never made it here. If not for working designs i wouldve had bug regrets about being a saturn owner

[@randomsandwichian]

The final boss' pointy weapon besides the stick and sword is called a vajra, something like a hammer head where you grip the center with the points sticking out on both sides of the grip.

[@Gatorade69]

I like to eat vajra.

[@forthkun03]

i love your content, man. you really give meaning to the word "chill" when you're doing breakdowns of the games. i would love to see you uploading playthroughs of some of the games before making a vid out of them. kinda like the vibes of that if ever.

[@konnor2654]

One of the better KZbin videos I’ve seen in awhile, I rarely see Saturn covered and loved this!

[@Mito383]

It’s games like this that will make me forever support emulation.

[@ThoughtformsOfTheSubconsciousM]

Im lucky enough to own an original, legit copy of this for my Saturn. What a fantastic, badass game it is. Nice to see it getting some in depth love! Great video, man.

[@ErroeSerenity]

First heard about (and played) this game thanks to a reproduction seller. Had just gotten a Pseudo-Saturn Kai cartridge (essentially an Action Replay, modded to allow the console to run imports and burnt discs), and wanted a nice reproduction of Panzer Dragoon Saga. Ordered it and a few other games from a guy that seemed to know what he was doing, waited for the package. When it arrived, an unexpected reproduction disc of Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru was in the box as well, apparently as a thank you for the order. It's an awesome game, for sure.

[@BurstError]

this looks rad! great video, thank you

[@JohnyPaprikas]

You'll blow bro, great content. I'm from the PlayStation era but I will be definitely trying out this Saturn title

[@aceofhearts573]

This game, Terra Diver, Bulk Slash and Quo Vadis II are my favorite Saturn games.

[@stnilus3294]

The third weapon held by the dragon appears to be a Vajra. It is a weapon described in the Mahabharata as "having the properties of a lightning bolt and a diamond."

[@jaysherman2615]

I have seen this game in person only once. There is a game store in PA that has it and I nearly crapped myself when I saw it. Granted the price was what my total lifetime earnings will be, but the fact that I saw it in person was a crazy thing.

[@KosOrSomeSayKosmo]

So much creativity on display in this title, definitely one I'd never heard of, thanks for putting it on my radar :)

[@Big_Dai]

@3:45 "A single gold coin" 😂 Also, the way he says Taromaru is quite funny

[@NikoPikoo]

Very entertaining video as usual. Thanks for your work.

[@Darkbeatdk]

11:36 I noticed that the bulls charge almost in the same pattern as the ones in Sunset Riders. In stage 1 you first encounter a long row of bulls, then later you get an another row, broken up by a single straggler, closely followed by a short row again. Weird coincidence.

[@jonbourgoin182]

27:07 A fellow SNESDrunk fan I see. You are obviously a man of culture.

[@dungeonchill]

SNNNNNNNES drunk

[@Zeriver]

Entertaining and informative video as always. I would still prefer more story heavy games, but these kind of games will be fun to watch from time to time

[@vampireunangel6261]

Im convinced this is the best youtube channel. Like it literally makes my day when you release a new video. Thank you for introducing to me all the awesome titles i never would have ever known otherwise!

[@goatbone]

Incredible game. I think a lot of people would have enjoyed this if it was given a wider release. I've been exploring the Saturn library for a few years now and its a great system for finding experimental or exclusive games.

[@DeadOrcherd]

This channel is the best thing ive found on youtube in a long while

[@vintagemotorsportyoutube]

God, what a game. The intro reminds me of Caslevania Dracula X - Rondo of Blood, I can imagine Bloodlines main theme fitting this game very well. So sad it didn't see a wider release. Great video! Very aptly described and your voice is cathartic to listen to. I look forward to the future of this channel!

[@jedgrahek1426]

This was awesome to behold, what a strange gem of 90's style gaming, never would have known about it without you.

[@redrosegrave]

If pushed i would say i prefer story driven games for a video, but videos like these are great as well! Learning about old games is always fascinating, and listening to youtalk about the ones you care about is great

[@alephnole7009]

The way the background is rendered is really interesting. Especially when it turns a corner

[@kowrow]

i usually do prefer the story focused vids but this was good! you mentioned 2 games & a home tour - where else can i get that & still have it be interesting? if u continue, maybe just do super niche stuff like this. funnily enough, the only one i knew about was the home tour on saturn just because it was so weird 😂

[@miaouew]

Amazing art in this one. This is right up my alley, very cool

[@shldnfr]

What a cool game. After watching this video I ordered a repro of the game. Looking forward to playing it. Thanks!

