8 Eyes

Lore & Background

The English version of 8 Eyes is set in a post-apocalyptic future where mankind recovers from nuclear war. The Great King harnesses the power of eight jewels called the 8 Eyes, formed at the centers of eight nuclear explosions. Eight power-hungry dukes steal the jewels and banish the King to the nuclear wastelands. The player controls Orin the Falconer and his fighting falcon Cutrus, tasked with infiltrating the dukes' eight castles, fighting soldiers and nuclear mutants, and retrieving the jewels to return them to the Altar of Peace.

The Japanese version is set in the Balkans in the late 19th century. A research team sent by the British Museum is slaughtered by a group led by Ruth Grandier, a female bandit who claims to be a fallen child of Lucifer. The College of Arms sends Baronet Sir Julian James Bond, the greatest swordsman in England, along with his pet eagle Cutlass, to stop Ruth and recover stolen artifacts with demonic secrets.

Gameplay consists of eight castle levels, each ending with a boss vulnerable to only one specific sword. The player can choose the order of the first seven castles, with hints about the correct order hidden in the game. After clearing the House of Ruth, the player must place the recovered jewels in a particular order at the Altar of Peace or lose the game. Cooperative mode allows one player to control Orin and the other Cutrus; single-player mode gives limited control of both characters simultaneously, increasing difficulty. The gameplay and graphical style are noticeably similar to Castlevania.

Reader's Guide

8 Eyes received mediocre reviews upon its release. Power Play gave the game a 60/100, and Electronic Gaming Monthly scored it 23/40. The game is notable for its dual-storyline approach, with different settings and protagonists between the English and Japanese versions. Its cooperative mode, where one player controls the falcon and the other the falconer, was an unusual feature for a platform game of its era. The game's structure of eight levels with a non-linear order for the first seven, combined with hidden hints for both level order and jewel placement, added a puzzle element to the action. The soundtrack, composed by Kenzou Kumei, featured three pieces per level, contributing to a large and diverse audio experience. Piko Interactive's acquisition and re-release on modern platforms helped preserve the title for contemporary audiences, though the game's original reception was lukewarm.

Did You Know?

• The English and Japanese versions of 8 Eyes have completely different stories and settings.
• The game's soundtrack consists of three pieces for each of the eight levels, composed by Kenzou Kumei.
• In cooperative mode, one player controls Orin and the other controls the falcon Cutrus.
• The jewels must be placed in a particular order at the Altar of Peace, or the game is lost.