Kendo Rage#Legacy
{{short description|1993 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Kendo Rage
| image = Kendo rage.jpg
| caption = North American cover art
| developer = Affect
| publisher = {{vgrelease|JP|Datam Polystar|NA|SETA}}
| producer = Tom Shizuma
| composer = Takahiro Wakuta
| released = {{vgrelease|JP|January 22, 1993|NA|October 1993}}
| genre = Action game, platformer
| modes = Single-player
| platforms = Super NES/Famicom
}}
Kendo Rage, known in Japan as {{nihongo|Makeruna! Makendō|負けるな!魔剣道||"Do Not Lose! Kendo Magic"}}, is an action video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System/Super Famicom by Datam Polystar. SETA published the English version.
Gameplay
Kendo Rage is a 2D action side scrolling game. The player controls a fighter that is equipped with a kendo stick capable of melee attacks, and several ranged attacks. Certain combos and attacks can be used when the player's energy bar (known as 'Psy' in the game) is appropriately charged. There is a boss at the end of each stage, with seven stages total. The player begins the game at 04:00, and progress is shown by how fast each stage is completed rather than through a point system.
Plot
The original Japanese version of the game stars a girl named {{nihongo|Mai Tsurugino|剣野 舞|Tsurugino Mai}}. A spirit detective named Doro (ドロ) finds Mai and asks her to help him attack monsters.
In the English version of the game, an American girl named Josephine "Jo" goes to Japan to attend a summer kendo school. Her personal trainer, Osaki "Bob" Yoritomo, asks her to fight monsters on the way to school.
Release
Makeruna! Makendō was released for the Super Famicom on January 22, 1993.
It was released in North America as Kendo Rage in October 1993 and published by SETA.{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.com:80/consumer/gameslist/manuals/snes_games.pdf|title=Super NES Games|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=2025-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920223937/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/snes_games.pdf|archive-date=2008-09-20|url-status=dead}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| Fam = 24/40{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/famitsu-0215/page/37/mode/1up|title=NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: 負けるな! 魔剣道|magazine=Famitsu|issue=215|publisher=ASCII Corporation|date=January 29, 1993|page=37|language=ja}} ([https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=000000002508 Transcription] by Famitsu.com. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819194601/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=000000002508|date=2018-08-19}}).
| GP = 7/10{{cite magazine|last=Gagnon|first=Jonathan|url=https://archive.org/details/game-players-issue-53-november-1993/page/n172/mode/1up|title=Review: Kendo Rage|magazine=Game Players|volume=6|issue=11|publisher=Signal Research|date=November 1993|page=167}}
| SP = 55%{{cite magazine|last=Davies|first=Jonathan|title=Import Review: Evil Sword|magazine=Super Play|issue=7|publisher=Future Publishing|date=May 1993|page=53}}
| TOT = 56%{{cite magazine|last=Buxton|first=Chris|url=https://archive.org/details/total-19/page/n40/mode/1up|title=SNES Round-Up: Evil Sword Ma Kendo|magazine=Total!|issue=19|location=United Kingdom|publisher=Future Publishing|date=July 1993|page=41}}
| rev1 = Oprainfall
| rev1Score = 3/5{{cite web|last=Kidwell|first=Andy|url=https://operationrainfall.com/2016/10/06/tbt-review-kendo-rage/|title=TBT REVIEW: Kendo Rage|work=Oprainfall|publisher=Operation Rainfall LLC|date=October 6, 2016|pages=1–2|access-date=2025-06-25|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250626012126/https://operationrainfall.com/2016/10/06/tbt-review-kendo-rage/|archive-date=2025-06-26|url-status=live}}
| rev2 = Power Unlimited
| rev2Score = 8/10{{cite magazine|last=Schaeffer|first=Michael|url=https://archive.org/details/008_20231030_20231030_1241/007/page/n22/mode/1up|title=Review: Kendo Rage|magazine=Power Unlimited|issue=7|publisher=VNU Media|date=February 1994|pages=23|language=nl}}
| rev3 = Super Power
| rev4 = VideoGames
| rev4Score = 6/10{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_61_February_1994/page/n90/mode/1up|title=Reviews - Micro Reviews: Kendo Rage|magazine=VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine|issue=61|publisher=Larry Flynt Publications|date=February 1994|page=87}}
}}
{{Expand section|date=June 2025}}
Kendo Rage received a 20.68/30 score in a 1993 readers' poll conducted by Super Famicom Magazine, ranking among Super Famicom titles at the number 149 spot.{{cite book|author=Super Famicom Magazine|chapter=ゲーム通信簿|title=90年11月から'93年6月21日発売までの323本を収録!! スーパーファミコンオールカタログ'93|type=special supplement|language=ja|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|date=August 1, 1993|page=26}} The game also received average reviews.{{cite magazine|last1=Halverson|first1=Dave|author-link1=Dave Halverson|last2=Stratton|first2=Tom|last3=Cockburn|first3=Andrew|last4=Puryear|first4=Jay|title=Viewpoint: Kendo Rage; Planet SNES - Super Famicom Review: Kendo Rage|magazine=GameFan|volume=1|issue=5|publisher=DieHard Gamers Club|date=April 1993|pages=[https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_1_Issue_05/page/n14/mode/1up 15], [https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_1_Issue_05/page/n58/mode/1up 59]}}{{cite magazine|title=Now Playing: Kendo Rage|magazine=Nintendo Power|volume=48|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=May 1993|pages=103, 107}}{{cite magazine|author=Andromeda|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_056_March_1994/page/n79/mode/1up|title=ProReview: Kendo Rage|magazine=GamePro|issue=56|publisher=IDG|date=March 1994|page=78}}
{{-}}
Legacy
{{Expand section|date=June 2025}}
An OVA series, Makeruna! Makendo, closely follows the original Japanese version of the game, featuring both Mai and her younger sister Hikari (the main character from the second game).
A fighting game follow-up titled Makeruna! Makendō 2: Kimero Youkai Souri was released for the Super Famicom and PlayStation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=17792|title=負けるな！魔剣道2 決めろ！妖怪総理大臣 [スーパーファミコン] / ファミ通.com|website=www.famitsu.com|access-date=2018-08-19}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=2505|title=負けるな！魔剣道2 [PS] / ファミ通.com|website=www.famitsu.com|access-date=2018-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024192454/http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=2505|archive-date=2015-10-24|url-status=live}} A role-playing video game titled Makeruna! Makendō Z was released for the PC-FX.{{Cite web|url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=28422|title=負けるな！魔剣道Z [PC-FX] / ファミ通.com|website=www.famitsu.com|access-date=2018-08-19}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Portal|Japan|Video games|1990s}}
{{OLM OVAs}}
Category:Affect (company) games
Category:Kadokawa Corporation franchises
Category:OVAs based on video games
Category:SETA Corporation games
Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System-only games
Category:Video games developed in Japan
Category:Video games featuring female protagonists
Category:Video games set in Japan