River City Saga: Three Kingdoms

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River City Saga: Three Kingdoms, known in Japan as Kunio-kun no Sangokushi dayo Zen'in Shūgō! (くにおくんの三国志だよ全員集合！, lit. "Kunio-kun's Romance of the Three Kingdoms"^?) is a role-playing beat 'em up game in the Kunio-kun franchise developed by Aplus Co., Ltd. and published by Arc System Works. The game was announced on September 3, 2021^[1] and would be released for the Nintendo Switch in Japan on December 16, 2021.^[2] The international version of the game was later released on the PlayStation 4 and Steam on July 21, 2022.^[3]

The game celebrates the 35th anniversary of the Kunio-kun franchise and plays similarly to River City: Rival Showdown, though the characters are acting out a play during the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history.

Development[]

The idea for the game came to fruition after director Kenji Sato thought about how they could make the most of Kunio-kun's large cast of characters. With the Three Kingdoms theme set, the goal was to create a fusion between Kunio-kun and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms that could be equally enjoyed by someone who is only familiar with one of the two. Striking a balance between telling the story of the novel while ensuring everything still felt like a Kunio-kun game was noted as being one of the more difficult parts of development.^[4]

Many of the major characters were able to be decided on early in development, though the team struggled on who Kunio should play. They initially planned to have him in the role of Liu Bei, though after realizing that he is someone who'd engage in diplomacy and negotiations rather than fighting himself, they began to decide on whether Guan Yu or Zhang Fei was a more fitting pick for him. The team eventually landed on having Kunio play Guan Yu after learning that he was a loyal general who better suited his character. Smaller roles were changed around more often with Zhang Liao and Lu Bu being two documented examples. As the team learned more about the story, they'd change Kazumi Hasebe to play Zhang Liao instead as they believed she was better fit for the role and that it'd make for something more exciting. Lu Bu was initially going to be played by Abobo, though this was changed to instead be Misuzu after internal discussions.

It was debated between the team on whether the game should be done in full 3D as opposed to the 2.5D style that has been done in their previous games, though they'd ultimately decide on sticking with 2D character sprites. When it came to character designs, the designers took into account of the monochromatic uniforms most character are seen wearing and would incorporate characteristics of the historical figure they were playing as into the design in order to make it more clear who each character was at a glance. For Kunio, designer Tatsuya Yamamoto notes that he based his design off of the white uniform Nekketsu High School students wear with green being added on-top as the color is a symbol of Shu. As Guan Yu is often depicted with a dragon motif on his armor, Kunio was also given this with the dragons also having corresponding emotions to him. For Ryūichi and Ryūji Hattori, Yamamoto notes that he incorporated parts of Billy and Jimmy Lee's design with the two sleeves being torn and the matching glove colors. When it came to female characters playing the role of male figures, Yamamato initially started designing the characters without knowing much about who they were playing as he wasn't very familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. After further research, he'd go back and flesh out the designs to better match the characters they were portraying.^[5]

During Arc System Works' program at TGS 2021, they would collaborate with Hololive talents Inugami Korone and Sakura Miko to showcase the game alongside some information regarding the upcoming River City Girls 2, River City Girls Zero, and other various collaborations.

Plot[]

The story is loosely based off of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel with a majority of the historical figures involved being played by various Kunio-kun characters. The story is split into six chapters with the first one starting with Guan Yu (Kunio) meeting his oath brothers Liu Bei (Tsuyoshi Gōda) and Zhang Fei (Susumu Godai) who each have similar ambitions in wanting to restore the glory of the Han dynasty. The story proceeds to depict the events of the Yellow Turban Rebellion up until the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Gameplay[]

Story Mode[]

The main mode of the game. The first player controls Kunio while the second player will control Kaoru Sonokawa. The game is able to be played in co-op both locally and online, though the player must unlock the ability to do so by progressing through the first chapter. Players are then able to choose a difficulty level with Moderate being available by default and the other three (Hard-Liner, Extra Hard, Hot-Blooded) being unlocked as the difficulty level beneath it is completed. From there, the player is then able to choose a chapter to play. Each chapter has to be unlocked in order when playing through each difficulty level for the first time. If the player has active progress on a chapter, they will be asked if they wish to continue playing it or if they'd like to stop and pick another chapter.

Each chapter has three different endings with there being the Romance route, Hot-Blooded route, and the Comedy route. The Romance route is the normal ending for each chapter and is the only one obtainable on the Moderate difficulty. The Hot-Blooded route is the chapter's true ending and is obtained by amassing a reputation of 200 or more before the final segment. The Comedy route is the chapter's alternate joke ending and is obtained by having a reputation in the negatives before the final segment.

