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Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth
Sin and Punishment NTSC NorthAmerican
American box art is Canon
Vital statistics
Name {{{name}}}
Developer Nintendo R&D1
Nintendo NST
Treasure
Publisher Nintendo
Director Hideyuki Suganami
Producer Masato Maegawa
Takehiro Izushi
Artist Yasushi Suzuki
Composer Toshiya Yamanaka
Platforms Nintendo 64
iQue Player
Virtual Console
Nintendo Switch Online
Released Nintendo 64
Japan=November 21, 2000
iQue Player
China=2004
Virtual Console
Japan=September 20, 2007
Europe=September 28, 2007
North America=October 1, 2007
Nintendo Switch Online
World=October 2021

Sin and Punishment: Hoshi no Keishosha (translated as Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth) more commonly referred to as just Sin and Punishment is a rail shooter developed by Treasure, Nintendo Software Technology and published by Nintendo. The game was released in 2000 on the Nintendo 64 in Japan, in 2004 on the iQue Player in China, and in 2007 on the Wii's Virtual Console worldwide. It was also released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2015. The game was unique in that it had English voice acting with Japanese subtitles for its initial release in Japan. Despite this fact, it was not released outside of Japan until 7 years after its debut. Because of the games success and popularity on the Virtual Console and Sin and Punishment is among the first Nintendo 64 games released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in October 2021, Nintendo started to work on its sequel.

Gameplay[]

Sin and Punishment is a 3D rail shooter. Characters will automatically move through most levels while the player must destroy enemies while keeping the character safe. The player can switch between to firing types, manual, indicated by a red targeting reticle, and lock-on, indicated by a blue targeting reticle. Manual fires stronger shots while lock-on fires weaker shots that will continually hit one opponent allowing the player to focus more on dodging while still dealing damage. If an enemy or object is near the character a melee attack using a beam sword can be performed dealing major damage. It can also be used to reflect certain types of projectiles such as missiles.

Aside from attacking opponents players can move the character left and right, jump and double jump and avoid enemies by rolling. Throughout the game there is a timer at the top of the screen counting down. When the timer reaches zero the player starts to lose health until the timer is reset or the player dies. Players have a certain amount of credits needed to continue after dying. Credits are obtained by defeating 100 enemies and are lost for every time the player continues after dying. If the player dies while having no credits they must restart the game from the beginning. A score also keeps track of how well the player is doing.

There are nine stages and a prologue over three modes of difficulty, easy, normal and hard. Once a stage has been completed on a certain difficulty for the first time it can be replayed on that difficulty on the main menu in order to get a high score in that particular stage. There is also a training stage accessible from the main menu that teaches players the controls of the game.

Plot[]

In 2007, mankind's prosperity has lead to overpopulation and food shortages on planet Earth. In an attempt to solve the food shortage problem, world nations authorized the development of a new species of animal to be lab created for consumption. It was decided that the breeding ground for the new species would be set in Northern Japan, The forerunners of technology at the time. Although initially a success at first, one day catastrophe struck as a mutation in the lab specimens had been begun to take effect. This mutation resulted in infecting the host animal and producing savage abominations related to their biological make up. These rogue specimens dubbed "Ruffians" escaped from the research facility resulting in the infection of nearly 90% of Japan's animal species and the destruction of many small cities within Japan. This crisis followed a global sanction of the quarantine of Japan and the creation of the Armed Volunteers a police force specializing in the defense against the Ruffians and the protection of Japan. However the Armed Volunteers also oppressed the Japanese people while doing this. This led to the formation of the Savior Group lead by the mysterious woman Aichi along with Saki Amamiya and Airan Jo, the protagonists of the game.

At the outset of the game, while planning to steal a transport vehicle, the entire Savior Group is wiped out save for Aichi, Saki, and Airan. The three remaining members decide to go through with the plans and steal the transport. They planned on using a Ruffian attack on Tokyo as a distraction. The Ruffians lead by a creature known as Radon attack Tokyo in order to kill an Armed Volunteer member called Kachua who is intent on capturing Radon. In the confusion, the Savior Group battle through hordes of Armed Volunteers and Ruffians to reach the transport. Aichi and Airan get in the transport but Saki stays behind to fight the Ruffian leader Radon. Saki kills Radon by knocking it off a building, this entices Kachua to attack Saki using strange powers. Saki attacks Kachua with his beam sword but an earthquake occurs knocking them both into a rising tide of blood that is filling up Tokyo. Both Saki and Kachua are transformed into giant Ruffians who then proceed to fight each other until Kachua is killed. The victorious Saki then attacks the transport that Aichi and Airan are in causing Aichi to Teleport the two of them to safety.

