Sword of Vermilion

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Sword of Vermilion

System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega AM2

Genre: RPG

Release	Date	RRP	Code

ESRB

PEGI

Sword of Vermilion, known as Vermilion (ヴァーミリオン) in Japan, is an action game developed by Sega under Yu Suzuki and released for the Sega Mega Drive in late 1989 (Japan)/early 1991 (US/Europe).

Erik V, king of Excalabria, is overthrown by Tsarkon, king of Cartahena. Before he dies, Erik tells his most trusted servant, Blade, to take his infant son and the family heirloom, the Ring of Wisdom, and escape, raising the baby as his own. Eighteen years later, Tsarkon's forces approach Wyclif, the town where Blade took the baby, requiring Blade to reveal the boy's true identity as Prince of Excalabria and sending him off to save the land by collecting a series of rings starting with the Ring of Wisdom.

Gameplay

Areas

You control the Prince in three different ways, depending on where you are:

Towns

When in towns, the game takes a top-down view. opens the menu (described below). You may only enter buildings whose doors are open. Each town has a church (where you can get cured of poison and curses and can save your game), an arms shop (selling weapons, shields, and armor), a restaurant (which does not appear to sell anything), an inn (where you may rest), a potion shop (which sells not only potions but also candles and other items), and a fortune teller's building. Furthermore, one NPC in each town will give you a map of an area in the overworld when you talk to him. Each town has a building (for instance, with Parma, the castle) where you must go and talk to someone (with Parma, the King) who will tell you how to get the next ring.

The Overworld/Dungeons

In the overworld and dungeons, the screen splits, with a 3D perspective on the left screen and a map on the right, with some status information on the bottom. and move forward and backward; and turn 90° in the particular direction, and opens the menu. The map on the right will only show what is immediately visible to you unless you have a map (and in the case of dungeons, which are dark by default, a candle). Along the way, you will be stopped randomly by enemies who will take you into battle, find people who you can talk to, and find chests you can open for items.

Battles

Battles take place in a top-down area the size of the screen. You always start facing down at the center of the battlefield, regardless of how many enemies there are and where they are, so act fast! uses your weapon, which you must have equipped beforehand from the menu. Each enemy you kill gains you money, called "kims," and possibly experience points. The battle ends when you either die, walk out the left/right sides, or kill all enemies on screen. If you are killed, you will start at a church, and the pontiff will take half your money for the poor.

The Menu

When not in a battle, press to open the menu. You have eight options:

Talk: talk to a person you are immediately next to/in front of/behind
Item: use or discard collected items
Str: show incremental screens of status; shows the next screen
Open: open treasure chests and doors
Magic: cast, prepare, or discard magic spells
Equip: put on, take off, or discard weapons, shields, and armor
Seek: look around for unusual things
Take: take an item lying around

makes a selection. at any time exits first a submenu, then the whole menu.

Pressing START opens another menu where you may choose how fast you want dialogue to appear.

Physical Scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

60

^[1]

Aktueller Software Markt (DE)

73

^[2]

Beep! MegaDrive (JP)

NTSC-J

70

^[3]

Console XS (UK)

PAL

81

^[4]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

91

^[5]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

70

^[6]

Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)

89

^[7]

Famitsu (JP)

NTSC-J

68

^[8]

Joystick (FR)

88

^[9]

Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)

77

^[10]

Mega Drive Fan (JP)

NTSC-J

72

^[11]

Mega (UK)

PAL

86

^[12]

Mega Play (US)

NTSC-U

73

^[13]

MegaTech (UK)

PAL

90

^[14]

Mean Machines (UK)

82

^[15]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

87

^[16]

Player One (FR)

94

^[17]

Play Time (DE)

73

^[18]

Power Play (DE)

71

^[19]

Raze (UK)

PAL

82

^[20]

Sega Power (UK)

91

^[21]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

75

^[22]

Sega Power (UK)

95

^[23]

Sega Pro (UK)

80

^[24]

Sega Pro (UK)

PAL

81

^[25]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

61

^[26]

Tilt (FR)

75

^[27]

Tricks 16 bit (RU)

82

^[28]

VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US)

NTSC-U

80

^[29]

Video Games (DE)

71

^[30]

	79
Based on 30 reviews

Sword of Vermilion

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, EU
<div style="margin:auto; max-width:Expression error: Unexpected < operator.px"> 320x120px Cover

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart

[1] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 233

[:File:ASM_DE_1991-03.pdf_p124-2] Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 124

[:File:BeepMD_JP_1990-02.pdf_p69-3] Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1990" (JP; 1990-01-08), page 69

[:File:Console_XS_UK_01.pdf_p135-4] Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 135

[:File:CVG_UK_115.pdf_p114-5] Computer & Video Games, "June 1991" (UK; 1991-05-11), page 114

[:File:EGM_US_018.pdf_p22-6] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "January 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 22

[:File:MeanMachinesEssentialSegaGuide_Book_UK.pdf_p103-7] Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 103

[8] Famitsu, "" (JP; 1989-xx-xx), page 1

[:File:Joystick_FR_010.pdf_p118-9] Joystick, "Novembre 1990" (FR; 1990-1x-xx), page 118

[:File:MDAG_UK_05.pdf_p63-10] Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 63

[:File:Mdfan_JP_1990-05.pdf_p89-11] Mega Drive Fan, "May 1990" (JP; 1990-04-07), page 89

[:File:Mega_UK_19.pdf_p71-12] Mega, "April 1994" (UK; 1994-03-17), page 71

[:File:MegaPlay_US_02.pdf_p41-13] Mega Play, "February 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 41

[:File:MegaTech_UK_01.pdf_p30-14] MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 30

[:File:MeanMachines_UK_08.pdf_p64-15] Mean Machines, "May 1991" (UK; 1991-05-01), page 64

[:File:MeanMachinesSega01UK.pdf_p142-16] Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142

[:File:PlayerOne_FR_007.pdf_p45-17] Player One, "Mars 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 45

[:File:PlayTime_DE_1992-06.pdf_p94-18] Play Time, "6/92" (DE; 1992-05-06), page 94

[:File:PowerPlay_DE_1991-03.pdf_p138-19] Power Play, "3/91" (DE; 1991-02-15), page 138

[:File:Raze_UK_05.pdf_p74-20] Raze, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-01-31), page 74

[:File:SegaPower_UK_20.pdf_p10-21] Sega Power, "July 1991" (UK; 1991-06-06), page 10

[:File:SegaPower_UK_23.pdf_p54-22] Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54

[:File:SegaPower_UK_25.pdf_p47-23] Sega Power, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-10-30), page 47

[:File:SegaPro_UK_06.pdf_p30-24] Sega Pro, "April 1992" (UK; 1992-03-19), page 30

[:File:SegaPro_UK_18.pdf_p68-25] Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68

[:File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf_p87-26] Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87

[:File:Tilt_FR_097.pdf_p52-27] Tilt, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-1x-xx), page 52

[28] Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 26

[:File:VG.26amp.3BCE_US_22.pdf_p52-29] VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "November 1990" (US; 1990-1x-xx), page 52

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1991-01.pdf_p90-30] Video Games, "1/91" (DE; 1991-03-27), page 90

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Sword of Vermilion

From Sega Retro

Contents

Gameplay

Areas

Towns

The Overworld/Dungeons

Battles

The Menu

Physical Scans