I think the best way I can describe the experience playing this game is like this:

Imagine it is a hot summer day and you are relaxing in the public pool. It is inexpensive and a rather decently pleasant experience. Then at around a little over half of your trip is over this one weird child with mild physical deformities climbs to the highest diving board. He screams "CANNONBALL!" at the top of his lungs and splashes into the water and voids his bowels and the entire pool is tainted. The rest of your time is a miserable and awful experience.

That is what it is like playing this game.

This hack embodies the concept of "mid" but that is better than bad of course. I will say though that it is a fun novelty for sure, seeing Megaman supplanting Mario in his own game.

If you find rom hacks to be daunting because of the general difficulty they tend to carry then let me impart some of my knowledge and experience unto you: I beat this hack with 21 lives and 7 E-Tanks remaining. Yes it is that easy.

Just have a fun time with your legally dubious Megaman content for around an hour and chill.

I am not going to sugar coat this. Dragon Quest is an absolute relic of its time. Overtly simplistic, agonizingly slow and painfully generic. I absolutely adore this game but I am not here to just say how much fun I had with this game but instead determine if I should recommend this game to a hypothetical person.

"Dost thou wish to play Dragon Quest?"

Console JRPGs are a rather storied genre in current year. A genre that has had many an iteration, development and splinter. A genre with many a setting and world to explore. Most though can trace their genetic ancestry to this title right here. The developers accomplish what most only dream of, pioneering an entire genre. Generally speaking though the first of a kind is almost never perfect and many a series and genre went through rapid but painful growing pains. Console JRPGs are no exception.

Fundamentally the largest flaw of Dragon Quest, a true make it or break it feature is its own simplicity. You have only a single party member and do battle with only single opponents. This game embodies the concept of "1v1 me irl". You play as a jack of all trades adventurer on a quest to defeat an evil dragon lord. You are not going to see anything here you haven't seen before.

The simplicity alone wouldn't be as big of an issue if the progression were just a tad faster. I have over 14 hours clocked on my save here and I spent probably 11 of those grinding. The amount of tasks required of you are shockingly few. Basically what I am saying is that if you want to play this game be sure to have alternative entertainment available if your attention span is below that of a bored seven year old shut in with no friends.

Thankfully though this adventure is rather casual compared to other quests found on the same console. The simplicity is almost a boon in this regard. You aren't going to get kicked in your proverbial genitals. If anything you are going to leave a bloodbath in your wake.

Another positive aspect of this game definitely lies within the bells and whistles. The visuals and sound are both extraordinary and iconic. Akira Toriyama's designs matched with Koichi Sugiyama's musical prowess is synergy incarnate. These elements take the rather dark and gritty atmosphere of something like Dungeons & Dragons and gives it a rather whimsical interpretation. Incredibly stylized and unique.

Ultimately though this review isn't the most in depth. Primarily because I don't think mentioning turn based battles presented with menus and a first person perspective along with random battles is something one wouldn't know going in.

I will bring things back for a second though by asking again:

"Dost thou wish to play Dragon Quest?"

Yes
>No

"But thou must!"

>No

"But thou must!"

>NO

"But thou must!"

Memes aside. I do highly recommend playing Dragon Quest with one single caveat. Just don't play the NES version. Super Famicom and Gameboy are a much more satisfactory experiences. Hell even go Mobile or Switch as long as you are okay with the graphics looking dumb.

For the uninitiated though let me explain why you should NOT play the NES version with an example. There is a rather early game enemy aptly named "Skeleton". Killing one in the NES version nets the hero 11exp and 30g while other version you would get 25exp and 42g. That should articulate my point better than any long winded diatribe about numbers. Ultimately the re-releases aren't full priced affairs so they can afford to trim the fat.

Also like, bro, just save the princess. I know saving her is optional but canonically your superior chad genes get carried on for future generations. Just do it. Thou must afterall.

To quote the player character for a second:

"That was cringe."

The whole experience was cringe and is ultimately evidence of how pathetic I am. Still a cute anthro moth they/them has it's allure.

As of the time of the review I seem to be the only person on this site to actually have played this game. Let me tell you why it should stay that way:

Do you like A Link to the Past? How much do you like that game? Now do you want a version of that game that is simultaneously smaller in scope while being comically awful in its design? If you do then I don't know what therapist you should see but I would recommend one.

I don't want to be too harsh on a passion project ROM hack because it's not like I spent money on this or anything but I struggle to find fond memories of my experience in a surreal way. It feels like someone took a a timeless classic and skinned it alive and now is masquerading as a perverted facsimile of its image.

