History VideoGame / Actraiser

''[=ActRaiser=]'' is a platforming/sim game released in 1990 for the SNES, developed by Quintet and published by Enix (now Creator/SquareEnix). You are a SealedGoodInACan god named [[CrystalDragonJesus The Master]] (apparently the Abrahamic God, but [[CensorshipBureau only in Japan]]), sent into a nice nap after [[BigBad Tanzra]] (also known as Satan, but again, [[CensorshipBureau only in Japan]]) and his minions beat you silly a very long time ago. While you were sleeping, Tanzra and pals divided your world amongst themselves, and your godlike powers found themselves drained, due to your worshippers abandoning ship.

* AdaptationalCurves: In the original ''[=ActRaiser=]'', the Master's avatar in the sidescrolling segments was clearly masculine but otherwise had little defining features beside his armor, while the angel was a nude cherub. In ''Renaissance'', the avatar has been remade into a {{Bishounen}} and the angel is now a [[AmbiguousGender androgynous]] human child with a feminine appearance.

* AdaptationalCurves: In the original ''[=ActRaiser=]'', the Master's avatar in the sidescrolling segments was clearly masculine but otherwise had little defining features beside his armor, while the angel was a nude cherub. In ''Renaissance'', the avatar has been remade into a {{Bishounen}} and the angel is now a [[AmbiguousGender ambiguously-gendered]] human child with a feminine appearance.

* AdaptationalCurves: In the original ''[=ActRaiser=]'', the Master's avatar in the sidescrolling segments was clearly masculine but otherwise had little defining features beside his armor, while the angel was a nude cherub. In ''Renaissance'', the avatar has been remade into a {{Bishounen}} and the angel is now a ambiguously-gendered human with a feminine appearance.

* GenreBlending: ''[=ActRaiser=]'' is 50% ActionGame, 35% SimulationGame, and 15% RealTimeStrategy.

On September 23rd, a remastered version of the original ''[=ActRaiser=]'' titled ''[=Actraiser=] Renaissance'' was announced and released for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/Playstation4, PC via {{UsefulNotes/Steam}}, and mobile devices. In addition to featuring completely overhauled graphics, ''Renaissance'' boasts expanded gameplay, including new features in both the action and city-sim segments, an entirely new Realm, new levels and bosses, 15 new music tracks and a remastered soundtrack by original composer Yuzo Koshiro, and quality of life features.

On September 23rd during the Nintendo Direct, a remake called ''[=ActRasier=] Renaissance'' was announced for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. As well as UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, Steam, and mobile.

On September 23rd during the Nintendo Direct, a remake called ''[=ActRasier=] Renaissance'' was announced for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch.

On September 23rd during the Nintendo Direct, a remake called ActRasier Renaissance was announced.

* BlindIdiotTranslation: In the ending, the angel makes reference to the leaders of Marahna being tempted by "the wicked mirror," despite nothing of the sort actually appearing during gameplay. The term used in Japanese, jashinkyou, was probably supposed to mean something like "religion of the evil god," which would make sense in context. However, the Japanese text only uses phonetic hiragana instead of the kanji that would have made the meaning clear. A translator who hadn't worked on or remembered the earlier part of the game must've made an incorrect guess; the kanji for "mirror" can also be read as "kyou," though the final translation leaves out the shin (god) component of the original phrase completely.

* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: The Blue Dragons in SIM mode - which fly around cutely and vaporize people with lightning bolts - and the considerably more intimidating Aquatic Dragon and Arctic Wyvern, bosses respectively of Aitos Act I and Northwall Act II.
** The sequel adds the Greed Demon, Doom; a golden dragon adorned with jewelry, who had corrupted Leon's king, Kolunikus, into raising taxes so he could make a castle entirely out of gold.

** Lust: The demon of 'Deception' defeated the King of Lovaous, and put him to an eternal sleep. In his dream, the demon lulled the king with an illusion of a beautiful woman of ice, which seduced the king into never waking up and froze Lovaous in beautiful sheets of ice.

* NotQuiteFlight: The WingedHumanoid player character in the sequel can glide for a short time.

Sega announced a SpiritualSuccessor by Ace Team entitled ''VideoGame/{{SolSeraph}}'', to be released on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on July 10th 2019 with Yuzo Koshiro, who composed the music for [=ActRaiser=] scoring the new game and Jonas Kyrazes (VideoGame/TheTalosPrinciple) writing the narrative.

Sega announced a SpiritualSuccessor by Ace Team entitled ''VideoGame/SolSeraph'', to be released on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on July 10th 2019 with Yuzo Koshiro, who composed the music for [=ActRaiser=] scoring the new game and Jonas Kyrazes (VideoGame/TheTalosPrinciple) writing the narrative.

* DragonsAreDemonic: In the first game, the embodiment of the sin of {{Greed}} is a dragon.

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Practically an InvokedTrope; maxing out your population requires you to kill your followers by destroying low-level structures, thus making use for higher-level, higher-capacity houses. Earthquakes are the best way to go about this, mostly because the highest-level structures aren't affected by them.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Bloodpool, Death Heim.

A sequel was made (and published abroad by Creator/UbiSoft) which dropped the city maintenance aspect of the game. The story goes that Enix of America requested Quintet to remove the simulation segments, apparently claiming that [[ViewersAreMorons players would not "get" them]]. But seeing how the simulation elements was one of the main things that made the original stand out amongst similar side-scrolling action games, the sequel was not as well received, or remembered. However, this game ''did'' pave the way for what would become one of Enix's greatest, loosest trilogies -- ''{{SoulBlazer}}'', ''IllusionOfGaia'', and ''VideoGame/{{Terranigma}}''. It's also the only representative of this whole series to be released for the Wii's Virtual Console; make of that what you will.

** Aitos - Japan (has bamboo, an Oriental Dragon as the boss of Act 1, and a monstrous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanyudo Wanyudo]] as the boss of Act 2)

* DifficultyByRegion: The game difficulty was toned down for the US release, both in the Act and the Simulation phases. Many of the mooks in the Acts have some attacks removed, while cities are easier to grow in the Simulation mode. Interestingly, the US version has higher population requirements for gaining levels, but because the cities grow faster and because each city has a much higher population cap, leveling up is still a bit faster in that version.