Crystalis
Reviewed by Matt Hull
One thing that you must NEVER do is avoid playing games for a
company that you aren't familiar with. We all like Konami, Capcom,
Nintendo, and Taito but is that all? I mean look at American Sammy!!
They produced Vice: Project Doom!! (one of the best side scrollers ever)
Now to the main subject of this review. I was hesitated to get this
game because it was made by SNK. They weren't THAT good were they?
YES THEY ARE. (were) I can't think of ANY other SNK games that are good
but this one takes the cake. Not only is it my favorite adventure/RPG
game but it even tops Zelda!! (IMO) Before I go on let me just mention
something. For adventure/RPG games, I don't include any action
games like Mega Man or Metroid and I don't include any adventure
games (that are side scrolling) like Faxanadu. The layout is what
distinguishes adventure/RPG games. That sense of depth and
LARGENESS not to mention multiple routes. Yet I don't include the
Dragon Warrior series because it takes skill and agility in adventure/RPG
games while you simply use commands and magic in DW games and
other hard core RPG's. (which isn't a bad thing...the DW series ROCKS!!) :)
You control you movements and whether or not an enemy hits you in
adventure/RPG games. Here are a few games that I consider to be
adventure/RPG's: Crystalis, Willow, Zelda 1 and 2, Star Tropics 1 and 2, etc...
To the game! :) Crystalis is a standard adventure/RPG is that you must
find items, fight enemies to gain experience, and achieve many different
goals. (like getting the windmill to start up) Note that an adventure/RPG
doesn't HAVE to have an experience system but it helps make for a stronger
game.
Anyway, I'll say flat out what REALLY makes Crystalis fun and exciting.
The storyline makes you want to keep playing the game until you beat it.
It isn't like the standard adventure/RPG. Most take some time to get
involved but not this one. It's GREAT from the beginning. I don't know if
there are any other NES games (except for hard core RPG's) that have as
many people to talk to as this one. Not only that, but depending on the
situations, people will tell you different things than last time. You
HAVE to try it to understand.
The experience/fighting system is probably the best that I've seen
for a game of this genre. The hero in Crystalis has EXCELLENT agility
and control so it doesn't take forever to get from place to place. Some
of the spells like Teleport make it REALLY easy to get where you want
to go quickly. One of the neatest spells is the "Change" spell. You can
transform into one of 4 characters and people will talk to you differently.
You'll need to find out where to use each of these 4 characters to get
either an item or to get a person to talk. There are LOTS of cool items
that you can get like the Warrior's Ring and Deo's Pendant. The most
valuable special item has to be the Magic Ring which fills up your magic
points. GET THEM if you haven't played this game before because you will
need them!! :)
The graphics in Crystalis are clear, colorful, and not overly detailed
yet detailed enough. They differ from place to place too and are just
plain EXCELLENT. In adventure/RPG's the second most important
element besides the storyline/layout of the game has to be the music.
This adds to the feel of the story and if the music fits the storyline
(like in Shyron) then you've got yourself one GREAT game!! The music
in Crystalis is GREAT because there are LOTS of themes that have
variety and different feel. Not only that, but it's not annoying either!!
You'll hear certain themes a LONG time while building up experience
points but they don't get annoying! Crystalis has EXCELLENT graphics
and music. The sound effects are also terrific. (gotta love that sound
with you hit the enemy)
I've already mentioned control but it is easy and crisp but detailed
enough to make for a BIG game. There are TONS of items to be had
and utilizing them is so easy.
To answer any questions about challenge, you'll find it in this game.
DO NOT use ANY magazines, FAQs, or walkthroughs for this game (like
I did recently) and you will have a BLAST and a true adventure. The
final areas will prove to be VERY challenging yet fun and not too hard.
It is SO awesome how SNK put this game together. It's so fun yet a
challenge. That is a VERY VERY hard task to accomplish.
Finally, the game Crystalis is VERY fun. You can save your game in
two slots and play the game another time. You should get around 50
hours out of this game if you don't use walkthroughs or stuff like that.
Believe me, I've only scratched the surface to this GREAT game. If you
can find it, GET IT!! :) One last note. The bosses and enemies on Crystalis
are AWESOME!! (especially near the end) Here's my ratings for Crystalis:
Overall: 4.9 out of 5
Graphics: 4.8 out of 5
Music/Sound Effects: 4.7 out of 5
Play Control: 4.8 out of 5
Challenge/Lasting Interest: 4.5 out of 5
Storyline: 5.0 out of 5
Funfactor: 4.8 out of 5