Sword of Sodan

From Sega Retro

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SwordofSodan title.png

Sword of Sodan
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Electronic Arts (US/EU), Sega (JP)
Developer:
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP 		¥6,0006,000 G-4056
Sega Mega Drive
US 		$49.9549.95[3] 702601
Sega Mega Drive
EU 		E168SMXI
Sega Mega Drive
BR
Non-Sega versions

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Sword of Sodan (ソード・オブ・ソダン) is a 1988 beat-'em-up by Discovery Software International. Innerprise Software Inc ported it to the Sega Mega Drive for Electronic Arts in late 1990.

Gameplay

Sword of Sodan is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up where the player can control either an unnamed male or unnamed female, walking towards the right of the screen and hacking and slashing enemies along the way.

Being originally written for the Amiga, the control scheme of Sword of Sodan is built around one-button joysticks which were prevalent across home computing at the time. On the Mega Drive the main controls are split across B and C - jumping is assigned to B (where holding down the button results in a higher jump), but is also used in conjunction with Left or Right to turn the character around. C swings the character's sword, and combined with Up, Right and Down other attacks can be made. Down crouches.

The strength of the player's attacks depend on the current "HIT" value displayed on top of the screen, which decreases when losing a life. Attacks have very specific hit zones - spear wielding guards for example need to be attacked at point blank range, while giants can only be hurt by using high attacks.

A is used to drink potions dropped by defeated enemies. Potions are selected in the pause menu, and can be combined to create more interesting results.

The game features an undocumented level skip in stage 5 - if the player deliberately falls down the third pit, they will skip directly to stage 6.

Potions

  • Red: increases attack strength
  • Orange: defeats the closest enemy
  • Blue: restores health
  • Transparent: no effect
  • Red + transparent: extra life
  • Orange + transparent: flaming brand (stronger sword with fire effect)
  • Blue + transparent: temporary invincibility
  • Red + orange: flaming brand (stronger sword with fire effect)
  • Transparent x 4: skip stage

Other combinations either have no effect or are poisenous to the player.

Versions

Despite sharing a name, Sword of Sodan was significantly altered during its transition to the Mega Drive, putting more of an emphasis on potions while reducing the amount of content. Most of the graphics were re-drawn, with layouts also being modified and swordplay being tweaked. Enemies attack from both left and right (a feature missing in the Amiga version), however the ostrich-like creature in the dungeon stage is missing.

Some levels (such as the wood area) were removed, while others combined, bringing the total number of stages to eight. Five of the thirteen enemies seen in the Amiga version were removed also.

Neither version of Sword of Sodan has in-game music.

Magazine articles

Main article: Sword of Sodan/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
43 [5]
28 [6]
57 [7]
57 [8]
48 №148, [1]
88 [9]
22 [10]
40 №1991-11, p91
45 №13, p113
40 [11]
55 [12]
59 [13]
73 [14]
45 [15]
40 [16]
33 №18, p68
Sega Mega Drive
 48
Based on
16 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[17]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
52
[18]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
43
[19]
Console XS (UK) PAL
73
[20]
Cool Gamer (RU)
20
[21]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
57
[22]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
38
[23]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
48
[24]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
88
[3]
Génération 4 (FR)
22
[10]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
40
[25]
Joystick (FR)
45
[26]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)
40
[11]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
40
[27]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
54
[28]
Mega Play (US) NTSC-U
40
[29]
MegaTech (UK)
55
[12]
Mean Machines (UK)
59
[30]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
55
[31]
Power Play (DE)
25
[32]
Raze (UK) PAL
73
[33]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
25
[16]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
45
[34]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
33
[35]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
28
[36]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
78
[37]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US)
80
[38]
Sega Mega Drive
 48
Based on
27 reviews

Sword of Sodan

Mega Drive, US
SoS MD US Box Back.jpgSoS MD US Box.jpg
Cover
SoS MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU
SoS MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
SoS MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, JP
SoS MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
SwordofSodan MD JP CartTop.jpg
SwordofSodan MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, BR
SoS MD BR Box.jpg
Cover
SwordofSodan MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart
Swordofsodan md br manual.pdf
Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 9cb8468f
MD5 7b5c722bccce6f5301dd90b6d6b17f01
SHA-1 088b81c3bcda86b9803b7e3f8067beb21d1d2553
512kB 1990-12 Cartridge (US/EU)
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 58edb3f3
MD5 5d5d8d4bfcde93737cdd0bad207a0550
SHA-1 9c17187e3eb0842c5300f69616a58baa86b769e7
512kB 1990-12 Cartridge (JP)

References

  1. ↑ Raze, "April 1991" (UK; 1991-02-28), page 49
  2. ↑ Sega Power, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-07), page 19
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 GamePro, "March 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 76
  4. ↑ Supergame, "Abril 1992" (BR; 1992-04-xx), page 45
  5. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1991" (JP; 1991-09-07), page 34 (36)
  6. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85 (87)
  7. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 72
  8. ↑ Computer + Video Giochi, "Aprile 1991" (IT; 1991-xx-xx), page 88
  9. ↑ GamePro, "March 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 60 (76)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Génération 4, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 101
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-xx-xx), page 79
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 81
  13. ↑ Mean Machines, "February 1991" (UK; 1991-02-01), page 78/79 (78)
  14. ↑ Raze, "April 1991" (UK; 1991-02-28), page 48/49 (48)
  15. ↑ Sega Power, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-07), page 18/19 (18)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54
  17. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 233
  18. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 116
  19. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1991" (JP; 1991-09-07), page 36
  20. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 135
  21. ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 215
  22. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88
  23. ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 103
  24. ↑ Famitsu, "1991-10-18" (JP; 1991-10-04), page 1
  25. ↑ Hippon Super, "November 1991" (JP; 1991-10-04), page 91
  26. ↑ Joystick, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 113
  27. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 94
  28. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "January 1992" (JP; 1991-12-07), page 101
  29. ↑ Mega Play, "February 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 45
  30. ↑ Mean Machines, "February 1991" (UK; 1991-02-01), page 78
  31. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142
  32. ↑ Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 135
  33. ↑ Raze, "April 1991" (UK; 1991-02-28), page 48
  34. ↑ Sega Power, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-07), page 18
  35. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
  36. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  37. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 192
  38. ↑ VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "March 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 44
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