If you’re anything like me whenever a new Dynasty Warriors (known in Japan as Musou) game is announced, mainline or spinoff, it’s always good news. The Musou franchise is the epitome of hack and slash gameplay, and while many of them aren’t too strong in the story department the action elements are always ready to deliver hours of fun. Whether you’re playing as the historic warlord Cao Cao or the hero of Hyrule Link, there’s something incredibly satisfying in slashing your way through waves upon waves of enemies and knowing that you are a god on the battlefield.
The Musou games have worn several skins from various popular franchises, like One Piece, Fire Emblem, and Fist of the North Star. And while we have a sequel and a new spin-off game coming this year, there are still so many properties just ripe for the Musou treatment. Without further ado, here is my list of five series that are perfect for Dynasty Warriors.
1. Naruto: Ninja Warriors
Plenty of series based off anime/manga have gotten Musou spin-offs already, including Berserk and Gundam as well as the aforementioned One Piece and Fist of the North Star. When I think of anime/manga series that would make for a perfect Musou experience, Naruto is the first one to come to mind. For one thing, the potential roster would be massive. I can think of over 15 must-have characters right off the top of my head (The Konoha 11, Konoha’s jonin, the Sannin, past and present Hokage) and that doesn’t even include major villains that appeared like the Akatsuki or Madara or the different forms of various characters (Young Naruto, Shippuden Naruto, and Hokage Naruto for example). Naruto, especially in the later points, is all about big flashy powers, and that sort of thing is perfect for decimating waves of enemies. Imagine playing as Naruto summoning clones or popping Rasengans and putting down hundreds of enemies with one combo? Or using Sasuke’s Susanoo to wipe out a field of foes with one attack? And as for a story theme, Naruto already has a war arc incorporated into its story and that would be the perfect excuse to have these powerful shinobi duke it out and cut through hordes of weaker enemies with ease (Madara was practically playing a Musou against the Allied Shinobi Forces, anyway). Now that I think about it, “Ninja Warrior” as a name might already be taken. “Naruto: Shinobi Warriors” sounds pretty cool though, right?
2. Dragon Ball Z-Warriors
Here is another anime/manga series I think would make for a perfect Musou. Sure, it doesn’t have the swords and weapons that most Musou (and hack and slash games in general) are known for, but if Luffy can punch his way through the crowd I don’t see why Goku can’t do the same. Dragon Ball Z is all about massive attacks that leave the battlefield charred and ruined. Who needs weapons when you can launch a beam from your hands that can blow up the moon? DBZ boasts almost as impressive a potential roster as Naruto, from the classic Z-Fighters to each of the main story arcs’ villains spanning from Dragon Ball to Super. While the story is usually the least important aspect of Musou games, I’m sure Koei Tecmo could come up with a decent enough reason for our heroes to be blasting through waves of generic enemies (Frieza Soldiers immediately come to mind). Whatever the reason for the fighting, you just can’t convince me that “Dragon Ball Z-Warriors” would not be a fun game to play. Basic combos could consist of punching and kicking or some ki barrages, and special moves could be various signature attacks from the series. Plus, giving certain characters timed transformations would be a really fun element to add to the game.
3. Star Wars: Jedi Warriors
Believe it or not, a Star Wars Musou isn’t as far-fetched of an idea as you’d think. Even the president of Koei Tecmo is interested in making a Star Wars game. And can you blame him? Star Wars has great potential for a great Musou experience. Jedi and Sith would be the clear main choice for character options with their lightsabers, but it could be fun to throw out alternative options like bounty hunters (Boba Fett), smugglers (Han Solo, Chewbacca), and even droids (IG-11). There are plenty of wars to choose from in the Star Wars lore as the stage for a story mode, or Koei Tecmo could just as easily create an all-new one to give a reason for the crossover of characters from different time periods. And between stormtroopers, clone troopers, and droids, there are more than enough options for default enemy NPCs to choose from for your hero character to mow through. At present, EA has the exclusive rights to the Star Wars property in gaming, but hopefully in the future Koei Tecmo can get dip their toe into that galaxy far, far away.
4. Final Fantasy Warriors
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Team Ninja (a division of Koei Tecmo) has already worked with the Final Fantasy property in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. And honestly, NT does a lot of the legwork when trying to envision a Final Fantasy Musou. You’ve got the character roster, which a Musou could beef up even more to add more representation from each game. You have each character and their different styles of combat (power-based Vanguards, agility-based Assassins, range-based Marksmen, and unique trait-based Specialists) as well as their character-specific special moves. And you’ve got a good excuse for all the characters to exist together in the same world (avatars of good and evil pitting their forces against each other). Take all these elements, tweak the gameplay a bit for the sake of hack and slash, and you’ve got yourself a great Musou. Enemy NPCs would be easy to choose from, as the Final Fantasy enemy roster is both consistent and vast. All I’m saying is if Persona 5 can have one, then why not Final Fantasy too? They’re both JRPGs, and Final Fantasy objectively has more characters to choose from. I’m not saying that means it would be better, but… I’m not NOT saying that, either… Just think about it.
5. Donkey Kong: Jungle Warriors
Before you close that window, hear me out. You might read this and think it’s a joke, but out of the remaining Nintendo properties, I think Donkey Kong is most suited for a Musou spin-off. I genuinely believe a Donkey Kong Musou would even be better than a Super Mario one. Donkey Kong has a large cast of characters, from the Kongs themselves to key characters of the Kremlings like King K. Rool and Klump. Enemy NPCs could range from nameless monkey grunts to… nameless Kremling grunts. And as for the war? Just make it a battle between the Kongs and Kremling. Or better yet, create a game-specific character to serve as the leader of a new faction that the Kongs and Kremling have to team up to defeat. Come on, Nintendo, Koei Tecmo. Let’s get the ball rolling. I’m more than happy to serve as a writer on the game, Just give me a call.
