Play Akira Online

Versions

Localizations

Game Info

Cover art of Akira

3.9 / 5

6 votes

Platform
NES
Genres
Adventure
Developers
TOSE Co., Ltd.
Publishers
Taito Corporation
Release date
December 24, 1988

Summary

Akira for the Famicom is a menu‑driven adventure that lets you move the story forward by picking actions from a list. Each location is shown as a static illustration, often a direct redraw of a scene from the 1988 anime. The game never uses scrolling or side‑scroll action; everything is presented like a visual novel.

Because the original was released only in Japan, English‑speaking players had to wait until a fan‑made translation appeared in 2012 to explore it without a dictionary. Progress can be saved with password codes, a common trick before battery‑backed saves became standard. Even at launch, Famicom Tsūshin gave it a meager 17 out of 40, reflecting its clunky interface and limited interactivity.

Storyline

In Akira on NES you take the role of Kaneda, the leader of a motorcycle gang. The adventure begins when the gang is taken into police custody after the military abducts their friend Tetsuo. This inciting incident thrusts Kaneda into a citywide conflict.

The game is set in the 21st century, thirty years after a devastating global nuclear war. Neo‑Tokyo teeters on the brink of total annihilation, populated by rival motorcycle gangs and petty politicians. Amid the chaos, a powerful psychic force known only as "Akira" suddenly resurfaces, driving the story forward.

Edited by Maya Carter

Game Screenshots

  • Screenshot 1 of Akira

Multiplayer

Game modes
Single