A good example being in the general world and level design which will be the focus of this review primarily because graphically and musically it is very similar to the original minus the use of some Minish Cap sprites.

How well do you think you understand A Link to the Past? I hope you know more than the casual player because this hack demands you understand how room information is stored to solve puzzles. What do I mean by this? You know how there will be a "Kill everything that moves" rooms? Did you know the game stores that information between rooms? Yes this hack demands you to wipe out multiple rooms of enemies for then a chest to spawn in the first room. Conceptually it is a simple puzzle but by its very nature it goes against readable game design especially within the context of the original.

Another great example is Pegasus Boots hopping. There is one dungeon that demands you know this niche trick where you crash into a wall with the Pegasus Boots to use the pushback to navigate over a hole. A niche trick but thankfully it doesn't demand you use bombs to the same effect.

Those are just some examples of the rather esoteric puzzle design found within this hack, not even going to go into shooting statues and one way paths. You get the idea hopefully.

Yeah, yeah dungeons can be lame and frustrating but what about the overworld? Well you only get one instead of two and about half of it is covered with water. A neat idea on paper but alas in execution it is boring and wastes time. Swimming in water is slower than walking on land is which already is tedious but throw that in with copy/paste island designs and it is a recipe for a strong negative reaction. One landmass per screen with them being the same size having a entrance to a small mini puzzle to get optional junk most of the time.

Alright, dungeons are bust and the overworld is slow. Atleast the game functions properly right? Right? Haha, dear hypothetical reader that is where you are wrong. The hack is riddled with glitches from breaking the scrolling and collision to having content be inaccessible. I believe I got as close to 100% as possible because I cannot find evidence of anyone ever getting the max heart count, 1/2 magic or Lvl. 4 sword. They seem to just be missing.

These problems are fascinating but I think I have an answer to why this is an unabridged mess. Apparently this hack was started by a person in the mid 2000s under the name "Lyra Islands" but it seems that project was abandoned and then later picked up by someone else. Too many cooks situation mixed in with the rather rudimentary hacking tools of yesteryear which I can assume the foundation of the hack was built upon. Within this theory crafting level hypothesis every complaint and issue falls into place.

Now why am I not rating this lower? Primarily because the features and designs left intact from the original SNES game carry the only positive traits. Is that fair? Probably not but I want to cap things off with me saying how much I respect the ability to finish the project. Most people don't get this far and I want to shine a light on how impressive that is along with this hack not being catered to the top one percent of players like "Parallel Worlds" was. Ultimately for as popular and influential A Link to the Past is the ROM hacking scene for this title is still in its infancy. A hack like this is an example of growing pains and serves as guidepost for future developers to look at and learn from. With that in mind I don't particularly recommend this hack but I am sure in a decade from now it will have carved out a small historical place for itself.

The existence of this obscure Master System title seems to raise some very interesting questions in regards to general gaming discourse. Those questions being:

What constitutes a ripoff? Is a derivative title able to stand on its own? Is mimicry really the highest form of flattery?

Ultimately I dislike drawing comparisons when it comes to different titles from different series by different developers but in this instance I seem to struggle in not doing so, mainly because for better or worse this game is blatantly aping on the formula established by The Legend of Zelda half a decade prior. For the most part.

Golden Axe Warrior is a semi-open ended exploration focused adventure game made by Sega for the Master System. A system that holds very little weight outside of South America due to a variety of factors I don't want to go into for fear of taking focus away from this particular title.

So when it comes to gameplay I must ask:

Have you played The Legend of Zelda? Particularly the NES game? If so you have a good idea how this game functions with a few differences. The game starts with you not only having 3 hearts but 3 magic bottles as well. You are able to use magic in this game for combat, exploration and healing.

There is Lightning for damaging a singular enemy, earth for revealing secrets and stunning enemies, fire for screen wide damage and water for healing. Having these spells in lieu of tools like bombs or arrows creates a different feeling of resource management since they share the same Magic meter. Healing can cripple your ability to explore dungeons unless you get magic bottle drops as an example. This layer of strategy you have adds a fun layer that separates itself from its clear inspiration.

It's a shame combat in this game is suffering at times. Enemies come in droves and they can be ruthless. Mix that in with a constantly escalating power level of your opponents can leave the player in a daze. Exploring is key to find upgrades. You also have two weapons. Your sword and axe. Both get upgraded including to the mythical Golden Axe itself. Both weapons have their unique uses in combat as well. Your sword attacking in a straight line in the four directions while the axe swings in front of you in an arc.

