Excerpts From Nonexistent Books

Title: Cowboy Guns: Rail Wars
Developer: Chuo Team
Publisher: Pilcom Corporation
System: Musjido 32
Release Date:
JP: N/A
NA: June 6, 1998
EU: February 12, 1999

With the localization of Kauboigan 4: Tetsudō sensō, a confusing situation arose. The first game in the series had been localized as Western Guns by Glowbe USA, but had released as Kauboigan, or Cowboy Guns, in Japan. When Chuo Team had localized their own game, it had been as Cowboy Guns. But when Glowbe was prohibited from using the Kauboigan name in Japan, they called their next game Seibu no jū or Western Guns.

The result was Glowbe’s games being Western Guns in Japan and Cowboy Guns in North America and Europe, while Chuo Team’s games were Cowboy Guns in Japan but Western Guns in North America and Europe. As game journalist Lance Oaks said in 2006 “it’s a naming scheme that seems deliberately designed to sow confusion among fans and scholars alike.”

The name confusion aside, Cowboy Guns: Rail Wars was a largely faithful port, though the evil Mr. Baron was changed to Mr. Barron, and Satan was recast as a demon named Asmodean. The Musjido 32 was more popular in North America than in Japan, and Cowboy Guns: Rail Wars saw healthy sales, but it was also outsold in every respect by the competing game on the Phonos FunSystem. High demand and low supply has made Cowboy Guns: Rail Wars one of the most sought-after games for the Musjido 32 in recent years; it is often cited as the third most-expensive game on the system after the Summer Championship 1999 multicart and the first-run grey Tale of Sayre that was pulled from distribution.

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Title: Kauboigan 4: Tetsudō sensō (カウボーイガン 4: 鉄道戦争)
Developer: Chuo Team
Publisher: Pilcom Corporation
System: Musjido 32
Release Date:
JP: September 13, 1997
NA: N/A
EU: N/A

Unlike Zykaya, which signed an exclusivity deal with Phonos, Pilcom published games for both the Musjido 32 and the Phonos FunSystem (as well as the Japan-exclusive JEC-PC). Under pressure from Musjido to release an RPG for their system, Pilcom commissioned Chuo Team to develop a new entry in their Kauboigan series immediately after the release of Kauboigan III. Development lagged due to Chuo’s unfamiliarity with 3D and the Musjido 32’s infamously poor developer kit, but the competed game was eventually released in fall 1997.

Kauboigan 4 is an all-3D game with a theme of grand strategy in addition to its RPG elements. It sees the player commanding a party of three, Ken, Viki, and Zeke, while attempting to wrest control of a complex railroad network from an evil robber baron named, fittingly enough, Baron. El Conejo returns from Kauboigan III as a neutral force who may be courted or fought as he seeks to sabotage rail lines, and other characters from the earlier game appear as NPCs as well. By capturing, holding, and defending their rail network from Mr. Baron, Ken and his companions can eventually build up the strength to challenge him and learn about his true backer: Satan, the Devil himself.

While regarded as a minor classic, Kauboigan 4 was only a modest seller in Japan. This is largely due to the Musjido 32’s lukewarm performance in that market, as Kauboigan 4 topped the Musjido sales charts for some time.

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Title: Western Guns 2: Sheriff’s Law
Developer: Zykaya Co. Ltd., Glowbe USA
Publisher: Glowbe USA
System: Phonos FunSystem
Release Date:
JP: N/A
NA: August 22, 1997
EU: March 29, 1998

The Phonos FunSystem proved to be nearly as popular in North America and Europe as in Japan, and as a result Glowbe USA localized the game for both markets in 1997-1998 as Western Guns 2: Sheriff’s Law. Other than a slightly dodgy translation, the game was largely identical to Seibu no jū aside from a few minor changes. The priest character, Pope, was altered to a “philosopher” to avoid offending religious sensibilities, and the “Whorehouse Missions” on Disc 2 were dummied out (though still present on disc and fully translated).

