Dragon Warrior (Chunsoft 1989)

The world of Alefgard was cloaked in darkness until a brave warrior used an item called the Ball of Light to drive off the forces of darkness. After this, a period of peace lasted for many generations until one day the Ball of Light was stolen by an evil wizard calling himself the Dragonlord. This resulted in evil flooding back into the world and monsters roaming everywhere. The people start looking for a hero to bring back peace again and it just so happens that you are a descendant of the original hero. Looks like it's time to go on a quest again.

It's about time that Dragon Warrior got an English conversion. This game came out way back in 1986 in Japan under the title Dragon Quest and it's only now three years later that the game reached western shores. Thankfully the game was given some minor graphical improvements but overall it still looks pretty dated. Unlike other Role Playing Games you play through the entire game by yourself and have no help from party members. You still have some weapons and items to use as well as magic spells to cast. The game reminded me a lot of some of the earlier Ultima titles with a similar world map and town layout. Your quest to retrieve the Ball of Light and defeat the Dragonlord ultimately boils down to finding items to allow access to his castle and gaining enough experience to survive the final showdown. There are very little puzzles in the game and most of the time you're just fighting random creatures or looking for a certain item.

The game has only a few towns and even less dungeons so it's pretty hard to get stuck or lost. There are a few obscure parts where you have to find an item that's quite well hidden but overall there's nothing here to really tax the brain cells. The gameplay is quite simplistic but that's hardly surprising for such an old game. The game has a bit more animations than the original and maybe a bit more color here and there but overall the game looks pretty much the same as the three year old Japanese version. Only a few sprites seem to have been changed here and there and as far as I can tell the game plays exactly the same.

The music in the game is quite good although a bit more variations in the tunes would have been nice. Don't even expect to hear sound effects though. Controls are the usual RPG fare although Dragon Warrior seems to like its menu system a bit more than other similar games. Where you usually just have to walk over stairs to go up and down in this game you have to stand on the stairs and then go into the menu to choose the "stairs" option. Likewise with doors that are locked. This can be pretty annoying at first but you'll soon grow used to it.

Playing as a single character instead of a group means you have fewer people to worry about but combat can also be a lot tougher. There is only one place in the entire game where you can save and this is at the castle. This means you have to trek all the way back there each time you want to switch off. Fortunately the gameworld isn't that big and you have a few items and spells to get you there faster. Dying also dumps you back here although you do lose some money as a penalty.

While Dragon Warrior doesn't come close to the Final Fantasy series it's still challenging and interesting enough to warrant a play. Hard-core role playing fans will enjoy the challenge although it has to be said that gaining levels takes quite a long time. The game is also quite slow paced and there is virtually no plot revelations or twists while you play. The game can also become quite tedious at times as you slog your way through armies of monsters to reach a location. A few more boss monsters, some new story elements and a few other minor improvements and Dragon Warrior could have been a classic. As it is, it is still a solid and entertaining title. 

[8]

Air Fortress (HAL Laboratory 1989)

When the peaceful people of the planet Farmel started exploring the galaxy they were understandable a bit upset when they found eight planet destroying fortresses in the Yubbart Galaxy. Even worse these living fortresses were heading right for them and seem to have the intention of using their planet for fuel. After a direct assault fails they decide to send in their hero, Hal Bailman to infiltrate the eight fortresses and destroy their central reactors.

Air Fortress is actually two game styles in one game. First you have to make your way through the air base on your space ship blasting everything in sight and picking up bomb and energy tokens. Take one hit and you die and although you continue where you left off, if you die three times it is game over. Once you reach the airlock Hal hops off and enter on foot. The interiors of the fortresses are like mazes that you have to traverse in your search for the reactor. Once this is blown up you only have a small amount of time to locate the exit before moving on to the next fortress.

The graphics in the game is nothing special but overall it's not too shabby. The spaceship design is a bit dodgy though. The side scrolling shooter graphics is pretty average and nothing really special happens outside. Once inside things look marginally better with lots of weird enemies and strange traps. You can fly around inside the structures but every movement you make detracts from your energy. This replenishes once you stand still but if you are hit it will go down permanently. This makes it vital that you gather as much energy as possible outside. Your bombs are also limited and are needed to destroy the reactors. Without it you'll have a tough time destroying the fortress.

