Suikoden, the cult-favorite JRPG franchise most beloved by you and I, is showing signs of life after Konami just updated the official website for the first time since 2014!
The update provides new image links to each game in the series and brings a much needed overhaul to the layout, making it somewhat resemble a website made in the modern age. The update also comes alongside a brand new Castlevania website recently launched by Konami.
A hint that Konami has gotten the bad blood out and looking to get back to its roots? Don’t count the thought out just yet!
Suikoden dates back to 1995 in Japan with the first game being released for the PlayStation. The game first came to the United States in 1996, beating Final Fantasy VII as one of the consoles very first JRPGs. Its sequel, Suikoden II, is often heralded as a peak of the genre and one of the finest sprite-based JRPGs of all time, often finding itself in conversation with the likes of Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger.
Suikoden III followed on the PlayStation 2 in 2002 to positive reviews, but the departure of the series creator and the abysmal reception of Suikoden IV all but derailed the series. Suikoden V is seen as a return to form … by the few who have played it. HD gaming had already started catching on by the time it came out, and the slow, blocky PlayStation 2 just couldn’t keep up.
Konami produced several spin-offs since then for handhelds in Japan, but only the Nintendo DS game Suikoden Tierkreis reached the United States in 2009.
As for the update to the website, I can only assume that Konami is working on something, otherwise it wouldn’t be worth the effort anymore. My guess is it is a mobile game that taps into the series nostalgia, similar to Final Fantasy, Star Ocean, Fire Emblem, Wild Arms, and every other JRPG franchise from that golden era.
Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Suikoden for more information and to see me wax giddy nostalgia like a spunky school girl.
