1991 年，Koei 在紅白機上推出《皇家血統》（ロイヤルブラッド），這是光榮公司少見地以奇幻世界為背景的策略模擬遊戲。與過往以歷史為題材的作品如《三國志》或《信長之野望》不同，將玩家帶入一個充滿劍與魔法的異世界，同時保留了光榮擅長的領土經營與戰略攻防核心玩法。

故事發生在名為伊修梅里亞的大陸，傳說中這片土地受到「紅寶石王冠」的魔力守護。然而，野心勃勃的國王艾索德受到邪惡力量蠱惑，利用王冠之力對領主與百姓實行暴政。需扮演具有皇室血脈的領主，如威爾斯或白蘭芝，在群雄割據的局勢中脫穎而出，最終集齊散落各地的八顆魔法寶石，將其重新鑲入王冠，恢復大陸和平。

遊戲系統相對簡化光榮傳統作品中繁複的政務，但強化魔法與怪獸對戰局的影響。每個月分為四個回合，可以徵兵、開墾、治水或進行外交。領地的資源除了金錢外，還包含魔力值（MP），用於發動戰爭或施展魔法。戰鬥在六角格地圖上進行，除了士兵、騎士與弓箭手外，還可雇傭龍、石像鬼、哥布林等奇幻生物，每種怪獸皆有獨特的移動力與攻擊特性，使戰場變化多端。核心特色是魔法系統，持有寶石的領主可以施放地、水、火、風四系魔法，直接改變地形、造成大面積傷害，甚至影響天氣以降低遠程部隊命中率。

紅白機版本的視覺表現相當精緻，領主與武將的頭像帶有濃厚的西洋奇幻插畫風格，戰鬥畫面的魔法特效在 8-bit 主機上展現出相當的張力。音樂壯闊而優雅，成功營造史詩般的戰爭氛圍。

在當時獲得策略遊戲玩家的高度評價，被視為奇幻策略模擬遊戲的代表作之一。它去除了繁瑣的人事管理，使玩家能將注意力集中在寶石收集與怪獸對戰上，對於不擅長複雜模擬遊戲的玩家也非常友善。紅白機版本在處理大量數據與地圖運算時表現流暢，且支持隨時存檔，使統一大陸的長篇過程變得輕鬆許多。憑藉在 FC 上的成功，後來被重製並移植至 Mega Drive（美版名為 Gemfire）及 Super Famicom，成為光榮旗下經典奇幻系列之一。

總體而言，《皇家血統》將光榮的嚴謹戰略架構與奇幻想像完美融合，不僅是一場數值上的較量，更是一段關於寶石、巨龍與王冠的傳奇史詩。對喜愛中世紀風格、追求領土擴張成就感的玩家而言，這是一款不可錯過的硬派策略經典。

In 1991, Koei released Royal Blood (ロイヤルブラッド) for the Famicom, a rare departure from the company’s usual historically grounded strategy titles like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobunaga’s Ambition. Instead of basing the game on real history, Royal Blood is set in a high fantasy world filled with swords and magic while still retaining Koei’s hallmark focus on territorial management and strategic warfare.

The story takes place on the continent of Ismeria, a land said to be protected by the mystical power of the “Ruby Crown.” A power-hungry king named Esod, corrupted by dark forces, uses the crown’s magic to oppress both lords and commoners. Players take on the role of one of the royal-blooded lords, such as Wells or Blanche, navigating a landscape of rival factions. The ultimate goal is to collect eight scattered magical gems and restore them to the crown, bringing peace back to the continent.

The gameplay simplifies the complex political systems of Koei’s historical titles while emphasizing the impact of magic and monsters on the battlefield. Each in-game month is divided into four turns during which players can recruit troops, develop land, manage resources, or engage in diplomacy. Beyond gold, territories generate “MP,” which fuels both warfare and magical abilities. Battles occur on hexagonal grids where players command traditional units like soldiers, knights, and archers, as well as fantastical creatures such as dragons, gargoyles, and goblins, each with unique movement and attack patterns. The core of the game lies in magic: lords who possess gems can cast powerful spells from the four elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—to manipulate terrain, deal area damage, or alter weather to affect ranged attacks.

Visually, the Famicom version showcases impressive late-era 8-bit artistry. Portraits of lords and generals reflect Western fantasy illustration styles, while spell effects in battle are remarkably expressive for the hardware. The soundtrack complements this with grand and elegant compositions, successfully evoking the epic atmosphere of war across the continent.

Critically, Royal Blood was highly praised by strategy enthusiasts and is regarded as a hallmark of fantasy strategy simulations. Its accessibility allowed players to focus on gem collection and monster combat rather than intricate personnel management. Technically, the Famicom version handled large maps and calculations smoothly, with a save feature that eased the lengthy campaign for unifying the continent. Its success on the Famicom led to remakes on the Mega Drive (released in the U.S. as Gemfire) and Super Famicom, cementing it as one of Koei’s classic fantasy franchises.

Overall, Royal Blood masterfully blends Koei’s meticulous strategic frameworks with high fantasy storytelling. It is not only a test of numerical management but also a legendary saga of gems, dragons, and crowns. For players who enjoy medieval settings and deriving satisfaction from territorial expansion, it remains a must-play, hardcore strategic classic.