This is a hint/walkthrough file for the anime game "Takeru - 
Letter of the Law", from Eagle Peak Interactive, distributed by 
Software Sculptors and Central Park Media, sold by Anime Nation 
and others. This has reasonable documentation in English. I 
played the PC version, and I will assume the Mac one plays about 
the same.

Because anybody that can sell you the game can tell you about 
system requirements, and the game's description is available that 
way too, I won't say much about this one. There are no adult 
graphics in the game, unless you count women in skimpy outfits; 
if the box art offends you, then there is more of the same 
inside. Seems like almost all of the women in this game wear 
bikini bottoms that disappear into the crack of their butt...

Preferred graphics size is 640*480, but Windows95 will change to 
the correct size if you were using another one (like 800*600). 
Graphics depth MUST be 256 colors or the game won't start 
(Gateway will work, but not the two game programs). The installer 
will put QuickTime 2.1.2.59, both 16- and 32-bit versions, on 
your hard drive if you don't have them there already.

It plays as a rather simple practically-no-choice graphic 
adventure. The best parts of the game are the clear graphics and 
animation, and professionally-done voices and music. Bad points 
are that the game will still have occasional gaps in the video, 
even on a 8X IDE CD-ROM drive. And even on the 24X SCSI drive 
that replaced it, there are some annoying jumps in the video and 
audio, but not at the same time, leading me to believe there were 
some mistakes in how it was made. The only other complaints that 
I have are that you can't skip past any of the movies or 
animation once the game really starts. And since you can only 
start in one place in Chapter 3 (only a few steps after the 
Chapter 3 program begins), it can get really tedious trying to go 
into the Shrine area by way of the entire Temple maze sequence 
and the animation and movies that go with it. But other than 
that, this game was rather entertaining, although I'm having 
trouble liking Takeru...

from the Eagle Peak website:
http://www.epic.co.uk/eaglepeak/titles/titles.html
(entry point for Takeru stuff)

~/titles/takeru/manual/setuppc.html
7. To play the game simply double click on the 'Takeru - Chapters 
 1 & 2' or 'Takeru - Chapter 3' icons to play (it is advisable to 
 always start the game by playing Chapters 1 & 2 first in order 
 to follow the story line if you have bought all three Chapters).
8. In order to play the Gateway section you must Quit out of the 
 game and click on the Gateway icon

~/titles/takeru/manual/gameplay.html
Puzzles:
Specific object orientated games have been placed within the 3D 
scenes and require skill and thought to solve. Your agent, 
Bumbuku, will appear as an icon to help you if you should decide 
you need his assistance. Bumbuku's voice will appear distorted at 
times which indicates that he is not actually present in the 3D 
scene but still available to help you. The reason for which will 
become clear when you have succeeded in entering the Main 
building of The Shrine environment at the end of the game.
Game's Goal:
The goal of the game is to release The Shrine's Bushido Master. 
In order to do so you must find your way to the final 3D scene 
having visited all the environments, including the Shrine 
buildings, solving the relevant story puzzles without asking for 
Bumbuku's help.

I played without ever asking for help, and I'm not sure if I got 
to see anything special. Then again, I stopped halfway through 
and jumped back into the Jail a day later. I also couldn't 
figure out the two musical areas in the right-side building at 
the Shrine, but they don't have a Bumbuku in the corner, so they 
may not be puzzles at all.
Revisit: played through the whole thing again while confirming 
the solutions in this file, and didn't get anything different. If 
there's something about the two musical areas in the right 
building, let me know!

WALKTHROUGH

AND SO IT BEGINS...
Start with "Chapter 1 & 2".
Either sit through the opening video(s) or click on the video to 
jump to the beginning of the game. This is the only place in the 
whole game where you can do that!
You start at the entrance to the city of Yamato.
Walk around all you like, but the place you want to get to is one 
move left from your starting point, followed by a right turn. It 
will look like an alley with boxes next to the walls. Only go in 
if you want to move on to the next sequence.
Things you may see in the city:
  If you go to the right, all the way around, you will see a 
walking thing come towards you, then turn around. Follow it, and 
you will see Kuratora arrested and apparently stowed in one of 
those walking things. It's the only way you'll get into that 
alley.
  If you go straight, then turn right at an alley, you'll get a 
random number of people (0-3) to appear at the windows and door. 
They say something and disappear if you click on them, or you can 
just turn away instead. I think this is just atmosphere.
  Notice that as you move around, just before you stop a movement 
arrow may appear for the cursor, and then change back to the 
white arrow pointer. Kind of distracting!

