Tag Archives: NES

The Great Giana Sisters

The Great Giana Sisters (Amiga, Amstrad CPC, MSX2, C64 & Atari ST)

Leave a reply

Developer(s) – Time Warp Productions

Publisher(s) – Rainbow Arts

Designer(s) – Armin Gessert & Manfred Trenz

PEGI – Not Rated (mild non-graphic violence)

 

Released back in 1987, The Great Giana Sisters is a 2D side-scroller heavily based on Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. So much so that production was forcefully stopped not long after the release of the game. It has since gone on to develop a cult following among gamers of the home computer era. But after having played it myself, I don’t get the hype. I stumbled upon this story whilst playing one of the more recent games in the series; Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, which I plan to review in the future. But to me, it’s fair to say that the series had far more tenuous origins.

 

Graphics – 4/10

The first thing that makes this game an obvious rip-off (apart from the title, of course) is the graphics. Using almost identical color palettes and scenery to that of the original Super Mario Bros, the only elements that work to differentiate it from the former are the main character and the enemy designs. Only one of the enemy designs stood out positively for me, which was the pterodactyl enemies that sway from side to side, giving it a different dimension compared to other enemies so to speak. But apart from that, the rest of the enemy designs are only slightly modified versions of Super Mario Bros enemies. And it’s no wonder Nintendo threatened to sue. 

 

Gameplay – 5/10

The gameplay, however, is only partially with value. This is the only reason I can think of that it has garnered as much of a cult following as it has. Again, identical to that of Super Mario Bros, players get 33 levels to traverse through, whilst collecting diamonds and defeating enemies. If I was around at the time, I probably would’ve recommended it to anyone who had played pretty much every platformer out there and they were still looking for something else. If they could get a copy of it before production stopped. But if you were to ask me today, there have been countless side scrollers released since this that I would rather recommend. 

 

Controls – 8/10

An element that makes this stand out to a small extent (though for very much the wrong reasons) is the controls. Movement is much stiffer than that of the original Super Mario Bros. And it’s considerably harder to jump from place to place. Which in a game that relies as heavily on platforming as this does, is a problem. It doesn’t have the worst controls I’ve experienced across games of the home computer era. Or even across other games on the NES, including the original Mega Man. But the stiffness of the controls still comes across as counter-intuitive.

 

Lifespan – 6/10

Taking about the average amount of time it took to complete a side scroller back in the late 80s, it can be made to last around half an hour. Though most gamers will probably choose to give in after 2 minutes. And just play Super Mario Bros if they want a decent side scroller. 

 

Storyline – 4/10

The game’s story was also similarly lazily handled. It follows Giana, who is trapped in a dream world in search of her lost sister Maria. So in essence, it rips off the gameplay from the original Super Mario Bros and rips off the story of Super Mario Bros 2. Whilst the story would only be explained in manuals at this point in gaming, and would only be minimally expanded upon during the actual game, it still stands out as one of the most generic video game stories of the third generation. 

 

Originality – 0/10

Throughout this review, I have complained extensively about how hardly anything stands out, and the elements that do stand out are for the wrong reasons. There have been Super Mario Bros rip-offs that have been released since. Some do have some small merit to them; for example Super Bernie World. But this has no merit to it in terms of originality. The series would later be miraculously expanded upon for the better. And I do intend to cover some of those other games in the future. But as for where it started, I can’t say enough bad things about it.

 

Angrii

Overall, the only positive thing I can say about The Great Giana Sisters is that more and better games would come. It’s a blatant rip-off that was rightfully pulled from the shelves and has languished in obscurity since. And for plenty of legitimate reasons. 

Score

27/60

4.5/10 (Mediocre)

Metroid (Nintendo Entertainment System)

Leave a reply

Metroid

Developer(s) – Nintendo R&D1 & Intelligent Systems

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director(s) – Satoru Okada

Producer(s) – Gunpei Yokoi

PEGI – 7

Released at around the midpoint of the third generation on the NES to generally positive reviews, selling best in America, Metroid became a favorite among fans of the original NES, and of course, would go on to become one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises along with the likes of Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong. I was excited before first going into this one some years ago. Because it wasn’t a game I got to experience at the time of its release.

And I was very much looking forward to seeing the beginnings of this franchise after hearing what I had done through word of mouth. But although I do think it is one of the better games released on the NES. And I can understand why so many people regard it as a beloved classic, to me, the series did get better as it went on. Especially as this game suffered from a lot of limitations that the era of gaming in which it occupied presented. 

Graphics – 10/10

The best quality this game has, in my opinion, is the visuals. Set across an expansive alien world, it presented something extremely different from what Nintendo was putting out at the time. Which mostly involved worlds made up of anthropomorphic animals and contemporary fantasy settings. Although there were plenty of games with sci-fi elements on the NES. Such as Abadox, Contra, and Metal Gear, it was indeed interesting to see the makers of the console try their hand at it themselves. And the end result is one of the best-looking games on the system. The game’s soundtrack, composed by Hirokazu Tanaka, also complements the game’s atmosphere. In a way that also goes above and beyond that of which many other NES games attempted.

Gameplay – 6/10

Although the original Metroid is generally described as an action-adventure, ostensibly it’s a Metroidvania. Although that term at the time had yet to be coined, of course, until Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night were both released many years later. The player must navigate their way through an open world, and collect items, upgrades, and new abilities. And defeat bosses in order to unlock new areas, and ultimately face off against the end boss.

But as this particular genre of game was yet to be built on, it suffers from limitations such as there being no in-game map. Which in the Metroidvania genre, has become a staple element. Being a by-product of its time, players were reliant on either a strategy guide or even drawing up rough maps for themselves to make sure they don’t get lost or explore an area twice needlessly. It’s enjoyable to play with a strategy guide, but a nightmare without one. 

Controls – 7/10

Another area where problems exist is also the control scheme. As the game also has a lot of sequences whereby players must jump up vertically elongated areas, this presents issues because the game’s jump mechanics can feel quite inconsistent. Super Metroid had the same problem. As well as a few others, but not to the same extent as the original Metroid does. What’s also sorely lacking is the ability to shoot diagonally. Which again, would be something that would be greatly improved on with future Metroidvania titles.

Lifespan – 7/10

The game can be made to last around an hour and a half. In all fairness, whilst that seems like nothing compared to games today, was actually a fair bit of time longer than the average game in the late 80s. In this respect, the original Metroid was somewhat ahead of its time. Along with the original Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Again, it may be down to the limitation of what hardware was being used back then that the game couldn’t have been made to last longer than it does. But the lifespan did manage to break some new ground at least. 

