Psychic Killer Taromaru (aka Psychic Assassin Taromaru aka Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru)

Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru (Japanese: 心霊呪殺師 太郎丸) is a side-scrolling action game developed and published by Time Warner Interactive for the Sega Saturn. Players take on the role of psychic ninjas battling an assortment of demons in Feudal Japan to rescue a kidnapped girl. The game was released in Japan in 1997 amid Time Warner Interactive’s closure, resulting in a low print run. It is considered by gaming journalists as one of the rarest, most valuable, and most sought-after Saturn games. Critics have generally praised the game for its layered 2D and 3D visual effects, inventive level design, and impressive boss battles. Some compared it positively to the Shinobi and Castlevania series.

Gameplay
Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru is a 2.5D side-scrolling action game that takes place in Feudal Japan. The player can choose to play as one of two ninjas, Tarōmaru or Enkai, who are hired as bounty hunters to defeat powerful demons a save a stolen maiden. The characters fight their enemies with psychic powers and play nearly identically outside of minor differences in their attack ranges. Enemies are targeted automatically with a reticle that hovers across the screen. The player can fire bursts of energy or charge up their energy for a more destructive attack which can hit multiple enemies. The characters can normally jump, slide, and dash across the stages, but they cannot move when firing. In addition to the main attack, the player can also hypnotize certain types of enemies into fighting alongside them, as well as throw up a protective sphere which quickly pushes back enemies and absorbs projectiles. The bosses make up a significant portion of the gameplay and include an assortment of supernatural beasts and demons including large spiders and frogs. There is a two player cooperative mode.

Development and release
Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru was developed by Time Warner Interactive’s Japanese studios for the Sega Saturn. Hiroshi Iuchi, known for his work with Treasure, did some of the art design. Characters were designed by Kenichi Nemoto. The game was demonstrated at the Tokyo Toy Show in June 1996. The game was released on January 17, 1997, exclusively in Japan. Time Warner Interactive reportedly only produced 7,500 copies because they closed the business shortly after the game’s release, This figure is disputed; Edge reported it as 5,000 copies, and GameFan and Sega Saturn Magazine reported 50,000 copies. Previously during development, in March 1996, the company was purchased by WMS Industries.

Its low print run resulted in it becoming one of the rarest Sega Saturn games and most desired by collectors, raising its value to hundreds of dollars. 1UP.com called it the single rarest Saturn game, Nintendo Life called it the most sought-after game for the system, and Eurogamer wrote that it has long been the most prized possession for Saturn collectors. According to USgamer, it is games like Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru that drive the Saturn’s appeal to serious game enthusiasts. Retro Gamer regretted how its scarcity will mean many players will ultimately never have the opportunity to play it.