The Black Onyx

The Black Onyx is a Japanese RPG created by Bullet-Proof Software originally in 1984 for the NEC-PC 8801. It was the first role-playing game developed in Japan, taking inspiration from big western hits such as Wizardry and Ultima.

In the game you can create a party of up to five members and explore dungeons in a pseudo-3d view, killing monsters with turn-based mechanics.

The game was designed and programmed by Henk Rogers, a Dutchman that moved to Japan, with no prior experience in video games development but a passion for Dungeons & Dragons.

Black Onyx was a huge success, and it became the best-selling computer game in 1984 across Japan.

The Famicon/NES version was released in 1988, featuring redesigned graphics and improved gameplay. It was also renamed Super Black Onyx. Before this game, the role-playing genre was almost unknown in Japan, but the success of Black Onyx inspired the creation of many series of Japanese RPG, like Final Fantasy or Phantasy Star, establishing a new genre.