Storyline – 7/10

The story of Metroid is that the Galactic Federation has sent a bounty named Samus Aran to the planet Zebes. Which is infested with mysterious hostile aliens known as Metroids, in order to take out Mother Brain. The biochemical life form controlling the Space Pirates, who were responsible for the Metroid outbreak. Not a lot of that is made clear throughout the game. In lieu of third-generation tradition, players had to read the manual in order to learn as much about the narrative as possible. But the reveal that Samus is in fact a woman is considered to be one of the most iconic moments in gaming history. As the concept of a female protagonist was pretty much unheard of in video games at the time. 

Originality – 8/10

It’s for that same reason, as well as its contemporary sci-fi setting, style of play, and accompanying soundtrack, that Metroid stands out as one of the most unique titles on the system. Although the series would go on to reach greater heights. And the character of Samus Aran would go on to become even more admired by gamers everywhere, this is where it all started. And for many gamers, this title broke a lot of new ground in ways that no one could have expected. Satoru Okada would go on to become one of Nintendo’s most iconic figures until his retirement in 2012. And it’s not hard to see why with the legacy he and the late great Gunpei Yokoi have left behind with the release of titles like this.

Happii

Overall, Metroid, whilst it indeed has too many flaws for me personally to be able to label it as such, is still considered by many to be a classic and an NES favorite. And for good reason. It was Metroidvania before the genre was even properly conceived. And no game had played anything like it at the time. 

Score

45/60

7/10 (Good)

Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers 2 (NES)

Leave a reply

Chip N Dale 2

Developer(s) – Capcom

Publisher(s) –  Capcom

Producer(s) – Tokoru Fujiwara

PEGI – N/A (Suitable for all ages)

Released very late on in the shelf life of the NES back in 1993, Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers 2 received favorable reviews upon release and was later released as part of the Disney Saturday Morning Collection along with the original game, Duck Tales, Talespin, and Darkwing Duck. The previous review of this game that caught my eye above all others was the EGM review.

Which alluded to what it would’ve been like to see a sequel alternatively released on more current hardware at the time. Such as the Super NES or the Mega Drive. Whilst I believe it to be true that if that had indeed been the case, (indeed, it would have sold even better than what it did and would’ve been more capable of standing out), the final game is still a very enjoyable experience. As well as being a more than worthy sequel, topping what the original game had to offer. 

Graphics – 9/10

The most notable improvement between the first and second games is undoubtedly the graphics. Everything from the character sprites to the scenery is a lot more detailed than that of the previous game. And there are definitely signs of the developers have done a lot more with the console’s relatively limited color palette. The conceptual design is also even more diverse than the last. Towards the end of the former, the levels seemed to have similar elements to the previous levels. Whereas the second game doesn’t suffer from that issue at all. The only thing that this game doesn’t have going for it in comparison to its predecessor is that the soundtrack is nowhere near as catchy. 

Gameplay – 8/10

The gameplay pretty much follows the same formula as the first. Though with a few minor tweaks. Gone is the facility to choose between levels, as this game offers a completely linear progression. And players can now stun enemies and grab them in addition to throwing inanimate objects at them. Making it even more reminiscent of Super Mario Bros 2 than the first Chip N’ Dale game. Whilst it may seem a bad thing that the second game has a far more linear progression, it’s actually an improvement. It removes the option of skipping levels in order to progress faster. And forces the player to enjoy the full game for what it is. The most significant improvement in terms of gameplay, however, is that the boss fights are far more elaborate than that of the first game. Requiring a far greater degree of strategy in order to defeat them. 

Controls – 10/10

As with the previous game, there are no issues with the controls, as the 2D side-scrolling genre had become a staple in gaming at the time. And it seemed harder for developers to get it wrong than to get it right. There are a few tweaks that have been made to the controls, however. Such as the facility to throw objects diagonally. Whereas, in the previous game, they could only be thrown up, left, or right. It was quite impressive for an NES title, since many other games only relied on the up, down, left, and right axis. Whereas games like this attempted to break the trend it would seem. 

Lifespan – 7/10

Lasting about the standard time of a third-generation side scroller the game can be completed within an hour. Of course, because the game forces the player to experience every level, unlike in the first, players are forced to spend a standard amount of time on it, however. Instead of potentially skipping levels in order to progress as fast as possible. There were many other side scrollers at the time released on better hardware that was being made to last considerably longer than this. But those playing it at the time, and those looking to try it out, will not be disappointed. 

Storyline – 7/10

The storyline of Chip N’ Dale 2 is also massively improved compared to that of the first game. The story is that Chip and Dale, along with Monterey, Zipper, and Gadget, are on a mission to stop Fat Cat from using an ancient artifact to achieve world domination. It seems generic at first glance in the basic premise. But what separates this game from the previous, and indeed from a number of early NES titles, is that there are a notable amount of cutscenes included to tell the story. And far more dialogue than there is in the first game. Breaking another NES trend, players would be reliant on the game’s manual to learn about the majority of a game’s story. But in this game, the developers went above and beyond that to tell it in a more detailed manner in-game. 

Originality – 7/10

Though there were a lot of Super NES and Mega Drive games developed at the time that had already perpetuated a lot of the things that this game did, this game stands out for it making these innovations. But on previous-generation hardware. The game, in and of itself, was a very retroactive experience. It showed developers that more could be done with the NES than perhaps they may have thought throughout the mid to late 80s. Certainly in terms of controls and storytelling anyway. In terms of gameplay, whilst there are a few tweaks made, it just about does enough to be kept fresh. 

Happii

Overall, whilst Chip N’ Dale 2 doesn’t hold as much nostalgic value to me personally (indeed, the first Chip N’ Dale was actually the first game I ever played), it is still a much better game than its predecessor. It celebrates the license in a more meaningful way by presenting the story better. And there are significant improvements made in almost every other aspect in addition. 

Score

48/60

8/10 (Very Good)

Where’s Wally? (NES)

Leave a reply

Wheres Wally

Developer(s) – Bethesda Softworks 

Publisher(s) – THQ

Designer(s) – Paul Coletta & Randy Linden

PEGI – Not rated (Suitable for children)

Released in 1991 late into the NES’s shelf life by Elder Scrolls developers Bethesda, Where’s Wally is a puzzle game based on the puzzle books written by Martin Handford. Players must find or guide Wally across 8 different stages within varying time limits depending on the difficulty setting. Released to overwhelming critical vitriol, it’s most definitely one of the worst games on the system. As well as being one of the worst games I’ve played based on a pre-existing license. 

Graphics – 1/10

For a development company that would later go on to set new standards in visual quality with games like Skyrim and Oblivion, it’s shocking to see how much this game lacks in graphical quality. Both on the technical and conceptual levels. Especially considering this game was released after the Super NES. And there were developers pushing the boundaries of what the original NES could do at the time. This game perpetuates many of the limitations of the consoles in a way that many classic games released before this overcame those limits.

