News – Japanese Exclusive Dahna: Megami Tanjou Given Fan Translation

There are quite few games from the 8 & 16-bit eras that sadly never left their native homeland of Japan. What’s more, these even include household names like Fire Emblem and Mother. Thankfully, nowadays more and more fans have taken up the mantle of translating these hidden retro titles, from the well known, all the way through to some of the most obscure.

So what’s next up for in the ever growing list of Japanese exclusives now available in English? Well, it’s that well known game Dahna: Megami Tanjou (女神誕生). Never heard of it? Well that’s ok, as not only is this to be expected due to its obscurity, but it also means there’s now another retro game for you to discover for the first time.

dahna-megami-tanjou-gameplay

Roughly translating to Dahna: Goddess’ Birth, Dahna: Megami Tanjou is a side scrolling adventure game that has more than a few hints of the classic Castlevania titles about it. In fact, these similarities come not only in the form of the gameplay, but also thanks to the gothic storyline. This storyline places you in the shoes of magic wielder Dahna, who after being separated from her sister at the age of seven following their parents murder, now finds herself at the heart of a underworld invasion after ten years in hiding.

All in all the game was well received in Japan back in 1991. This praise came not only in relation to the intense gameplay (even if it is relatively short at only six stages), but also thanks to its incredible sprite work, and the intense levels of gore. As such, it really was a shame this never made it to Western shores, and what with it being for the Sega Mega Drive, it’s not like Nintendo’s strict content guidelines hindered a western release either.

Nevertheless, all’s well that ends well as they say. As once again, where retro gaming’s giants failed, fans have prevailed. Dahna: Megami Tanjou may not have had any language barriers when it came to the gameplay, but now English speaking retro gamers can also look forward to being able to navigate not only the menus and options, but also the game’s gothic story through its introduction and cutscenes.

This patch can be found via the following link. What’s more, Dahna: Megami Tanjou is defintiely worth a play for any retro gamer looking for a new stylistic 2D adventure on the Mega Drive. Keep your eyes peeled to Rings & Coins for opinions and cheats coming soon.

Sophia Aubrey Drake

A lifelong gamer with a fanatical love of all things Nintendo and Japan. So much so that she's written a thesis on one and lived in the other. Currently on a quest to catch every last Pokémon. Follow me on twitter via @DivaXChill or @RingsandCoins.

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