Youkai Dochuuki

Yōkai Dōchūki, 妖怪道中記 (lit. "Phantom Travel Journal") is Namco's first 16-bit arcade game, released in 1987 and running on the company's then-new System 1 hardware. This game was not released in the United States, likely because of its questionable (by U.S. standards) content. However, an English-language version of the game, titled Shadowland, exists. It is a platform game in which the player controls a boy named Tarosuke who travels through "Jigoku" (the Japanese concept of Hell) fighting "yokai" (mythical Japanese monsters) on his way to his final fate, as determined by Buddha. He destroys his enemies by firing small Ki bullets, which can be charged to increase their power, though if overcharged, he is left unable to move or fight for a few seconds.

As in Dragon Buster and Wonder Momo, Tarosuke has a life meter (labeled as "POWER"), but only one life; if the meter is empty, the game is over (unless he has a certain item). There is no score counter, but the game utilizes currency (only referred to as "MONEY"), which is used to buy items, among other things. During boss battles, Tarosuke kneels at a shrine to Buddha and prays, summoning "Monmotaro," a spirit which floats in the air and drops energy balls on the boss and any lackeys he has.

There are a total of 5 stages, and there are multiple paths which can be taken in many stages. One of the paths leads the player to a fairly racy dance hall show, after which they are given a box. If they open the box, they might get 10,000 in money, or might be turned into an old man until they buy a particular item in a shop (this is based on the tale of Urashima Tarō). There are 5 different endings depending on your performance through the final stage.