Sword and Fairy (video game)

Sword and Fairy
Developer	Crazy Boys Production Group
Publisher	Softstar Entertainment
Platforms	DOS, iOS, Sega Saturn, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows
Released	Sword and Fairy DOS Taiwan: July 1995 DOS China: 1996 Windows 95 China, Taiwan: August 1997 Windows 98 China, Taiwan: October 1997 Sega Saturn Japan: March 1999 iOS worldwide: January 24, 2013 Windows WW (Steam): April 15, 2021 New Sword and Fairy Windows 98 Taiwan: July 21, 2001 Windows 98 China: 2001 Windows XP China, Taiwan: February 4, 2005 iOS worldwide: June 17, 2015 Windows (Steam) WW: October 12, 2017 The Legend of Sword and Fairy Mobile (J2ME) Taiwan (trial version): November 2003 Taiwan (full version): December 2003 Taiwan (higher resolution phones): 2008
Added to Museum	DOS and Windows 95: November 28, 2024 Windows XP: December 4, 2024 Mobile, J2ME (240x320): December 9, 2024

Sword and Fairy (仙劍, Xiān Jiàn), also known as The Legend of Sword and Fairy (仙劍奇俠傳, Xiān Jiàn Qí Xià Zhuàn), Chinese Paladin, or simply PAL due to its default directory name, is a Taiwanese role-playing video game developed by the Crazy Boys Production Group (狂徒製作群) within Softstar Entertainment. It is the first game in the Sword and Fairy series.

Development

The Taiwanese software development company, Softstar Entertainment, formed the Crazy Boys Production Group in 1993. Under the direction of video game designer Yao Zhuangxian, the group was tasked with developing another fantasy role-playing video game after the success of the Xuan-Yuan Sword series.

Releases

The Legend of Sword and Fairy

The Legend of Sword and Fairy was released for DOS in Taiwan in July 1995 and in China in 1996. A Windows 95 version was released in China and Taiwan in August 1997. A Windows 98 version, titled The Legend of Sword and Fairy 98 Beloved Edition (仙劍奇俠傳98柔情版, Xiān Jiàn Qí Xià Zhuàn 98 Róu Qíng Bǎn), was released in China and Taiwan in October 1997. A Sega Saturn port was released in March 1999 in Japan.

It was released worldwide as Sword and Fairy, first on iOS on January 24, 2013 then on Windows through Steam on April 15, 2021, although the in-game text was still only officially available in Chinese.

New Legend of Sword and Fairy

A remake, titled New Legend of Sword and Fairy (新仙剑奇侠传, Xīn Xiān Jiàn Qí Xià Zhuàn), was released in Taiwan and China in 2001 for Windows 98. It used the engine of Sword and Fairy 3. A commemorative edition for Windows XP, New Legend of Sword and Fairy XP (新仙剑奇侠传XP, Xīn Xiān Jiàn Qí Xià Zhuàn XP), was released in Taiwan and China during the tenth anniversary of the original release in 2005.

It received a worldwide release on iOS on June 17, 2015 and on Windows via Steam as Chinese Paladin: Sword and Fairy on October 12, 2017. As with the original, the in-game text was still only officially available in Chinese.

The Legend of Sword and Fairy Mobile

In 2003, Square Enix and Softstar Entertainment partnered to form Netstar Square Enix Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd..

It was created to develop video games for the nascent mobile phone market in China and Taiwan.

The Legend of Sword and Fairy Mobile (仙劍奇俠傳Mobile, Xiān Jiàn Qí Xià Zhuàn Mobile) was developed by Netstar Square Enix Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

It was published by Softstar Entertainment.

The Legend of Sword and Fairy Mobile versions

The Legend of Sword and Fairy Mobile was a J2ME application released in Taiwan for the Java Happy City service by Chunghwa Telecom as a trial application in November 2003 with the full version released in December. It was re-released in Taiwan in 2008 with support for higher resolution phones.

Nokia also released a special edition of its 6610 mobile phone based on The Legend of Sword and Fairy. It came with a carrying case featuring Princess Long Kui, a virtual item for The Legend of Sword and Fairy Mobile, a Sword and Fairy Inn tableware set, a Sword and Fairy-themed Nokia gift card for three free downloads, a Sword and Fairy theme ringtone, and three phone wallpapers.

Sales

When The Legend of Sword and Fairy was released in 1995 for DOS in Taiwan, it became a hit for the company, selling one-hundred thousand copies. A month after its release in mainland China in 1996, sales reached two-hundred-fifty thousand copies. Its 1997 Windows 95 and Windows 98 versions were released in China and Taiwan, and continued to sell well.

A 1999 Sega Saturn port was released in Japan, but it failed to match the sales figures of the China and Taiwan releases.

Across its available platforms, it sold a lifetime total of two million copies. However, as many as twenty million copies may have been circulated due to rampant piracy.

English fan translations

An incomplete unofficial translation patch that translated New Legend of Sword and Fairy into English was released by the fan translation group L.S.F. English Project on August 16, 2014.

An unofficial translation patch that translated the Sword and Fairy into English was released by the fan translation group PalFans on August 31, 2019.