The lackluster use of the NES’s color palette is the most visible flaw this game has. The only nice-looking part of the game is the ending. Whereby Wally lands on the Moon. The moon’s surface is actually quite well-detailed. But that is literally the only positive thing it has going for it. To think that players have to beat the game in order to see one good example of 8-BIT visuals will seem like an insult. 

Gameplay – 1/10

Again, Where’s Wally is a puzzle title that follows the mantra of the books. The player must find Wally on 6 different screens, which expand depending on difficulty. The time limit is 10 minutes on easy mode and 7 minutes on medium mode. And 5 minutes on hard mode. There are also 2 additional levels that mix up the gameplay a little. But not to a great extent.

However, because of the poor graphical quality, it makes it almost impossible to identify Wally without the aid of a strategy guide. There have been worse games released throughout the years that have been inadvertently rendered unplayable due to either graphical errors or fatal glitches. But especially given how late into the console’s cycle this game came out. And how so many other developers were able to release classics on the system, there was no excuse for the developers at Bethesda to have screwed this up as much as they did. 

Controls – 4/10

The control scheme in its basic premise is simple enough. But it comes with many different issues; those being most evident in hard mode. In order to increase the difficulty, the developers made the cursor the player uses to pick out Wally smaller. But the problem is that the control’s sensitivity is quite high. So it creates an unnecessary complication for when the player ends up finding Wally on hard mode. 

Lifespan – 1/10

Where’s Wally can be made to last a total of 10 minutes per playthrough; again depending on what difficulty setting it’s on. But to be honest, I’d be surprised if there would be many players willing to go through even one playthrough. There’s no further incentive for beating the game on the harder difficulty settings either, as the same thing happens at the end regardless of which. There would’ve been plenty of things the developers could’ve added to give players an incentive to do this, but because they offered players hardly anything, it certainly doesn’t warrant even one full playthrough, let alone three.

Storyline – 0/10

The game involves nothing but Wally being led across a series of areas in order to reach a launchpad to get to the Moon. The game’s story, as with many titles of that era, exists in its basic premise, but with many other classics, they at least offered whole mythologies for players to indulge in; but it’s even more surprising how little the developers paid attention to the source material, despite the fact that there was a fair bit of that at the point of this game’s development. 

Originality – 5/10

The game is original to an extent, in that there weren’t many video games like it at the time, but it seems more bland than unique given how little the developers did with it compared to what they could’ve potentially done with what was one of the most beloved children’s book series of that era. It’s a bad example of how to develop a licensed game, since not only is it poorly designed and not fun to play at all, but because it doesn’t celebrate the license in the same meaningful ways that games like Batman: Arkham Asylum or even Rugrats: Search for Reptar did.

Furiious

In summation, Where’s Wally is a game to be avoided at all costs. It’s a game with a number of flaws, is almost unplayable, and has since become a black mark on a development company that would later become one of the powerhouses of gaming. All I’ll say is that it just didn’t seem to get off to the greatest of starts at Bethesda with games like this. 

Score

11/60

1.5/10 (Painful)

The Legend of Zelda (NES)

Leave a reply

The Legend of Zelda

Developer(s) – Nintendo EAD

Publisher(s) – Nintendo 

Director(s) – Shigeru Miyamoto & Takashi Tezuka

Producer(s) – Shigeru Miyamoto

PEGI – 7

There are few games that have had as much of an impact on the industry as The Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto, who based the game on his childhood. Whereby he would explore the countryside of Kyoto, Japan, traversing forests, glades, and caves. He created it to try and recapture the feeling of exploration he had when he was a kid.

And the game has a heavy emphasis on exploration for a game of the time, as well as combat and puzzle-solving. Things that would go on to become staples of the series. Although This game wasn’t the first to do a lot of the things it does, indeed the designers also took a great deal of inspiration from the Ys series by Nihon Falcom, The Legend of Zelda did all these things bigger, better, and all at once. Therefore going on to become more influential. 

Graphics – 8/10

Though a fraction of the quality of a modern-day AAA mainstream in terms of the technical side of the graphics, back in the day, they were exemplary. The developers did an exceptional job with this game. Especially taking into account the lack of outlines and the limited color palette of the NES console. Locations vary from the countryside to mountains to lakes to dungeons. Again, all things would go on to become series tropes. With the likes of Death Mountain and Lake Hylia. The conceptual design would also go on to be adapted bigger and better for future titles. With enemies such as iron knuckles, gohmas, and moblins going on to become iconic. 

Gameplay – 8/10

The objective of the game is to explore the landscape of Hyrule to find the missing pieces of the triforce artifact in order to defeat the game’s final boss Ganon. Along the way, there are weapons and armor upgrades to find as well as new items used to traverse new areas and solve puzzles in the game’s dungeons and take on what have now become some of the most memorable boss fights of the NES era. Unless you have a strategy guide, however, there’s not much direction given. Even a lot of the elders that can be found throughout the game give hints that are actually translation errors.

For example, the elder who says “10th enemy has the bomb” was supposed to have said “Look for the lion key” But these days, that kind of thing only adds to the charm of the game. And with a strategy guide, it’s pretty enjoyable. Players won’t have to waste hours of their time trying to bomb every piece of wall to see if it will reveal a secret opening like what kids back in the day found themselves doing. Outside the dungeons, there are a lot of additional items to discover. Such as more powerful swords and health upgrades. When players acquire more weapons and items from dungeons, it only adds to the overall experience making it more enjoyable as time goes on. 

Controls – 8/10

The control scheme of this game isn’t perfect, however. After being introduced to the series at a later time with A Link to the Past, I could see how much the original game was sorely lacking the feature of being able to move Link diagonally. As he can only be moved up, down, left, and right, it can cause unnecessary complications. Especially at times when the player is surrounded by enemies in some of the later stages of the game. Besides this, however, the player interface was actually unlike most things seen in gaming prior. And it’s impressive to think how many different items the player could equip with what was quite a limited control scheme by default. 

Lifespan – 7/10

The game can be made to last there for around 2 to 3 hours. Which whilst meager by today’s standards was revolutionary at the time. It’s double that, even, taking into account the additional hard mode that was added to the game. Due to the excess amount of space left on the cartridge. I personally would’ve preferred a bigger world with more to do than to have had the hard mode added. But I’m nitpicking at this point. There were few games that were made to last longer at the time. 

Storyline – 8/10

The original Legend of Zelda game is set in what Nintendo calls the era of the decline following the events of A Link Between Worlds. It introduces us to the game’s protagonist Link. He must assemble the triforce of courage in order to defeat Ganon and rescue Princess Zelda. Thus saving Hyrule from Ganon’s tyranny. Future games in the series would go on to tell this story in increasingly inventive ways. But this is where it all began. Born partly from a few scrapped ideas that found themselves into later games in the series, the story is an epic odyssey that despite how many times it gets repeated, still holds up to this day. 