Western Guns 2: Sheriff’s Law sold more units in North America than all previous games in the series combined, and sales in Europe were strong as well. So many copies were printed, in fact, that it remains available for less than $10 in North America to this day.

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Title: Seibu no jū (西部の銃)
Developer: Zykaya Co. Ltd., Glowbe Co. Ltd.
Publisher: Zykaya Co. Ltd.
System: Phonos FunSystem
Release Date:
JP: September 2, 1996
NA: N/A
EU: N/A

Despite the failure of Urutora Kauboigan in Japan, the (relatively) strong sales numbers of its localization Ultra Western Guns in North America led to a sequel. Zykaya developed the title in-house under license from Glowbe, fronting both the development and marketing costs. Legally prohibited from using the name “Kauboigan” thanks to a settlement with Chuo Team, the game was instead titled Seibu no jū, a translation of the Western Guns title that had been used in North America.

The Musjido 32 console was, by 1996, proving to be a fantastic boondoggle for the formerly dominant console and game manufacturer. Its bizarre 4-lobed controller was off-putting to many, and its use of ROM cartridges was at odds with the industry move toward optical media. Zykaya, in particular, had been courted by digital audio maker Phonos to sign an exclusive license for their games to appear on the upcoming FunSystem console, and Seibu no jū wound up being their first RPG for the console.

Using improved 2D sprites for the overworld that moved around 3d environments, Seibu no jū was in many ways less graphically advanced than Chuo Team’s Kauboigan III, but it also featured fully-animated cutscenes and a full orchestral soundtrack streamed off the disc, and was packaged as a deluxe 4-CD set with 2 play discs, a soundtrack, and a ‘making of’ VCD.

Positioned as a sequel to Urutora Kauboigan, it features a roster of 12 possible recruitable characters plus two secret characters for a total of 14. Sharps, Jane, and Mouse from Urutora Kauboigan return, with the undead Yule as one of the secret characters. The others include a Native American healer, an eccentric inventor, and a hyper-intelligent prairie dog. The game introduces a distinct steampunk element, with elaborate machines and technology that far exceeds the stated setting of 1885. The heroes find themselves caught in between the steampunk machinations of a new and corrupt territorial governor and a group of brutal renegade natives dedicated to his overthrow, with both eventually being swept aside by a new, supernatural threat in the form of the Anasajikira.

Thanks in part to the move to the popular FunSystem, Seibu no jū was a hit in Japan, and was one of the first games inducted into the Phonos FunSystem’s “Hall of Phame” budget rerelease series.

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Title: Kauboigan III: Aratana teki! (カウボーイガン III: 新たな敵)
Developer: Chuo Team
Publisher: Pilcom Corporation
System: Ultra PlayCom
Release Date:
JP: May 17, 1995
NA: N/A
EU: N/A

Fresh off the success of Kauboigan 2, Chuo Team began work on a follow-up for the Ultra Musjido. Utilizing the new Ultra XF chip, Kauboigan III: Aratana teki! featured cutting-edge pre-rendered graphics, an isometric viewpoint, elaborate animations, and a few elements that used rudimentary 3D graphics (the mine cart escape, the secret Saucer bosses, the final boss). Chuo licensed a graphics compression technology from Fenix Co. to fit the game on a cartridge, the same one used on Sea of Stars and Polaris Blow in 1995 and 1996.

Kauboigan III allowed players to select three playable characters from a roster of nine. Ken, Viki, and Zeke returned from Kauboigan 2, with the addition of six other characters: Chuo (a Chinese immigrant laborer), Mimi (a crusading reporter from back east), Butt (a black-hatted villain), El Conejo (a masked superhero), E (an amnesiac girl), and Ken (the hero of Samurai no Densetsu, reimagined as a veteran of the Boshin War). Each character had a different prologue chapter, character class and skills, leading to a large variety of replay value.

