Line #16 VideoGame/SakuraWars1996


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14	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sakurawarscover.png]]
15	[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[TagLine A Taisho era tale to touch hearts!]]"'']]
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17	''Sakura Wars'' is a video game released for the Platform/SegaSaturn in 1996. One of the most successful games in Japan developed and published by Creator/{{Sega}} and the first chapter of the ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' series, this marked [[WhereItAllBegan the beginning of the titular franchise]]. The animation sequences were produced by Creator/TMSEntertainment, which is also owned by Sega.
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19	The story begins in 1923, during the Taisho period. Despite steam power being commonplace, a five-member team called the Hive of Darkness has been attacking Tokyo. A young naval ensign, Ichiro Ogami (Akio Suyama), is recruited to lead the Imperial Combat Revue's Flower Division, which consists of fellow new recruit and swordswoman Sakura Shinguji (Creator/ChisaYokoyama), top actress Sumire Kanzaki (Creator/MichieTomizawa), Russian markswoman Maria Tachibana (Creator/UraraTakano), French telepath Iris Châteaubriand (Creator/KumikoNishihara), mechanic Kohran Li (Creator/YurikoFuchizaki) and the Okinawan karate expert Kanna Kirishima (Creator/MayumiTanaka). With the help of commander Ikki Yoneda (Masaru Ikeda) and vice-commander Ayame Fujieda (Creator/AiOrikasa), the Flower Division must stop the Hive of Darkness from causing chaos in Tokyo while performing stage plays.
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21	The game features a new system called the Live & Interactive Picture System (LIPS), in which you must make a decision that will affect the girls' moods through a DialogueTree. The battle portions feature TurnBasedTactics. Aside from the main storyline, there are also minigames.
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23	''Sakura Wars'' was shortly thereafter ported to the {{Platform/Dreamcast}}, Microsoft Windows computers and the Platform/PlayStationPortable (alongside its sequel). Eventually, in 2003, a VideoGameRemake, titled ''Sakura Wars: To My Heating Blood'' was released for the Platform/PlayStation2 which adds the ARMS system from the Dreamcast-era games, new cutscenes from Creator/ProductionIG, additional scenarios and a redesigned LIPS system which would become the norm for the franchise's [=PS2=] era.
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25	The game was also subsequently released in Russian for the PC for Russia and Russian-speaking countries/territories. In addition, it received a novelization written by scenario writer Satoru Akahori. A FanTranslation for the Sega Saturn version of the game was completed in December 2019. You can watch the trailer for it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H5BL8NzLBo here.]]
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27	''Anime/SakuraWarsTheGorgeousBloomingCherryBlossoms'', a four-part OVA series, primarily functions as a prequel to the game. The game is followed by ''VideoGame/SakuraWars2ThouShaltNotDie''.
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29	The game is not to be confused with [[VideoGame/SakuraWars2019 2019 game of the same name]].
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33	!! ''Sakura Wars'' provides examples of:
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35	* ActionPrologue: The first 85 seconds of the game are spent showing Sakura Shinguji entering Tokyo, only to encounter a Wakiji threatening a few civilians and slicing it in half with her sword Arataka.
36	* AdaptationExpansion: ''To My Heating Blood'' has the updated LIPS and battle systems from ''Is Paris Burning?'' and ''Fall in Love, Maidens''. It also has an exclusive chapter that was added on for the sole purpose of 1) providing a Kohran-centered chapter which the original version of the game lacked and 2) to provide the Three Star Division pilots who appear in later sequels with an early cameo to keep their fans happy. Though this addition proved to be controversial, see {{Flanderization}} below.
37	* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: In chapter 6, Crimson Miroku invades the Imperial Theater so that the Hive of Darkness will cause chaos in Tokyo.
38	* BaitAndSwitchCredits: The intro for ''In Hot Blood'' features Sakura and Ogami launching into space using a rocket and engaging in combat with Kamui. Nowhere in the game does this happen.
39	* TheBigDamnKiss: Sakura and Ogami share one in her ending when she sees Ogami catching up to her.
40	* BittersweetEnding: The Flower Division defeats Satan, Tenkai and their minions and Tokyo is saved, but Ayame ascends into the heavens as her true form Michael.
41	* {{Bookends}}: The game opens with Sakura getting off the train to Tokyo. In Sakura's ending, she goes back onto the train heading for Sendai, only for Ogami to catch up with her.
42	* CastingGag: Kohran Li is voiced by Creator/YurikoFuchizaki, who frequently played Meganekko characters such as Kimiko Higuchi in ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}''.
