The hit Japanese on demand comedy series The Benza and its spin off series Benza English’s comedic adventures continue in the retro gaming experience The Benza RPG with its final expansion!
After two years of updates and patching, the retro-like JRPG The Benza RPG is complete, and the final update has been released for the iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows and macOS via Steam. Porting for Nintendo Switch has begun and is anticipated to be completed and in Q2 of 2023 with additional QOL improvements and optimization for the Switch.
In this comedic retro-like JPRG, the player is in control of The Benza’s main characters Chris and Kyle as they try to free Higashi Nakano, a small suburb in Tokyo, from the evil Japanese Teacher Inko Sensei’s nefarious shadow magic. Will they be able to save everyone from her retro RPG curse? Unlike the show, what happens on this meta-adventure is completely in your hands!
Offering a laugh filled 20-25 hours of playtime, The Benza RPG is retro-like JRPG in the spirit of the Mother/Earthbound series that features nostalgic graphics mixed with modern effects, voice acting from the cast in battles, a diverse soundtrack ranging from chip tunes to hip hop, and a truly bonkers story unlike any ever seen in an RPG before!
The Benza RPG Features
-300 pages of original dialog and story by series creator Christopher McCombs and Japanese translation by series Lead Translator Masahito Kawahata.
-More than 20 playable characters from the television series The Benza and Benza English!
-Over 400 original lines of dialog recorded by the main cast of the show specifically for The Benza RPG!
-Two exclusive live action videos made by series directors Raito Nishizaka and Michael Williams (Limited to PC and macOS)!
-35 original songs from artists Takahiro Nomiya(The Benza Theme Song, Step Forward Again), Marcus L Spade Johnson, Mitsugi, Mandy B. Blue, Yonamine Akinori, and more!
-Combat features an on screen turn counter so you will always know who is going to attack when. This system is friendly to non-gamers to pick up and deep enough to appeal to veteran players alike.
-Swap characters in combat on the fly and customize your team to suit any situation
About The Benza and Benza English
The Benza is a thirteen episode just-for-laugh romp through modern Tokyo as two foreigners, Chris and Kyle, attempt to repair their broken toilet seat and wind up in the middle of an adventure to save the world from the vile villainess Inko Sensei and an ancient interdimensional war.
Producer and writer Christopher McCombs wanted to create a comedy about life in Tokyo that foreigners and Japanese could laugh at together and not feel like one or the other was being laughed at. The third and final series is currently in preproduction.
Spin-off series Benza English (currently streaming in over 70 countries via Amazon Prime Video) is a more focused look about Japanese entertainment and how Japanese and foreigners alike are portrayed in it.
Though the English taught in “Benza English” is correct, it certainly cannot be found in any textbook that we know of and makes sure its lessons are taught with laughter.
Both The Benza and Benza English are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video(130 countries), Plex (Worldwide), and Tubi (North America) as well as Gyao!, DMM, and Video Market in Japan.
The Benza, Benza English and The Benza RPG have been featured at MCM London and MCM Birmingham Comic Con and will be featured on the main stage of Tokyo Comic Con 2022 in November.
Comments from the Cast/Staff
Christopher McCombs (Producer, Writer, Actor “Chris”): It’s taken us two years to finally reach the end of this journey with The Benza RPG and I believe the journey was well worth it. Though our team started off small, slowly we gained more and more help until we finally finished with a team of more than forty people! Considering this was my first experience in the world of indie video games, it was a very satisfying one. I hope you will give our comedy RPG a try and stick with us as we begin work on porting to Nintendo Switch!
Guilherme Martins (Lead Developer): Being a part of The Benza RPG and The Benza has been one of the most enjoyable things I have done. That is not to say it hasn’t been hard work, but when you are asked to change something to make it silly, for example, you find yourself programming the animation of a glittering purple stomping heel attacking a monster. You cannot help but fall in love with the people on this team as well the brand itself. I hope in this profoundly serious time we all find out selves in that if we can laugh and smile just a little. Then all this hard work was all worth it.
Masahito Kawahata (Actor, Lead Translator): When The Benza started as a short film back in 2018, I never expected that I was also going to be in charge of translating for the on demand series and an RPG! There’s a lot more text than spoken dialog in the game, so it was a fun challenge to make sure that the players can enjoy The Benza universe in a different way. Thank you to those who have been supporting us and playing the game.
Alexander Hunter (Actor, Play Tester): I've always wanted to be a character in a game, comic, anime, or something like that. This is a dream come true for me. Not only do I have my own character, but he's a powerhouse and literally a beast! What more can I ask for? This game harkens back to the retro RPGs of old that many of us grew up playing, so being a part of something that is deeply connected to my growth from childhood to adulthood is a very special feeling. It truly is a privilege to be a part of the playtesting team.
The Benza RPG Overview
Title: The Benza RPG
Genre: JRPG
English Release Date: iOS 10/15/2022 (iOS 13.5 or later)
PC/Mac Via Steam 10/15/2022
Android 10/15/2022
Japanese Release Date 10/15/2022
Price: Free-to-play
Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/YDgJydzoQvM
Official Twitter Account https://twitter.com/Tokyo_Cowboys
Official Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/TokyoCowboys
Official Website https://en.tokyo-cowboys.com/thebenzarpg
Copyright (C) 2022 Tokyo Cowboys
iOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1525113197
Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/1449370/The_Benza_RPG/
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=id.thebenza.rpg