Dungeons are rather simple as well. One thing to note is that the player cannot push blocks rather you can push candles instead. Took me some time to figure that one out. I was shocked at how small and simple the final dungeon actually was as well. Same with the overworld as well. The game pens you in at the start giving you a small chunk of the world to explore and with upgrades and items you open more of the world piece by piece.

Ultimately how I can encapsulate the playing experience through the lens of Zelda is this: Combat is more difficult while exploration is more limited and focused. Now that should give you a decent idea on whether or not you will enjoy this game.

Another factor is a degree of references to the main series of games. Not only do you meet the playable characters from Golden Axe, they also teach your their magic. That and Death Adder being the obvious villain makes this atleast feel like a Golden Axe adventure game. This level of fanservice feels a little more niche in the current year where Golden Axe sits in a sphere of antiquity but those of us who are nostalgic will enjoy the small nods.

Musically things are simplistic but hey I appreciate the remix of the theme to the first level of the original game. The rest of the OST is rather small though. I was surprised when there was no final dungeon or final boss theme, something I feel was standard for 1991.

A key note I should mention is that this game was made for English speakers and that is a big deal for one primary reason: The dialogue won't be garbage. Typically in 8-bit games there is a layer of lost in translation that is missing here. NPCs in towns talk in a very nature way that doesn't feel alien and doesn't lack in punch. Hints are blunt, clear and to the point. No real guesswork in that regard.

The NPCs do make the world feel lived in. You feel a certain level of fear and uncertainty in the population with Death Adder throwing the world into disarray and the game isn't afraid to show this to you. People are melancholic and destroyed architecture houses cold corpses. The story isn't filled with nail biting anticipation or anything. Instead things just feel, to a degree, authentic in a way.

Ultimately though in the end this game sits slightly above the middle in my eyes. I had plenty of fun with this title but it really isn't for everyone. The 8-bit crust is there with its rather annoying at times combat and rather obtuse progression. Your mileage may vary but fans of the original Zelda game will feel at home here. To those who are fans of that style of game I can recommend this to you but to others I can ensure you that you aren't missing out on some underrated masterpiece.

As someone who has put a remarkably large amount of time into Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and embarrassingly was never able to overcome the challenges in that game I am here to tell you that this ROM hack of the original Castlevania is a worthwhile and accessible means to enjoy vintage-vania gameplay.

This hack is no hack and holds enough changes and improvements to Castlevania formula to be worthwhile for veterans of the franchise as well. Most notably in the Relic system. The game holds 7 holy relics and Simon starts with the classic screen-wiping Rosary. Once you defeat a boss they will drop another Relic adding to your possible arsenal but remember you can only bring one Relic into a level and it is locked in until you either win or die trying.

Speaking of levels there is no actual linear progression between stages. From the very beginning you are given a choice between five of the total six levels to do in any order you wish adding a nice layer of replay value. Which Relic do you want first? Which stage provides you the most challenge personally? These are options you must weigh when playing this hack but don't think levels are a simple experience either. Each stage instead of being a point A to point B affair is more akin to a semi non-linear arrangement of rooms. Basically each area will have a key and you must search for it before you can pass through a door to move onto the next. The biggest example for me is the water stage wherein you must go all the way to the end to grab the key then battle your way back in reverse, recontextualizing the hazards along the way. Tricks like this make for a decent challenge for newcomers but longtime fans shouldn't have too much trouble.

Difficulty is always a part of the discourse when it comes to these retro styled Castlevania games. The Belmont family is not a lineage known for their agility but instead of their complete commitment to their actions. This rather rigid and methodical gameplay is still intact without any change which is a scary prospect when the phrase "ROM Hack" is in the mix. Hacks are rather notoriously made for the most hardcore of fans and I can confirm this isn't the case here. Merciful placements of Pork Chops along with Relics make this a rather smooth experience. I personally only used the Rosary for the whole time to give myself a middle level of difficulty along with a panic button if things got hairy but for those who are intimidated may I recommend the Coffee Relic which is a healing item. I really do enjoy the option to make the game as difficult as I want through options available to me.

The only change I find baffling is to make the infamous "Medusa Heads" a more headache enducing affair. Instead of following a predictable pattern their equivalent will move slightly more unpredictably. In defense of the overall experience, instant death pits seem to be places more empathetically meaning most of the time you won't fall to your death from these specific enemies.

