Trojan ・ 闘いの挽歌
Developed by: Capcom
Published by: Capcom (JP, EU) | Romstar (NA)
Release date: December 24 1986 (JP) | February 1987 (NA) | March 23 1989 (EU)
Between the years of 1986 and 1988, Capcom unleashed a tidal wave of all-time greats onto the masses. We’re talking iconic games like Mega Man and Street Fighter making their series debut, as well as popular home console ports of Commando and Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins hitting store shelves. Alongside those heavy hitters, a few Capcom titles that seldom get the spotlight slipped their way onto the NES…games like Trojan! Remember Trojan?
Yeah, probably not.
Takashi Nishiyama is the mind behind Street Fighter, Kung Fu Master (AKA Kung Fu on the NES), Fatal Fury and King of Fighters. Kung Fu Master is often cited as the very first beat ’em up game, and Capcom offered Nishiyama a job in their ranks after its runaway success. Since the guy practically invented the genre, it makes sense that he’d return to it with his first original title for Capcom: Trojan.
Trojan hit arcades in 1986, with the NES port hot on its heels a few months later. As Ryu (no relation), you walk to the right and hit big dudes in a Mad Max inspired post-apocalyptic world. Is there anything more 1980’s than musclebound meatheads in gladiator helmets and sleeveless vests whipping around maces? If there is, I’d pay to see it.
Trojan definitely feels like a spiritual successor to Kung Fu; with the big difference being that you’ve now got a sword and shield to play with. Quick — an enemy is launching projectiles at you! Will you jump to avoid them, bat them away with your sword, or block oncoming fire with your sick shield!? That lovely multi-directional shield and projectile blocking sword help set Trojan apart from Kung Fu and its many imitators, adding a fun, albeit simple layer of complexity to tackling the game.
Difficulty wise, Trojan is tricky but far from impossible. Once you learn the basic patterns of the game’s few enemies, it becomes progressively easier to blitz through the endless waves of baddies. There are twelve short levels, and you get three lives and no continues to tackle ’em. But if you swing your sword while you walk around, you’ll uncover a few helpful hidden power-ups, including 1UP’s and health refills. Learning the locations of these precious items will greatly help players beat Trojan, and also adds a fun secret hunting element to the game, without it becoming annoyingly necessary.
Trojan‘s weakest point is the control scheme. While walking and attacking/blocking function perfectly fine, Ryu jumps with a push of Up on the control pad. I can practically hear the chorus of “ugggghhhh” coming from my dear readers, and I’m right there with you. Oftentimes when I wanted to jump forward, Ryu would jump straight upward in the air instead. Maybe he’s just got bad knees? Either way, this jumping situation wasn’t a total deal breaker since this isn’t a platformer, but it was awkward enough to bear mentioning.
Even though I’d never played it before,Trojan managed to make me feel a small pang of nostalgia. I think that’s because I played a ton of Commando as a kid, another Capcom NES game from ’87 that shares a lot of DNA with Trojan. For that reason alone, I had a nice time with it despite its flaws. If you’re looking for a quick hit of some simple beat ’em up action, Trojan is a perfectly safe bet. And you should always practice safe gaming.
I should be getting paid to write lines this stupid.
Final rating:
NESJunk 