From the same developer that brought us Saint Seiya - Ougon Densetsu Kanketsu Hen comes this gem, and only a year later. Because disgracing just Masami Kurumada was not enough I guess, so Akira Miyashita joins the fold of the many many people who'se work got bastardised by TOSE.
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The "progress" map which comes up so
rarely you'll forget it even exists most of
the time. |
Now let's get something straight here. This game is not as bad as Saint Seiya ODKH (hereafter reffered to, somewhat incorrectly, as Saint Seiya 2). Almost nothing on this earth is. That's not to say this game is good, but I'm just giving credit where credit is due in that TOSE in a mere one year's time managed to learn to make a game who'se mechanics are comprehensible to non Harvard graduates and that even theoreticaly respond in a way which can be replicated when the need arises. But don't fret, the absolute monotonous game length and the complete lack of any entertainment are still retained to preserve that classic TOSE feeling.
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And the game begins. And never even remotely
looks like anything else but this. |
Not being familiar with the source material this time around, I can't realy say how much this game tarnishes the original's good name, but I will probably wager a guess and say the manga at least depicts the characters distinctly, and doesn't instead resort to having them share the same model except for the one on one fights. This is especialy heinous since playing as the different characters would most likely be one of the main reasons why anyone would even buy this game at the time. Because TOSE never develops for anything but a currently running series it seems and it's pretty bad when there's something I can say Saint Seiya 2 actualy did better. Once again, not good mind you, better.
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And no, putting piranhas in your game hasn't
been original since Super Mario Brothers TOSE. |
The game is basicly just a dirt simple action side scroling beat em up....almost. Because we all know the that if TOSE would have to actualy develop something and not try to "improve" it in some way then they'd need alot of snowplows down in Hell. You have to wander around entering doors and try to find your way to the boss. Every place looks pretty much like every place else and an incorrect choice simply loops you back out. The enemies are usualy the exact same (and the game only has three sprites for them anyway) so that doesn't help. Later on the game adds moving platforms, necessity to go down trap-like shafts (some of which simply loop you back out) or hitting a completely invisible wall that prevents you from passing until it doesn't anymore.
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The begining of the game, with every character selected
in turn. |
You have two attacks, a short punch and a much longer kick. Normaly this would be enough but the enemies can guard against your moves at least 50 % of the time so you will most likely take dammage. You will definitely take dammage from the invisible holes that are on every level that have no indication of them being there and you will fall into every time unless you just happen to jump over them. The only way to recover health for your specific character is to either find a random guy in a random door who will refill it or....a chorus. (Edit: this does make sense in context of the series)
Yeah you basicly select the option, then the amount of health to be refilled, some guys come onscreen and start singing and your health increases by the amount you set earlier, decreasing the overall amount availible when selecting this option. You can also select this and not replenish any health, for what reason I don't know.
As noted your characters look and behave identicaly, except in the boss fights where you suddenly get new sprites and actualy varying abilities. One of the guy's has a sword, but he loses this the moment he's knocked down once, so it's not much of a plus. The other's usualy have some variety of punches, (the last guy having no immediately visible improved attack ability but he does backflips), one guy has a knife that never falls out of his hand, and one of the bosses that later joins you makes supper fast kicks but seems realy hard to move around.
The bosses themselves just reuse the handfull of rooms availible, and mostly have a very basic run-up-and-hit-you type of strategy. Beating them refills you no health for said character when going to the next level.
And then the game simply goes on and on....and on. At first it changes scenery every two levels but then the last area has around five levels that take place in it and nothing ever realy changes. There's somewhere around 18 levels and the game stops being even the slightest bit entertaining around level 8. At least Saint Seiya 2 had a reason for being as overly long as it was, here it seems completely nonsensical.
In the end, there is nothing you'll remember about this game, and frankly there is nothing here that deserves it.
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