Originality – 9/10

Though like any good game, it had its share of influences, this game was revolutionary at the time and would go on to become a beloved classic and played by millions all over the world for 35 years now. It spawned an entire series of beloved games within that time, many considered fans to be better than the original. But in many other fan’s minds, this remains to be one of the best; if not, the best. It birthed one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises and provided a gaming experience like never before. 

Happii

Overall, while The Legend of Zelda isn’t my personal favorite in the franchise, (by some distance, that honor would go to Ocarina of Time), the fact of the matter remains that it is, and always will be a classic. Whilst presenting some issues in conjunction with the time this game came out, the enjoyment to be had and wonders to discover far outweigh any of those issues. And remains a certified pleasure to play after all these years. 

Score

48/60

8/10 (Very Good)

Q&A With Elden Pixels

Leave a reply

With Metroidvania titles being one of the most prominent genres developed for among the ever-growing indie development community, one series of games I’ve been following closely over the last three years is the Alwa series. Created by Swedish indie outfit Elden Pixels under principal designer and former developer at Zoink Games, Mikael Forslind, the series began with the release of Alwa’s Awakening in 2017, and most recently in 2020, Alwa’s Legacy. Both titles were initially launched on Steam with Awakening seeing releases on multiple platforms with Legacy set for a release on the Nintendo Switch. In three short years, the series has gained popularity among fans of the Metroidvania genre and among gamers in general, and with the sequel possibly set to make it on multiple platforms in addition, the series’ popularity is set to only increase further. Wanting to find out more about the conception of Alwa, as well as the future of this exciting new series of games, I posed a few questions to Mikael of Elden Pixels to find out more. Here’s what he had to say about Alwa and the future of Elden Pixels:

 

Elden Pixels 1

How has it been to experience such an influx of interest surrounding the Alwa series and the fanbase it has already garnished?

Amazing! Every time someone reaches out to us talking about how they enjoyed our games it feels great. We were proud over how well Alwa’s Awakening was received but we felt we could add more to the formula so the design for Alwa’s Legacy came to us quite easily and we were able to improve on everything that the first game offered and this, of course, led to more and more people discovering both games.

 

What were the influences behind the world of the Alwa series?

It was a mix between the fast gameplay of Battle Kid and the more puzzle-platforming style of Trine that was the main inspiration for the first game. After a long night of playing these two games, I blurted out to my friends – “Let’s make a game. How hard can it be?” And here we are a couple of years later.

 

What has been the most exciting aspect of developing Alwa’s Legacy?

To me, the best part of making games is actually looking back at a released game and thinking – “Damn, we made it. It’s out there.” I’m not one of those developers that spend years and years on one game. I think a maximum of two years is perfect for a game and I’m proud that both our games took about that time to finish. But seeing a game come together is always nice, and the way we built Alwa’s Legacy was that very early in the process we had all rooms in place but they were basically empty and stayed empty for the longest of time. But once all design was locked down, all art was done and all sprites were done we basically filled the entire world with content in a 3-4 month period. All of a sudden it went from looking empty to being shippable. That’s a great feeling.

 

Elden Pixels 2

What has been the most challenging aspect of developing Alwa’s Legacy?

Wow, where do I start? I actually wanted to delve into this subject for a long blog post sometime in the future but I’ll try to keep it short here but basically these things were the major headaches during our development – Cancer scare, anxiety, personal finances, IVF treatment, potential pr disaster using Kickstarter, political heatwave during launch and the constant scare of bankruptcy. I’m just happy we were able to overcome all obstacles with our sanity and health intact and we’re all still good friends. And we managed to release a game that everyone seems to really like! That’s a major accomplishment.

 

What’s next for Elden Pixels?

We’re not really sure. We’ve made enough money to breathe for a month or two but nowhere near enough money to fund the next game so right now we’re just exploring what and if we can start a new project. But we’d love to take a stab at porting our first game to NES 8-bit so we’re going to put out a job ad for that very shortly. We might have found some cash to fund this project so we’re very excited, especially since it was already made with the 8-bit restrictions in mind.

 

How important has fan feedback been throughout the development of Alwa’s Legacy?

Since Alwa’s Legacy is a standalone sequel to our first game Alwa’s Awakening we kind of knew what we were doing during the development. So we took more notes from what we didn’t like with the first game to build our second game. But community involvement is very important and we had a lot of feedback from our Kickstarter backers and we did a huge semi-open beta where we built this custom tool so any player could directly report feedback into our project management tool. I love building games with the community involved and it’s definitely something that I want to consider doing in the future.

 

Elden Pixels 3

Have any of the guys at Image & Form or Zoink had any input into the game, or any advice to offer you?

Yeah, I worked at those companies for about four years so I made a lot of friends and they’re all beautiful people. A few of them do consulting work so we actually ended up working with Pelle Cahndlerby with the script, Joel Bille did the sound effects and Julius Guldbog did our trailer, all of them are from those companies.

Every now and then I also get a chance to grab some lunch with Brjann Sigurgeirsson, who’s the head honcho at Thunderful, the owner of Image & Form and Zoink Games and I cherish those lunches because I get so much valuable information and tips from him. He’s such a nice guy. I also get free lunch!

 

If you had the chance to develop for any mainstream development company or work on any gaming series, which one would it be?

I don’t know how much it would be considered mainstream but our first game Alwa’s Awakening was heavily inspired by an NES game called Battle Kid and I would LOVE to develop a game in that series. I think in the hands of Elden Pixels and the original creator we’d be able to make a really cool and fun game. I can easily think of a bunch of cool and creative ideas for a potential sequel.

 

The progression of the series is obviously reminiscent of the transitions between past generations of gaming; i.e. 8-BIT to 16-BIT. Do you see the Alwa series making the transition from 2D to 3D in the future?

If someone asked me to design a 3D game I wouldn’t know how to even approach it. I’d probably have as much as luck as I would if I decided to take up opera singing. So I don’t see that happening in the near future. But who knows, if we find a talented 3D designer somewhere in the future it might happen. Right now we’re more exploring ideas that aren’t based in the Alwa universe.

 

What platforms are you looking to bring the game to?

Right now the game is out on Steam and GOG and we’re releasing it on Switch soon. We want to take it to Microsoft and Sony as well and ask them for a release on their platforms but we haven’t yet. We’re such a small team so we got to think carefully about each decision making sure we don’t take on too much work and releasing on a new platform is a lot of work.

 

Do you have any advice to give to any aspiring developers who may be reading this?

Don’t go into indie development thinking you’ll make money. If you want to make money, get a job in the IT business or something. For me making indie games is like playing in a small rock band. You don’t get to play at the big arenas right away, you probably never will. And it can take years before anyone even notices you. Don’t expect to make that one indie game and make it Shovel Knight style. Sure, it can happen but most likely not. But if you’re dedicated, make cool stuff that people want to enjoy and stay at it, maybe in a few years, you’ll be able to make a living from it. I’m confident that Elden Pixels will eventually be something I can live off full-time, but we probably need a game or two more out before we can do that. But we’ll get there.