IN THE BAR
If you move down the alley, you get your first non-interactive 
comic-art sequence. Good effects. This is also your first look at 
Takeru and Bumbuku, if you haven't clicked on the shield already. 
You get to take control again once you're in the bar.
Move the eye around to get comments from guys in the bar. There 
is only one person you can click on to move forward. Go forward 
again. You have apparently recognized that guy on the left, and 
get your first chance to choose a Kanji. It doesn't matter which 
one, they all do almost the same thing. Ditto for the door a few 
seconds later.
You will automatically move forward to Genta's room, or at least 
the room just before it. There are two puzzles there, which you 
should solve before going on to Genta.
On the left is the teapot puzzle. Just make some tea by dragging 
the edge of the table all the way left until it locks in place, 
then click on the burner, put the pot on the burner, wait for 
steam, then pour the tea, and click on the cup. A lot of what you 
see won't happen in Chapters 2 and 3, but a few things will.
On the right side of the room is the scroll puzzle. This one is 
rather difficult, since the kanji you want to duplicate is shown 
in the manual or when you click on the shield, at the 7 o'clock 
position with Takeru's leg behind it. This is the "Open" kanji. 
Click on the scroll, then drag the edge to the left. Now move the 
little pieces around until they are in the correct positions to 
make the Open kanji. If you are really stuck, you could click on 
Bumbuku, but I didn't have to. If you click on the right edge of 
the scroll, you exit the puzzle. Solve it to be allowed to drag 
open the sliding door. That's your first glimpse of the Shrine.

Now go on to the door to Genta's room. You have to maneuver 
around the room until you face the door. Enter to start another 
animated sequence, with a shot of Takeru's odd habit of licking 
people. You have another choice of kanji in the combat with the 
Geisha, with no real difference in the outcome.
This will immediately move on to another animated sequence, which 
brings you to a surprise arcade game. All you have to do is move 
the mouse so you aren't bumping into the street or the walls. 
Once you stop grinding, it's very easy. Don't worry about 
catching up or doing anything else, or trying to avoid the 
grenade. If not for anything else, I'd be interested in seeing 
the original manga just to see if there are any other cool things 
like the "Dragon Horse" and walking house-prison robot that 
didn't make it into the game.

BATH HOUSE
After disposing of Genta and automatically saving the girl, you 
have several puzzles at the bath house. The first is the wind 
chime tune:
click on it to get a repeat of the tune, and then repeat it at 
the small rack of bamboo tubes over in a corner. On the rack of 
7, press in order (counting from left to right) 4764524. That 
will open the door so you can move on. But before you do that, I 
suggest you investigate the samurai statue and take the gem from 
the mouth.
You can also turn the water in the central fountain off and on, 
although I don't think it makes a difference.
Anyway, solve the music puzzle to automatically go through the 
door, and be presented with another puzzle.
In this tile matching puzzle, click on one floor tile to get a 
kanji or an icon of something. Click on a kanji and the matching 
icon to turn on both, and get a "great" verbal acknowledgement. 
No time limit, just be persistent; the first few are all towards 
the bottom of the screen, after that they are spread out. Finish, 
and you can move forward.
But there's one more puzzle! Click on the bottom center to get 
the gem from the samurai statue, then on the top of the sword 
rack to place it, and then drag the mouse down at the left door 
handle.
When you open the door to the bath, you start a long animated 
sequence that ends with Takeru in jail. Serves him right for 
messing with a princess when he's got a nice piece right 
there...

IN JAIL AND OTHER MINOR ANNOYANCES
There's a strange brown thing on the floor in one corner that 
gives visions of something green/brown, and then a woman-faced 
harpy. Don't know what it means, so click it once and move on.
In the other corner, drag the block from the wall towards the 
chain gizmo. Then, drag the chain down towards the block - this 
may take a while or several tries, with lots of chain sound 
effects. When the chain is hooked on, you can pull down the 
bottom half of the metal sphere to reveal a key.
Suddenly, you're in the shrine!
But all you can do this time is wander around outside each of the 
three buildings. Just leave when you're done, and there's a long 
animated sequence in the jail. It will end with Takeru looking 
through a telescope. Move the view around with the mouse. I'm not 
sure if you have to click somewhere, but eventually Takeru rushes 
over to save the Princess (again).
After another choice of 3 kanji combinations, you see more 
animation until the game asks you to switch disks.

