Rastan
Rastan — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Rastan on?
- Rastan was released on Arcade, Apple IIGS, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Sega Game Gear, DOS, MSX2, Amstrad CPC, Sega Master System/Mark III, IBM PC.
- When did Rastan release?
- Rastan was first released on March 1, 1987.
About Rastan
Rastan is a fantasy-themed side-scrolling action game originally released for the arcades in 1987. The controls of Rastan consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping. Using the joystick in combination with either button, the player can determine the height of Rastan's jumps and the direction in which he swings his weapon. The game uses a health gauge system along with limited lives, although certain obstacles will instantly kill Rastan regardless of how much health he has left.
Summary via IGDB.
Rastan on Wikipedia
Rastan Saga, known as Rastan in North America, is a 1987 hack and slash platform video game developed and published by Taito for arcades. It was a critical and commercial success and was ported to home platforms.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Apple IIGS, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Sega Game Gear, DOS, MSX2, Amstrad CPC, Sega Master System/Mark III, IBM PC
- Developer
- Taito
- Publisher
- Imagine Software
- 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 | Period reviews | Built by | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master System | 1989 | $24 | $43 | — | 5 reviews | Taito | Low (look-alike) |
Also released on: Arcade · Apple IIGS · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Sega Game Gear · DOS · MSX2 · Amstrad CPC · Sega Master System/Mark III · IBM PC. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $15 | $46 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $5.99 in Jul 2009, $27 five years ago, and $24 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $4.75 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $4.71 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $5.00 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $9.99 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $12.60 | $16.95 |
| Jan 2015 | $10.74 | $35 |
| Jan 2016 | $14.99 | $20 |
| Jan 2017 | $15.38 | $25 |
| Jan 2018 | $20 | $29 |
| Jan 2019 | $23 | $33 |
| Jan 2020 | $21 | $33 |
| Jan 2021 | $30 | $41 |
| Jan 2022 | $28 | $48 |
| Jan 2023 | $23 | $49 |
| Jan 2024 | $27 | $42 |
| Jan 2025 | $25 | $40 |
| Jan 2026 | $24 | $40 |
| Oct 2026 | $24 | $43 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date |
|---|---|
| North America | April 1989 |
| Europe / PAL | June 1989 |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1989
- Authenticity
- Low
Taito's own Master System conversion of its hack-and-slash arcade game, with redesigned levels, and above average in price for the console.
Rastan was converted for the Master System by Taito itself and published by Sega, reaching North America in April 1989 and Europe in June 1989. The Master System version has redesigned level layouts and replaces some of the boss characters. Console XS reviewed it favorably.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Games Guide | May 1992 | OVERALL 79% |
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | OVERALL 79% |
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 88% |
| Computer Entertainer | 6.5/8 | |
| Console XS | 88% |
“To summarize, Rastan is an average game that will keep most players interested long enough to make it worth the price. … you're a fan of the rescue-the-princess-arcade/adventure-type game, you'll probably enjoy it.”
“The Sega version of Rastan isn't a bad slash em up, and remains quite faithful to the arcade, but unfortunately, the graphics are a bit fuzzy.”
“The Sega version of Rastan isn't a bad slash 'em up, and remains quite faithful to the arcade, but unfor¬ tunately, the graphics are a bit fuzzy. The gameplay is quite challenging though and should keep avid sword stingers quite involved for a long time.”
“but this is one of the best games of its type. Longer lasting fun.”
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Sega Master System version.
How the Sega Master System version differs
Taito's own conversion has redesigned level layouts, and it replaces some of the boss characters as well.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · Amstrad CPC · Apple IIGS · Commodore 64 · Game Gear · IBM PC · MSX2 · ZX Spectrum
| Sega Master System | Taito |
| Commodore 64 | Imagine Software |
| IBM PC | Novalogic |
| Apple IIGS | Novalogic |
- Game Gear. The Game Gear version is a port of the Master System game, released exclusively in Japan on August 9, 1991.
How the other versions reviewed
| Arcade | Computer and Video Games | Positive |
| Arcade | Sinclair User | Positive |
| Arcade | Your Sinclair | Positive |
| ZX Spectrum | Your Sinclair | 9/10 |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Before you buy
The US cart is the baseline, and loose it sits above the middle of the US games. The European cart costs noticeably less loose, though a complete copy costs about the same as the US one. A box with text in five to eight languages is European, so check before paying the US price. The manual is the part most often missing.
Rastan screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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