Dynasty Warriors 4 is the fourth entry in the Dynasty Warriors series and the fifth title created. It builds upon the foundation laid by the previous installment by further expanding many aspects and changing others to freshen up the gameplay. Like its predecessor, it sold one million copies in Japan before going on to becoming a best-seller for the company.
This game's catchphrase in Japan is "You will finally know what a true battlefield is."
Cross Colors serves as the game's image song and was performed by Japanese vocalist Yuki Koyanagi.
Gameplay
Preparations
While not much has changed about the game's preparation menu aside from the new interface layout, the equipment system has been revamped in many ways. For one, all common items now have levels that indicate their effectiveness. If a player comes across an item with a particularly high stat, it will automatically replace inferior copies. Rank determines how many items a character can carry. The higher it is, the more item slots they have. It should be noted that not every officer has the same amount of slots at maximum rank; some officers only come with four slots while a few have the advantage of carrying six. Saddles have their own separate slot this time around. The reach stat is no longer a scalable stat due to the Wind Scroll being reclassified as a rare item.
Weapons have undergone an overhaul where players level them up through constant fighting. By hitting enemy generals with charge attacks or defeating them entirely, they accumulate weapon points that eventually cause their weapons to evolve over time. It is highly encouraged to go after playable officers as they typically yield more points than their generic counterparts. Similar to how finishing off targets with long combos would double any stat-boosting items they drop, doing the same to officers in this game results in greater points as well. The difficulty level of the stage also influences how much points can be acquired. Once a weapon reaches level 9, it can only evolve to the next level by fulfilling specific objectives on certain stages under the Hard difficulty setting. Unlike the prior installment, some level 10 weapons are only obtainable in story versions of select stages.
Orbs are a new feature that enable characters to apply elemental effects on charge attacks so long as their Musou gauge is full; level 10 weapons are not bound by this rule as they can activate the effects of orbs even with little to no Musou. Similar to items, they are given a separate slot and have power levels of their own. Elemental compatibility is a major factor as some characters perform better when given certain types of orbs. A select few officers have the ability to imbue their True Musou Attacks with orb effects, making them a force to be reckoned with.
Players have the option of changing their characters' appearance with different costumes unlocked with sufficient rank points. Second costumes get unlocked with 6,000 points, third and fourth costumes are made accessible with 20,000 points, and fifth and sixth costumes become available with 60,000 points. If the player has the same character face each other in Free Mode, he or she will automatically appear in their Dynasty Warriors 3 outfit.
The game's bodyguard system retains many of the changes made in Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends. It is now possible to change the orders given to bodyguards during battle by simply pressing the Select button.
Mechanics
The fighting mechanics are largely similar to the prior title albeit with some major changes. For one, characters can now perform a jumping charge attack by tapping while in mid-air. This causes them to dive down and unleash an area-of-effect attack that knocks nearby foes down on the ground, making it ideal for catching enemies off-guard or reorienting the camera angle back to its default position. While it serves as a convenient crowd clearing move in easier battles, enemy units can interfere with it on higher difficulty settings.
For better or worse, the following charge attack inputs below have been modified greatly for this title.
: No longer a standard guard-breaking attack like in the last game, it has diverged into three types of maneuvers. The first type is an unblockable grab move that has a character latch unto a target and hit them repeatedly until they get thrown violently; officers that place more emphasis on brute force are likely to have this kind of charge attack. The second type happens to be an energy beam channeled by the character to attack foes from a short distance. They benefit the most from orb effects and are often assigned to tacticians. The third and final type varies greatly in terms of utility, with some that can be extended by continuously tapping
.
,
,
: Releases a flurry of strikes known as Charge Rushes to repeatedly hit foes before stunning or staggering them. They can be extended by pressing
repeatedly with the number of consecutive hits increasing the higher a character's weapon level currently is.
