Prepare to wear out that mouse as we click through another NEC PC9801 adventure game.

Maybe adventure is the wrong term... I think interactive drama might be more fitting. You play the central role of Tenchi, making his decisions for him when prompted. The results of your suggestions are played out via character portraits and scrolling text laid out over a still image.

Trust me when I say that there is a lot of text in this game. The game is basically a story whoes narrative you steer through your decisions. Tenchi interacts with all the main characters of the series and there are a vast number of different story paths and endings depending on what you choose. A new character is also introduced in this game. Her name is Hakua and she is a fellow Space Police officer along side Mihoshi and the abscent Kiyone.

The stills are well drawn and there is even a nice reinterpreted version of the OAV's opening credit sequences although it is a little abridged and the animation is limited to simple desolves due to it being streamed from a 5.25" floppy disc!

The music is good, far better than most PC98 titles. The tunes are in keeping with the tone of the show and change along with the onscreen action. They are also a decent length so you won't be hear the same section looping over and over.

Ok, now for the serious bit. This game is based entirely on Japanese text but this isn't as much of a problem as it would be in other games due to the story's 'rolling' nature- there are no puzzles to overcome or situations that are gonna require direct input other than a simple mulitple choice. In short: there are no wrong answers so you can just keep clicking away and see what happens.

Access speed effects the smoothness of the flow from time to time and it may well be a little dull for those looking for an action packed story but Tenchi Muyo Ryooki is worth a look for fans.

Note: Later remade on CD for both the PC Engine and PC-FX consoles.