Players are able to progress the story by following the current objective listed on-screen and what locations are marked on the map. The player can freely explore various cities in China, though certain areas or regions will be blocked off depending on the chapter being played. Sidequests will also appear throughout the chapter and can be completed to earn reputation. Both story objectives and sidequests will earn the player reputation upon completion, though if the wrong answer is picked in any dialog choices then the player may instead lose reputation or have nothing happen. When playing in the Moderate difficulty, reputation will neither increase or decrease. Story objectives are marked by red exclamation marks while sidequests are marked by blue exclamation marks.

Pause Menu[]

China Heroes[]

This game transforms the game into a traditional linear beat em' up. Up to four players are supported in this gamemode with co-op play being available from the start. Each player is able to select a character out of the ones unlocked and must clear ten stages together with a limited amount of lives. When playing online, guests will only be able to use characters they have unlocked on their own copy of the game and not what characters the host unlocked. The host is able to set the amount of lives each player is given and can toggle friendly fire.

In each stage, players will travel a specific route and clear waves of enemies at each stop. Healing items are able to be found hidden in breakable boxes throughout the stage, though they can also be used as a weapon by enemies which will cause the item inside to not drop. When playing local co-op, only one player can grab a healing item. While playing online however, healing items will instead be usable by everyone in the lobby and not disappear after a single person has used it. Each stage contains a secret room that will lead to an additional wave of enemies, may have an extra healing item, and will often trigger the stage's secret boss at the end.

The game will end once every player has lost all of their lives. In singleplayer, the player is given three continues which can be used at the cost of resetting their score. In multiplayer, dead players will transform into a zombie that can walk around freely and briefly stun enemies hit, though they will not be able to deal any damage or be revived.

Stages[]

1. Yellow Turban Rebellion: The stage starts from the Peach Garden and stops at Guangzong with the Yellow Turbans appearing as enemies. The secret room is able to be found on the first screen in Guangzong between a stack of hay and a house. Inside of this room, Naritaka Nishimura, Katsuyuki Nedachi, and a group of Yellow Turban goons must be fought. The normal boss is against Yasuo Sawaguchi and his lackeys, though on the secret route he will be accompanied by Nishimura and Nedachi. On the secret fight, Hakutaka Industrial High School's theme from Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari: Yakyū de Shōbu da! Kunio-kun will be played.
2. Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition: The stage starts from outside of Guangzong and stops at the Hulao Pass with Dong Zhuo's army appearing as enemies. The secret room is able to be found next to the gong at the Hulao Pass. Inside of this room, Tetsu must be fought. The normal boss will be against Abobo and his men, though on the secret fight he is replaced by Sabu and is accompanied by Katsuji, Tetsu, Gen, and Yukio. On the secret fight, Sabu's theme from the Arcade version of Nekketsu Renegade Kunio-kun is played.
3. Battle of Xiapi: The stage starts in a flooded Xiapi and will end on the top of the castle with Lu Bu's army appearing as enemies. The secret room is able to be found behind the staircase leading to the castle. Inside of this room, Mordov, Johnny, Raphael, Alex, and Mick must be fought. The normal boss will be against Misuzu accompanied by her generals, though on the secret fight she will face off against the players alone and become more aggressive. On the secret fight, the original version of Misuzu's theme from Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka will be played.
4. Battle of Guandu: The stage takes place in Boma with Yuan Shao's army appearing as enemies. While there is no secret room on this stage, the secret fight is able to be activated by breaking the sign post at the beginning. The normal boss will be against Tsuneo Kamijō and Noriyuki Yamamoto who are accompanied by more of Yuan Shao's goons. The secret fight will instead have the players fight Yūji Munakata who is accompanied by some of his own men. On the secret fight, Yūji's theme from Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun: Bangai Rantō Hen will be played.
5. Guan Yu's Journey: Cao Cao's army will appear as enemies. The secret room can be found next to a boat in the water on the final section of the stage. Inside of this room, players must fight off a wave of Cao Cao's men. The normal boss will be against Ryūichi and a group of his men, though the secret fight will replace him with Mamoru Tōdō who is accompanied by Koshiba, Nito, and more of his own army. On the secret fight, the final stage's theme from Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu: Kyōteki! Dodge Soldier no Maki​ will be played.
6. Battle of Bowang: The stage starts at the Nan Highroad and ends in a forest with Cao Cao's army appearing as enemies. The secret room can be found inside of the waterfall at the beginning of the stage. The normal boss will be against Kiyofumi Taira and a group of his men. In the secret fight, Kyōsuke Matsudo is fought instead and is randomly accompanied by clones of Godai, Gōda Sanjūrō Sugata, Hikaru Saotome, or Shūji Washio. On the secret fight, the boss theme from Downtown Special Kunio-kun's Historical Period Drama! will be played.
7. Battle of Changban: The stage starts in Dangyang and will end at the top of the hill in Changban with Cao Cao's army appearing as enemies. The secret room can be found in a tent on-top of the hill after the fight against Shun Mochizuki. The normal boss will be against Takashi Onizuka and his men while the secret fight instead has the players face off against two tigers. On the secret fight, the final boss theme from Nekketsu Fighting Legend is played.
8. Changban Bridge: The stage starts at the top of the hill in Changban and ends at the bridge in Dangyang with Cao Cao's army appearing as enemies. The secret room can be found in-between two bushes stacked together in Dangyang and will require the player to fight off a small group of enemies. The normal boss will be against Tadashi Kinoshita and his men while the secret fight will be against Reihō Academy's Four Kings. During the secret fight, the boss theme from Downtown Nekketsu Story is played.
9. Battle of Red Cliffs: The stage will take place on the Cao Cao army's ships. The secret room can be found by entering a door on the left side of the final screen. Inside of this room, the player must fight through waves of enemies. The normal boss will be against Masao Kobayashi and his men while the secret fight takes place against Taiki Yamada who is accompanied by Ryūichi, Ryūji, Onizuka, and Kato. During this fight, Yamada's theme from Downtown Nekketsu Story is played.
10. Huarong Road: The stage starts in Wulin and ends in Huarong. On the normal route, the player will fight through each of the Four Kings one-by-one who are each accompanied by some enemies. Onizuka is then fought before moving into the final section where Ryūichi and Ryūji appear as the semi-final boss. Yamada is fought as the final opponent and is assisted by his army. On the secret route, the player will fight against Liu Bei and Sun Quan's armies with the mini-bosses instead including Sugata, Saotome, Mitsuaki Yoshino, Washio, Misako, Gōda, Godai, and Sonokawa. Kunio and Riki appear as the semi-final boss with the River City Girls counterparts of Misako and Kyōko acting as the final bosses. Throughout the majority of stage, one of the songs from Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day! is played. Kunio and Riki's fight will play the rooftop fight themes from Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka while Misako and Kyōko's fight will play that game's rollercoaster theme.

