Play Hi no Tori - Houou Hen - Gaou no Bouken Online

Konami released Hi no Tori: Houou Hen - Gaou no Bouken for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. It's a side-scrolling action game based on Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix manga, and it stands out from other NES titles of the era with its distinct visual style and ambitious structure.

You control a young warrior on a quest to gather the scattered pieces of the Phoenix. The game alternates between side-scrolling action stages, where you slash through enemies with your sword, and top-down exploration segments in villages and caves. You navigate screen by screen, talking to villagers for clues and hunting for hidden items. The pacing is deliberate, and the difficulty can be unforgiving, with limited continues and demanding boss encounters. It feels like a journey through a strange, hand-drawn world where every screen holds a potential secret or a sudden threat.