Ankoku Shinwa - The Dark Myth for Famicom / NES c. 1988 Original Story and Game Design c. Tokyo Shoseki and Daijiro Moroboshi Translation patch by Boojum Snark. c. 2010 www.boojumsnark.com ***Beta Patch*** Please do not modify, distribute, or copy this patch or walkthru without permission. Currently some of the word bank choices will be abbreviated or truncated but should not affect game play. The Title Screen is: Ankoku Shinwa /The Dark Myth/ Yamato no Takeru /Yamato the Brave. Thanks to Pennywise and Gil Galad for extra technical info, and to everyone interested in this game! :) Story: An exciting Murder mystery with esoteric Buddhism and Japanese history and legend. 1600 years ago Yamato the Brave dressed in woman's disguise defeated the Kumaso chief, who swore vengeance upon Yamato and His descendants. 1600 years later, the Dark God and his minions are manifesting to fill Kumaso's curse.In this graphic and text adventure, you are Takeshi, Yamato's descendent, a young man, who sets out to solve his father's murder at the hands of a mysterious assailant. Your goal is to receive the eight chakra marks of the Serpent from the God Brahma,retrieve mystical items of the past, and fight horrifying Minions in order to solve the murder. Passwords: Receive Words of Brahma after defeating the Minions of the God of Darkness at the end of every chapter. There are eight chapters in all. Enter the words at the title screen. Weapons: Takeshi will discover an Ancient sword(from a skeleton), Totsuka Sword (from Takeuchi as a priest) Bronze Sword (in a coffin), Asura Sword (from an idol of Asura) and finally the Kusanagi Sword (in front of Susanoo as a stone horse.) Each sword shoots out stars at the enemy, and the Kusanagi shoots the most stars. 1.Nagano Museum/Tateshina Mountain Takeshi as a young boy watches his father's murder. Years later he discovers a letter inside his father's journal, marked from the Nagano Museum. At the museum, he meats Takeuchi the archaeologist. Speak with him about the Letter, Father, Murder at Tateshina Mountain, and go with him to the forest. Move the Middle Buddha, to enter the cave. Examine and take the snake headed Gorgon figurine. Take the Skeleton's sword. Talk to Takeuchi about the door, look at the symbols. Ask about Atman, and consult the journal to open the door. Defeat the ancient armless creature. Password PJUSCF'LJYUFs Items: Journal, Serpent Figurine, Ancient Sword 2. Izumo Shrine Recieve the 1st Serpent Chakra Mark on the right shoulder from Brahma and go to Izumo, sacred to Yamato and Susanoo.in the Past. Enter talk to the crying woman, Princess Oto Tachiba -whose name means Bouquet of Citrus Flowerss.Talk to her about the mirror. Talk to the Priest about the Totsuka sword, the Yamata serpent and your identity, as Yamato. Take the sword and defeat the Yamata serpent. Items:Totsuka Sword - a sword that places illusions into the minds of the enemy. Password: BEPM'TIiPCQQz'U Boss: Yamata Serpent 3.Tateshina Forest/Yamatai Land/Suffering Shrine/Mounds/Chibusan/Takehara/Hinooka 2nd Serpent Chakra Mark: Right Knee Takeshi awakes confused at the Tateshina Mountains. He meets Miya Ooga the archaeologist. Ask her questions about what you see, (she is impatient). Explore and talk to her about the pattern, the Horse Buddha, the jewel, the Yamatai, and the Yamatai Queen Himiko. Take the jewel. Consult the journal with Miya present. Place the jewel into Hayagriva the Horse Buddha and enter the cave. Miya will accompany you, and be concerned about Himiko and the secret of immortality. Move ahead, move the casket lid, talk to Miya and take the seal half of Hiumiko and the bronze sword. Go ahead and examine the door. Look at the Door. (Try moving it for a laugh) and consult the journal. After the door is opened, talk to Miya first (If you want the game to end move up before talking to her.) She will enter the spring. Move up, and then watch her transform into a hideous hungry ghost! Use the sword to stave her off and run to Takeuchi. Talk to him and enter the Shrine of Hungry ghosts. Leave and talk to him (if you want him to scold you), and re-enter. Dont fall in the hole. Look in the Hole and talk to Takeuchi about the Dark God and Dark Minions and the hungry ghosts. Leave, look at his map and talk to him about Kikuchi. Go to the Kumamoto Burial grounds. Move the rope, read the charcters, and go up. Talk to Takeuchi. Go down to Chibusan burial crypt. In the tomb look at the figure, the wall, and the pot. Take the parchment from the pot, talk to your trusty guide. Go to Takehara Tomb, talk and go to Hinooka. Look at the hypnotic rock swirls, talk, and go up into a trap. Defeat Spawning Minion. Password:Qajb'YeKEPsFB Items: Jewelled Eye,Half of Seal, Bronze Sword, Parchment Boss: Spawning Minion 4. Asuka/ Shiratori Tomb/Underworld 3rd Serpent Chakra Mark: Right Ankle Talk to Takeuchi, and he tells you to find the other half of the seal in Yamatos tomb at Shiratori. Go up, Up and look at the mural of Princess Oto Tachibana. Look at the comb, Crown, and Peach, they will be handy later. Go right look around, and DO NOT enter the cave with the warm breeze and and someone lurking inside (unless you want the game to end). Go until you find an old bronze bell and take it. Go until you find a passage that goes deep into the tomb. Look at the rock fissure, and the rock, knock the rock in with your