Shining and the Darkness

This article contains spoilers for Doom Blade!

Japanese box cover for Shining and the Darkness. Illustration by Yoshitaka Tamaki (玉木美孝).

Shining and the Darkness (シャイニング＆ザ・ダクネス, Shainingu ando za Dakunesu), released as Shining in the Darkness outside Japan, is a first-person dungeon-crawling role-playing game developed by Climax Entertainment and published by Sega for the Mega Drive in March 1991 in Japan. An English localization was released in North America and Europe between August and October 1991.

Shining and the Darkness centers on the son of a knight and his two friends Bilbo and Merlin as they search the nearby temple for signs of his father, Mortred, and the missing Princess Claire. The main protagonist is named by the player, but the name Max (マックス, Makkusu) is used in a Mega Drive FAN article and game guide published by Tokuma Shoten and is found in the Japanese ROM as the name's default string. The game's principal antagonist is the wizard Mephisto, who works to harness the destructive powers of Darkness.

Connection to Shining Force

A prequel comic titled Doom Blade: Shining and the Darkness Gaiden set ten years before the events of the game and connecting the stories of Shining Force and Shining and the Darkness was written and illustrated by Shining series artist Yoshitaka Tamaki and serialized between 1992 and 1993. The comic depicts how the characters Hush and Khamsin (Lupo and Gila in the English release of the game) came to reside in Stormsang and establishes a link between the Max of Shining Force and the protagonist of Shining and the Darkness. The comic suggests that the protagonist and his companions Merlin and Bilbo are reincarnated from the souls of members of the original Shining Force.

Doom Blade also shows how the Dark Sol of Shining Force positioned himself to conquer the Storm Continent, confirming the character to be the same individual as the Mephisto of Shining and the Darkness.

Title

Prototype graphic for Shining and the Darkness.

The name Shining and the Darkness refers to the opposition of the forces of Light as embodied by the Shining Knights, or Warriors of Light (光の戦士, Hikari no Senshi), to the power of Darkness wielded by Mephisto. This duality of Light and Dark is reflected in the stark contrast of black and white elements in the game's packaging and associated materials. The game's title is abbreviated to ShiDark (シャイダク, Shai Daku) in Japanese usage.

For the game's international release, the title was changed to Shining in the Darkness, changing its sense to represent the more basic concept of a light source radiating in a dark place. This title is spoofed by a line of text in the English release of Shining the Holy Ark, translated by Camelot programmer P. E. Jareth Hein. There is a bed in the game's first town that when examined will yield a message about something shining in the darkness below.

Story

The story text given in the Japanese manual for Shining and the Darkness. Illustration by Yoshitaka Tamaki.

Japanese Manual Translation

The following is translated from the Japanese text found in the original instruction manual for Shining and the Darkness.

This is Stormsang. There once was a Great Dark Age in this country now blessed with rain and land. In that long time of bitter strife, people learned to cooperate. And now, under the rule of King Storm, the people live in peace.

ここはストームサング。雨と大地の恵み豊かなこの国は、かつて大暗黒時代を経験していました。その長く苦しい抗争の間に、人々は互いに協力することを学び、今ではストーム王もとで平和にくらしています。

On one day out of every year, a festival is held to celebrate peace and abundant harvest. It is a day when grain is offered at the Ancient Temple, and prayers are spoken to God. This year, Princess Claire had gone to offer prayers in King Storm's place, and the kingdom's best knight, Mortred, was assigned her royal escort.

そんなある日、年に一度の、平和と豊作を祝う祭りの日かやってきました。祭りの日には、いにしえの神殿に穀物を祭り、神に祈りをささげます。今年はストーム王の代役として、クレア王女が祈りを捧げることになりました。そして護衛には、王宮ナンバーワンの騎士・モトレードが任命されました。

However, some time had passed, and the princess still hadn't returned from the temple. What could have possibly gone wrong? Worried, King Storm gathered some guards and made for the temple.

しかし、いつまでたっても王女は神殿からもどってこないのです。いったい、何がおきたのでしょう？心配になったストーム王は、部下をともない、神殿に向かいました。

Now, inside the temple . . . What was this? The altar lay destroyed and all the soldiers killed. But the princess and Mortred were nowhere to be seen.