[@oodabisu]

This is a cool vid, but is it just me or does this look like there's an filter on the emulator? He mentions enjoying the sprite work but its kinda hard looking like this.

[@midnightbrave]

Thank you for telling us the two rarest I feel like I really learned something about the Sega Saturn.

[@LordMegs]

I used to own this game and never knew the name of it lol..bought it when released on Saturn..wish I kept it knowing it's going so high on the after market!.. stumbled upon your video looking for Saturn games to put on my Xbox series s devmode..now I know the name of this game and going to grab it for my xbox..loved your in depth viseo of this game..u just got a new sub my friend! Thanks again for helping me find this game again as well

[@TheWaterdog6]

I have to say, these games you find are impressive and obscure. This one was quite a trip.

[@opaljk4835]

This is subtlety one of the coolest looking Saturn games. The thing that kills me is that there wasn’t like 2 more years of advancement for the Saturn. 1997 and 1998 had some of incredibly good looking games.

[@Flackon]

Missed opportunity to call backers “Dungeon chillers”

[@hcohic9884]

its like a yokai castlevenia with less platforming and a parry mechanic and the shooting mechanic where you have to stand reminds me of exim verge. the setting visually remind me of inuyasha. grim and creepy while still using contrasting colors one of those games that was very good for its time but probably doesnt stand the test of time.. doesnt have enough variety in gameplay to look for it and play it but the soundtrack maybe worth checking

[@andrewh3079]

I'm curious as to what the Developers moved on to throughout their career. Such a cool unique game. I love the unsettling and grotesque boss designs.

[@heraldyaxelevi8132]

Thanks for bringing us this.

[@rays5163]

the be fair that particular single gold coin happened to be worth a lot of money.

[@no1yudkno]

Just started watching your stuff. It's been great keep up the good work!

[@Mr.Boglin]

I Remember seeing Gamefan magazine talk about this game in the Imports secion. it looked really cool. i figured it'd probably come out in America, or be ported to PS1 Later or something. i was only 14 or 15 at the time, too.

[@BinarySecond]

I love this channel because I'll never pay these games but their existence is important

[@CircleOfTheSeptagram]

25:10 The boomerang thing is the Vajra. It's the diamond thunderbolt of Indra, the king of the Vedic gods. It's a direct analogue to Zeus/Jupiter's thunderbolt. as well as Thor's hammer.

[@waspor8208]

Beat me too it, but yeah. The Vajra appears in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and is a popular symbol in Japan.

[@ES2X1]

You pretty much have all the information available for Delisoba Deluxe, at least that anyone cares to know Two grand now? Dang, glad I got it when I did. Great video!

[@Morraak]

Man, that game looks like a wild ride, lots of unique things about it.

[@bureidokaiza2829]

God I love Makai Tensho-style Japanese fantasy stuff, this game looks absolutely sick

[@SkottiKimble]

Here I thought the most rare Saturn game was the US release of Magic Knight RayEarth. I still kick myself for selling it as a kid.

[@verocchi]

dang this game is truly peak aesthetics, visually and musically

[@guyyoung4388]

Still remember turning down an import service that was selling copies for around 50 bucks in 1999

[@AkioLX]

I love your videos, especially stuff like this. You earned my sub

[@goranisacson2502]

A very interesting game, and I feel like it still became an interesting video despite me mostly coming for your story-focused games because there's ALWAYS something wacky and bizare happening in this game. It's not really story as in a narrative-heavy stff, but there's definitely escalation and constant things happening in the background you can read into, you really feel like every weird monster here is SOME kind of mythological reference no matter how weird and alien it gets. SO yeah- constant barrage of inventive monsters, mixed with what looks and sounds like a very cool gameplay-format that encourages you to keep an eye out for score-multiplier moments and really making use of your tools, and I can definitely see this game be a hit... IF it was somehow re-released. Which... doesn't feel very likely all things considered, as I haven't even heard of the game company that made this. Shame. Also as others have siad so far, Taromaru and Benkei get VERY well paid for their services, though I'm kinda surprised since the father doesn't seem to be very fancily dressed at all. Wonder if there's like, a reason the girl got kidnapped or if that's just a thing that happens...

