Magic Knight Rayearth: Cephiro саяхаты

1995 video game for the Sega Saturn

is a Japanese video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn in 1995. It is an action role playing video game based on the anime series of the same title (Magic Knight Rayearth). Though one of the first games for the Saturn, it became the last Saturn game released in North America, chiefly due to its prolonged internationalization and localization. The game was released in North America by Working Designs in 1998. The game focuses on three characters who travel the world of Cephiro to rescue an abducted princess named Emerald. At least five other video games based on the anime series have been released: two for the Game Boy (the second one with the title Mahou Kishi Rayearth 2nd: The Missing Colors), one for the Super Famicom, and two for the Sega Game Gear (the second game subtitled "Making of Magic Knight"). All six are completely different games, not ports.

Though there are a number of events which are exclusive to the video game, the overall plot is very similar to the first story arc in the manga and anime, with eighth grade girls Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Hououji finding themselves drawn from their respective field trips to the Tokyo Tower into the world of Cephiro. There, Master Mage Clef inform them that, in order to return to Tokyo, the three girls must become the Magic Knights and rescue Cephiro's current Pillar, Princess Emeraude (named as Princess Emerald in the English version), from her abductor, the high priest and antagonist Zagato (named as Zagat in the English version). All of the characters from the first arc of the manga are present in the game, as well as anime exclusive character Inouva. However, the game presents several new locations and characters, thus considerably expanding the overall plot. The player can also read each of the girls' journals, which receive new entries after key events in the game, providing their individual insights on the events. Unlike in the manga and anime, all of Zagato's minions die throughout the game, including Ascot, Caldina and Rafarga.

Throughout the game, the player controls a party of three characters. However, only one character can battle at a time; though the other two characters will follow behind the active character, they cannot attack and are unaffected by all enemy attacks and even environmental hazards. The player can instantly change the active character at any time. In essence, the three characters confront the enemies, puzzles, and assorted threats of the game in a tag team fashion. Unlike most RPGs, character upgrades and magic spells are mostly acquired upon progressing to certain points in the game, rather than by independent accomplishments. (The exceptions are maximum HP and maximum MP, which are increased by finding special items.) This is much like the Saturn's first RPG, Virtual Hydlide, with the important difference that weapons and armor in Magic Knight Rayearth are upgraded as part of general level ups and do not exist as distinct gameplay elements. While the anime and manga both have the Magic Knights using color coordinated swords, in the game only Hikaru uses a sword, while Umi uses a foil and Fuu a bow and arrow. Each of the three weapons has its own advantages and disadvantages. For instance, the bow works long range but requires precise aim, whereas the sword slices with broad strokes that make it easy to hit enemies but is short range only. The need to aim the bow is mostly removed once it is upgraded, since Fuu can then charge the weapon to make it "lock on" to the nearest target. However, unlike the sword and foil, the bow's attack power does not increase when it is charged up.

Magic Knight Rayearth is based on the anime by Clamp of the same name. The game was one of 12 Sega Saturn games announced when the system was first unveiled at the June 1994 Tokyo Toy Show.