そこには…なんということでしょう！祭壇は荒らされ、兵士たちはことごとくころされていたのです。でも、王女とモトレードの姿は見当たりません。

King Storm, stricken with grief, began to withdraw when he found himself surrounded by people. But in fact, they were monsters of darkness who should have been driven from the country of Storm many years ago. King Storm and his party narrowly escaped back to the castle with their lives. They were convinced this was to become the beginning of a new Great Dark Age.

失望にうちひしがれて引き上げ始めたとき、ストーム王は何者かにとり囲まれていることに、気づきました。それは、もう何年も前にストーム国から追い払ったはずの闇の魔物たちだったのです。命からがら逃げ帰ったストーム王たちは、あの大暗黒時代が再び訪れるもではないかと怯え始めました。

As the land grieved its losses, a single young man approached the king with a request. It was the sixteen-year-old son of Mortred.

国中が悲しみにくれる中、ひとりの少年が王の前に願い出ました。彼はモトレードの息子で16歳になります。

"This happened under the watch of Mortred, my father. On behalf of my father, I wish to discover the the truth of the matter!"

「今回の事件は、父モトレードが同行しながら起きたこと。父にかわって、事件の真相を解明したいのです！」

And so, the youth would depart for a world of adventure.

こうして少年は、冒険の世界へと旅だったのです。

North American Manual

The following English text is found in the North American manual for Shining in the Darkness.

"Please, Father, don't deny me. It's been one year to the day since I last visited the Shrine. I wish to meditate to honor the soul of my mother. You must let me go! I beg you!"

King Drake found it difficult to deny his lovely daughter anything. "Very well– but you will not go alone!"

The King summoned Mortred, his bravest and most loyal knight, to the Throne Room. "Mortred, I'd be grateful if you'd agree to escort Princess Jessa. She wishes to go to the Shrine in the village. I anticipate no danger, but I must be cautious. Will you do me this favor, my most trusted servant?"

"I'll guard the Princess with my life. Fear not, my liege. She is safe in my company."

They walked to the Shrine, and Mortred waited outside while Jessa meditated. She stepped out into the warm light of the afteroon, looked around and said, "Mortred, it's such a lovely day. Why don't we take a walk? I don't want to spend a day as pleasant as this cooped up in that dreary old castle. Please?"

Against his better judgment, Mortred agreed. They headed away from the village, into the wild country beyond.

"For some reason, Father has never told me about this area. I've always longed to know its history. Would you tell me, Mortred?"

"Many legends are told about this wilderness. For as long as anyone can remember, it has served as a training ground for knights. Any knight who passes the many grueling tests here becomes a Shining Knight."

The Princess was delighted. "Tell me more..."

Now, over 24 hours have passed, without a sign of Mortred and Princess Jessa. The King is beside himself with worry. You, as Mortred's son (and a fine knight in your own right) volunteer to find your father and the Princess. King Drake and his aides are at the castle, awaiting your arrival...

Resources

See: Shining Media § Shining and the Darkness

Game Directory

Seeː Shining and Related Games

Shining Games
Mega Drive	Shining and the Darkness・Shining Force・ Shining Force II・Shining Force CD
Game Gear	Shining Force Gaiden・Shining Force Gaiden II・Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict
Saturn	Shining Wisdom・Shining the Holy Ark・Shining Force III Sc. 1・Shining Force III Sc. 2・Shining Force III Sc. 3・Shining Force III PD
Game Boy Advance	Shining Soul・Shining Soul II・Shining Force: Resurrection of the Black Dragon
PlayStation 2	Shining Tears・Shining Force Neo・Shining Force EXA・Shining Wind
Mobile	Shining Road to the Force・Shining Road 2
PlayStation Portable	Shining Hearts・Shining Blade・Shining Ark
Nintendo DS	Shining Force Feather
Arcade	Shining Force Cross・Blade Arcus from Shining
PlayStation 3	Shining Resonance・Blade Arcus from Shining EX
PlayStation 4 / Switch	Shining Resonance Refrain・Blade Arcus from Shining Rebellion
Related Games
PC-88	Fangs: The Saga of Wolf Blood
Mega Drive	Land Stalker: The Emperor's Treasure・Ragnacënty
Super Famicom	FEDA: The Emblem of Justice・Lady Stalker
Saturn	FEDA Remake!・Dark Savior
PlayStation	Alundra・FEDA 2: White Surge the Platoon・Alundra 2
Dreamcast	Climax Landers
Game Boy Advance	Golden Sun: The Broken Seal・Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Nintendo DS	Golden Sun: Jet Black Dawn