Controls and moves[]

Settings[]

Characters[]

Similarly to games like Downtown Special Kunio-kun's Historical Period Drama!, many characters throughout the franchise's history appear under a different name as they are portraying a character in a play. Unlike previous historical games, the roles being played are based off of real life historical figures. Some roles in the game are not played by an existing character in the franchise and are purely based off of the real life counterpart. In-game, any role being played by a Kunio-kun character will display their regular name in brackets.

Playable characters[]

• Guan Yu (Kunio): The main protagonist of the game, Guan Yu is a righteous general who's admired by many and swore an oath of brotherhood with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. He is additionally playable in the China Heroes gamemode by default.
• Zhou Cang (Kaoru Sonokawa): A supporting character, Zhou Cang is a follower of Guan Yu who only appears in the novel.

Supporting characters[]

• Liu Bei (Tsuyoshi Gōda): A major supporting character, Liu Bei is the first emperor of the State of Shu and is the sworn brother of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He is additionally playable in the China Heroes gamemode by default.
• Zhang Fei (Susumu Godai): A major supporting character, Zhang Fei is a general in the late Han dynasty and is the sworn brother of Guan Yu and Liu Bei. He is additionally playable in the China Heroes gamemode by default.
• Tian Nu (Satomi Momozono): An original character made up for this game, Tian Nu is the spirit of the Peach Garden tree and gets Guan Yu, Liu Bei, and Zhang Fei started on their adventures together by giving them some money and naming the trio the "Brothers of the Peach Garden".
• Lu Zhi (Madoka): A general in the late Han dynasty, Lu Zhi was once the master of Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei. She assists the brothers early on by giving them directions in how they can work towards their goal of restoring the Han.
• Zhu Jun (Noboru Kawakami): A general in the late Han dynasty. The brothers head to Changshe to help him fight against the Yellow Turbans, though they find out that Cao Cao's army has already come to the rescue. To make up for the brothers coming down for nothing, he gives out the location of a Yellow Turban hideout in Handan and suggests that Cao Cao likely doesn't have this information.
• Gongsun Zan (Heilman): A general in the late Han dynasty. After the brothers help him handle a rebellion in Yuyang, he takes the brothers under his wing and appoints them as deputy ordinance officers in Pingyuan. He later invites the brothers to the Anti-Dong Zhuo coalition meeting in Chen Liu. By the third chapter, he approves of the brothers leaving to help out in Xuzhou and sends his subordinate Zhao Yun to assist them.
• Sun Jian (Tōru Maeda): A general who built the foundation of Wu and the father of Sun Quan. He appears during the Anti-Dong Zhuo coalition meeting and accepts Guan Yu's assistance as he deems the brothers more trustworthy than anyone else in the coalition. Following the fight against Dong Zhuo's troops at the Hulao Pass, he thanks the brothers and informs them that he'll be withdrawing from the coalition as he cannot trust the other members.
• Zhao Yun (Sanjūrō Sugata): A general with great integrity who serves under Gongsun Zan. He is sent to temporarily assist the brothers in Xuzhou. At the end of the fourth chapter, he is granted permission by Gongsun Zan to fight alongside Guan Yu again. From here on out, Zhao Yun greatly assists the brothers in their goal of restoring the Han. He is additionally playable in the China Heroes gamemode by default.
• Mi Zhu (Saori Gōda): A powerful aristocrat in Xuzhou. She initially greets the brothers and Zhao Yun when they arrive at the castle to see Tao Qian. When he passes away due to his illness, she hands Liu Bei a letter left for him that asks the brothers to govern over Xuzhou. Mi Zhu implores them to take it, though Liu Bei refuses the offer as he thinks Cao Cao would view it as an act of war and instead suggests that they offer support from the outskirts of the castle. Mi Zhu is later captured by Cao Cao's army and is used as a bargaining chip to get Guan Yu to surrender to their army. When Guan Yu eventually departs from his temporary stay in Cao Cao's army, he takes Mi Zhu with him. In the fifth chapter, she leaves with Zhao Yun as he evacuates the citizens of Xinye from Cao Cao's men.
• Zhang Liao (Kazumi Hasebe): A calm and collected general in Cao Cao's army who previously served under Lu Bu. She accompanies Lu Bu during their temporary stay in Xuzhou and later warns Guan Yu about Lu Bu's takeover of Xiapi's castle. During the fourth chapter, she convinces Guan Yu to surrender to Cao Cao and takes him to his castle in Xu. During his temporary stay in Cao Cao's army, Zhang Liao fights alongside Guan Yu in the fight against Yan Liang to ensure he doesn't try to run away. When Guan Yu gets ready to depart with Mi Zhu, Zhang Liao informs him that Liu Bei has joined Yuan Shao's army. She is additionally unlockable in the China Heroes gamemode.
• Sima Hui (Takaoka): A teacher in Jingzhou during the late Han dynasty who has been able to teach many talented people due to his keen evaluation of others. He suggests to Liu Bei that he won't be able to accomplish his goal of restoring the Han by force and will need a tactician. He mentions that Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong are the two promising up-coming tacticians in Jingzhou, though recommends that they try going for Zhuge Liang. He warns Liu Bei that it'll be tough to talk her into it.
• Zhuge Liang (Misako): A renowned strategist who is known as the sleeping dragon in Fulong. She is enlisted by Liu Bei as their tactician after she had tested the brothers to see if they'd be worth her time. She uses her intelligence during the battle in Bowang and comes up with a strategy to help the citizens of Xinye escape from Cao Cao's army. In the final chapter, she heads to Chaisang alone to convince Sun Quan's army to join forces with Liu Bei in order to defeat Cao Cao. She later helps make preparations for the Battle of Red Cliffs and assists Guan Yu in his fight against Zhang He. She is additionally unlockable in the China Heroes gamemode.
• Lu Su (Mami Shimada): A civilian officer in Sun Quan's army. She is initially uneasy about Zhuge Liang's proposition to ally in Sun Quan's army, though she defends her character and remains hopeful that everyone will get along with her after Sun Quan agrees to the alliance. Lu Su then helps make preparations for the Battle of Red Cliffs.
• Zhou Yu (Kyōko): A general in Sun Quan's army. She initially believes that Zhuge Liang is attempting to manipulate everyone and suggests that it'd be better if they defeat Liu Bei and hand him to Cao Cao. She is eventually convinced by the proposal for an alliance after Zhuge Liang mentions Cao Cao's broken promises. During the meeting with the brothers, she mentions that Cao Cao allegedly has a weak navy and that it'd be an effective strategy to exploit that. She comes up with the same idea as Zhuge Liang on setting fire to Cao Cao's ships. Zhou Yu then helps make preparations for the Battle of Red Cliffs.
• Sun Quan (Riki): The son of Sun Jian who served as the first emperor of Wu. During the final chapter, he agrees to Zhuge Liang's proposal for an alliance with Liu Bei and assists in making preparations for the Battle of Red Cliffs. He is additionally unlockable in the China Heroes gamemode.
• Pang Tong (Kaori): A renowned strategist. Guan Yu and Liu Bei find her in Hanyang and asks for her assistance in standing up against Cao Cao. She is told of Zhuge Liang's current plan and immediately comes up with one for herself. Due to her already being offered a position from Cao Cao, she joins up with his army in order to provide them with misinformation.

