Tengu
The playable flying tengu mask. It travels through the scrolling stages, fires projectiles, rescues civilians, and confronts the supernatural forces threatening Japan.
Documented for this version
Control Pad | Move the Tengu mask The mask moves in eight directions. |
|---|---|
A | Fire the main weapon Fires the current shot. |
B | Use a bomb Consumes one bomb. |
START | Pause the game Pauses the current game. |
Bombs are limited and should be saved for dangerous situations.
How it plays
Abarenbou Tengu is a side-view, horizontally scrolling shooter. The mask moves through the open vertical portion of each stage while the terrain advances automatically. The objective is to survive enemy formations, destroy ground and airborne threats, rescue endangered civilians, and defeat the boss at the end of each stage.
The Control Pad moves the mask, A fires the main weapon, and B uses a bomb. Weapon power-ups improve the shot, while bombs provide a limited attack that can clear or damage threats on screen. The campaign is divided into several stages, and progression comes from clearing them and learning enemy placements rather than from a character-level system.
Plan your run
Keep moving with small vertical adjustments instead of staying at one height. Watch for enemies entering from both the front and the background, and learn which formations can be destroyed before they reach the mask.
Meet the cast
The playable flying tengu mask. It travels through the scrolling stages, fires projectiles, rescues civilians, and confronts the supernatural forces threatening Japan.
Before you begin
Watch the full playfield because threats can approach from several vertical positions.
Protect shot power by avoiding risky detours for power-ups.
Save bombs for dense enemy waves and boss attacks instead of isolated targets.
Abarenbou Tengu is a Japanese Nintendo Entertainment System shoot-'em-up developed by KAZe and published by Meldac in 1990. It replaces the conventional pilot with a flying tengu mask, which battles supernatural enemies and rescues civilians while scrolling across devastated landscapes. The game is built around compact, demanding stages: the player moves freely within a side-view playfield, fires continuously, collects weapon improvements, and uses limited bombs to clear danger. Its unusual protagonist and macabre-but-colorful presentation distinguish it from conventional Famicom shooters. Released only in Japan under this title, it is also known as the source version of the overseas game Zombie Nation, which changed the setting and character presentation. Contemporary coverage was limited, but retro audiences have since valued its distinctive imagery, brisk action, and challenging difficulty.
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