The story had a mysterious plague of undead rising to bedevil the Neeshy Territory, leading the chosen heroes to race against time to uncover the identity and motives of their leader, the mysterious Peruraida. Depending on player choices and characters chosen, there were 25 possible endings along with a “bad ending” for certain game overs and a “joke ending” that was only possible to achieve when using a New Game +.

The game saw strong if not exceptional sales on release in Japan. Despite being previewed in Musjido Might magazine as Cowboy Guns 2, Kauboigan III was never localized and released outside of Japan. There were several reasons given for this oversight–in a 2000 interview, former Chuo Team members claimed that the use of graphics compression presented insurmountable technical challenges for translation, while a letter published in Musjido Might in 1996 claimed that all localization efforts were being devoted to the new Musjido 32 console. In any case, it was not available in English until a fan translation group managed to reverse-engineer the compression code and insert an English script in 2002, an effort that Chuo Team gave its unofficial blessing.

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Title: Cowboy Guns
Developer: Chuo Team
Publisher: Xtreem Games
System: Ultra Musjido Multimedia System (UMMS)
Release Date:
JP: N/A
NA: October 3, 1994
EU: January 17, 1995

Fresh off the success of Kauboigan 2, Chuo Team hired Xtreem Games to localize the title for the North American and European markets. Xtreem was somewhat notorious for taking liberties with its translations but producing a result that was entertaining if not wholly faithful to the original. Xtreem removed all light gun support, and its translation renamed the four main characters as Klint, Steve, Bikki, and Wayne. They also produced a new manual in-house which emphasized the game’s humor and cartoonishness, and replaced the original soundtrack with one from their in-house composer.

Despite the changes, which made the narrative link between the game and Western Guns! difficult to parse, the game was a decent seller in North America but a major hit in Europe, where it was #1 for three months straight. Its North American version has since become a highly sought-after collectible, while conversely its European version is an extremely common find in PAL territories.

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Title: Kauboigan 2 (カウボーイガン 2)
Developer: Chuo Team
Publisher: Zykaya Co. Ltd.
System: Ultra PlayCom
Release Date:
JP: December 22, 1993
NA: N/A
EU: N/A

When Chuo Team learned that Glowbe was localizing Ultra Western Guns for the Japanese market, the developers were incensed–not only did they see this as a violation of their agreement, but Glowbe had not even bothered to ask for permission of consult them in any way. At a staff meeting in early 1993, Chuo decided to retaliate by making their own sequel.

Kauboigan 2 was the result, and it was a far more direct sequel made on an upgraded version of the Samurai no Densetsu: Ronin! game engine. It retconned the ending of the earlier game by revealing that Ken, East, Viki, and Zeke had survived the previous game, albeit with grievous wounds. Returning to health after months of convalescing, they find that a group of outlaws has been committing crimes in their name, making them wanted dead or alive. The four set out to clear their names while tracking down and avenging themselves upon the imposters.

While the graphics are considerably upgraded, Kauboigan 2 shares very similar gameplay with Samurai no Densetsu: Ronin!. Lighten-compatible duels are only fought at predetermined points, although a number of optional duels in side quests and secret locations were also added. Random battles are still a major part of gameplay, and the armor system doubles as a series of disguises to keep the heroes from being arrested or recognized, adding a strategic element to some sections. Disguises make poor armor, but wearing strong armor in certain areas results in tougher battles and eventual endless waves of enemies.

Released much later in 1993, Kauboigan 2 was a smash hit among Japanese gamers and doubled sales of lighten peripherals for months as well. Instead of competing with the many major summer releases in 1993, it stood out during the late holiday retail season and helped Chuo Team move into larger Kyoto offices. Half-hearted legal action by Glowbe dragged on for some time, but Chuo Team was on record as saying their new game’s success was revenge enough.

