Play Gensoumaden Saiyuuki - Sabaku no Shikami (Japan) Online

You swap between four misfits—a chain-smoking monk, a hotheaded half-demon, a reckless kid, and the one sane guy—bashing demons and solving puzzles across pixelated wastelands where every fight feels like a bar brawl.

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Game Overview

Ever wanted to wander a demon-infested wasteland with four guys who argue more than they fight? Gensoumaden Saiyuuki - Sabaku no Shikami on the Game Boy Color nails that exact vibe. You control Sanzo’s gang—monk, half-demon, idiot with a magic staff, and the guy who’s way too calm about all this—through chunky pixel deserts and temples where every shadow might spit out a monster. The sprites are tiny but full of attitude, especially when Gojyo flips his cigarette at enemies mid-battle.

It’s part RPG, part action game where you swap between characters to solve puzzles (Goku smashes rocks, Hakkai picks locks, etc.), and the combat’s simple but satisfying once you figure out who’s good against what. The music’s got that classic GBC tinny charm, especially the battle theme that kicks in when some screeching demon blocks your path. Yeah, the translation’s rough if you don’t read Japanese, and the dungeon layouts can be confusing, but there’s something weirdly cozy about how janky it all feels—like playing a lost episode of the anime on a road trip in 1999.

If you’ve got a soft spot for Saiyuki or just like RPGs where the party snarks more than they strategize, this one’s a fun little time capsule. Just keep snacks handy—Goku’s appetite is contagious.