8 Eyes

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.