Astal is a fascinating and charming relic that might have come from an alternate timeline where side scrolling action games remained popular into the 32-bit generation. At it's core, it's an hour long action game that scrolls left to right with a boss at the end of each level; from a game design standpoint, it's straight out of the 16-bit era.

But Astal takes that core and leverages the Saturn's considerable 2D prowess to create something both spectacular and special. There's an extended hand-drawn animated opening sequence along with narrated scenes between levels that do an enormous amount of world building. The soundtrack is a stunning redbook audio orchestral and guitar masterpiece. Levels constantly zoom in and out, scaling the entire stage and all the sprites in it seamlessly, when needed to expand the view. The animation on everything from Astal to the smallest enemy is detailed and fluid. The bosses are all unique and spectacular, once again leveraging the Saturn's 2D tech to create gorgeous, often stunning imagery.

There's a timeline where Astal was a smash hit and this kind of game was still popular into Saturn and Playstation's generation, and it's a wonderful one. Back in reality, Astal is a game that fell out of that timeline and left us with a glimpse of what could have been. This is a beautiful, odd gem of a game and a 2D showcase for the Saturn.