The sound in the game is average with nothing exceptional or annoying happening and the sound effects is likewise pretty tame. Controls are pretty responsive and the way gravity affects your actions inside the fortresses is novel. This means if you fire a shot your momentum will propel you backwards and lots of traps are designed with this in mind. You get a password when you die that will restart you at the beginning of the fortress you've died in and overall the game isn't all that hard.

My only fault with the game is that I really hate these types of maze games and as such the game wasn't all that fun to me. There is nothing wrong the game though and it has a few good ideas so if you don't mind getting lost and having to map out sectors then by all means go for it. The game has surprising depth for such a simple looking game and it looks like it can provide quite a challenge later on. If you're anything like me however the confusing maze layouts will have your more bored and confused than entertained and you might want to stick with something else. Not a bad game just not my type of adventure.

[6]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Konami 1989)

I for one am overjoyed that Konami got this really cool license. Considering how popular Kevin Eastman's mutant creations are the potential for a cheap cash-in by a crappy company was enormous. Nobody walking away from this title will be disappointed though. By combining solid platforming action with some fun top down adventuring sections Konami has crafted a challenging and engrossing game that you'll want to play to the end. There isn't much of an overall storyline though, the Turtles simple do what they do best, fight Shredder and his Foot-clan minions. One the first level for example you'll fight to liberate their reporter friend April from the clutches of Be-Bob and Rocksteady while later missions sees you defusing bombs underwater against the clock or searching for your rat master, Splinter.

The levels look excellent and are packed with an amazing amount of varied and detailed enemies. Mousers, ninjas and mutants are all out to stop you as you battle through towns, sewers and underground bases. You'll also face a few mean bosses from time to time to keep you on your toes.

The game  has an overhead view where the emphasis shifts more to exploration than combat. This is where you'll be travelling between each of the subsections of the six levels. The camera is far overhead giving you a big view of the surrounding area and you even get to cruise around in the Turtle van at one point. Not all of the locations you can enter is vital to complete the stage but is worth seeking out for the rewards you can find inside. Since each level is quite large, you get a nice map showing you where you are and where all the locations you can enter is. This screen is also where you switch Turtles and get advice from April or Splinter. The hordes of freaks you fight are constantly respawning when you leave the screen which can be a bit annoying but nothing too serious.

The audio is typically good Konami tunes with not one bad or annoying track in the game. Controls can take some getting used to as the Turtles are quite maneuverable and very responsive. Everything from a small hop to a full blown somersault with every motion in-between is possible. You also have full access to all four the Turtles and can switch between them at any time. This makes for some strategy since two has long range weapons (Leonardo and Donatello) and two short-range (Raphael and Michelangelo). Some are also stronger than others or have weapons better suited to the task at hand. The Turtles strengths and weapons seem a bit unbalanced though and I found myself using some Turtles much more than others. Along the way you can pick up power-ups like shurikens and boomerangs as well as the obligatory pizza for health.

The six stages on offer are quite large and become very challenging towards the end. You might think that having four Turtles makes things too easy but each Turtle only have one life and when they lose all their health is "captured" by the enemy. This leaves your remaining Turtles to finish the level where they get no life refill at the end and have to go search for the fallen Turtles on the next level as well. There is no battery backup or password but you can continue when game over albeit from the very start of the level.

While there are plenty of things that can annoy you in the game there are no serious bugs or flaws to spoil the fun. It has to be said that the game is very difficult and can be borderline unfair at times so stay away if you are easily frustrated. There is the occasional bit of flickering or slowdown when things get too hectic but this is not unusual when you see how far the NES has been pushed. The dialogue in the game can also be a bit spotty at times (hopefully they'll hire better translators next time) but nothing that detracts from the overall experience. If you are a fan of the Turtles then I can heartily recommend this entertaining and original game for your collection. 

[9]