Indie Genesis/Mega-Drive Action RPG “Secret of the Four Winds” opens pre-orders; features all-new arranged music hardware

Every once in a while, there comes an indie game for retired game consoles that does something really special to stand out from all games on that system, new and old. This is one of those times. Kai Magazine Software, who have developed a bunch of games for the Genesis/Mega-Drive before, have debuted their newest, most ambitious game to date: “The Secret of the Four Winds.”

The Secret of the Four Winds is an action RPG inspired by the likes of cyberpunk classics like Snatcher (1994) and Shadowrun (1994) on the Sega CD and Genesis respectively. The game centers around a trio of protagonists brought together after a mysterious army of shadowy ghosts is summoned that are only vulnerable to a special pistol found by main protagonist Gillian Seed Al. Once you meet your two cohorts, you’ll be able to command each of them in battle and outfit them for any role in battle, such as a tank or healer, for example. You’ll also make choices throughout the game that will affect the outcome of the story and your relationship with your two allies and other characters.

What makes this game really special, and unlike any Genesis game ever seen before, is its use of an all new audio chip developed by Kai Magazine Software, allowing the game to run fully arranged music, as if it were a Sega CD game. While it also gives you the option of regular FM sound, the arranged music is an incredible technical achievement. This has never been seen on Genesis outside of certain flash carts such as the Mega Everdrive Pro, which allowed you to add arranged music to existing Genesis classics through special game patches with its MSU-MD and MD+ technology. The downside is that this game will not function on certain Genesis systems, such as the Genesis 3 or most Genesis clone consoles. Any Model 1 or 2 Genesis should work, according to Kai Magazine Software. They also recommend disconnecting your 32X or Sega CD if music isn’t playing.

For more info, as well as a special video showcasing the game in action, have a look past the break below.

The Secret of the Four Winds is available for pre-order directly from Kai Magazine Software’s website as both a regular and collector’s edition. No matter which you go for, you can also get the game in four different covers. However, the website is a bit messy looking, so I’ve taken the liberty of providing helpful links to each version of the game below.

US Genesis Cover pre-order (Standard Edition) (Collector’s Edition)

EU Mega-Drive Stripes Cover pre-order (Standard Edition) (Collector’s Edition)

EU Mega-Drive Grid Cover pre-order (Standard Edition) (Collector’s Edition)

JPN Mega-Drive Cover pre-order (Standard Edition) (Collector’s Edition)

Regardless of which cover you get, the game is NTSC and PAL compliant, so any compatible Genesis/Mega-Drive console from around the world should support the game just fine. Standard editions also come with the following extras:

• High quality Genesis/Mega Drive plastic box
  
• Reversible cover with 2 different art styles
  
• High quality, full color instructions manual
  
• A set of postcards with game-art in them
• A high quality, region free cartridge with label.

Collector’s editions come with everything in the standard edition, plus the following:

• High quality Genesis/Mega Drive plastic box
  
• Reversible cover with 2 different art styles
  
• High quality, full color instructions manual
  
• A set of postcards with game-art in them
  
• A high quality, region free cartridge with label.
  
• A BIG BOX (Neo-Geo size) with reversible cover with 2 different art styles
  
• An art book including concepts, illustrations, in-game maps, enemy designs, etc.
  
• An engraved wooden box containing an engraved wooden USB flash drive which contains the 2 soundtracks (enhanced music and FM music) and lots of digital extras such as concepts, illustrations, in-game maps, enemy designs, etc.
  
• A black bag containing a secret, which should only be opened once you finish the game in order to understand its meaning and avoid spoilers.

YouTuber Retro Gamer Boy has been given the opportunity to showcase the game in action in a video of his own.  You can watch it right below as well as download an official demo ROM to try for yourself in any Genesis emulator or flash cartridge from this MEGA link. It’s worth hearing that beautiful arranged music in action.

Are you looking forward to trying out The Secret of the Four Winds? Have you tried any other games from Kai Magazine Software? Let us know in the comments below.

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