1992 · Group SNE · Role-playing · Science

Cyber Knight

Timed NEC exclusive

Cyber Knight is an RPG with a science-fiction theme of being lost in an alien galaxy. The game takes place in a top-down view for movement on planets and areas, a side-view for combat sequences and a first person menu system when aboard the Swordfish starship. The Swordfish can travel between stars, scanning worlds for information. If the ship is able to land on a planet, three crew members piloting three Modules (giant robots) can be selected to debark and explore the planet.

Released: 30 October 1992
Platforms: SNES TurboGrafx-16
Genres: Role-playing Science Strategy
Developers: Group SNE
Publishers: Tonkin House
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Science fiction
Country: Japan
Languages: Japanese

About

Cyber Knight (サイバーナイト, Saibā Naito) is a science fiction PC Engine and Super Famicom role-playing video game that combines sci-fi space exploration with strategic robot combat. This game is intended for experienced role-playing gamers only. The random encounters are high even for a Japanese role-playing game with a mid-to-late 1992 Super Famicom release date (e.g., Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride) and the combat sequences (using melee attacks in addition to missiles and guns) are extremely slow. Two years later, a sequel was released for this game titled Cyber Knight II: Chikyū Teikoku no Yabō. The games were only released commercially in Japan, however there are a fan-translations from Japanese to English by Aeon Genesis.

›Story

In the 24th century, mankind has gone into space. The crew of the starship Swordfish are in an engagement with space pirates when the battle takes a turn for the worse. In desperation, the crew activate their jump drive without a destination... and end up flung across the galaxy to the galactic core.

The Swordfish however is badly damaged with many casualties including the captain. Only 26 of the crew survive, and of them only 6 are qualified for combat: The commander, two soldiers, a mechanic and a doctor and six giant "Module" mechanized suits available for them. These survivors locate planet Farworld, apparently colonized by humans. There they discover the colony is under attack by a relentless mechanical aliens dubbed "Berserkers".

The crew of the swordfish must fight back against the Berserkers and explore the galaxy for some means to return home.

Keywords

fan translation
japan only
fan translation - english

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The object is to power up the human crew members and their mechs through combat experience points, explore strange new worlds using tools/weapons, and solve the problems of each alien civilization. The first mission involves saving an Earth-like planet of big people with a circa 1992 technology level from robots who want to wipe out humanity. On that planet, the president and his wife assume the throne positions of that of a king and a queen, even though their planet is assumed to be a democracy. Other quests involving trading stuff for a universal translator, braving a lava planet, and even using hyperdrive to get from planet to planet.