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yes, if you take 3 deciliters of water, add 2 deciliters of sugar, 1 deciliter of vinegar essence, 15 small peppercorns, and 2 bay leaves. Boil for a few minutes and then let cool off you’ll have an awesome brine for pickled herring. A Swedish classic!

 

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Mikael for sharing everything he had about the Alwa series and about Elden Pixels and to wish them the best of luck with what the next title they develop may be. Both Alwa’s Awakening and Alwa’s Legacy are available on Steam and I would highly recommend anyone reading who hasn’t played either title that they check them out; I’ve played and reviewed both games and they’re definitely worth playing through at least once. Thanks for reading this Q&A and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did putting it together.

Game on,

Scouse Gamer 88

Alwa’s Legacy (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One & Switch)

Leave a reply

D Alwas Legacy

Developer – Elden Pixels

Director – Mikael Forslind

PEGI – 7

Following on from the Success of Elden Pixels’ breakout indie game Alwa’s Awakening, Alwa’s Legacy continues the series, introducing a number of new gameplay mechanics and challenges, as well making use of graphics more reminiscent of the 16-BIT era, which was hinted at with the end of the original game. Having been impressed with the first game when I played through it, I was fully expecting yet another immersing gaming experience with the sequel, and to say the least, I was not disappointed. 

Graphics – 9/10

The game makes use of a 16-BIT art style similar to that of Super NES classics such as Super Castlevania IV and Secret of Mana. There is a wide range of beautifully vibrant and eerily dark locations throughout the newly designed world of Alwa. Which looks far better than what even the small glimpse at the end of the first game seemed to touch upon. The environments are each wonderfully designed and despite there being a few locations being recycled from the original game, the areas that have been recycled have been drastically improved upon compared to Awakening. The game’s soundtrack, again composed by Robert Kreese, is also stellar. Some of the tracks used for many of the dungeons specifically gave the game more of a Castlevania feel to it than the last game; atmospheric, foreboding and catchy as all hell.

Gameplay – 9/10

Keeping to the same principle formula of the first game, Alwa’s Legacy is a traditional Metroidvania game with light RPG elements, with players being able to learn new abilities and unlock new areas with each new ability acquired. But it also has the very strong feeling of a dungeon crawler to it like a traditional Legend of Zelda game, with players having to traverse a stronghold by solving puzzles and going up against a boss. 

Overall, there have been significant improvements made to gameplay as well as visuals. With the player having a lot more to play for and to discover than in the previous game. The boss fights, in particular, are also a lot more creative than in Awakening in both appearances and in the required strategy to beat them. The additional abilities make it so that players can strategize in their own ways in accordance with what boss they’re up against, giving the game a pleasant amount of variety

Controls – 10/10

Even taking into account the introduction of new mechanics such as the shield boots and the ability to temporarily slow down time, Legacy plays out pretty much identically to Awakening and as such, the control scheme presents no issues. Also, new controls have been introduced. Most notably the anti-gravity sequences whereby players have to walk on ceilings to solve puzzles. Much like Mega Man 5’s Gravity Man stage. Although the visuals were taken from 16-BIT classics, there are a lot of nods to the 8-BIT era. Which served as the inspiration for the original game in the series. 

Lifespan – 7/10

Another aspect in which this game is an improvement on the original. Albeit to a lesser extent than the graphics and gameplay, is in its longevity. On average, the game can take around 8 to 10 hours to complete to 100%. It’s still short for a Metroidvania. But it certainly answers for the short amount of time it takes to complete Alwa’s Awakening and it’s a step in the direction of possibly making the third game in the series last even longer; if Elden decides to make a third game.

Storyline – 7/10

Essentially, the story of Alwa’s Legacy is pretty much a carbon copy of that of Awakening. Zoe awakes in the land of Alwa. And by traversing the land and honing her abilities as a powerful sorcerer, must save the land from the villain Vicar. Vicar plots to invade Alwa. There are a couple of differences and certain plot threads which help to advance the story in a different way. So I can’t bash it too much for being unoriginal. It’s an epic odyssey with plenty of twists and turns along the way and plenty of quirky characters to meet. It would be hypocritical of me as a fan of a lot of games that tell virtually the same story with each installment, such as Mario and Zelda, to criticize the Alwa games for doing the same thing. 

Originality – 7/10

Taking into account the many similarities that this game has with not only its predecessor but many other Metroidvania games that served as the basis for it. It still has its own unique brand of gameplay and visual design. And story structure that makes it stand out among many Metroidvania titles. Despite the greatly increased output of games in the genre in recent years. Such as Ori & the Blind Forest, Dust: An Elysian Tail, and Guacamelee. Legacy greatly expands on Awakening and delivers a challenging and satisfying experience that should not be overlooked.

Happii

In summation, Alwa’s Legacy is certainly a must-have for Metroidvania fans. If you’re a fan of 2D exploration, dungeon crawling, 16-BIT graphics, and epic 8-BIT music, I can’t recommend this title enough. 

Score

49/60

8/10 (Very Good)

Review as seen in the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghMdj8Y500M

Alwa’s Awakening (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

3 Replies

Alwas Awakening

Developer(s) – Elden Pixels

Director – Mikael Forslind

PEGI – 7

The debut title of Elden pixels, and developed under the supervision of Zoink Games’ Mikael Forslind, Alwa’s Awakening is a throwback to the classic games of the NES era, including Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Metroid, and Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. An 8-bit Metroidvania game, it focuses heavily on exploration, combat, and acquiring a range of different abilities in order to progress from area to area. Playing this game felt like an absolute pleasure, as well as a fitting tribute to games of the late 80s. And I would recommend it to any fan of that era of gaming.

Graphics – 8/10

Conceptually, where this game stands out is the design of the enemies, as well as the boss battles. Though clearly influenced by many aspects of medieval mythology, including other fantasy franchises (elements of Dungeons & Dragons seemed most evident to me personally), the developers took these influences and formed their own cohesive concepts in terms of visual design. Which is quite difficult to do when dealing with medieval fantasy, making it seem all the more impressive. The soundtrack, recorded by Robert Kreese, is also nothing short of stellar. On par with, if not better than, many classic NES games.

Gameplay – 8/10

Alwa’s Awakening is a Metroidvania game focusing on adventure and exploration. But the developers also boasted a heightened level of challenge compared to many other classic NES games during development, promising an unforgettable throwback experience to suit both the seasoned and casual classes of gamers of that time. When Elden Pixels first announced this, I did get nervous that they would develop a game that was nigh on inaccessible. As what I’ve found in many NES games, such as those in the original Mega Man series.