While some charge attacks have received minor cosmetic changes, others have been replaced entirely for balancing purposes. Certain officers even use different weapons for added variety. Guard-breaking is now done by having characters announce themselves by pressing R3. This sends out an aura that not only staggers foes briefly, but also dismounts rider units. Despite its usefulness, the move does pitiful damage and cannot kill enemies; in harder battles, the AI is smart enough to actually evade or interfere with it if given the chance.
The game introduces an auto-lock feature that allows players to automatically target enemy officers with their attacks. While this feature can be useful at times, it may also prove to be a hindrance in crowd clearing as the player has little control over which direction their strikes will be made.
Instead of pushing back enemies with power guards like in the third game, players now have the option of performing parries to knock them away. By tapping the moment an enemy is about to strike, a guarding character will immediately retaliate with one of their charge attacks or hit animations. If mastered sufficiently, one can take advantage of the limited invincibility frame provided by parries to avoid incoming assaults and escape danger.
When taking up a guarding stance, the camera will automatically face whatever direction the character is facing as opposed to orienting towards their most recent assailant. While this change makes guarding more effective against crowds, it can easily disorient inexperienced players during duels. Also, an officer's guard can no longer be broken simply because their defense is less than that of their opponent's attack power.
Several changes have been made to improve riding. First off, certain mounts no longer require the necessary rank for them to be ridden on. It is now possible to pick up items as a rider and quickly dismount while the steed is running, diminishing the awkwardness of shifting from horseback riding to moving on foot. With the exception of special mounts like Red Hare, horses of different shades now run at similar speeds more or less.
Upon switching to bow attacks, the player can now fully turn at any direction as opposed to being limited to shifting relative to their initial direction. Distant targets will also be zoomed in automatically for better aiming. At times, enemies may attempt to dodge the player's shots provided they have a window of opportunity to do so.
Battle
Unlike the previous installment, the enemy's damage output no longer scale the first player's stat parameters as much. Instead, difficulty levels have their own specific ratios for damage calculation. However, this makes the AI no less threatening as they can still overwhelm the player through sheer numbers. Every officer is assigned a strategy type that indicates how effective they will be against other units when left on their own.
Upon meeting an enemy general, there is a chance they will initiate a duel against the player by triggering an introduction sequence. On the upper right corner is a small gauge that allots several seconds for the player's response. If they choose to accept the duel, both fighters will be transported to a private arena separating them from the actual battlefield. Because the player has no other allies supporting them in this instance, they will have to defeat their opponent alone with the best of their abilities under a time limit of 45 seconds. Duels become far more intense if a particular officer has a fierce rivalry with the player. Winning a duel yields more rank points and boosts morale for the allied army while rejecting the challenge outright causes morale to drop. When time runs out, the duel ends in a draw. The player's rank influences whether a draw raises morale or lowers it; a low rank enables one to gain morale through draws, a high enough rank will result in morale plummeting, and a maxed-out rank causes draws not to affect morale either way.
The ability to increase morale by racking up kills by multiples of 50 has been brought back, enabling players to steadily contribute to their forces through constant enemy slaying. Morale will also randomly increase for the enemy side at times in higher difficulty settings.
If a player has defeated a particular officer and their loved ones enough times on the battlefield and during duels, he or she may develop a grudge and form a rivalry against them. This will sometimes cause them to appear in battle and pursue the player's character while under a state of Hyper Mode. Likewise, rescuing an officer repeatedly will cause them to foster a positive relationship with the player. If this relationship is particularly high, they will join the stage as a full-fledged bodyguard for the player provided that the latter's side is struggling and enough time has passed. One advantage to having a character serve as an additional bodyguard is the ability to perform Double Musou Attacks.
The locations of sub-officers can now be viewed by selecting the general they are under, making it easier to hunt them down one by one. However, battle messages no longer display reports of them retreating if any are left alive after their platoon commander is defeated.
New to this installment is the Wei Tuo Sky Boots, a power-up item that greatly boosts the player's running speed for 30 seconds. This item alone can be a game changer for characters with low mobility as the increase in speed is enough to outpace most common horses. Arrows now only come in increments of ten. New healing items include a piece of meat and a whole chicken.
