Amakusa Shirō, leader of the Shimabara Rebellion, was put to death by the Tokugawa Shogunate. However, in his final moments, he renounced his god, and has been resurrected as a demon, bent on destroying the Tokugawa Shogunate and all who support it. To this end, he has brought back several warlords and swordsmen of his time, serving his every whim. Yagyū Jūbei, a gifted young swordsman, scarcely escapes Shirō‘s attempt on his life. Discovering that his sister has been kidnapped, he sets out to put an end to Shirō‘s plans.
Makai Tenshō is an dungeon-crawler RPG based on the 1967 novel of the same title by Fūtarō Yamada. Similar to Chunsoft’s Mysterious Dungeon series, the player controls the hero Yagyū Jūbei through randomly-generated floors, which are filled with enemies, items, and traps, searching for the exit and attempting to survive. Movement and actions are turn-based, with all enemies taking a turn at the same time as the player. Weapons will degrade with use, though new ones of varying types can be found within the dungeons. After clearing a certain number of floors, the player reaches a village, where they may rest and save.