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Title: Urutora Kauboigan (ウルトラカウボーイガンズ)
Developer: Glowbe Co. Ltd.
Publisher: Glowbe Co. Ltd.
System: Ultra PlayCom
Release Date:
JP: July 9, 1993
NA: N/A
EU: N/A

Encouraged by the success of Ultra Western Guns in North America, Glowbe localized the game for Japanese players the following year. Other than re-rendering the script, few changes were made, though Glowbe once again had the game re-scored by their Kyoto sound team to avoid international licensing issues. There was some fear at Glowbe that this represented a violation of their agreement with Chuo Team, since their license was only for North America, but Glowbe rationalized that a localization did not count.

Released into a very saturated market in 1993, Urutora Kauboigan was a slow seller. Along with the failure of its expensive Ultra Saber peripheral that same year, Glowbe posted its first quarterly losses since the beginning of the console boom as a result.

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Title: Ultra Western Guns
Developer: Glowbe Co. Ltd.
Publisher: Glowbe Co. Ltd.
System: Ultra Musjido Media System (UMMS)
Release Date:
JP: N/A
NA: August 13, 1992
EU: N/A

As part of the deal with Chuo Team for Kauboigan: Nishi no densetsu, Glowbe had received the exclusive rights to make a sequel to the original game in North America. They licensed an RPG engine from Fenix Co. and proceeded to build a new game from the ground up. The result kept the one-on-one duel aspect of the original, but now framed as special attacks rather than narrative sequences; each character had a different “Quickdraw” technique that they could use in battle, requiring different speed- and skill-based challenges to deal maximum damage.

Although marketed as a sequel, Ultra Western Guns featured only a few side characters from the original and told a largely original story. Ex-thief Yule was condemned to death for a crime he didn’t commit, but survived in a miracle, awakening just as he was about to be buried in a potter’s field. He then sets out to track down and kill the four outlaws that framed him with the assistance of bounty hunter Sharps, circus sharpshooter Jane, and urchin Mouse. each of the four outlaws serves as the boss of their own chapter, which also involves side quests like bounty hunting. In the end, it is revealed that Yule really did die on the gallows, but that he had returned from beyond the grave for vengeance, fading away after the final boss is defeated.

Ultra Western Guns was a hit despite its occasional grammatical and technical hiccups, and topped the sales charts in North America for two months following its release. It was subsequently adapted into a five-issue comic book arc, and a pilot cartoon was produced that aired as a TV movie when it was turned down for syndication. It was also reissued on a cheaper cartridge with inexpensive packaging as part of the Ultra Hits line in 1995.

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Title: Kauboigan: Nishi no densetsu (カウボーイガン: 西の伝説)
Developer: Chuo Team, Glowbe USA
Publisher: Glowbe Co. Ltd.
System: Musjido PlayCom
Release Date:
JP: N/A
NA: September 2, 1991
EU: N/A

Upon seeing the success that Glowbe’s version of their game had in North America, Chuo Team proposed a joint venture to bring the game back to Japan in its western guise, with the hope that the fresh look would help to boost sales. Glowbe agreed, and took over publication from Zukaya. The conversion process was relatively quick, and consisted mainly of reinserting the original Japanese script with some modifications to remove references to samurai and swords (although fans have noted at least two places where such references remain).

Chuo also kept Glowbe’s modification to use the Musjido Buzzer light gun instead of the Joytana, though they modified the code to accept several popular light guns, such as the Musjido Murderer (the Japanese version of the Buzzer) and the Zukaya Zapper. As many in Japan were not familiar with the American Civil War, a new introduction sequence was added to the game, which required upgrading to the Musjiso MMV onboard chip, and a third new soundtrack was created to avoid overseas royalty payments.

Though the resulting game was not a record seller, it sold much better than Samurai no Densetsu: Ronin! and Chuo wound up repurposing many of the older cartridges for the new game. This had the unintended consequence of making original Samurai no Densetsu: Ronin! cartridges something of a rarity in Japan.

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