Suikoden (video game)

This article is about the video game by Konami. For the game series to which it belongs, see Suikoden. For the video game by Koei, see Bandit Kings of Ancient China.
Suikoden
Developer(s)Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (PS)
System Sacom (PC)
Konami Computer Entertainment Sapporo (Saturn)
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Yoshitaka Murayama
Producer(s)Kazumi Kitaue
Designer(s)Junko Kawano
Artist(s)Junko Kawano
Composer(s)Miki Higashino
Tappy Iwase
Hiroshi Tamawari
Hirofumi Taniguchi
Mayuko Kageshita
SeriesSuikoden
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation
  • JP: December 15, 1995
  • NA: December 23, 1996[1]
  • EU: April 11, 1997[2]
Windows
  • JP: March 26, 1998
Sega Saturn
  • JP: September 17, 1998
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Suikoden (Japanese: 幻想水滸伝, Hepburn: Gensō Suikoden, listenⓘ) is a role-playing video game published by Konami. It is the first installment of the Suikoden series. Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, it was released initially in 1995 for the PlayStation in Japan. A North American release followed one year later, and a mainland European release came the following April. The game was also released for Windows and Sega Saturn in 1998, but only in Japan.

The game centers on the political struggles of the Scarlet Moon Empire. The player controls a Scarlet Moon Empire general's son, who is destined to seek out 108 warriors (referred to as the 108 Stars of Destiny) in order to revolt against the corrupt sovereign state and bring peace to a war-torn land.[3] The game is loosely based on the Chinese novel Water Margin, and features a vast array of characters both controllable and not, with over ninety characters usable in combat and many more able to help or hinder the hero in a variety of ways.

A compilation of the first two Suikoden games, Suikoden I & II, was released for PlayStation Portable in Japan on February 23, 2006. A high-definition English localization version of the compilation under the title Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is scheduled for a worldwide release in March 6, 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.[4][5][6][7]

  1. ^ "THE MAGICAL BATTLE BEGINS AS KONAMI OF AMERICA, INC. SHIPS SUIKODEN". 1998-07-05. Archived from the original on 1998-07-05. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  2. ^ "Computers - PlayStation Games". Staffordshire Newsletter (Uttoxeter ed.). April 11, 1997. p. 28. Retrieved December 18, 2023. Porsche Challenge, Suikoden, Crow City of Angels, MechWarrior II, Soccer 97, Excalibur all just in stock.
  3. ^ IGN Staff (1997-01-22). "IGN: Suikoden Review". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  4. ^ @Suikoden (August 27, 2024). "A beloved RPG adventure returns March 6, 2025 ✨ Pre-order #Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars NOW on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X" (Tweet). Retrieved August 27, 2024 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ "Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars announced for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. 2022-09-16.
  6. ^ "Konami Is Bringing Suikoden I & II Back With HD Remasters On Switch Next Year". Nintendo Life. 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  7. ^ Skrebels, Joe (2022-09-16). "Suikoden 1 and 2: Konami's Cult Classic RPGs are Being Remastered". IGN. Retrieved 2022-09-16.