Legend of Xanadu II

~ THE LEGEND OF XANADU II ~

Falcom

Super CD-ROM

1995

I've played through this magnificent action-RPG a good five or six times now. It's a grand, beautiful adventure game that is far too easy and criminally short; it doesn't come anywhere close to its predecessor in terms of challenge or scope. However, that might not be a negative for people who don't feel like contending with a daunting language barrier. This episode is quite easy to get into and enjoy, and judging by my own experiences, it has fantastic replay value.

The action is still primarily bump-and-run Ys-style fare, but combat is more entertaining here thanks to the inclusion of actual attack animations. You still send Areios crashing into his foes as if he's a speedy, maniacal linebacker, but now he hacks away with his sword as you do it. Your computer-controlled allies get attack styles of their own: while you're doing your slashing, Lykos may be tossing knives; Pyrra, hurling fireballs; and Media, shooting arrows, with lots of enemies facing the group at once. Field excursions feel extremely exciting and chaotic with all that action going on, even though the gameplay is still a matter of bumping at heart.

While the first game places much of its focus on puzzles and fetch-quest-type tasks, this one concentrates on elements of combat and exploration. It plops you down in vast, beautiful locations and has you hack your way across the land, enjoying the amazing scenery as you go. I must emphasize that "beautiful" part, as these are amazing visuals that set the standard for PCE action-RPGs.

The music, though mostly chip fare just as before, is also brilliant, especially the dramatic final-dungeon track. I usually don't turn up the volume very high while I'm playing video games, as I'm a mild-mannered fellow and all, but I definitely cranked it for some of these tunes.

Now, the lack of puzzles is disappointing, as there are so many cleverly constructed ones in the first game. Here, the most puzzling conundrum is how exactly Pyrra suddenly became hot. (Even Areios seems baffled by this.)

Also a little disappointing is the omission of full-length side-view stages, as only the boss fights are played from such a perspective. The artwork on display during these fights actually doesn't live up to the visual standards set by the action strips in the first LoX, but there's a fantastic gauntlet at the very end here.

Most of what I'm citing as disappointments are things that bother me only because I'm comparing this game to its predecessor; if you haven't played the first one, you'll of course be judging this episode on its own strong merits.

Among those merits is town design. LoX2 features some gorgeous, enormous towns, very atypical in design for 16-bit metropolises. Now, milling around these gargantuan villages will be anything but enjoyable for folks who want to get right to the action, but if you're the type who likes a leisurely pace and you enjoy taking in the sights on offer as you stroll about fantasy towns, you'll love this for sure, as everything from a humble hut in the woods to a giant urban seaport looks absolutely wonderful.

I'm somewhat fickle when it comes to my view on how the two LoXs compare. When I've played them back to back, I've found the first to be the more impressive game, as it's so much more challenging and rewarding. But over the years I've generally held LoX2 in higher regard because I'm a sucker for its visuals, tunes, and chaotic combat and I've been enticed to return to it twice as often. But now more than ever I realize that it's pointless to compare the two. They are both brilliant and constitute a significant reason the Duo is undoubtedly the best system ever for action-RPGs. Buy them both, unless you really don't want to deal with the language issue in the first one, in which case you should still acquire the second.

Sylphia

~ SYLPHIA ~

Compile / Tonkin House

Super CD-ROM

1993

An elusive Compile-designed blaster with a mythological theme, Sylphia is one of the PC Engine games I most looked forward to playing. I found out about it just as it had started to garner attention as a rarity and was becoming extremely expensive, so I had to wait an incredibly long time before coming across a good deal on it. Upon acquiring the disc, I felt so relieved that my search was over that I didn't particularly care whether or not the game itself was very good--but that's exactly what it turned out to be.

Its greatest asset is its diverse enemy cast. This isn't one of those shooters where you face most of the same fools in the fifth level as you do in the first. Cool new creatures pop up every step of the way, with some of the most interesting ones appearing in the stormy sky stage.

The tunes travel an unexpected techno route and are incredibly cool, especially the memorably melancholy title-screen theme. Sadly, the volume of the in-game music is very low, but the turned-down tracks still make good impressions. The bittersweet ending also makes a positive impact, and "stage clear" screens offer stylish previews of what's to come in the levels that follow them.

The weapons are Compile style all the way, but the game doesn't feel like other 16-bit Compile verts (such as Blazing Lazers and Spriggan). This isn't an unwelcome difference, as there are plenty enough of those 16-bit "Aleste-style" shooters. There's still lots of action here; the highest difficulty mode in particular feels hectic in the manner that a good, solid shoot-'em-up challenge should (in other words, it isn't a mere mess of projectiles). And the bosses and midbosses are enormous mythological monstrosities.

The only thing about Sylphia that really disappointed me is its background art. Some strips are bland and boring, while others employ hideous color combinations. There are some cool visual bits (the underwater stretch in Stage 3, the clouds in Stage 7, the aqueduct shown in the following screen) but not enough.

Sylphia won't blow you away. A number of other PCE CD verticals (including Spriggan, Sapphire, and Nexzr) are vastly superior to it. But it's a very good game, one worth purchasing if you find a good deal on it or consider money to be no object.