However, while playing through it, I found it offers a level of challenge that is stern, yet reasonable. A level of challenge on par with Shovel Knight, for example. It came as a relief to me. And I was able to enjoy the game with minimal frustration because of it. There are secrets to uncover along the way and some of the most invigorating boss fights I’ve seen in a 2D game.

Controls – 10/10

Part of the reason why I found the game to be more accessible than many fully NES titles purposefully made to be hard was that the controls are also flawless. In many Mega Man games, I have experienced problems with the controls. And time and time again, it defeats the object of demanding skill from the player if the developers can’t program the game properly. In this game, however, no such issues exist; the controls are perfect, and any error made will be down to player performance.

Lifespan – 6.5/10

The game can be made to last around 6 to 7 hours in total. Taking everything to do within it into account, which by NES standards at the time may have been outstanding. But in the current era, especially for a Metroidvania, it does fall somewhat short in this respect. It is the game’s biggest issue in my opinion. And I think it could have been made to last at least 12 to 13 hours given more things to do within it. However, there is more than enough substance in gameplay for how long it does last. Which does emphasize quality over quantity.

Storyline – 7/10

The story of Alwa’s Awakening follows a girl called Zoe, who is playing video games one night. And after dozing off, she finds herself in the land of Alwa, where her favorite video game is set. And she is thrust into a quest in order to save the land for real. The plot itself may be quite straightforward, but there are certain aspects of it that do well to foster an air of mystery about the game, as was customary among NES titles in the console’s heyday. It’s a nice touch the developers added that makes the game more enjoyable to play through overall.

Originality – 7/10

Taking everything into account, I was impressed with how many unique aspects there were within this game compared to other classic 2D titles. As someone who first started out playing video games on the NES, my first ever video game being Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers, it was refreshing to take a step back from AAA mainstream titles. And play a game that not only hearkens back to the days of gaming simplicity. But also offers something different from any other NES title.

In summation, Alwa’s Awakening is a welcome addition to the ever-growing indie scene and a definitive joy to play. There’s great gameplay, atmospheric visuals, an excellent soundtrack. And a level of challenge that will satisfy all classes of third-generation gamers.

Score

46.5/60

7.5/10 (Good)

Play Manchester 2016

Leave a reply

The beginning of October marked the fifth year of the Play Manchester gaming expo held at Event City venue. With it’s usual and varied blend of retro gaming cabinets, upcoming indie titles on display, and a wider array of new upcoming mainstream releases than last year’s proceedings, Play Manchester 2016 was even more exciting and diverse than in 2015, and just are star-studded in addition with a special panel present that I shall be covering further in the article. First, I perused the various indie games that were on show at the event, and I was impressed with the amount of range of different gameplay ideas and conceptual designs that the new up and coming developers had to showcase.

Snake Pass

snake-pass

The first indie game I came across was a 3D platformer unlike any other. Developed by Sumo Digital, Snake Pass is a game in which the player controls a snake in order to slither around a series of levels and hunting collectible items throughout. Players must learn to take full advantage of the game’s insanely unique control mechanics to reach high places, overcome imposing obstacles and puzzles, and leave no stone unturned, as there are plenty of items to collect through each level, it seemed. What impressed me most about this game, in addition to it’s impressive-looking visuals, was the game’s style of play. With a completely different take on getting around levels and uncovering secrets, it plays out like no other 3D platformer I’ve ever come across. The developer also explained to me various ways that players could choose to play the game, ranging from emphasis on speed, elegance or thoroughness. I personally believe if the developers plan to integrate this idea into the game further, it would most probably add even more replayability to it, but in the state that it was in at the time, it still impressed me very much.

http://www.sumo-digital.com/snakepass/#

@SumoDigitalLtd

Dragon Bros

dragon-bros

Having discovered a greater fondness for side scrolling shooters since I first started blogging, having played more games like Contra and Metal Slug, I was also particularly amazed by another indie game made largely in the same vein, but with a very interesting twist on conceptual design. Dragon Bros, developed by the aptly named Space Lizard Studios, the game is insanely action-packed, filled with breathtaking pixel art and seemed a lot more accessible than the like of Contra; especially the first three games in the series. For me, Dragon Bros was my pick for the best indie title on display at this year’s proceedings; it was the most fun and addictive game, as well as the most interesting in terms of conceptual design. Though comparisons can be drawn between it and Bubble Bobble, since the main characters are two dragons coloured both green and blue, it takes place in a much different kind of world reminiscent of science fiction rather than the cutesy fantasy settings of the former.

http://spacelizardstudio.com/work/dragon-bros/

@SpaceLizardSt

Mao Mao Castle

img_0475

Another game on display I become insanely addicted to, and have been playing frequently ever since the show, is Mao Mao Castle. Created by Asobi Tech, the game is an on-rail free-to-play browser game requiring the player to take advantage of various different mechanics to rack up as many points as possible to attain the highest score possible. The story centres around a cat with supernatural abilities trying to find a way home to a levitating castle in the skies. Reminiscent of the 8-BIT era, it takes influence in terms of conceptual design largely from the varied works of Studio Ghibli; made even more obvious by the fact that the developers had a plushy of the Cat Bus from My Neighbour Totoro perched on top of the projector used to display the game. Usually the game is controlled using a PC mouse, but the version on display at the show used motion controls, and plushies were up for grabs for anyone who could rack up exceptionally high scores. I managed to win one of the three available plushies, and have been racking up higher scores ever since. I highly recommend this game, as it excels in gameplay above even many mainstream releases, as well as it stands out amongst indie games. The link to play is below:

http://aso.bi/maomao/

Unbox

unbox

Another 3D platformer with a difference came in form of Unbox developed by Prospect Games. The player must customize and control their own box-shaped character, and have a wide range of different gameplay modes to choose from, include four-way multiplayer competitive modes, challenge modes, an adventure mode, and even a kart-racing mode; all of which can played to unlock new outfits for their box character, and to attain a wide range of collectibles like in Snake Pass, or most 3D platformers meeting industry standards. Just as unique as the former, it provides an extremely different take on the genre compared to games such as Super Mario 64, Jak & Daxter and Banjo-Kazooie, but also coming with possibly an even greater amount of variety in gameplay and potentially more replayability. Though it may not be as revolutionary as any of the aforementioned titles were at the time of their respective releases, it’s certainly an evolutionary title, and did stand out os one of the better games on display at the event.