Siege weapons are now units that have their own health gauges, making them destroyable. Depending on the stage chosen, they are either primary targets that have to be eliminated or valuable assets in need of constant protection until their specific purpose is fulfilled. If an off-hand cutscene pops up on the lower right portion of the screen, it means that a siege weapon has been successfully deployed or an enemy gate has been breached.
Archer towers can be destroyed through repeated hits, though the amount of damage they take escalates under higher difficulty settings. This does not apply to archer towers integrated into gates. Archers in particular fire at a slower rate now, making them more manageable to deal with. The game also introduces bombardier units that toss bombs around the area; these inflict massive damage to both allies and enemies alike, so caution is highly advised when encountering them.
Gate captains in this game no longer drop shields. Instead, they leave behind meat buns. Because some enemy gates can constantly respawn over time, this can prove to be essential in helping keep the player's character survive in large-scale battles.
Dialogue messages are now rendered as text bubbles and battle messages have been sped up considerably compared to prior installments. These changes ensure that there are less delays in allowing certain events to happen via trigger messages. If the player wins or loses a battle, the heads-up display will immediately disappear.
The death scenes of enemy officers have been diversified into three types. Leaders like Liu Bei or Cao Cao dramatically fall into a supine position with their eyes slowly closing when near death. The rest of the male cast retain the same death animation and camera angle from Dynasty Warriors 3. Female characters fall face forward as well, though the camera angle zooms away from them quite differently.
Item crates and jars have been scaled up in size compared to the previous installment, making them much easier to hit.
The game's soundtrack now utilizes Chinese instruments for a more authentic feel while preserving the usage of rock music within the series.
Modes
Musou Mode
The most notable change in the game is the shift from character-driven stories to kingdom-focused scenarios. Each faction is given their own set of battles with the Three Kingdoms receiving stage sequences that vary the most. Scenarios for five unaligned groups (Lu Bu's forces, Dong Zhuo's faction, Yuan Shao's army, the Yellow Turbans, and the Nanman) can also be unlocked. Players can also switch between different officers belonging to a particular kingdom in the character selection screen.
Free Mode
Functions the same like in the last game, though stages are now categorized by region and each one is marked by its own difficulty ranking with 8 stars being the highest.
Versus Mode
Functions the same like in the last game. However, both players can no longer select the same character.
- Showdown (決闘; Duel) - Duel against one another inside one of the Stone Sentinel Maze's sections at Yi Ling.
- Encounter (遭遇; Stumble) - Within the dark corridors of Nan Yang Castle, players must find their opponent and defeat them one-on-one.
- Influence (争奪; Scramble) - During a five versus five match at a plaza in Luo Yang, find the Imperial Seal to summon allied generals or cause hostile ones to defect.
- Escort (護衛; Defense) - Within Ru Nan's central castle area, players must protect their assigned carriages from the opposing side's peons while facing each other simultaneously.
Challenge Mode
Functions the same like in the last game with one challenge from Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends being kept. Players now have the option to instantly retry their current challenge runs from scratch which has an added effect of changing the line-up of enemy officers appearing in each playthrough.
- Endurance (斬合; Clash) - In the main southern fortress of the Nanman Territory, defeat as many enemies as possible before time runs out.
- Time Attack (神速; Godspeed) - Quickly defeat all one hundred enemies within Xia Pi Castle.
- Bridge Melee (流星; Meteor) - While standing atop a lone walkway in front of Bai Di Castle at Yi Ling, knock off as many enemy troops as possible while avoiding being defeated or thrown off balance.
- Demolition (破壊; Destruction) - From Wu Chao all the way to Guan Du Castle, demolish every object and siege weapon blocking the way.
Edit Characters
Allows players to create their own custom officers or bodyguard units.
Encyclopedia
Functions the same as the data base option in the last game, though it now includes a summary of the Three Kingdoms timeline.
Options
- Settings - Modifies various options to accommodate the player.