Graphically the darker vibe this hack holds is a nice change of scenery. NES Castlevania games typically have alot of rather gaudy colors in service to the game design. Readability is important on small CRT screens after all. Since the limitations of technology of the past have been obliterated the amount of freedom to have a more subdued color scheme isn't a criminal offense. I particularly enjoy the Forest stage with the dark greens and yellows on display. A knock against this game though are the enemy designs. You can tell a ton of work went into the enemy sprites, especially the all new bosses but they can be tonally anachronistic to the rest of the game. The final boss for example being the buff foxy grandpa he is. Bosses also have very limited animations but actually complaining about that would be splitting hairs.

Narratively the game is rather standard in there really isn't much. Holy Relics are stolen by an evil Necromancer who seeks to resurrect Dracula himself so Simon goes on his quest to retrieve them before that can happen. NES action platformers usually don't have much story so who cares? It does enough to contextualize your actions giving you enough purpose to see the adventure to its conclusion.

One thing about ROM Hacks that always seem to be is that everything is available to be changed except the music which makes sense. Hacking music in ROMs is remarkably challenging and could go very wrong very quickly. Mainly because how music is programmed is different between games meaning there isn't really a template to work off of. I bring this up because not only does this hack use music from different games in the series but houses two original compositions. A remarkable feat that deserves a mention and recognition especially since the new songs both are very great and also fit in with the rest of the music. They don't feel out of place at all.

In conclusion if you are a fan of Vintage-vania games or action platformers in general I cannot recommend this enough. There is a major caveat in that if the base game feel of the Castlevania series doesn't vibe with you this will not make you a believer. It softens the blow yes but doesn't change the fundamentals but as a package this is a rather brief but memorable experience worth playing.

How valuable is life to you?

I am not just referring to human or animal life but all of life as a whole. Everything is born, lives out there existence then eventually passes away. It is an eternal fact of existence and no matter what we do it is an inevitability we will all face when it comes to our time.

Soul Blazer tackles some rather heavy concepts regarding the value of life along with how technology is used to enhance or harm life as well. For the time this narrative is rather somber and that shock to the system it provides gives a rather unique experience.

The game begins with you, the protagonist, being given a divine mission from what is essentially God. The world has been purged of life and the souls of everything are being held captive within these "lairs" that demons spawn from. Your task is to kill all the demons that come forth from their lairs and in doing such you free a soul contained within.

This ties very well into the gameplay because once a lair is cleared and your reward obtained the enemies will be gone forever. The souls you rescue will return to their respective town which serves as hub worlds for the dungeons. As you go further into each dungeon and rescue more souls more of the game opens up to you. You can get new equipment, spells etc. from your rescued friends. This gameplay loop is excellent because progress is very tangible. You see the world return to its former beauty with every step.

Now why are these souls trapped? To avoid spoilers I will just say the great demon lord "Deathtoll" was resurrected and stole the souls of all life on the planet. The story has a very simple premise that is later elaborated upon. The "who" and "why" are later revealed along with some rather sad moments. This story has some shockingly tragic moments all revolving around the value of life. It can pull at the heart strings incredibly well considering the limited space for text on the SNES.

But the meat of the game is with its combat. Being a top down action RPG and a rather simplistic one at that. You basically only have a sword swing and a spell to cast. Your swords to get better along with more varied magic as well but the core gameplay doesn't change much. It's a good thing the core gameplay is solid and the developers did not bite off more than they could chew with this title.

Combat can be rather janky at times though but in the game's defense the jank more often than not works in your favor. There is a certain flow to the game that is rather difficult to articulate. There are ways to can finagle extra damage with your swings if you are smart. Just get a feel for it and everything will fall into place.

Graphically this game oozes the early SNES vibes with its muted color palette and simplistically designed world. If one is used to say Final Fantasy VI or Trials of Mana this game will look horrid in comparison. This is the fate of many early console releases and it personally doesn't bother me since graphically the game is very readable. Everything makes sense.

The music in the game is equally as simple but it can be very catchy. The town theme will be stuck in your head forever but alas there is only one town theme. Tonally the music fits rather well so it never feels out of place and the dungeon themes have a good "bop" to them.

In conclusion Soul Blazer is a very solid experience. It can be a very simple experience though so depending on your mood it might not be complex enough. If you are in the mood for an action RPG that tells a competent story with competent gameplay, graphics and music then this game will work great. It lasts between 8-11 hours depending on individual skill and optional content.

I give this game a hearty recommendation.