[@CrabMusicCrabMusic]

that one gold coin is the crude approximate equivelant of about 16500 modern usd 66000 modern usd - assuming it is a late edo koban (1800s, more likely as the rising merchant/middle class was more an edo period thing) and not a very early koban (1200s) and a 3% inflation rate. Also this doesnt take into account the buying power of one ryou of gold. in short he's paying you quite a respectable amount.

[@Sklabah]

I have been tempted, too often, to try to get this for my collection. But that price is just insane. A shame, really, that it is soo rare and good. I have many niche Saturn titles, but this and Hyper Duel will likely remain out of reasonable reach. Killer walkthrough, sir. I'm loving the format and subjects of your reviews. Very much my taste, and fun to see stuff I didn't get/get into reviewed in your in-depth style.

[@bunnybreaker]

Thanks for the tip (x2, DeliSoba looks helluva fun). Sailing the stormy seas right now 👍🏽

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

I thought this was an unusual choice for your channel when I saw it in the ol' sub feed, nevertheless, I definitely wanted to hear what you had to say about it. I mean, it IS a little weird to hear you talk about something that's _not_ really intricate or insane, but it's all good. Any time you wanna drop a video that's a tidy 20-30 minutes instead of an epic hour-plus look at something like Shadow of Destiny or Kuon, feel free to cover another action game. And of course, you could always just split the difference and cover something that's got both action and a bonkers story, a la an Onimusha or Otogi game or something ;) Regardless, any and all Dungeon Chill content is _quality_ content and I definitely appreciate your video output - you went HAM on dropping videos for October, man.

[@dungeonchill]

Thank you for the detailed feedback. Yeah, I plan to stick mostly to story-focused stuff, but I was thinking every once in a while doing something like this to mix things up.

[@goosehoward5759]

Hey I can't sleep either. Thanks Dungeon Chill. You're my favorite channel that's talked about Enemy Zero. Thanks again for the continued great content.

[@GmbH2088]

I just realized that the intro of this game was referenced in the first scene of the opening of Isekai Ojisan I guess it makes sense that the biggest fan of Sega would know it's second rarest game

[@mcecil73]

So, both maru and enkei can be translated as 'circle' (taro means boy) which probably explains why there are so many balls. And I appreciate that you correctly pluralize 'ninja' as 'ninja'.

[@dungeonchill]

Good theory on the abundance of balls. It always bugs me when people say “ninjas” too.

[@acomingextinction]

​@@dungeonchillRocky, Colt, and Tum-Tum don't need your approval

[@stringanime]

I pre-ordered this one back in the day. Still have it to this day. A lot of fun, good boss and level design.

[@Beeyo176]

Every few months I'm reminded that the Sega Saturn existed

[@andrewlavigne44]

The bosses in this look incredibly sick.

[@SuperPowerPainter]

Awesome video. Love your stuff. As for Psychic Killer, man it really takes me back to the time I owned a Saturn over a PlayStation and wishing we could get more games like this to compete. What an awesome console. This game seems right up my alley. I’ll need to find a way to play it on my Saturn via a reproduction maybe?

[@lorefox201]

this all looks pretty fricking dope tbh

[@Boneworm852]

Now I wish this game had spinoff media, i like its whole vibe

[@vahnn0]

This game looks amazing! Wish I could have played it on my Saturn.

[@FUSIONJAZZMAN420]

The boomerang thing is called a vajra or dorje in Tibetan. It is considered one of the most powerful weapons in Hinduism, and is used in Buddhism as a ritual item.

[@saviorx5615]

I bought this for a disc version only for $15 at a flea market in 03. Because I had a bootleg,I recognized Taromaru on the disc. The seller had no idea what it was (reseller) hell I didn’t even know how rare it was until I needed money a year later and threw it up on eBay. Even with the scratched surface I got almost $200 which wasn’t chump change in 04!

[@DraconiusDragora]

That "Weird looking boomerang thing." is a Sceptre. If memory serves its full name is Thunderbolt Sceptre which was used or is used for religious purposes (Like exorcisms).

[@Darkfuneraltv]

Wow, I'm not normally a fan of this genre, but this game is pretty fucking sick. I'm especially interested in the difficulty, and as pointed out, each fight is sort of like a little puzzle. The theme and concept are pretty neat, too. Sega Saturn sadly always felt it lacked that many titles that were all that interesting. There were always a few for me, and I remember hearing about Shining Force 3 only having its first part released in English and being so heartbroken at that, it was like better than any birthday present I've ever received to discover years later that the rest got fan-translated to English. Because of that, I still conveniently have a Saturn emulator laying around on my computer. I may check this game out and be moving it directly to the top of my backlog and near the top of my priority list.