- Difficulty - Provides the following difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, and Hard.
- Events - Keeps event messages on or off during battles. Note that this does not apply to mandatory messages that need to occur for stage progression.
- Controller - Changes button configuration according to the player's needs.
- Vibration - Turns on analog controller vibration.
- Bow Control - Sets targeting method of bow aiming to either normal or reverse.
- Setup - Reassigns buttons on the game controller.
- Sound - Adjusts music and sound effects.
- Speaker - Sets the speaker output to either stereo or mono.
- BGM Volume - Adjusts music volume level from 1 to 15.
- SE Volume - Adjusts sound volume level from 1 to 15.
- Sound Test - Allows the player to play different music tracks.
- Screen Adjust - Adjusts the screen position using the directional buttons like in Dynasty Warriors 2. Can be reverted back to its original state by tapping the Start button.
- Save/Load - Allows the player to save their progress or load an old saved file.
- Movies - Watches cutscene movies unlocked in Musou Mode.
- Endings - Views endings unlocked for each faction.
- Opening - Customizes a cinematic movie using different characters. Can be unlocked by unlocking every character in the game.
Characters
Starter characters are bolded while new officers have a star right next to them. Fu Xi and Nu Wa do not return for this title.
Items
Gameplay
Miscellaneous
Expansions and Spin-Offs
Expansions
- Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends
- Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires
- Dynasty Warriors 4: Hyper - PC port for Windows that uses higher-quality graphics. Includes both Japanese and English voice options. Number of enemies appearing on screen can be adjusted in the settings, and enemy AI is more enhanced due to it being based on the Xbox version (which has higher resolution and dynamic shadows by default in comparison). This was the final Koei game to utilize a network authentication system made for staving off piracy.
Spin-Offs
Bugs and Glitches
Grab Attacks
Certain grab attacks can be bugged if the user ends up hitting an airborne or juggled opponent instead, leaving them to perform the move's entirety without dealing any actual damage in the process.
Stage Boundary Glitches
There are two slightly different iterations of this glitch. The first one involves moving close towards an entry point by horseback and saving the game before reloading. If done right, the mounted character will appear on the restricted part of the map and be able to even bypass mountains. However, this does not work on all entry points.
The second glitch is done by quickly dismounting a character against a nearby boundary line. While it may take a few tries for it to work, doing so will enable players to explore the stage's outer areas.
Battle of Guan Du Cloning
In the Japanese version, playing co-op under certain conditions will cause both players to play as Zhao Yun. This is done by having one player control Xu Huang (under Yuan Shao's side) or Xiahou Dun (under Cao Cao's side) and the other player select Zhao Yun himself.
Flashing Red Moon at Chi Bi
When participating in the Battle of Chi Bi with two players, have one of them enter bow mode and aim at the red moon while the other performs a Musou Attack. This will cause the moon to flash brightly for a brief moment.
Opening Palace Gates at Xu Chang
During the Battle of Xu Chang, Cao Cao will normally close off the gates to his castle when players are close by. However, it is possible to slip past the most northeastern entry point via boundary exit glitches to infiltrate the castle, forcing the southern gate to open up for good.
Related Media
K'md released eight figurines of the cast: Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, Sima Yi, Zhang He, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Zhou Tai, and Diao Chan.
Koei later produced two drama CDs, Fuuen Ranbu and Gunsei Shoubu, based on events from this title. A light novel that summarizes the drama CD's events and characters was also published. A sample can be read online here.
