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Based on the Dark Horse comic-book character created by Stan Sakai, Beam Software set out to create one of the most ambitious games yet devised for the C64.

Players would take control of Miyamoto Usagi, embarking on a journey that would see the rabbit ronin traversing the countryside and prefectures of feudal Japan in search of Lord Noriyuki's kidnappers.

With an ambitious script by Paul Kidd, the original design for the game would include multiple branching paths through the story, a diverse cast of characters to interact with, not to mention a combat system featuring multiple attack moves and stances.

This would all be underpinned by the 'Karma' system, a gameplay mechanic that would award points to the player for performing 'good' actions, whilst subtracting points for engaging in dishonourable behaviour. Players who forget to respect their betters, or those who get a little too overzealous with their swords will find themselves completely without honour, and Usagi is forced to commit ritual seppuku in particularly grisly fashion. Sadly, the limited hardware resources of the C64 and cassettebased storage meant that much of the game's content - and script - would end up on the cutting room floor.

Although we can only wonder at what the original design might have looked like, the end result is still one of the most engrossing action-adventure games seen on the C64, offering players a sense of exploration and discovery in a world that, even today, still feels remarkably alive.