http://www.unboxgame.com/

@ProspectGames

Sub Level Zero

sub-level-zero

Another one of my favourite games on display at this year’s Play Manchester was Sub Level Zero; a lovingly crafted Roguelike shooter reminiscent of the classic game Descent developed some of it’s devout fans at Sigtrap Games. Procedurally generated, and with a map system heavily influenced by the Metroid Prime series, which I found to be particularly impressive, as well as surprisingly easy to interface with, Sub Level Zero also has a heavy influence on player character development, with upgrades for grabs, as well as a wide variety of different weapons to use during combat. In lieu of Roguelike tradition, it also offers a fair bit of legitimate challenge, like the likes of Rogue Legacy and Ziggurat. One of many games in display taking advantage of Virtual Reality Headset technology, this game also did extremely well to further alleviate what scepticisms I previously had with the idea back when I first tried the Oculus Rift last year at Play Blackpool. I found that it was a great deal of fun with the addition of VR technology, and made me believe to a greater extent that the concept will be able take off in time.

http://www.sigtrapgames.com/sublevelzero/

@SIGTRAPgames

Hyper Sentinel

hyper-sentinel

The last indie title I tried out was another space-based shooter reminiscent of the arcade classic Defender. Hyper Sentinel, developed by Ian Hewson, son of industry legend Andrew Hewson of Hewson Consultants who appeared on a panel at last year’s Play Blackpool show, it centres on not only shooting down various enemies that appear on-screen, but also collecting power-ups and defeating a boss at each level; normally in the form of a giant spaceship, somewhat reminiscent of Bosconian. Though it may not have been the most unique title on display at the event, with it’s influences blatantly obvious, it does o well to stand out from the game of it’s inspiration in terms of conceptual design, and was also quite fun to play too. It certainly presents as much of a challenge as the arcade classic, and is a must-try for any fan of the arcade era.

http://www.hypersentinel.com/

@HewsonJoystick

Tekken 7: First Impressions

tekken-7

One of many different upcoming AAA titles that were available to try out at Play Manchester this year was Tekken 7. After being sorely disappointed by the previous game, with it’s less than impressive conceptual design, many characters coming across as far too generic, and it’s almost impossible difficulty level at times, I was quite relieved to see how much the seventh game improved on the sixth in every aspect. I was also impressed to see how fluently it plays out in comparison to even the original trilogy of Tekken games, with moves being much easier and less frustrating to pull off. Also, like what Capcom have done with the advent of Street Fighter V, and what NetherRealm studios did with Mortal Kombat X, the developers have seemed to branch out conceptually in terms of character design, but in a way that still makes the game feel like it belongs to the series without them being too generic in design. Akuma from Street Fighter is also a welcome addition following relatively recent crossovers between the two series’. It also makes me excited for what additional characters Capcom may decide to add for when they will inevitably update Street Fighter V.

WWE 2K17: First Impressions

wwe-2k17

The main attraction on show in terms of AAA releases however, as officially announced by Paul Heyman of the WWE, was WWE 2K17. Boasting new wrestlers, a new submission system and the inclusion of Goldberg on pre-order, it marks the fourth WWE released since the publishing rights were acquired by 2K Games, and features all the usual gameplay modes synonymous with WWE games, such as the Triple Threat match, Fatal 4 Way, Royal Rumble and of course, the career mode; as well as the facility to create wrestlers. It is without a doubt the best looking WWE game ever developed, but in terms of gameplay, it did take me a little bit of getting used to; especially since I haven’t played a WWE game since the sixth generation, about the time when I grew out of it as a kid. Regardless, especially after getting used to the submission system, and being able to thoroughly enjoy the game for what it is, I was pretty satisfied with how the newer developers have managed gameplay in comparison to classic WWE games like War Zone, Attitude and Wrestlemania 2000. Though the Attitude era remains my favourite time of the company’s history, it was good to see how the WWE video game formula has been worked upon and handled in a way that works extremely well after so long.

The Tomb Raider Panel

img_0447

In terms of guest speakers, however, the main attraction was the assembly of and talk with many of the developers of the original Tomb Raider from Core Design to commemorate the franchise’s 20-year anniversary; many of the panel not having seen each other in as many years. The panel consisted of Jeremy Heath-Smith, the game’s executive producer and co-founder of Core Design, Natalie Cook, who was the original character model for Lara Croft, Richard Morton, who was the lead game, level and environment designer for every game up to Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, Gavin Rummery, who was the lead programmer for Angel of Darkness, Heather Gibson, another level designer for the first two games, Andy Sandham, who designed levels and wrote the scripts for the third game, as well as The Last Revelation and Tomb Raider: Chronicles, Murti Schofield, who wrote the story of Angel of Darkness, Nathan McCree, who composed the original soundtrack for the first two games, and finally Stuart Atkinson, who worked as an artist on the second game. The panel were also to be joined by former Eidos Interactive CEO and industry legend Ian Livingstone, but he unfortunately had to pull out due to ill health. Regardless, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Mr. Livingstone a full recovery.

The panel proceeded to provide an in-depth analysis of how and why Lara Croft was designed the way she was, and how the games themselves were designed the way they were and in what manner, and how both Lara Croft and Tomb Raider gradually went from a unique video gaming idea into a cultural phenomenon, and how it has managed to have such a profound effect on the industry as it has. Questioned were also raised by the audience concerning the reboot of the Tomb Raider series from Crystal Dynamics, and also about the degree of influence Naughty Dog took from Tomb Raider to develop their own Uncharted series. The team responded quite sternly in their answer to the Uncharted question in particular, commenting how many of the various gameplay features were heavily inspired by Tomb Raider, and the long-time Tomb Raider fans in the audience responded fittingly with an astonishing round of applause. Though I may personally prefer Uncharted to Tomb Raider, mostly due to the better start that Uncharted had in terms of controls, credit is due where it is due, and the team deserve props for helping to pioneer one of the most memorable video game series of all time, and so there response was justified in my opinion. Uncharted may have homed the great gameplay concept, but Tomb Raider established it, and has contributed a great deal to the popularity that gaming garnishes today. Especially with the recent release of Rise of the Tomb Raider on PlayStation 4, the talk with the panel was an appropriate reflection on where Tomb Raider has gone, where it is going now, and where it could go in the future. It was extremely exciting to sit in on an extremely insightful presentation, and the made 2016’s Play Expo proceedings all the better for it.

Overall, Play Manchester 2016 was a thrilling experience, and would like to take the opportunity to thank the organisers at Replay Events for the making it the best event it could possibly be, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing them next year.

 

Pierhead Arcade: First Impressions

pierhead-arcade

As a bonus, before I headed out to Manchester, Mechabit Games, a Liverpool-based developer, also invited me to try out the latest game they have been working on. Mechabit, who developed the RTS game Kaiju Panic, which was on display at Play Manchester 2015, and won my personal choice for best indie game of that year (shameless plug is shameless), have been working on a virtual reality game called Pierhead Arcade; a collection of interactive fairground games based in a virtual reality amusement arcade. After only having limited experience with VR gaming beforehand, I saw as an excellent opportunity to finally get hands on with the technology involved, so to speak. I wasn’t disappointed.