[@HjalleCalibursChannel]

This game reminds me of the psycic Waluigi game!

[@stitchlipstudios533]

New dungeon chill video with my Saturday morning coffee? I’m bout’ to act up.

[@StudioRevoct]

I know this one solely from the intro being parodied in the opening of Isekai ojisan, in fact it's the first one that gets shown in the intro.

[@zalhietzli]

Great video ! I've never seen that kind of 2.5D trick with the buildings changing perspective as you move along. Very cool ! As a big fan of hardcore games I really enjoyed this format.

[@salokin3087]

Good video! You'd probably dig the Shinobi games on the Ps2

[@dungeonchill]

I do dig those games. And the old school ones as well.

[@salokin3087]

​@@dungeonchillneato, they'd fit well on the channel methinks

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

How is this not also an anime? I love the characters.

[@acem7749]

what about Daytona netlink edition? i mail ordered that back in the day and collect all the usa netlink games.

[@SorarikoMotone]

...tbf golden koban (thats the coin he gets) is VERY pricy. One koban coin could buy you rice in the amount enough to feed 1 person for the whole year. Nowadays, genuine articles can cost from 1500$, up to 3000$ from what i've seen

[@dagonofthedepths]

13:35 oh hey a Gashadokuro. Don't think I ever seen one in a game. It's a vengeful spirit made of the bones of those who died in famine or on a battlefield and where not properly buried. It has a few depictions, but the more modern one is a bent backed giant skeleton like it is here. Don't think it does much more than eat folk though. Artistic liberties with the fire breathing, I guess.

[@Dizerfullpower]

A staple smt demon iirc

[@DumbDumb_Banjo]

What are those symbols called that float around the demon head summoned by the third boss called? I can't catch it.

[@sewerbrat]

I love learning about Japanese pop culture through their retro games

[@statesminds]

Comment for the algorithm. Keep making great videos bro!

[@alexbayswood4847]

Every time you say Psychic Killer Taromaru, I keep expecting a Psychokiller guitar riff that never hapens.

[@mariotaz]

Looks great!

[@Pettysburg]

[@unnamedmuffin]

I'm shocked at how creative and numerous the bosses in this game are! I wonder if Psychic Killer Taromaru is a cult classic in Japan, because it certainly deserves to be. Also, I apologize for being that guy, but I think Taromaru's name is supposed to be pronounced TaroMAru, not TaromaRU, Anyway, great content as always! ^_^

[@haroldshea3282]

Well, it's not akshualy that word is stressed differently, as japanese is a pitch accent language, but it definitely pronounced not like DC does it in the video, with "average anglophone pronouncing japanese words" accent and it is, indeed, very grating on someone who at least somewhat familiar with with how they are supposed to be.

[@Reayashin]

25:36 The most METAL ending?

[@seanlukew7499]

For reference that gold coin looked to be about 1.5 oz so approximately $3000 USD in 2023 usd

[@dungeonchill]

Guess I was pretty off base with that comment about them being underpaid then.

[@seanlukew7499]

@@dungeonchill IDK that is pretty low for what he has to go through

[@KaysAnimus]

I think the 'game that has no story' part is kinda relative; the playthrough in this video shows how this game tells the same kinda story a dope OVA in the 80's could have told - a fast, cool as hell, style for days nugget of action that blazes past and disappears. I've known about this one for a while and have been meaning to revive my Saturn with an ODE, if I ever get around to it this jam will be the first thing I play 👺😮

[@Lucirby93]

Awesome video. Love to see these extremely rare video games.

[@ArchonZach]

Man if this game had been an arcade cabinet it would have taken a lot of quarters from me lol

[@Lsapito]

Have you played Mystic Defender?

[@atothed84]

I prefer the dungeon crawler/adventure game stuff you cover, but stuff like this would also be good. I'm here for the obsure. That and your calm demeanor. So many loudmouths here.

[@swheen]

The dodun patch series. Ah yess teh microwuaaawe

[@aliasmcdoe]

Great video! As my only criticism, the pixel art games you've shown so far all seem to have heavy filtering, which I think makes them look significantly worse. Either clean pixels or scanlines would be better IMO.

[@Carnationpetal]

This is one of those games that I love the style, but I'm terrible at playing 😅.