43	* CatapultNightmare: At the beginning of chapter 3, Maria wakes up from a nightmare in which she witnesses her captain being killed in the Russian Revolution.
44	* ClimacticBattleResurrection: In the first game, each member of your crew (except your LoveInterest) [[HeroicSacrifice dies while killing a member of the Knights of the twilight]]. The traitor, Ayame severely wounds your LI (she gets better), then [[TheStarscream Aoi Satan]] came and either tempts you to kill Ayame or kills her himself. Yoneda rams the ''Mikasa'' towards Seima Castle and after defeating Satan the first time, Ayame comes in her true form, Michael, and resurrect all your friends for one final battle against Satan.
45	* DiscOneFinalBoss: It seems like the main antagonists will be Tenkai and the Hive of Darkness, although it turns out that Aoi Satan/Shinnosuke Yamazaki revived Tenkai so he can cause chaos in Tokyo.
46	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The rivalry between Sumire and Sakura is evocative of the Shochiku and Takarazuka Revues. Not only did the Shochiku Revue became their first major rival to the Takarazuka Revue, but they even share the same flowers (the cherry blossom for Shochiku and the violet flower for Takarazuka).
47	* FirstGirlWins: Sakura in her ending scene. She's the only member of the Imperial Combat Revue shown in the game's cover art and discs, as well as the first member to meet Ichiro Ogami.
48	* {{Flanderization}}: The Kohran scenario from ''To My Heating Blood'' proved to be controversial among fans for taking Kohran's love for machines too far. In this scenario, she gets upset at the rest of the Revue for treating machines as disposable. However, the things she's upset with (the Koubu having to be deployed before the maintenance is finished due to an attack, Ogami taking a blow meant for her with his Koubu and destroying an immobilized ''enemy'' mech) makes her seem completely unreasonable. What's worse, Kohran's inventions blow up all the time, so the idea that she hates her machines being destroyed seems to come out of nowhere, not to mention she has no problem with destroying enemy mechs in all scenarios before this one.
49	* GodzillaThreshold: The Imperial Combat Revue uses the ''Mikasa'' as a desperate measure to infiltrate the ''Satsuma'' and thwart Satan's plans.
50	* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: In Sakura's introductory scene, she slices a Wakiji in half to rescue some citizens.
51	* TheHeroDies: A subverted example occurs at the end of the game. The rest of the Flower Division's efforts to buy Ogami and the top girl time lead to their deaths, but Michael revives them.
52	* HeroicBSOD: Maria gets two. First, she had one bordering on DespairEventHorizon when her captain in the Russian Revolution was killed. Then, she has a major one in chapter 3 when Ogami is seriously injured.
53	* HeroicSacrifice: In the final chapter of the game, the rest of the Flower Division sacrifices themselves to allow Ogami and the top girl to fight Satan and Aya-me. This is subverted when Michael revives them soon after.
54	* ImmediateSequel: Ichiro Ogami's meeting with Sakura Shinguji starts immediately after the third episode of ''The Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms''.
55	* OhCrap:
56	** Maria when she sees her captain getting fatally shot in her flashback.
57	** Maria again when she falls into Setsuna's trap and when Ogami is about to be killed at the end of chapter 3.
58	** Sumire and Kanna when they respectively encounter a spider and a snake in chapter 5.
59	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Iris decides she's had enough of being treated like a child in chapter 5, she bails from the Imperial Theater in her Kobu. Fortunately, the Flower Division is able to find her.
60	* SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: In the opening theme animation, Maria aims her gun towards the screen and fires.
61	* SecretTestOfCharacter: Ogami's cover as a ticket taker turns out to be a test by the combat revue to prove his worthiness as the team's leader.
62	* TimeLimitBoss: If the demons aren't destroyed fast enough in chapter 2, they will destroy Tokyo Tower and force you to restart the level.
63	* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMx-aS7dyPs first trailer]] premiered on the Flash Sega Saturn demo disc, which came with the Saturn console back in March 1996. Towards the end, however, it spoils Sakura's ending, in which she leaves on a train and eventually leaps into Ogami's arms.
64	* TrashTheSet: At the end of episode 6, the Imperial Theater gets trashed after the Flower Division's battle with Miroku.
65	* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: The Flower Division foils Tenkai's plans to attack Tokyo. But there is one problem: Satan is planning to summon the Seima Castle and overrun humanity. Uh-oh.
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Context VideoGame / SakuraWars1996