Cadash
Cadash — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Cadash on?
- Cadash was released on Arcade, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine.
- When did Cadash release?
- Cadash was first released on March 1, 1990.
About Cadash
Cadash is an early example of what would become a fairly common trend in Japanese-made arcade games of the early 1990s: the "platform-RPG". Cadash borrows many principles of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link's gameplay, combining side-scrolling platform action with an RPG system of statistics, levels, money and magic. Four characters can play at once in the arcade version, and up to two players may select from four different characters in the console versions: fighter, mage, priestess, and ninja, each with different attacks, statistics and skills. Players then proceed through each level, killing monsters and bosses, collecting keys to unlock doors and collecting gold and experience. Gold is also taken from slain foes and treasure chests. Villages sell items, weapons, armor and (in the console versions) extra lives, with each village encountered providing better equipment. Some villagers and benevolent creatures will also provide information. The arcade version has a limited game time, which can be extended by buying progressively more expensive hourglasses at shops, or by picking up rare bonuses. In shops, and in hidden places, are medicinal herbs which restore 10 HP if brought to zero, and antidotes which cure poison inflicted by specific foes. There are also two elixirs in the game that act like medicinal herbs, except that they restore all HP. There are five stages in the game. Stages one, two and four consist of two worlds, above and below ground. Stage three consists of three worlds. Stage five is set entirely within Castle Cadash. The environments differ significantly, from pleasant meadows to caves, and from forests to underwater environments. Some foes encountered in these levels are derived from common mythology while others are completely made up for the game.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine
- Developer
- Taito
- Publisher
- Taito
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action, Fantasy
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1992 | $42 | $132 | — | Low |
Also released on: Arcade · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a month
- Complete: about 2 times a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $7.94 in Oct 2007, $40 five years ago, and $42 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $9.99 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $5.13 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $5.13 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $2.79 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $10.99 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $14.99 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $23 | $40 |
| Jan 2015 | $19.99 | $84 |
| Jan 2016 | $25 | $100 |
| Jan 2017 | $41 | $97 |
| Jan 2018 | $33 | $100 |
| Jan 2019 | $32 | $87 |
| Jan 2020 | $40 | $87 |
| Jan 2021 | $38 | $83 |
| Jan 2022 | $45 | $153 |
| Jan 2023 | $72 | $155 |
| Jan 2024 | $54 | $152 |
| Jan 2025 | $42 | $125 |
| Jan 2026 | $55 | $113 |
| Oct 2026 | $42 | $132 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| North America | June 1992 | 020588010543 |
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1992
- Authenticity
- Low
A Taito action role-playing port that trims the cast, and a pricey US cart for what you get.
Cadash is the Genesis version of Taito's 1990 arcade action role-playing platformer. Cyclone System made the Genesis port, and it reached North America in June 1992. Of the arcade's four playable classes, the Genesis cartridge keeps only the fighter and the mage; the priestess and the ninja are missing.
What the press said at the time
“Quite good fun, but simply too short. A lot like Andy Dyer.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
Like the TurboGrafx-16 port, the Genesis version is limited to two players choosing from four characters, where the arcade game allowed four at once.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · TurboGrafx-16
| Arcade | Taito |
- TurboGrafx-16. The TurboGrafx-16 version was held to two players because the hardware lacked the screen space and sprites for four players, their weapons and the bosses without flicker.
- TurboGrafx-16. The final villain is named Balrog in the TurboGrafx-16 version; the arcade version spells it Baarogue or Baalogue.
Before you buy
Among US carts this is one of the pricier ones, well above the middle, and a complete copy costs a good deal more than a loose cart. It came out only in North America. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Cadash screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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