Bosses[]

• Han Zhong (Satoshi Nagatsuka): One of the heads in the Yellow Turbans. He appears during the first chapter as a mini-boss inside of the Yellow Turban's hideout in Handan.
• Zhang Bao (Yasuo Sawaguchi): One of the three brothers leading the Yellow Turbans. He is fought as the main boss in each route of the first chapter.
• Zhang Jiao (Naritaka Nishimura): One of the three brothers leading the Yellow Turbans. He leaves a notice for the Yellow Turbans to gather at Jieqiao to prepare for an attack. This letter was left behind inside of the group's secret hideout in Handan and was found by Liu Bei. He assists Zhang Bao in his fight against the brothers in the Hot-Blooded route of the chapter. Zhang Jiao additionally appears as a playable character in the China Heroes gamemode that was added in the international release of the game.
• Zhang Liang (Katsuyuki Nedachi): One of the three brothers leading the Yellow Turbans. He is first able to be found in Liyang leading a group of the Yellow Turbans. He later assists Zhang Bao in his fight against the brothers in the Hot-Blooded route of the chapter.
• Hua Xiong (Abobo): A general in Dong Zhuo's army. In the second chapter, he leads Dong Zhuo's troops into Xingyang following Sun Jian's departure from the coalition, though Guan Yu steps up and takes him on in a duel. On the comedy route, a dozen Abobos are seen in Luoyang as part of Dong Zhuo's "Project Abobo". Hua Xiong is later seen in the fifth chapter with a group of bandits under the name of Zhang Wu. He additionally appears as a playable character in the China Heroes gamemode that was added in the international release of the game.
• Lu Bu (Misuzu): The most fierce general in the nation who once served under Dong Zhuo. She appears as the main boss of chapter two on the Romance route, though is made the semi-final fight on the other endings. Lu Bu takes off with the Red Hare halfway through the fight and is later seen in the third chapter accompanied by her subordinate Zhang Liao during their temporary stay in Xuzhou. She takes over the castle in Xiapi after getting into a heated argument with Zhang Fei and serves as the chapter's main boss on all routes. Lu Bu is additionally unlockable in the China Heroes gamemode.
• Dong Zhuo (Sabu): A tyrannical and selfish general in the late Han dynasty. In the second chapter, Dong Zhuo is saved from an assassination attempt by Cao Cao at the Imperial Court. Following the incident, Cao Cao begins to form alliances across the country in order to take Dong Zhuo down. He is eventually backed into a corner and decides to set fire to the capital in Luoyang with plans on fleeing to Chang'an to establish a new capital. On the Hot-Blooded route, the brothers will fight Dong Zhuo before he is able to make his escape. On the Comedy route, Dong Zhuo will fight against the brothers with the help of a dozen Abobos from his "Project Abobo".
• Yue Jin (Shun Mochizuki): A general in Cao Cao's army who'd often be able to surprise attack an enemy before they had time to prepare their forces. He spars against Guan Yu during his temporary stay in Cao Cao's army and additionally appears as a mini-boss in a fight at the Dangyang Bridge and during the Battle of Red Cliffs. He appears as a playable character in the China Heroes gamemode that was added in the international release of the game.
• Yu Jing (Kiyofumi Taira): A serious and strict general in Cao Cao's army. He spars against Guan Yu during his temporary stay in Cao Cao's army and additionally appears as a mini-boss in a fight at the Dangyang Bridge and during the Battle of Red Cliffs. He appears as a playable character in the China Heroes gamemode that was added in the international release of the game.
• Xu Huang (Masao Kobayashi): A modest general in Cao Cao's army. He spars against Guan Yu during his temporary stay in Cao Cao's army and additionally appears as a mini-boss in a fight at Changban and during the Battle of Red Cliffs. He appears as a playable character in the China Heroes gamemode that was added in the international release of the game.
