The console that promised play whispered: don't play this one alone at night.
When Hudson made the PC Engine's first command-style RPG in 1988, it didn't reach for cuteness. Blood sprayed from enemies, monsters were shaped like organs and corpses, the boss was named Azathoth, and the cover wore a real H.R. Giger skeleton. Its TV ad simply warned, 'Don't play alone at night.' What stays with you isn't the dread, though — it's that a brand-new machine, on its very first roleplaying game, trusted players to want something this unsettling. Most childhood RPGs guarded you. This one looked you in the eye and assumed you could take it.
About this game
On January 22, 1988, Hudson Soft released Jaseiken Necromancer in Japan for the PC Engine (sold in North America as the TurboGrafx-16). It came on a HuCard, the console's credit-card-sized game card. The story was written by Riku Sanjo, who went on to write the manga Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, and the music was composed by Jun Chikuma. You lead a hero and two companions in search of a legendary sword, the jaseiken ("evil holy sword") of the title.
The game is known for being hard. In December 2020, the Japanese news site Nlab ran a series of interviews with people whose favorite game everyone else calls trash. One of them was Akiyabo-aniki, a speedrunner who races to finish this game as fast as possible. Akiyabo-aniki says:
"[...] At first I thought I'd been tricked, but little by little I got completely hooked. I've spent a huge amount of time speedrunning this game, and I've seen the ending more than ten times. Honestly... normal play is hell, to put it mildly. The difficulty is vicious. But as I kept studying it, my times got shorter, and the crappy parts turned into its charm."
Hear it from the source
- ▶ Wikipedia（日本語）「邪聖剣ネクロマンサー」＝開発・発売ハドソン、スタッフロール（シナリオ三条陸・音楽竹間淳）
- ▶ Wikipedia (English) "Jaseiken Necromancer" (Hudson Soft, January 22, 1988)
- ▶ GAME Watch「【PCエンジン mini全タイトルレビュー！】『邪聖剣ネクロマンサー』」池紀彦, 2020-03-12
- ▶ ねとらぼ「【好きなゲームが世間のクソゲーな人インタビュー】RTAでは極悪難易度が面白さに変わる『邪聖剣ネクロマンサー』」2020-12-31
- ▶ 電撃オンライン「『邪聖剣ネクロマンサー』最新作がDSiで6月16日に配信開始！」2010-06-09
Gallery
Tricks & Tales
The cover art is a genuine H.R. Giger piece — a sword-mouthed skeleton from his 'Spell' series, licensed in rather than drawn for the game. Enemy and boss names lean on the Cthulhu Mythos — the final foe is Azathoth — giving a Lovecraftian frame rare for a 1988 console RPG. It was the PC Engine's first command-based RPG, showing off the hardware's then-striking color and grotesque art over the cuteness rivals favored.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The PC Engine (Japan) and TurboGrafx-16 (North America) share the same physical HuCard slot shape but are not compatible with each other's software. NEC deliberately reversed the data bus wiring between the two regions: data pin D0 on the PC Engine corresponds to D7 on the TurboGrafx-16, and so on through all eight lines. Beyond the hardware wiring difference, most North American HuCards contain region-checking code that detects a Japanese console and immediately crashes. Converters that electrically flip the data bus do exist and allow cross-region play. CD-ROM² discs themselves carry no region protection and play freely on both systems—however, the System Cards required to boot CD software are region-locked in the same way as HuCards, so a Japanese System Card cannot be used in a TurboGrafx-16 and vice versa.
Maintenance Tips
HuCard contacts are the most common maintenance point on the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16. The card's edge connector oxidizes over decades of storage, causing failure-to-read and graphical glitches. Cleaning with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab—gently wiping the gold contacts on the card itself—resolves most contact issues; stubborn oxidation responds to dedicated contact cleaners such as DeoxIT. Never blow into the card slot with your mouth, as moisture accelerates the very corrosion you are trying to remove. On systems equipped with the CD-ROM² or Super CD-ROM² add-on, the optical drive is subject to the same age-related laser and sled degradation seen in any CD system of that era; the laser assembly uses a KSS-220a-type unit on the Super CD-ROM² and replacement parts remain available.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Necromancer copies regularly.
Is there an English version?
No. Jaseiken Necromancer was never officially translated, and the HuCard plays in Japanese. A partial, unfinished fan English patch exists for emulation; it covers menus, items and enemy names, but not the story text.
Is this HuCard-only, no CD needed?
Yes. It's a HuCard title, so it needs no CD-ROM add-on and runs on a Japanese PC Engine. A North American TurboGrafx-16 needs a region converter to play Japanese HuCards.
Is it beginner-friendly as an RPG?
It's notoriously demanding — steep difficulty is part of its reputation. Expect grinding and a tough curve rather than a gentle first RPG.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Necromancer
A short checklist for buying used PC Engine software wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
Japanese PC Engine HuCards and CDs are not compatible with the North American TurboGrafx-16 — the formats differ. Use a Japanese PC Engine system.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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HuCard or CD-ROM² — know which you're buying
PC Engine games come on HuCard chips or on CD-ROM². CD titles also require the right CD system and a working System Card.
Confirm the format in the listing, and for CDs check the disc surface and that saves are supported.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
See the unit we have →Unexpected Discoveries
Games you weren't looking for — but might be glad you found.
Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Necromancer sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
Share your memory ↑From the Museum's Screening Room
Necromancer — Max Explains