<s>
Hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slay	I-Application
(	O
H&S	O
or	O
HnS	O
)	O
or	O
slash	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
,	O
refers	O
to	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
gameplay	O
that	O
emphasizes	O
combat	O
with	O
melee-based	O
weapons	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
swords	O
or	O
blades	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
sub-genre	O
of	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
which	O
focuses	O
on	O
melee	O
combat	O
,	O
usually	O
with	O
swords	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hack-and-slash	B-Application
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
are	O
sometimes	O
known	O
as	O
character	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
"	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
"	O
was	O
originally	O
used	O
to	O
describe	O
a	O
play	O
style	O
in	O
tabletop	O
role-playing	O
games	O
,	O
carrying	O
over	O
from	O
there	O
to	O
MUDs	B-Application
,	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
games	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
arcade	O
and	O
console	B-Application
style	O
action	B-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
the	O
term	O
has	O
an	O
entirely	O
different	O
usage	O
,	O
specifically	O
referring	O
to	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
with	O
a	O
focus	O
on	O
real-time	O
combat	O
with	O
hand-to-hand	O
weapons	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
guns	O
or	O
fists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
types	O
of	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
games	O
are	O
largely	O
unrelated	O
,	O
though	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
games	I-Application
may	O
combine	O
elements	O
of	O
both	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
context	O
of	O
action	B-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
the	O
terms	O
"	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
"	O
or	O
"	O
slash	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
"	O
refer	O
to	O
melee	O
weapon-based	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
that	O
are	O
a	O
sub-genre	O
of	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
ups	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Traditional	O
2D	O
side-scrolling	O
examples	O
include	O
Taito	O
's	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kage	I-Application
(	O
1985	O
)	O
and	O
Rastan	B-Device
(	O
1987	O
)	O
,	O
Sega	O
's	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
series	O
Shinobi	O
(	O
1987	O
debut	O
)	O
and	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
(	O
1989	O
debut	O
)	O
,	O
Data	O
East	O
's	O
arcade	O
game	O
Captain	B-Application
Silver	I-Application
(	O
1987	O
)	O
,	O
Tecmo	O
's	O
early	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
(	O
Shadow	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
)	O
2D	O
games	O
(	O
1988	O
debut	O
)	O
,	O
Capcom	O
's	O
Strider	B-Application
(	O
1989	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
Sega	O
Master	O
System	O
game	O
Danan	O
:	O
The	O
Jungle	O
Fighter	O
(	O
1990	O
)	O
,	O
Taito	O
's	O
Saint	B-Application
Sword	I-Application
(	O
1991	O
)	O
,	O
Vivid	O
Image	O
's	O
home	O
computer	O
game	O
First	B-Application
Samurai	I-Application
(	O
1991	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Vanillaware	O
's	O
Dragon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Crown	I-Application
(	O
2013	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
"	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
"	O
in	O
reference	O
to	O
action-adventure	O
games	O
dates	O
back	O
to	O
1987	O
,	O
when	O
Computer	O
Entertainer	O
reviewed	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
and	O
said	O
it	O
had	O
"	O
more	O
to	O
offer	O
than	O
the	O
typical	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
"	O
epics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
early	O
21st	O
century	O
,	O
journalists	O
covering	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
often	O
use	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
"	O
to	O
refer	O
to	O
a	O
distinct	O
genre	O
of	O
3D	O
,	O
third-person	O
,	O
weapon-based	O
,	O
melee	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
include	O
Capcom	O
's	O
Devil	B-Application
May	I-Application
Cry	I-Application
,	O
Onimusha	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Sengoku	B-Application
Basara	I-Application
franchises	O
,	O
Koei	O
Tecmo	O
's	O
Dynasty	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
and	O
3D	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
games	O
,	O
Sony	O
's	O
Genji	B-Application
:	I-Application
Dawn	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Samurai	I-Application
and	O
God	O
of	O
War	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Bayonetta	B-Application
,	O
Darksiders	B-Application
,	O
Dante	B-Application
's	I-Application
Inferno	I-Application
,	O
and	O
No	B-Application
More	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
genre	O
is	O
sometimes	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
character	O
action	O
"	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
represent	O
a	O
modern	O
evolution	O
of	O
traditional	O
arcade	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
subgenre	O
of	O
games	O
was	O
largely	O
defined	O
by	O
Hideki	O
Kamiya	O
,	O
creator	O
of	O
Devil	B-Application
May	I-Application
Cry	I-Application
and	O
Bayonetta	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
turn	O
,	O
Devil	B-Application
May	I-Application
Cry	I-Application
(	O
2001	O
)	O
was	O
influenced	O
by	O
earlier	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
games	O
,	O
including	O
Onimusha	B-Application
:	I-Application
Warlords	I-Application
(	O
2001	O
)	O
and	O
Strider	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
"	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
"	O
itself	O
has	O
roots	O
in	O
"	O
pen	O
and	O
paper	O
"	O
role-playing	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Dungeons	O
&	O
Dragons	O
(	O
D&D	O
)	O
,	O
denoting	O
campaigns	O
of	O
violence	O
with	O
no	O
other	O
plot	O
elements	O
or	O
significant	O
goal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
made	O
the	O
transition	O
from	O
the	O
tabletop	O
to	O
role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
usually	O
starting	O
in	O
D&	O
D-like	O
worlds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
form	O
of	O
gameplay	O
influenced	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
including	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Xanadu	B-Application
and	O
Diablo	B-Application
.	O
</s>
