由東映動畫 於 1989 年在紅白機（Famicom / NES）上推出的《新・里見八犬傳：光明和黑暗的戰爭》（Shin Satomi Hakkenden: Hikari to Yami no Tatakai），是一款改編自 曲亭馬琴 經典名著 南總里見八犬傳 的 RPG 作品。

誕生於 80 年代末 RPG 黃金時期，融合濃厚的和風奇幻色彩與「八犬士集結」的核心概念，在當時眾多作品中具有相當鮮明的辨識度。

故事背景設定在戰亂與妖氣交織的日本戰國時代，邪惡勢力企圖以黑暗力量支配世界，而里見家族因此陷入危機。主角 犬江親兵衛，肩負著尋找散落各地犬士的使命，這些犬士各自持有象徵「仁、義、禮、智、忠、信、孝、悌」的靈珠。唯有集結八人之力，才能迎來最終的光明與黑暗決戰。

系統方面，受到 勇者鬥惡龍 與 女神轉生 等早期 RPG 的影響，但加入鮮明的「八犬士收集」機制，使隊伍成長與劇情推進緊密結合。玩家初期僅獨自冒險，隨著劇情推展逐步招募夥伴，每位犬士的加入條件都不同，有的需戰勝對方，有的則需完成特定事件，使探索過程充滿變化與驚喜。

靈珠系統是本作的核心戰鬥機制之一，不同靈珠對應不同能力，例如攻擊、治癒或支援，玩家需依戰況靈活運用。戰鬥採用第一人稱視角，敵人設計充滿日本妖怪風格，如天狗或女郎蜘蛛等，使整體氛圍既詭異又富傳奇感。隨著遊戲進展，戰鬥不僅考驗輸出能力，也更重視防禦與技能施放時機。

在視覺表現上，在紅白機有限性能下仍展現出不錯的完成度。城鎮、村落與魔域場景層次分明，營造出明顯的世界氛圍。角色對話時的頭像則延續東映動畫風格，呈現出較為細緻的角色神韻，使劇情演出更具感染力。

音樂部分融合日本傳統音階與電子音色，營造出介於古典與緊張之間的獨特氣氛，在探索與戰鬥時皆能有效強化代入感。

整體而言，《新・里見八犬傳》是一款風格穩健的改編 RPG，它將原作龐大的敘事濃縮為以「尋找夥伴」為核心的冒險旅程。雖然在難度與迷宮設計上偏向傳統紅白機時代的硬派風格，但也正因如此，使玩家能深刻體驗到早期 RPG 的探索與成長樂趣。對於喜愛和風奇幻與經典日式 RPG 的玩家而言，這是一部具有時代代表性的作品。

Released by 東映動畫 in 1989 for the Famicom/NES, Shin Satomi Hakkenden: Hikari to Yami no Tatakai is a role-playing game adaptation of 曲亭馬琴’s classic novel 南總里見八犬傳.

The game emerged during the late 1980s RPG boom and stands out for its strong traditional Japanese fantasy atmosphere and its central “Eight Dog Warriors” gathering structure.

The story takes place in a war-torn Japan filled with demonic forces. An evil power seeks to dominate the world through dark magic, pushing the Satomi clan into crisis. The player controls the protagonist 犬江親兵衛, whose mission is to locate the scattered warriors, each carrying one of the sacred beads representing “Benevolence, Justice, Courtesy, Wisdom, Loyalty, Faith, Filial Piety, and Brotherhood.” Only by uniting all eight warriors can the final battle between light and darkness be resolved.

In terms of gameplay, the title draws inspiration from early RPG classics such as 勇者鬥惡龍 and 女神轉生, but introduces a distinct recruitment-driven structure. The player begins alone and gradually recruits companions across the world, with each warrior requiring different conditions to join—such as defeating them in combat or completing specific story events. This makes exploration and progression feel dynamic and rewarding.

A key feature is the bead-based ability system. Each sacred bead grants different powers such as healing, offense, or support skills. Players must strategically use these abilities depending on enemy types and battle conditions. Combat is presented from a first-person perspective, featuring grotesque traditional Japanese yokai such as tengu and spider demons, reinforcing the game’s eerie mythological tone. As the game progresses, battles become increasingly tactical, emphasizing defense timing and skill usage.

Visually, the game performs impressively within the limits of the Famicom hardware. Towns, villages, and corrupted realms are clearly differentiated, creating a strong sense of world-building. Character portraits reflect 東映動畫’s distinctive art style, giving dialogue scenes a more expressive and cinematic feel than many contemporaries.

The soundtrack blends traditional Japanese musical elements with early electronic composition, producing a mood that shifts between classical melancholy and battle tension, enhancing both exploration and combat sequences.

Overall, Shin Satomi Hakkenden is a solid and atmospheric RPG adaptation that condenses a large literary epic into a focused journey of companionship and destiny. While it retains the demanding design philosophy of early Famicom-era games—such as high encounter rates and complex dungeon navigation—it also delivers a unique historical fantasy experience. For fans of classic Japanese RPGs and traditional mythology, it remains a notable and culturally rich title.