Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono

Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono (ナコルル〜あのひとからのおくりもの〜) is an adventure game that's a spin-off of the Samurai Shodown series. It released on July 6, 2001 in Japan for the Windows operating systems and later the Sega Dreamcast. The game was scheduled to be available at the same time as Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage but experienced several setbacks due to the game's changing sponsors. A limited edition set came with a miniature Nakoruru figurine and a DVD for the game's OVA.

Overview
The game is set during the same time as Samurai Shodown II. The player is a seven year old girl named Mikato, a villager in Kamui Kotan who looks up to Nakoruru. She watches and idolizes the priestess, trying to help her in anyway that she can. Their serene lives are invaded by an evil force, making once tame animals into berserkers and allies into sudden foes.

The basic flow of the game is uses traditional elements from the adventure game genre. Players select their answers and proceed along a path that hopefully gets to the good ending of the game. Along the way, they'll also have to complete a variety of mini-games that test typing and reflexive skills. Although there are no penalties for mistakes in the typing games, the other games will only allow three tries before the game ends. Failure to successfully pass these games usually leads to one of the game's bad endings. If the player wants the good ending, they will need to pass the minigames and finish all eight chapters in the game.

A bonus scene with Manari, Rimururu, and Nakoruru will have the three girls talk about costumes that Rimururu found. When they wear them, Nakoruru cosplays as Cham Cham and Rimururu as a pink Charlotte. Rera's ending in the game will also mention her knowledge of Haohmaru, Hanzo, Shizumaru, Amakusa and Zankuro.

Glitch
The PC version of this game has an infamous glitch for saved slots. Players are allowed to save but cannot load from them later. This made succeeding the minigames crucial as failure forced players to restart from the beginning. Complaints were addressed for the Dreamcast conversion although there are still reports of bugs and freezing during the save screen. Although SNK agreed to reissue a fixed copy for users, supplies were limited and the recall time was short, leaving some owners unattended.

Characters

 * Mikato- protgaonist; sees things that others in her village can't and possesses some spiritual powers. Has short brown hair and a sliver of hair the sticks up.
 * Hokute- Mikato's friend and a year older than her. Since he learned about the priestess' duties from Yantamu, he believes Nakoruru to be a bad influence for Mikato. Has short spiky hair and angry eyebrows.
 * Yantamu - the chief's son and childhood friend of Nakoruru. He uses his archery to defend the village and the priestesses from danger. Has feelings for Nakoruru.
 * Manari - priestess and childhood friend to Nakoruru. She communicates with Nature through her songs and is the mentor for Mikato. Has unrequited feelings for Yantamu. Later makes an appearance in Capcom vs SNK 2 during Nakoruru's entrances.
 * Nakoruru - main priestess who is loved by all in her village.
 * Rimururu - sister of Nakoruru who is a close companion of Mikato.
 * Rera - mysterious entity named by Mikato. Seems to be disappointed with Nakoruru.
 * Mizuki Rashojin - last boss of the game who wants to destroy Kamui Kotan.

External Link

 * Summary and pictured review
 * Gameplay footage of Chapter Five