• Cao Ren (Takashi Onizuka): A cousin of Cao Cao and a general in his army. He spars against Guan Yu during his temporary stay in Cao Cao's army and additionally appears as a mini-boss during the Battle of Red Cliffs. He appears as a playable character in the China Heroes gamemode that was added in the international release of the game.
• Xiahou Dun (Ryūichi Hattori): A cousin of Cao Cao and a general in his army. He spars against Guan Yu during his temporary stay in Cao Cao's army and serves as the main boss of the fourth chapter on the Romance route. He is later seen in the fifth chapter leading Cao Cao's troops in Bowang. During the final chapter, he will serve as the semi-final boss on the Romance route or if Guan Yu doesn't answer Zhang Liao's question. Xiahou Dun is additionally unlockable in the China Heroes gamemode.
• Xiahou Yuan (Ryūji Hattori): A distant relative of Xiahou Dun and a general in Cao Cao's army. He spars against Guan Yu during his temporary stay in Cao Cao's army and serves as the main boss of the fourth chapter on the Romance route. During the final chapter, he will serve as the semi-final boss on the Romance route or if Guan Yu doesn't answer Zhang Liao's question. Xiahou Yuan is additionally unlockable in the China Heroes gamemode.
• Yan Liang (Tsuneo Kamijō): One of two feared generals in Yuan Shao's army. He is fought as a mini-boss during the fourth chapter in Buma and later appears in the fight against Yuan Shao on the Hot-Blooded route.
• Wen Chou (Noriyuki Yamamoto): One of two feared generals in Yuan Shao's army. He is fought as a mini-boss during the fourth chapter in Buma to avenge Yan Liang and later appears in the fight against Yuan Shao on the Hot-Blooded route.
• Yuan Shao (Mamoru Tōdō): A warlord of the late Han dynasty. During the fourth chapter, Liu Bei temporarily serves under him for protection while he was separated from his brothers. He and his army appear as the final fight in the Hot-Blooded route of this chapter. Yuan Shao additionally appears as a playable character in the China Heroes gamemode that was added in the international release of the game.
• Zhang Fei (Susumu Godai): In addition to his role as a supporting character, he appears as the fourth chapter's final boss in the Comedy route after getting angry with Guan Yu for working with Cao Cao.
• Zhang He (Tadashi Kinoshita): A renowned general in Cao Cao's army. He is fought as a mini-boss at the Dangyang Bridge in the fifth chapter and is later fought during the Battle of Red Cliffs. He additionally appears as a playable character in the China Heroes gamemode that was added in the international release of the game.
• Zuo Ci (Kyōsuke Matsudo): A mysterious hermit-like figure who emerges at the end of the late Han dynasty. He appears as the final fight in the Comedy route of the fifth chapter as Zhuge Liang suggests that Zuo Ci transforming into Cao Cao could stop his invasion. On the Hot-Blooded route, Zuo Ci poses as Cao Cao to setup a trap for the brothers in Ye.
• Zhang Liao (Kazumi Hasebe): In addition to her role as a supporting character, Zhang Liao appears as the final chapter's semi-final boss on the Hot-Blooded route where she will attempt to stop Guan Yu if he states that he wants to fight Cao Cao.
• Cao Cao (Taiki Yamada): The main antagonist of the game, Cao Cao is a monarch who laid the foundation of Wei. He appears as the final chapter's final boss on both the Romance and Hot-Blooded route. He is additionally unlockable in the China Heroes gamemode.
• Sun Quan (Riki): In addition to his role as a supporting character, Sun Quan appears as the final chapter's final boss on the Comedy route. He attempts to beat some sense into Guan Yu for letting Cao Cao get away after he had singlehandedly fought off his entire army.