The twelve-volume fan book serialization Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin also used this particular Dynasty Warriors entry as its base. It included commentary from developers, exclusive illustrations by Hiroyuki Suwahara, stage walkthroughs, "what if?" designs for considered playable generals, and a showcase of letters and fanart from fans. The magazine also featured two characters from the game in each issue, several editorial comics, dream match novelizations between two officers, and mentions of other Three Kingdoms merchandise in Japan.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 1 - Prominently features Shu officers from Dynasty Warriors 3. Includes discussions about their hometowns and various events taking place in the game. Contains a special illustration of Xiahou Dun.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 2 - Talks about the upcoming release of Dynasty Warriors 4 with Wei characters taking the spotlight. Contains an illustration of a newly-drawn officer.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 3 - This volume is centered more on the various generals of Wu and their unique personalities. Contains a special illustration of Jiang Wei.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 4 - Provides general information on many officers appearing in the fourth game as well as additional lore behind the Three Kingdoms setting.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 5 - Features one officer from each kingdom and thoroughly explores their appeal from different angles.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 6 - Prominently focuses on Wei Yan, Xiahou Dun, and Zhou Tai. Also includes reports on the game's presence in Summer Comiket.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 7 - Prominently focuses on Yue Ying, Zhang Liao, and Lu Meng. Also has discussions and voice actor commentary on the first drama CD released.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 8 - Prominently focuses on Guan Yu, Xu Huang, and Sun Shang Xiang. Also includes reports on the game's presence in Winter Comiket.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 9 - Prominently focuses on Zhang Fei, Xiahou Yuan, and Lu Xun. It comes with a novel on Cao Cao's exploits written by writer Seishi Tsukamoto.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 10 - Prominently focuses on Jiang Wei, Xu Zhu, and Huang Gai. Also includes a continuation of Cao Cao's story and a new tale by novelist Midori Morishita featuring Gan Ning in his younger days.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 11 - Prominently focuses on Pang Tong, Zhen Ji, and Taishi Ci. Also includes continuations of Cao Cao and Gan Ning's stories.
- Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin Vol. 12 - Prominently focuses on Huang Zhong, Cao Ren, and Zhou Yu. Also has discussions and voice actor commentary on the second drama CD released.
The company also officially funded other publications for fans to make use of or enjoy.
- Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Complete Guide Vol. 1 - Contains relevant information on character movesets, stat mechanics, and stage information.
- Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Complete Guide Vol. 2 - Contains relevant information on all 89 battle layouts, detailed information on unique weapons, and the location of rare items. It even has a guide to navigate the various branching paths of the Three Kingdoms' stories.
- Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Official Setting Materials Collection - Contains character design concepts, render references, event storyboards, and other behind-the-scenes information not shared in the game. Also features commentary by the music team on various BGM tracks they composed.
- Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Keyword Encyclopedia - This scenario book is filled with descriptions of in-game terms and character lines while explaining their connection with Chinese history. It also comes with a special pin-up image featuring all 42 characters.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Battle Illusion Vol. 1 - A collection of four panel parody comics created and illustrated by a team of 17 different artists.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Battle Illusion Vol. 2 - Serves as a continuation for the prior volume.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Battle Illusion Vol. 3 - Serves as a continuation for the prior volume.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Battle Illusion Vol. 4 - Serves as a continuation for the prior volume.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Battle Illusion Vol. 5 - Includes new stories inspired by Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Battle Illusion Vol. 6 - Includes new stories inspired by Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Battle Illusion Vol. 7 - Serves as a continuation for the prior volume.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Battle Illusion Vol. 8 - Serves as a continuation for the prior volume.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Anthology ~Ten no Maki~ - A collection of four panel parody comics and lengthier stories created by fans. Includes themes from the Xtreme Legends expansion as well.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Anthology ~Chi no Maki~ - Contains stories that prominently feature the Two Qiaos.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Anthology ~Jin no Maki~ - Contains comedic and light-hearted stories featuring the cast.
- Comic Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Sekiheki no Shou - Features 12 different stories centered around the battles at Chang Ban and Chi Bi.
Regional Differences
- The English version lacks a narrator for story summaries before a battle in Musou Mode. This also applies to the game's Xtreme Legends expansion.
- Later releases of the English port and its expansions renamed certain BGM tracks on the sound test.