On a ship the Pacific Ocean, Brad, the leader of the Armed Volunteers mourns the death of Kachua and Radon, the women he gave his blood to. He resolves to have the Armed Volunteers remain in Japan to combat Saki. His pet, a small Ruffian called Leeda, warns him not to become too focused on revenge. Inside the ship, Aici reveals it was the safest place to teleport them too. She assures Airan that they can return Saki to his human form. They overhear Brads announcement to the crew detailing the attack on Saki. This prompts Airan to head towards the bridge to confront Brad. Within the ship are many Ruffians that attack Airan, including Brad's pet Leeda. Airan makes it to the bridge where she kills Leeda and battles Brad. She knocks Brad out of the ships bridge but he returns on top of a fighter plane. Aichi reveals that she knows Brad and that he has been creating Ruffians by passing on the blood she gave him. Aichi then levitates a platform into the air while Airan proceeds to take on the the entire Armed Volunteer's fleet. With Aichi's help Airan manages to defeat Brad and stop the attack on Saki. Aichi and Airan approach Saki who does not attack them. Aichi tells Airan that in order to return Saki to his human form he must regain his humanity by having Airan enter his chest and find his heart by revealing to him all her thoughts, memories, hopes and dreams. Aichi instructs Airan to shoot Saki in the head in order to knock him out but Airan refuses. Aichi then places Airan in a dream like state where she imagines she is on a subway in Long Island New York, ten years in the future. There she meets her son Isa Amamiya and witnesses Saki in his Ruffian form attacking the city. Inside the train after battling swarms of Ruffians she encounters Saki's human form surrounded by Ruffians. Saki criticizes Airan's choice of having a child as he believes the future is no place for children. Airan says their son will live in a different future. She then proceeds to shoot Saki before waking up in the present day and realizing she just shot the real Saki too. Appalled at Aichi using a child to deceive her, Airan questions Aichi's motives. She reveals her real enemies are very far away. Enemies who have been fighting for a very long time. She caused the global conflict as training for Saki so that he may become her ultimate warrior. She then forces Airan into Saki's chest and wakes him up. However Saki teleports away, leaving Aichi alone in the Pacific Ocean.

Airan wakes up on a beach surrounded by Ruffians. She is saved by Saki who is now human again however his body still shows features of Ruffians on it. They battle through the Ruffians and find a house to take shelter in. They determine they are in Hokkaido—a Ruffian controlled city. Saki wonders if Aichi will follow them as there is a lot he wants to ask her about his transformation. Airan tries to convince him to forget about Aichi and escape to America instead to have a normal doctor look after him. They then hear a Ruffian nearby and Saki leaves to check it out. While he is gone Aichi sneaks up on Airan and kidnaps her. Saki returns and chases Aichi through a Ruffian infested forest. He confronts Aichi who seems to be commanding the Ruffians now. She scolds him for refusing to reveal himself fully to Airan but Saki tells Aichi that their hearts have grown closer despite everything, however there are still feelings and doubts they can't express to each other fully. Saki criticizes Aichi for deceiving them and manipulating humanity for her own goals. He then proceeds to attack Aichi knocking her off a cliff. Saki wakes Airan and asks her to hold onto his heart. Together they transform into Saki's Ruffian form while Aichi transforms into the Earth Mimicry in an attempt to replace the Earth with her own version. Saki and Airan defeat Aichi and save the Earth. Back on the ground in human form, Aichi and Saki debate what they should do next. They decide that they will continue to fight the Ruffians. They transform again in order to walk across Japan. Airan shares her worries about the future Aichi showed her. Saki tells her as long as they terrorize humanity they will always be his enemy. Thinking about the future Airan reveals to Saki that in five years time they will have a son. Deep in space Aichi contemplates the events that transpired during the game. She believes Saki has grown into a mighty warrior even if it was not the way she intended things to happen. She also sets her sights on Isa, the one who will inherit Saki's blood. She believes the time for her enemies to call themselves Gods is at an end.

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