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Sakura Wars (1996 video game)

This article is about the 1996 video game. For the 2019 game localized with the same name, see Sakura Wars (2019 video game).

Sakura Wars
A swordswoman (Sakura Shinguji) with black hair, a pink-and-red kimono, black shoes, and a purple scarf is depicted over a white background containing flower petals. A highly decorated Sakura Wars logo is seen at the top-right corner of the front cover, and the Sega wordmark is accompanied by a rating with a green color at the bottom-right portion. At the bottom side is brief Japanese-language text, and the right side features the Sega Saturn logo and the game title in Japanese (サクラ大戦). The left side includes a colored Sega Saturn logo, a Compact Disc wordmark, and the game title in English (Sakura Wars).
Cover art for the original Sega Saturn release, featuring protagonist Sakura Shinguji
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Director(s)
  • Tomoyuki Ito
  • Yasushi Takeuchi
Producer(s)
  • Yoji Ishii
  • Noriyoshi Ohba
  • Tatsuo Yamada
Programmer(s)Shuichi Katagi
Artist(s)
Writer(s)Satoru Akahori
Composer(s)Kohei Tanaka
SeriesSakura Wars
Platform(s)
Release
September 27, 1996
  • Sega Saturn
    • JP: September 27, 1996
    Dreamcast
    • JP: May 25, 2000
    Microsoft Windows
    • JP: August 18, 2000
    • JP: March 20, 2003 (Windows XP)
    • JP: January 25, 2007(PC-DVD)
    • RUS: January 11, 2006
    PlayStation Portable
    • JP: March 9, 2006
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing, dating sim, visual novel
Mode(s)Single-player

Sakura Wars[b] is a cross-genre video game developed by Sega and Red Company and published by Sega in 1996. It is the first installment in the Sakura Wars series, created by Oji Hiroi. Originally released for the Sega Saturn, it was later ported to other systems including the Dreamcast, and had a remake for the PlayStation 2. Defined by Sega as a "dramatic adventure" game, Sakura Wars combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim, and visual novel gameplay elements.

Set in a fictionalized version of 1923 in the Taishō era, the game follows the exploits of the Imperial Combat Revue, a military unit dedicated to fighting supernatural threats against Tokyo while maintaining their cover as a theater troupe. Imperial Japanese Navy Ensign Ichiro Ogami is assigned leader of its all-female Flower Division, a group of women with magical abilities that defend Tokyo against demon attacks using steam-powered armor called Kobus. He becomes embroiled in both the group's latest conflict with the Hive of Darkness and the personal lives of its members.

Hiroi created the concept for what would become Sakura Wars in 1990. In 1993, his small team in the Planning Department of Red Company began elaborating on his concept, with full development beginning the following year after being approved by Sega. Several prominent figures were brought on board the project including writer Satoru Akahori, composer Kohei Tanaka, and character designer Kōsuke Fujishima. Although the game was only published in Japan, an English-language fan translation was released in 2019. The game was a critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-selling titles for the Saturn, and spawned many successful sequels and supplementary titles in the form of the Sakura Wars series. A direct sequel, Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die, was released in 1998.
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