Play Otogibanashi Taisen (Japan) Online

Momotaro and Urashima Taro throw down in tactical card battles where that tanuki’s tricks actually matter, and yeah, the turtle tanks hits like a champ. Game Boy sprites and woodblock tunes make every dumb loss weirdly satisfying.

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Game Overview

Otogibanashi Taisen was a Japan-exclusive Game Boy release from 1990, developed by TOSE and published by Irem. It arrived during a period when the handheld was filling up with experimental titles, especially those drawing from local folklore and turn-based strategy concepts. The game stands as a curious blend of traditional Japanese folktales and tactical card gameplay, offering a niche experience even among its contemporaries.

You control a team of characters from classic stories like Momotaro and Urashima Taro, each represented by cards with unique abilities. Your main objective is to defeat enemy cards on a grid-based battlefield by strategically playing your hand, managing limited action points, and exploiting elemental weaknesses. The pacing is deliberate, almost puzzle-like, as you plan several moves ahead to outmaneuver opponents who can quickly overwhelm careless players. It feels like a quiet test of wits, where even small mistakes have consequences but clever plays bring steady satisfaction.