sword. Look and go down. look at the wall, the figure and consult your journal. Take the magic protective Helm! Toll the bell. Go forward. Talk to Kikuchi, and give him the seal. Run from the Underworld Hell Hag. Talk to the Princess Oto Tachibana take the crown and throw it at the Hag. Go forward, ,talk to the Princess abput the legend of Izanagi and Izanami, take the bamboo comb and throw it at the hag. Go up, talk to her again, take the peach, take the flowers if you want and use the peaches. As the Hag goes for them, go forward. Talk to the mural of the princess, and Go to fight the Hag. Password: LlmfTnHnVlC Items: Helm, Bell, Crow, Comb, Peach, Flower Bouquet Boss Underworld Hag 5. Nara, Kofukuji Temple 4th Chakra Mark -Thigh From Brahma, venture to Nara, to the Kofukuji Temple, which contains sacred artwork, and mysteries to solve. Enter and look at the ink painting of Izanagi which contains his story about escaping Izanagi's frightful form, leaving the Underworld and washing himself in the River. Go back to the next painting of his three children the Sankishin: Amaterasu of the Sun, Tsukuyomi of the Moon, and Susanoo the Dark one. Go to the next door and spring the lock with the sword. Go forward. Look at the picture of the Horse Buddha and the Sun and Moon Buddha. Go back and see the painting of Rahu, the celestial dragon of India that destroys the Sun, Moon, and Stars.Use the parchment to complete the painting. Read the caption. Go to the door with the broken knothole and use the figure. Go forward to the scroll. Look at the scroll which looks like Orion. Go to the painting of calligraphy which is similar to Hell Rock at Kumamoto. Look at it, and read the journal. Learn the word Rahu, and go to the next door, which should open. Look at the the Taizokai /Lotus World mandala, and go to the mandala and move it. Look at the idol of Asura, and its jewelry. Take the Sword of Asura and watch it spring to life! Defeat the Asura Avatar. Password:JAeCLsbkP'Hmml' Items:Asura's Sword Boss: Avatar of Asura 6.Kiyo/Mountains of Mystery Go to Kiyo and talk to the fortune teller, about your identity, lunar mansions, and all topics. Take Genbu the turtle and go to the Mountains of Mystery. On the trail go ahead until the turtle vibrates, and then on the path to the man. It is Kikuchi, the descendant of Kumaso again. Talk to him about the seal, and why he is fighting Takeshi. When he places both halves of the seal into the statue, the earth will quake. Leave and face the Susanoo Horse statue. Take the Kusanagi sword and defeat the Dark Horse. 5th chakra mark Abdomen Items Turtle, Kusanagi Sword Password Boss: Susanoo Stone Horse GfMllKCCYTIEsK's 7. Yaidzu Coast 6th Chakra Mark Abdomen Talk to Takeuchi about the Horse and Kikuchi and go to the shrine of Rocks. (or are they?) Look at the door and use the snake figurine to open it. Go inside, go to the left and right rock capsules, and crack them with a sword. Talk to Takeuchi about the skeletons for weirdness, and go forward. Crack open the large boulder to reveal the princess Oto Tachibana. Talk to her until she disintegrates (gruesome!) and take her mirror. Talk to Takeuchi about the Atman and the three treasure, Kusanagi Grass-cutter Sword, Mirror, and the Moon Jewels. Go To Mt Hiei Enryakuji Shrine. Go inside. Talk to Takeuchi, use the mirror, talk to him again and shine the figurine to awaken the Dark Horse God that lives in Orion's nebula. Defeat it, and dodge fireballs. Password: jEABTDR'PBPK'ZsU Items: Mirror Boss Dark Horse /Dark God 8. Musashino, Depot /Home /Park 7th chakra mark: Left Shoulder Items: Moon Jewels Boss: Kikuchi Return to your home at Musashino. Talk to the smoking man at the Depot station, and go to your house. Look at the picture and talk to the smoking man. Go into your fathers room, talk to your mother about your fathers murder and his destiny to be the Atman. and take the crescent moon jewels. Leave. At the station, Go up, and talk to your mother who staves off the smoking Mr Ogata who is wielding a knife. Go into her room. Take her scarf and coat. Go to the Park/Depot to face your uncle Kikuchi. Go up and use your sword. Watch him transform into a three faced demon and defeat him for the finale. There is a bad ending if you take the coat but not the scarf. Kikuchi will see through the disguise and kill Takeshi. Good Ending: After Defeating Kikuchi's green three headed form, Brahma speaks to Takeshi and takes him into the cosmos, giving him the 8th chakra mark and reveals the mysteries. 8th Chakra mark -Head Kikuchi is defeated by Takeshi in the present day. Yamato defeats Kumaso in the past. Yamato and Oto Tachibana are reunited. The Dark God roars in the volcano, Mt Hinomoto. Yamato and Takeshi merge as the same being. Takeshi nows understands the mystery of his father, his mother, Orion, the Dark Horse, the Dark God, and other mysteries in the game. There are numerous computer jokes and references to books and Japanese pop culture which have been retained and rendered in English throughout the game. For example if you try to move the moat in Chapter four a message reads "Paging Ultraman 7?" or in Chapter 3 trying moving the largest rock at the Kumamoto burial Mounds "The Rock is Sumo sized!" Find as many as you can! :) Feel free to send corrections, any hidding endings or secrets, typos, or feedback on this beta patch or walkthru! Enjoy! :)