Developer(s): Atlus
Publisher(s): Atlus (JP), Midas Interactive Entertainment (EU)
Genre: Action, Adventure
Wikipedia: Link
Game description: Maken is a man-made life form created to delve into the human soul and cure mental disease. Take control of this creature in an adventure that takes you across the globe in a battle against a terrorist organization led by a Chinese god. A 3D action adventure - Maken Shao lets you possess the bodies of key game characters, unlocking their memories and special attacks as you struggle to uncover who is behind a sinister conspiracy to change the fate of humankind forever.

Maken Shao

Game general and emulation properties:
PEGI rating: 3+
Widescreen patch available
Languages supported:
English: SLES-51058
Japanese: SLPS-25042 & SLPS-25043 & SLPM-65144 & SLPM-61007
Region PAL:
Serial numbers: SLES-51058
Release date: July 26, 2003
March 13, 2013 (PS2 Classics)
Windows Status: Playable
Linux Status: ?
Mac Status: ?
Region NTSC-J/C/K:
Serial numbers: SLPS-25043
SLPS-25042 (Limited Edition)
SLPM-65144 (Atlus Best Collection)
SLPM-61007 (Trial)
Release date: June 7, 2001
June 13, 2002 (Atlus Best Collection)
Windows Status: ?
Linux Status: ?
Mac Status: ?


Test configurations on Windows:


Environment Configurations Comments Tester
Region OS CPU/GPU Revision Graphics Sound/Pad
PAL Windows
  • Intel Core i3-3220
  • Nvidia Geforce GT 640
1.0.0 GSdx-Cuite 5036m SPU2-X Disabled MVU Flag Hack and set VU Cycle Stealing to 1 just in case and set interlace to bob tff to prevent the screen from shaking. Slowdown is much less of an issue except when fighting certain enemies with special attack animations, or in the PSI world talking with Kei. I didn't have issues with strange sprite shadows, but that is because most of the game effects are not emulated like some black screens, some weapon effects, and the lock-on function being invisible which means you can't view enemy health as examples. Software mode looks ugly due to bad colors and terrible interlacing. Besides the imperfections, it's more playable than newer versions of the emulator when it comes to speed, but I don't recommend this build unless you really want to play it bad enough on a weak CPU like mines. Yugix
PAL Windows
  • Intel Core i3-3220
  • Nvidia Geforce GT 640
1.3.1-20151121183459 GSdx SPU2-X Alright, I re-tested the game it I forgot to disable MVU Flag Hack which caused the flickering, but now shadows are no longer emulated properly, instead, you get a white/blackish ball under all the character sprites in the game. All graphical problems can be solved with software mode. Game needs a high end PC to run I assume since my CPU does not work well with it, but I can't say for sure. Some of the slowdown can be fixed with VU Cycle Stealing at 1, but overall still has not enough, and fighting enemies who have blur effects around them causes bad slowdown to a crawl. Yugix
PAL Windows
  • Intel Core i3-4370
  • Nvidia Geforce GT 750 Ti
1.5.0 (git) Apr 14 2016 GSdx SPU2-X Needs a powerful CPU. The game is fully playable in hardware mode except the strange shadow balls under the characters which due to broken shadows that still exist. Software mode eliminates the problem with shadows though. There is hardware slowdown in some places, but I did come across some emulation slowdown on some levels or when fighting bosses. Switching to software mode fixed the problem with one of them though, but that was in two locations. Remember to keep mVU flag hack off to prevent flickering. Yugix
PAL Windows
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
1.7.0 (Nightly 1.7.2181) GSdx SPU2-X Set Render to OpenGL and Blending Accuracy to Minimum to avoid inverted graphics. Also, uncheck present hacks and disable mVU Flag Hack to avoid flickering which is located in General Settings. The game still has an issue with character shadows, but is playable if it doesn't bother you if you want to avoid switching to software mode to clear everything up. Yugix


Trivia

  • Original names: 魔剣爻 (SLPS-25043) & (SLPS-25042) & (SLPM-65144)
  • Also known as Maken Shao: Demon Sword (EU), 魔剣 シャオ (JP)