Play Bastard!! - Ankoku no Hakai-shin Online

Bastard!! Ankoku no Hakai-shin came out for the Super Nintendo in 1994, developed by Cobra Team. It was part of that wave of games based on manga and anime properties, trying to capture a specific, often niche, audience rather than aiming for broad appeal. The game arrived when the SNES library was deep with action titles, and it stood out mostly for its source material's particular brand of fantasy.

You control the sorcerer Dark Schneider, moving him through side-scrolling stages to defeat enemies and confront bosses. The main objective is to progress through these linear levels, using a combination of sword slashes and screen-filling magical attacks that drain a separate mana gauge. Exploration is straightforward, with some hidden items tucked away in breakable walls or off the main path. The pacing is fast and aggressive, though the difficulty can spike unexpectedly during boss encounters. It feels like a raw, energetic burst of arcade-style action filtered through a very specific 90s anime aesthetic.