THE TEMPLE MAZE
Start "Takeru Chapter 3".
Go to the right twice, then click on the statue's right (as you 
look at it) breast, then drag it in a clockwise motion to raise 
the door.
Move forward twice, then turn around. Move the mouse on the black 
area to fill it in, then turn back around and click on the 
highlighted stone you saw. Press down until you hear something 
start.
Another animated sequence (there's that female-headed harpy, 
bye!) until you get to a maze puzzle.
Go forward, right, right, and take the medallion from the 
skeleton after the spear trap. Turn around and go forward many 
times ignoring all left turns; this is the old "keep your right 
hand on the wall" maze exploring routine. When you get to a dead 
end, turn around, and take the (now) right turn as you head back. 
It's tedious, but it works! Eventually you will get to a door. 
Click on the medallion, then on the door. Your reward is another 
puzzle!
This one involves choosing one of 3 stepping stones, and either 
moving forward to the exit or triggering a fireball. This one can 
also be solved with trial and error, but one correct sequence is 
(counting from left to right):1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1
If you get it wrong, the fireball just sends you back to the 
beginning of the puzzle.
Now you have to find Bumbuku. Go to the right, then click on the 
crack to see Bumbuku. Now drag the right torch bracket down. This 
starts yet another long animated sequence ending with another 
choice of 3 kanji.
Again, the choice is irrelevant. Then more animation and movies.

IT'S IN THE STARS
Finally you get to another puzzle. This time, it's stars you have 
to drag into the correct positions. First place 4 stars around 
the circle at the N, S, E, W positions - once you have one 
correct it's much easier to get the others. Now 2 more just above 
and below the open ends of the right arcs, and the last 2 in the 
same relative positions but further out from the inside of the 
arcs. You're making symbols of the sun and moon. When done, you 
get to go to the Shrine again.

THE SHRINE (not where they host the Oscars!)
THOSE DARN LEFTISTS!
This time, you can attempt to enter the left side building by 
solving (another) puzzle.
Make the frog in the lower left corner move by clicking on an 
adjacent stone to where it is. There are invisible walls in this 
little 6*6 maze. The frog has a limited number of moves before it 
will suddenly reappear at the start - the lower left corner.
The way through the maze is, from start (absolute directions on 
the screen, not the way the frog is pointing):
right, right, up, up, left, up, up, right, right, up, right, 
down, down, right, up, up.
Wait a few seconds, and then you'll be inside the left shrine 
building, where there are several things to click on, but no more 
puzzles!
If you leave, you can come and go as you please - that frog maze 
is only there the first time.
If you leave the Shrine now, you get a message that sounds like 
you should have stayed to finish the whole thing...

THOSE RIGHT-WINGERS!
Now go over to the right side building. After doing the left 
building, there is no puzzle to get in here. However, there is at 
least one puzzle inside. I say "at least one" because there are 
two musical sections in there, plus a sliding tile puzzle. I 
wasn't able to tell if anything happened from trying to duplicate 
the music on the bamboo chimes, and I think the drums and 
stringed instrument are there just to play with.
Solve the sliding tile puzzle - move the mouse out of the puzzle 
area and click on the back/down arrow to back off so you can get 
another look at what it should look like - and you go to the 
central Shrine building.
In the central building, move forward, click on the bowl, and 
listen to the armor tell you some things. If you go back in or 
repeat, it's the same again.
When you leave the Shrine area, you hear a message about coming 
back to figure out all the secrets - I think this means you 
really do have to solve at least one more puzzle in the Shrine 
area. Also, the arch falls down, it looks like the place burns 
up, and the suit of armor grows to giant size. Then you go back 
to the village.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE, PEOPLE
More animation at the village, and Takeru heads back to the 
Princess, but suddenly that lizard shows up...
And that's where Chapter 3 ends!


If you have anything to add to this file, or would like to trade 
other anime games, let me know.

Peter Karsanow - karsanow@twrol.com
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/7810/
      

      

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