Spriggan

~ SPRIGGAN ~

Compile / Naxat Soft

CD-ROM

1991

For a new PCE owner looking for a quality shooter, I'd say this is the safest bet aside from Gate of Thunder. Spriggan boasts addictive Aleste-style gameplay; a well-implemented fantasy theme; cool level settings including a beautiful city in the clouds, a creepy insect lair, a factory flooded with awesome-looking lava, and a castle containing a portal to outer space; an atmospheric soundtrack featuring an excellent end-credits tune; gigantic bosses ranging from mutant beasts to mechanical dragons; and a fast-paced score-attack mode.

The game's most noteworthy element may well be its make-your-own-weapon power-up system, which allows players to create all sorts of screen-rocking armaments. Mix and match elemental-based pods (which double as highly destructive bombs) to construct devastating concoctions. Overpower your enemies with slow-moving tornadoes that ravage everything in their path. Enjoy the benefits of wave beams flanking your mecha while dual-stream missiles are constantly launched forth. Summon an aquatic satellite for protection, or inundate the playfield with enormous dancing fireballs.

Due in large part to the remarkable attacks your mecha is capable of unleashing, Spriggan is an easy game, never nearly as challenging or as intense as Blazing Lazers' last few levels. But that's about the only possible flaw to be found in it. It's one of my favorite PCE CD verticals, ranking just behind Nexzr, which has better music, superior cinematics, a higher level of challenge, and more-rewarding gameplay--if inferior weaponry and background graphics.

Protect serene structures of crystal, glass, and stone from soaring sorcerers, aerial attack bases, and a brazen bronze behemoth.

Brilliant visuals lend the game an aspect of beauty: behold the gorgeous waterfall that plays home to steel piranhas in Area 2. Fend off the one-eyed beasts to reach the peak of the cascade, where you'll receive a touchingly warm welcome.

Meticulous attention was paid not only to background art but also to enemy designs. A winged battle-craft and a sickle-wielding gladiator are among the impressive adversaries you'll encounter.

The game does nothing special cinematically, but scenes showing your mecha surveying post-boss-fight carnage do look very good.

Area 3's creepy den of vermin is a veritable gauntlet of terror that pits you against gargantuan spiders, wall-busting worms, and a spiny toad who keeps right on fighting after his head's been blasted off.

Area 4's vibrant, violent, searing sea of lava looks absolutely awesome, as does the gigantic missile-toting boss.

Survive the ogre-inhabited corridors of a dimly lit castle to face off against a gigantic sorcerer. Annihilate the warlock and the floor will give way, revealing a portal leading into outer space, where you'll be forced to fight a robotic dragon.

The final level hosts enormous cannons that fire off massive giga beams in a last-ditch attempt to defeat you. I'm not quite sure what happened to my mecha in this screen, but I don't think it was anything good. ^_^;

That's all right. I lived to fight another day.

Final Zone II

~ FINAL ZONE II ~

Telenet / NEC

1990

CD-ROM

I gave Final Zone II a try as soon as I'd obtained it, completed it during that same first session, and didn't bother with it again for ages. The vertically scrolling run-and-gun action wasn't wholly unsatisfying, but it was lackluster, and I decided I'd rather participate in message-board discussions mocking the silly songs, horrible voice acting, and dopey cinemas than actually experience them again. I've paid the game another couple of visits since the lengthy moratorium, and I'm never very happy with how it starts off. The first two stages are quite ugly, and the stop-and-start gameplay they feature (take a few steps, kill a few soldiers, stumble forward another few steps...) doesn't do much for me.

The worst doesn't come until Stage 3, however, when FZ2 decides to indulge in shoot-'em-up tomfoolery. The strip is unbelievably slow, dull, and primitive looking.

But then comes the turning point.

Upon reaching Stage 4 and being given the chance to do so, I always choose to play as bald, oafish Hansen (one of a number of playable characters that can be used over the course of the affair). His goofy theme music is so hilarious and absurd that it actually makes me laugh. Plus, the action, while still not thrilling, actually begins to pick up a bit. By Stage 5, there are plenty of bullets to dodge, and even though the game is still very easy, it at least keeps the player active.

Also, some of the music is actually pretty good, and I don't mean as a target of mockery. Main-character Bowie's theme is solid, and the memorable boss tune is a number that would fit right in on one of Telenet's high-quality Valis soundtracks.

However, while the second half of the adventure contains some respectable action sequences and the soundtrack is always entertaining, the game never actually threatens to become good. It's simply deficient in too many areas: it's way too short and easy, the first few levels are wastes of time, the graphics are poor, the lack of real power-ups means lack of variety, and there are too few "true" bosses.

Also, most of the voice acting is atrocious. Some of it is acceptable, though. My lost cousin Zigfriedovich once expressed the belief that the character Hanna was voiced by the same VA who did Robotech's Lisa Hayes. I'm pretty sure he was right about this, and I think that Hansen was voiced by the same guy who did George Sullivan for the RT episode "Star Dust." Strange that NEC got decent actors for Hanna and Hansen but a complete bum for Bowie, the hero of the affair.