Other characters[]

• Technos-Tei: Previously appearing as the narrator in Downtown Special Kunio-kun's Historical Period Drama! and it's sequel Downtown Nekketsu Jidaigeki, Technos-Tei returns in the same role. He is seen giving an introduction to each chapter and will give a brief explanation of the events that happened in the route taken during the ending of a chapter.
• Hu Zhen (Katsuji): A general serving under Dong Zhuo. He accompanies Dong Zhuo in fighting against the Yellow Turbans during the first chapter. On the second chapter, he appears in a fight against Sun Jian's crew and in the Hot-Blooded route will assist Dong Zhuo in his fight against the brothers and Cao Cao.
• Gao Lan (Koshiba): A general in Yuan Shao's army who's military prowess competes with the bravest generals of Cao Cao's army. He is able to be talked to in Ye during the first chapter and will later assist Yuan Shao during the Hot-Blooded route's finale in the fourth chapter.
• Lu Boshe (Makoto Yamagami): An uncle of Cao Cao. Lu Bosche treats Cao Cao to dinner at his house unaware that he's currently on the run from Dong Zhuo after his failed assassination attempt on him. Paranoid about how Lu Bosche is supposedly lying about making dinner and actually planning on capturing him, Cao Cao decides to stab him and anyone else in the house to death.
• Yuan Shu (Yūji Munakata): A minor antagonist in the story, Yuan Shu is an envious military commander in the late dynasty and is the cousin of Yuan Shao. He is seen during the Anti-Dong Zhuo coalition meeting and ends up handling the provisions. His provisions causes Sun Quan's troops to fall ill and have Sun Jian make the decision to withdraw from the coalition. He later attempts to convince Cao Cao to not let the Brothers of the Peach Garden fight off Hua Xiong because of their unknown status. By the third chapter, generals of Cao Cao's army are given orders to take Yuan Shu out. Yuan Shu or his men never appear as a boss fight in the story mode, though he does appear as a hidden boss in the China Heroes gamemode. In the international release of the game, he was added as a playable character in that gamemode.
• Huang Gai (Shūji Washio): An older general in Sun Quan's army who also served under Sun Jian and Sun Ce. He is seen during the fight against Dong Zhuo's army at the Hulao Pass and later infiltrates Cao Cao's army in the final chapter by pretending to switch sides. He boards one of the boats when the Battle of Red Cliffs begins and sets fire to a multitude of them.
• Niu Fu (Tetsu): The son-in-law and general serving under Dong Zhuo. He fights against Sun Jian's crew in the second chapter and in the Hot-Blooded route assists Dong Zhuo in his fight against the brothers and Cao Cao.
• Guo Si (Gen): A general serving under Dong Zhuo. He appears during the Hot-Blooded route of the second chapter where he assists Dong Zhuo in his fight against the brothers and Cao Cao.
• Li Jue (Yukio): A general serving under Dong Zhuo. He appears during the Hot-Blooded route of the second chapter where he assists Dong Zhuo in his fight against the brothers and Cao Cao.
• Guo Tu (Nito): A military strategist in Yuan Shao's army. He is able to be talked to in Ye during the second chapter and will later assist Yuan Shao during the Hot-Blooded route's finale in the fourth chapter.
• Kong Rong: A bureaucrat in the service of the Han dynasty. He sends one of his underlings out to Pingyuan in order to find someone to help deal with some Yellow Turban remnants who have them surrounded in Huang. After the brothers clear out the area, Kong Rong informs them that ever since the Imperial Court fell after the fall of Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao has been exploiting that. He expresses his concerns for Xuzhou as it has a weak defense and because Tao Qian is extremely ill, in which the brothers decide to help Tao Qian out.
• Tao Qian: A politician in service of the Han dynasty who was entrusted with Xuzhou during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The brothers assist him after hearing from Kong Rong about the area's weak defense and Tao Qian's illness. He asks the brothers for advice on what to do against Cao Cao's army, in which Liu Bei suggests that they negotiate with him to leave Xuzhou. Tao Qian hands Liu Bei a letter to serve as proof that he's a messenger of the area and asks him to give it to Cao Cao. He passes away sometime after and leaves a letter for Liu Bei asking him to govern over Xuzhou.
