Water Margin: A Tale of Clouds and Wind

Shui Hu Feng Yun Zhuan, known as Water Margin: A Tale of Clouds and Wind or Shui Hu Feng Yun Zhuan in Chinese, is a beat 'em up action game for Sega Mega Drive developed by Never Ending Soft Team and published by King Tec. Released in 1996 (with earlier versions around 1990 in Taiwan), it is an unlicensed clone of arcade classics like Streets of Rage and Final Fight, featuring Water Margin characters from the classic novel. Players control various outlaws from the 108 heroes, such as Lu Junyi, Wu Song, and Wu Liang, in side-scrolling beat 'em up stages with combo attacks, special moves, and boss fights. Gameplay includes street combat, weapon pickups, power-ups, and multi-stage campaigns with Chinese historical settings. The story follows the heroes' rebellion against corrupt officials. What makes it stand out is its high-fidelity arcade-style action packed with familiar characters, excellent sound design, and faithful recreation of classic beat 'em up mechanics on the 16-bit platform.