Valkyrie no Densetsu

Namco released Valkyrie no Densetsu in 1989, first to arcades and then to the PC Engine, a console that held a far stronger position in Japan than it ever did in the West. The game is an action title viewed from an angled overhead perspective, in which the valkyrie protagonist moves through environments, cuts down enemies with a sword and casts spells.

Structurally it belongs to a hybrid that was popular in the late 1980s: level progression handled like an action game, combined with elements borrowed from RPGs - shops, ability upgrades and conversations with characters. Namco handled this combination well because it could give an arcade game striking visuals while adding a layer that holds a player's attention for longer than the three minutes a coin usually bought.

The PC Engine was an excellent host for it. The machine handled a large colour count and plenty of sprites, so arcade conversions landed unusually close to the original, and its sound hardware gave the music a clean, bright character. That home version is also why the game survives in emulation better than many arcade contemporaries.

There was no Western release, so it remained a Japanese title and never entered the European consciousness, despite being a well-known Namco property at home.

You can launch Valkyrie no Densetsu directly in your browser here. Menus and text are in Japanese, but the game is action-driven enough to play without the language - watch what the shops offer and where the path leads. Visually it is one of the better-looking titles of its generation.