• Taishi Ci (Mitsuaki Yoshino): A general in Sun Quan's army. In the third chapter, Guan Yu is able to retrieve his mother's medicine from a merchant as part of his sidequest. During the final chapter, he spars against Guan Yu as part of Lu Su's sidequest. On the Comedy route, he will assist Sun Quan in his fight against Guan Yu.
• Sun Qian (Haruka Nanase): A civil official from Xuzhou who serves Liu Bei at the request of Tao Qian. He is able to spar against Guan Yu as part of a job request that can be taken. In the fifth chapter, he can be talked to in Xiangyang and will later assist Guan Yu and Zhao Yun in their fight against Xu Huang. During the final chapter, Guan Yu is able to help Sun Qian find a suspicious person loitering in Hanyang as part of a sidequest.
• Jian Yong (Noboru Takamine): A civil official in Liu Bei's army who is one of it's oldest members. He is able to spar against Guan Yu as part of a job request that can be taken. In the Comedy route of the fourth chapter, he will assist Zhang Fei in his fight against Guan Yu and Zhao Yun. On the fifth chapter, he is able to be talked to at the Fan Castle. During the Battle of Red Cliffs, he will assist Guan Yu in his fight against Xu Huang.
• Liao Hua (Hayato Ichijō): A former Yellow Turban bandit who would later serve in Liu Bei's army. He is able to spar against Guan Yu as part of a job request that can be taken. In the Comedy route of the fourth chapter, he will assist Zhang Fei in his fight against Guan Yu and Zhao Yun. During the final chapter, Guan Yu is able to spar against him as part of a sidequest.
• Gao Shun (Johnny): A loyal general in Lu Bu's army who serves as her right-hand man. In the third chapter, Guan Yu is able to spar against him as part of a sidequest. Gao Shun will then ask him to help investigate their suspiciously low rations. He later assists Lu Bu in the fight following her takeover of Xiapi's castle.
• Zang Ba (Raphael): A general of his own force that'd later join Lu Bu's side. In the third chapter, Guan Yu is able to train alongside him and his men as part of a sidequest.
• Cheng Lian (Mordov): A general in Lu Bu's army. In the third chapter, Guan Yu decides to help him find Lu Bu's bag that she lost as part of his sidequest. He will later appear as an enemy during the finale of the chapter.
• Hao Meng (Alex): A general in Lu Bu's army. In the third chapter, Hao Meng is confronted by Guan Yu for meddling with the provisions as part of Gao Shun's sidequest.
• Cao Xing (Mick): A general in Lu Bu's army. He appears during the finale of the third chapter as an enemy.
• Wei Xu (Knit): A general in Lu Bu's army. He appears during the finale of the third chapter as an enemy.
• Song Xian (Bald): A general in Lu Bu's army. He appears during the finale of the third chapter as an enemy.
• Hou Cheng (Blonde): A general in Lu Bu's army. He appears during the finale of the third chapter as an enemy.
• Li Dian (Ōta): A general in Cao Cao's army. He can be talked to while Guan Yu is temporarily serving under Cao Cao and will subsequently appear as a mini-boss during various fights in later chapters.
• Xun Yu (Ryōma Hayasaka): A civil official in Cao Cao's army. He makes a cameo appearance in Xu and will greet Guan Yu while he is temporarily serving under Cao Cao.
• Guo Jia (Yorikazu Minamoto): A civil official in Cao Cao's army. He makes a cameo appearance in Xu's barracks and will greet Guan Yu while he is temporarily serving under Cao Cao.
• Red Hare (Shinji): A famous horse that was able to travel far distances quickly. In the game, the Red Hare is represented by Shinji who rides his motorcycle. Cao Cao gifts Guan Yu the Red Hare in an attempt to persuade him into permanently working under him. Guan Yu and Zhang Liao use the Red Hare to reach the battle with Yan Liang quickly. From this point, the Red Hare is able to be seen during the Super Special Offense super special attack.
