NES Tribute: Hi no Tori Hououhen

Gaou from Hi no Tori Hououhen: Gaou no Bouken

Part 8/24 of my NES Hidden Gems project.

Heh, about time I continued this. This time it's a special gem known as Hi no Tori Hououhen: Gaou no Bouken (also known as "Phoenix" or "Firebird" when bootlegged)
What makes it so specia? Well, it's actually part of a manga/anime series by Osamu Tezuka, his Phoenix saga. And it's not "based" on it, it's "part" of it. Master Osamu Tezuka, "the father of manga", actually decided to use the video game medium as part of his work. And may the idiots who deny video games as art forever be silenced!
Another special thing about the game is the story, especially considering the wacky standards of NES games' stories. The story is about the titular Gaou, who was born with only one hand and one eye, and as a result, from a young age he was discriminated against and teased, unable to fit in with his peers. The constant ridicule and persecution caused Gaou to become bitter, and hardened, eventually turning to a life as a thief. In spite of his wicked and corrupt lifestyle, Gaou met a woman who saw goodness in him, and the two were married. However, one day, over nothing more than a trifling disagreement, Gaou lost control of himself, and killed his wife. Realization of what he had done caused Gaou to deeply regret his wicked deeds, and reform his behavior. Gaou encountered a Buddhist monk who helped him change his ways, and discover his passion for sculpting. Renouncing his previous life of violence, Gaou became a Buddhist sculptor, devoting himself to the creation of magnificent sculptures renowned for the raw and powerful emotions he was able to invoke in his work. One day, together with a fellow sculptor Akanemaru, Gaou encountered a mythical phoenix, who, according to legend, can bestow eternal life to those who drink its blood. Inspired, Gaou devotes himself to the creation of a magnificent phoenix sculpture. However, shortly after finishing the sculpture, it was stolen from him, broken into 16 pieces, and hidden in different time periods of the past and the future. In order to recover the 16 phoenix sculpture pieces, Gaou embarked on a perilous journey that would take him through space and time.
And the funny part is, this whole backstory is just lore for the game. It plays no part in the actual game, cause all you're doing is helping Gaou gather pieces of the sculpture... now that's excessive creativity for you XD

Of course, the origin and story aren't the only good things about it, the gameplay is genuinely great. The game is basically a puzzle-platformer, where you turn your enemies into stone blocks (like the one he's holding on the pic) which you need to collect to later set-up on the ground (or in mid-air) to advance through each stage, simple yet fun, and definitely worth a check.

Hi no Tori Hououhen: Gaou no Bouken OST - www.youtube.com/playlist?list=…

Other parts of the project - KickMaster, Kabuki: Quantum Fighter, Vice: Project Doom, Little Samson, Magical Doropie, Joy Mech Fight, Crystalis, Hi no Tori Hououhen, Panic Restaurant



Gaou (c) Osamu Tezuka & Konami