- A KINDLING COAL ▶ A KINDLING FIRE
- A RUNNING FIGHT ▶ PURSUIT
- AVENGING BATTLE ▶ VENGEANCE
- BLOODSHED TO REPEAT ▶ ENDLESS MELEE
- EVIL FESTIVAL ▶ FESTIVAL OF DOOM
- LIMIT OF ABILITY ▶ TO THE LIMIT
- LOOK BACK ON YOUR WAY ▶ LOOK BACK
- MY BAD FELLOW ▶ RIVALS
- STABBED VICIOUS LUMP ▶ ELIMINATION
- THE HISTORY WILL TELL ▶ HISTORY WILL TELL
- THE SEVENTH HARDSHIP ▶ THE SEVENTH CAPTURE
- AND AGAIN TO THE BATTLEFIELD ▶ TO THE BATTLEFIELD AGAIN (for Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends)
- HERO PAEAN ▶ HERO'S ANTHEM (for Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends)
- OPENING OF FIERCE BATTLE ▶ THE FIERCE BATTLE BEGINS (for Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends)
Trivia
- The game's beta build had been shared in 2022 with numerous differences that had been changed by the time of the official release.
- The Battle of Hu Lao Gate has a slightly different opening intro.
- Lip-synching during an enemy officer's death scene was originally implemented before being removed in the game's final version.
- The announcement move has the camera zoom closer to the player's character.
- Certain elemental attributes use different graphics.
- Horses appear during duels, but cannot move when mounted by the player.
- Musou Attack graphics are more exaggerated.
- Music tracks are more rough and subdued with some even being given different beta names.
- CHINISE BAND ▶ OFFICER FACTORY
- CHINISE SECTION ▶ THE ENTRANCE
- FUNKY CHINAMAN ▶ INTERCEPTOR
- YELLOW SCHEME ▶ DANCING WIZARD
- During the opening cutscene for Shu's Act 1 scenario, Liu Bei is erroneously rendered wielding Cao Cao's third weapon as opposed to his own. He has also been depicted carrying different swords in his character illustrations.
- The Opening Edit option has both Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao wielding their old fans from the prior installment.
- Yuan Shu's NPC model is rendered with a mustache during the Act 2 opening cutscene.
- Several NPC peon models and weapon designs from the third game reappear in several CG cutscenes.
- The player's quote for defeating enemy officers is disabled when playing the Race for Nan Territory stage.
Allusions
- The default bodyguards are named after characters from other Koei titles like Fengshen Yanyi, Gitaroo-Man, Kessen II, Nobunaga's Ambition, Saiyuki: Journey West, and WinBack. A group using the first names of the English voice actors was also created.
Gallery
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Hyper cover
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European cover
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Japanese cover
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Chinese Hyper cover
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Standard cover with bookmarks
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Shu cover with bookmarks
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Wei cover with bookmarks
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Wu cover with bookmarks
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Super Premium Box cover
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English ad flyer
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English ad flyer 2
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English ad flyer 3
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English ad flyer 4
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English ad flyer 5
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German ad flyer for Hyper
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Japanese ad flyer
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Japanese ad flyer 2
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Japanese ad flyer 3
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Japanese ad flyer 4
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Japanese ad flyer 5
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English wallpaper 1
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English wallpaper 2
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English wallpaper 3
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English wallpaper 4
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English wallpaper 5
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Japanese wallpaper 1
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Japanese wallpaper 2
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Japanese wallpaper 3
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Japanese wallpaper 4
External Links
- Official North American Website (English)
- Official North American Website for Hyper (English)
- Official European Website for Hyper (English)
- Official Japanese Website (Japanese)
- Official Japanese Website for Hyper (Japanese)
- Official Korean Informational Page (Korean)
- Official Japanese Website for Hyper (Korean)
- Official Taiwanese Website (Traditional Chinese)
- Official Taiwanese Website for Hyper (Traditional Chinese)
- PlayStation 2 Archives Page (Japanese)
- Official Game Manual (English)
- Kongming Informational Website (English)
- PC Gaming Wiki Page (English)
- StrategyWiki Page (English)
- Omega Force 20th Anniversary Opening Collection (Japanese)