• Liu Pi (Kenichi Morimoto): A former Yellow Turban leader who would later serve in Liu Bei's army. In the Comedy route of the fourth chapter, he will assist Zhang Fei in his fight against Guan Yu and Zhao Yun. On the fifth chapter, he is able to be talked to outside of Xingyang's castle. During the final chapter, Guan Yu is able to spar against him as part of a sidequest.
• Liu Biao: The governor of Jingzhou who was able to develop the region into prosperity with his skills in politics. He is the father of Liu Qi and Liu Cong and is a relative of Liu Bei. He shelters Liu Bei and the others from Cao Cao's army. The brothers help around in the region for the next few months. Liu Biao eventually informs Guan Yu of Liu Bei's worries and suggests that he seeks out Sima Hui for advice. Following the battle against Xiahou Dun, Liu Biao passes away.
• Liu Qi: The older son of Liu Biao and the brother of Liu Cong. Following Liu Biao's passing, Liu Qi is driven away from the castle by his brother as they've never gotten along. He tells the brothers that he'll be moving to Xiakou. Right as he's getting ready to leave, Guan Yu convinces him to keep fighting for the people of Jingzhou after hearing that his brother surrendered to Cao Cao.
• Liu Cong: The younger son of Liu Biao and the brother of Liu Qi. Following Liu Biao's passing, he takes leadership of Jingzhou and kicks out his brother due to them not getting along well. He eventually surrenders to Cao Cao and would decide to flee after finding out that Cao Cao's underlings have been sent to take him out. He is able to be seen in a sidequest during the final chapter.
• Zhou Tai (Hikaru Saotome): A general in Sun Quan's army. He is first able to be talked to during the final chapter once preparations for the finale have been made. During the Battle of Red Cliffs, he assists Guan Yu in his fight against Yue Jin. On the Comedy route, he will assist Sun Quan in his fight against Guan Yu.
• Gan Ning (Kōichi Shimizu): A violent and flamboyant general in Sun Quan's army. He first spars against Guan Yu as part of Lu Su's sidequest and will later assist Guan Yu in his fight against Yue Jin.
• Fei Zhan (Yasuaki Tsubaki): A leader of the Shenyue bandits, a rebel group that oppose Sun Quan's rule. He appears as an enemy during the final chapter.
• Lu Meng (Wataru Sasaki): An intelligent and brave general in Sun Quan's army. He first spars against Guan Yu as part of Lu Su's sidequest and is handed oil for fire-setting by Guan Yu during Zhang Fei's sidequest. On the Comedy route, he will assist Sun Quan in his fight against Guan Yu.
• Emperor (Hiroshi): He briefly appears at the Imperial Court during the Hot-Blooded route's ending of the final chapter. He watches Guan Yu part ways with his brothers asks him to stop by the Imperial Court sometime and to stay away from fighting as much.
• Guan Yu: The real life version of Guan Yu. He appears during the ending of the final chapter on the comedy route where he scolds Kunio for ruining the play and tells him to come back after studying the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He demands him to learn how to do something else other than blindly fight.
• Kunimasa: A version of Kunio in his role from Downtown Special Kunio-kun's Historical Period Drama!. He is exclusive to the China Heroes gamemode as a playable character that was added in the international version of the game.
• Da Qiao (Misako, River City Girls): The older one of the two sisters. She is played by Misako's River City Girls counterpart and is exclusive to the China Heroes gamemode as a playable character that was added in the international version of the game.
• Xiao Qiao (Kyōko, River City Girls): The younger one of the two sisters. She is played by Kyōko's River City Girls counterpart and is exclusive to the China Heroes gamemode as a playable character that was added in the international version of the game.

Codes, Secrets & Bugs[]

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

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くにおくんの三国志だよ全員集合！オープニング映像

【TGS2021】『くにおくんの三国志だよ全員集合！』コーナー拡大版【戌神ころね-さくらみこ】

「くにおくんの三国志だよ 全員集合！」製品トレーラー

PS4／Steam版「くにおくんの三国志だよ 全員集合！」アナウンストレーラー

River City Saga- Three Kingdoms announcement trailer

External links[]

• Official site (Japanese)
• Strategy wiki (Japanese)
• Guide to unlocking Ultimate Skills (Japanese)

References[]