Overview
Ranma 1/2: Akanekodan-teki Hihou ("Ranma 1/2: Secret Treasure of the Red Cat Gang") is a turn-based RPG based on the Ranma 1/2 franchise. The player, as Ranma, must locate the titular gang in order to recover his father Genma, who spends most of the game in his panda form.
Ranma ends up recruiting various friends, fiances and recurring foes into his group to take down the interloping organization. Almost every character has a "cursed form", many of which change the abilties at the character's disposal. Ranma, for instance, changes into a female version of himself when doused with cold water but suffers no adverse effects from this transformation as far as combat goes. Others transform into weaker or stronger creatures.
Akanekodan-teki Hihou is the third Ranma 1/2 game for the Super Famicom and the first to not receive a US localization. It is also the first game that didn't belong to the fighter genre.
Gameplay
Ranma 1/2: Akanekodan-teki Hihou is a traditional turn-based RPG. Each character fights using their martial arts, taking turns based on a speed stat. While wandering around town looking for clues behind the Red Cat Gang, the player encounters enemies to fight.
The player can recruit the following characters:
- Ranma Saotome: Ranma is the permanent leader of the group and is a good all-round fighter with an emphasis on powerful attacks. His female form, Ranma-chan, has identical stats.
- Akane Tendo: Ranma's fiancée (one of them, at least) and another moderately strong fighter with healing abilities. She's also a semi-permanent member and joins the party from the offset. She doesn't have a cursed form.
- Shampoo: Another of Ranma's fiancées. She has lower stats but much higher speed which, in combination with her healing abilities, makes her a useful support unit. She transforms into a cat, but suffers no ill effects in combat.
- Ryoga Hibiki: Ranma's self-described rival, though Ranma considers him unworthy. In-game, Ryoga is a powerhouse who usually ends up as the party's muscle. His cursed form, a tiny black pig called P-Chan, prohibits him from using most of his techniques.
- Genma Saotome: Ranma's lackadaisical father, who usually spends his time in his cursed form as a panda bear. Though he has tank-like stats, his techniques are generally less effective. This is in reference to the joke side of his character, as he was quickly surpassed by his own child during Ranma's training.
- Mousse: Another of Ranma's rivals, who suffers terrible eyesight problems despite his martial prowess. His cursed form is that of a duck, who can only use a handful of techniques.
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