the outside world and are destined to decline. The Fuma clan possesses extreme strength and spiritual power. Their duty is to protect the Holy Grail, which is said to possess power that can destroy the world. From long ago, the evil Koma clan had plotted to destroy the world using the destructive power of the Holy Grail. The Koma clan eventually attacked a faction of the Fuma clan and stole the Holy Grail. However, they failed to notice that among the severely wounded, one man survived. On the verge of death, the barely living man known as Hagane was brought back to life by advanced cyber-technology performed by a mysterious old man named Momochi. However, none of Hagane's body survived except his brain. Already a powerful ninja, he now had the incredible power and speed of a cyborg. With this power, he vowed to take revenge on the Koma clan. At the end of the conflict and having destroyed the Koma clan's complex, Hagane overlooks the scene from a cliff outcropping, satisfied. His purpose fulfilled, Hagane's glowing eyes fade to black and he passes on. As the credits roll, time and nature claim his seated form and rust his katana as a nearby tree grows unhindered by the blackened land. Release Hagane was developed by CAProduction and published by Hudson Soft. It was released in Japan on November 18, 1994, and later brought to North America in June 1995, and Europe in April, 1995. Reception Nintendo Power praised Hagane'''s challenging gameplay, non-stop action. and controls, comparing it to the Ninja Gaiden series. However, they criticized the game's lack of variation and sub-par graphics which they compared to a "good NES game". GamePro also complimented the play control, as well as the Hagane's variety of special moves, but criticized the music as "techno Japanese rock at its most mundane". They found the graphics to be impressive but losing their appeal due to the repetitive enemies and environments. They concluded Hagane to be comparable with classic side-scrolling action games, but stopped short of calling it a classic itself due to the waning 16-bit market. They recommended the game to those looking for a nostalgic action gaming experience, but worthwhile only as a rental. A reviewer for Next Generation complemented the game's dark and detailed graphics, the suitable enemy abundance and variety, and the player character's wide set of attacks. However he criticized