As I outlined in my Play Blackpool 2015 article, ever since I first heard about plans from of the industry incorporating virtual reality into gaming, I had a great deal of scepticism following the ill-fated release of such platforms as the Nintendo Virtual Boy, and early examples of motion controls before the Wii, such as the Nintendo Power Glove. Since first trying it, and going on to briefly trying it again at different expos, my scepticisms were gradually becoming all the lesser, as I slowly learned to understand how it could work if problems I would encounter would be fixed, such as blurry screens etc, and if there was adequate developer support for these platforms. But now after having seen games such as Battle Zone, and then having seen how much indie developers are beginning to support the platform along with mainstream developers, I now believe this may very well could be a future of gaming that could establish itself as here to stay; provided that developer support will continue, as what is looking increasingly likely, since the technology was on display at other major gaming expos this year, such as E3, Gamescom and EGX.

Pierhead Arcade itself not only takes advantage of this potentially successful technology, but presents players with an astonishing amount of variety, with games like Whack-A-Mole, Shuffleboard, Binary Dash and Skeeball to name but a few. The objective is to earn as many tickets as possible that can be cashed in for prizes, much like in most amusement arcades. There are also a couple of extras in the game, such as a claw machine, and a reception desk with various toys that can be played with, such as building blocks. Overall, the variety is staggering, and the game will make for hours of fun. I may do a full review of this game in the future, I would recommend that VR gamers try it out. Following up Kaiju Panic was always going to be a challenge for Mechabit in my opinion, but with this title, I’d say they’ve done a particularly good job of doing so.

In summation, I would like to again thank the organisers at Replay Events for providing me, as well as countless gamers across the country, with truly memorable experiences at the various Play Expo events this year, and I hope that you guys enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Game on,

Scouse Gamer 88

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Nintendo Entertainment System)

Leave a reply

Zelda II

Developer(s) – Nintendo R&D 4

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director(s) – Tadashi Sugiyama & Yoichi Yamada

Producer(s) – Shigeru Miyamoto

PEGI – 3

Released the year after the original game, and to universal acclaim and sales eventually peaking at over 4 million units worldwide, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link made many radical departures from the first game. Whilst exploration and travel were handled using the top-down perspective synonymous with the first Legend of Zelda, combat was represented through a 2D side-scrolling perspective. And works very similarly to games such as Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest.

Thus it joined a class of NES sequels that were drastically different from their predecessors. Alongside Double Dragon II: The Revenge, Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters, and most famously, Super Mario Bros 2. Personally, I found that although this formula has never been able to quite match the same level of enjoyment with the classic top-down Zelda formula used in the likes of A Link to the Past or A Link Between Worlds, I still found the first game extremely entertaining. And a strong entry in the series that still holds up even after almost 30 years.

Graphics – 8/10

Making a significant departure from its predecessor, the second game in the Legend of Zelda series displayed many improvements in visual presentation from a technical standpoint. Sprites and scenery are much more detailed, and there is an abundance of enemy variety. Some of which have gone on to become staples of the series. Such as the Moblins, the Iron Knuckles, and perhaps most notably, Dark Link.

In the timeline of the series, this game is the latest following the game-over scenario in Ocarina of Time, which leads to the decline of the land of Hyrule. So like many of the games in the series, it has a level of conceptual design that has since continued to deviate away from many familiar elements like Hyrule Castle and Kakariko Village. And thus, it still continues to stand out in this respect. It’s also interesting to consider how the names of towns in this game were later reworked into other entries. Most notably, Ocarina of Time.

Gameplay – 7/10

The developers adopted a style of play for the second Zelda game that went against almost everything the original game was based on. And a style of play that has not really been seen in the series since. Instead of the game solely focusing on the bird’s eye view synonymous with 2D Zelda games, the developers instead opted to use 2D side-scrolling mechanics for the combat side and even incorporated a classic RPG style of play whereby Link would level up in order to become stronger over time.

Whilst Nintendo has never chosen to focus on this style of play again (and most definitely for the better in my opinion), it still made for a particularly fun game; certainly one of the better titles on the NES. Combat is addictive. As well as challenging. Whilst it may not have been innovative for the time. Since it was largely based on games such as Castlevania and Faxanadu, it still worked surprisingly well.

Controls – 9/10

Both styles of play portrayed in the game were quite prominent at the time. Especially 2D side-scrolling. So there are no problems with this game for the most part. The mechanic of the player having to periodically switch between both was seamlessly handled, and combat was handled almost as well as most other games it was based on. The only bad thing I would say about it, as was indeed the case with a fair few side scrollers on the NES (most notably both Castlevania and Mega Man) is that the controls can at times be a little bit stiff and slow to register player commands. Which adds an unnecessary degree of annoyance. Thankfully, since this game is much more accessible than both the aforementioned examples, it doesn’t cause anywhere near as much of a problem.

Lifespan – 8/10

In all, Zelda II can take around 3 and a half hours to complete to 100%, which by today’s standards may seem like nothing. But it was exceptionally long for the time. Generally, games took little more than an hour to complete. But there were exceptions made to this rule in titles such as the first two Zelda games. As well as Metroid, Dragon Warrior, and Final Fantasy. Though it may be understandable to wish for a longer lifespan since the game is certainly addictive enough to warrant at least a few more hours of play, hardware limitations at that time should be taken into consideration.

Storyline – 8/10

The story of the second game takes place some years after the first game during the era of Hyrule’s decline. Princess Zelda has fallen under a sleeping spell. And it is up to Link to seek out Zelda’s caretaker Impa to find a way of breaking the curse. As well as stop followers of the evil wizard Ganon. Who plans to kill Link and use his blood to bring their master back to Hyrule.

Interestingly, I found that Zelda II introduced many darker aspects of the series that would also be seen in later entries. Such as mature themes and hints of ritualistic behavior reminiscent of the likes of Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess. It’s considered a black sheep of the series in terms of gameplay by most fans. But I believe it can also be considered as such in terms of the story since it has a fairly prominent dark undertone to it. Although games at the time generally relied on players reading the manual, for the most part. It, of course, adds to the experience of looking for things like this within the actual game.

Originality – 8/10

As I previously mentioned, Zelda II belongs to a group of sequels that were drastically different from their predecessors. And consequently, this game stands out much more than many others at the time. But in all, in a positive way. Though there would be many future games in the series released that would surpass the quality of this entry, it’s still an extremely pleasurable experience in its own right. This is owed largely to how much it stands out from the rest of the entire Zelda saga.

Happii

Overall, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a very strong entry, both despite and because of how different it is from any other Zelda game. And I would recommend it like I would recommend most others in the series. Exploration is rewarded greatly, combat is very addictive. And in my opinion, it is a game that is likely to hold up for another 30 years.

Score

48/60

8/10 (Very Good)