Hi no Tori is a very enjoyable japanese-exclusive scrolling platformer with a main mechanic reminiscent of Solomon's Key, but I would say it's definitely more of an action game and won't require nearly as much thought. It's VERY loosely based on the Osamu Tezuka manga of the same name, but I think they pretty much just grabbed Gaou and a couple of settings from the manga and slapped it together, because there's very little of it in the game itself. It still manages to remind me of the manga regardless, at least.
Gaou can place blocks that can be used as platforms to traverse the level and as walls to deter enemies, and are essential to progressing in this game. Doing it in midair actually places the block underneath the player, which allows for some fun speedy platforming tricks. Aside from this, Gaou can throw chisels either infront of him or straight upward, both of which come in handy, but they can't be used to hit objects that are on the ground, providing some additional incentive to make use of the blocks off of ledges and the sort. I really enjoyed the block mechanics and it made it one of my favorite famicom games to plug in for a quick run. When you get used to it, it's very fun!
One aspect that's a bit hit or miss is the game's weird structure: due to being comprised of various level loops corresponding to different time periods, it can be tricky to find the hidden passages to swap from one level loop to the other. For this reason, I recommend keeping an eye out for destructible terrain, and making (mental) notes of where places lead you to. When you actually get a feel for what route you would like to take, it can be cleared in a relatively short time frame. I suppose the exploration aspect will increase the amount of time spent when you go in blind.
The music in this game is not bad overall, but one track that particularly sticks out to me is the lovely rendition of the Hi no Tori OVA's ending tune that makes the game well worth finishing. The OVA for this particular chapter is also very good!!!! Would probably recommend it even over just playing this, although I think this game is definitely worth checking out, as well.
As a small tip: there's a means to destroy blocks or secret walls underneath the player by holding down and tapping jump 3 times on the same block, which can easily be missed when not having access to the manual.
Gaou can place blocks that can be used as platforms to traverse the level and as walls to deter enemies, and are essential to progressing in this game. Doing it in midair actually places the block underneath the player, which allows for some fun speedy platforming tricks. Aside from this, Gaou can throw chisels either infront of him or straight upward, both of which come in handy, but they can't be used to hit objects that are on the ground, providing some additional incentive to make use of the blocks off of ledges and the sort. I really enjoyed the block mechanics and it made it one of my favorite famicom games to plug in for a quick run. When you get used to it, it's very fun!
One aspect that's a bit hit or miss is the game's weird structure: due to being comprised of various level loops corresponding to different time periods, it can be tricky to find the hidden passages to swap from one level loop to the other. For this reason, I recommend keeping an eye out for destructible terrain, and making (mental) notes of where places lead you to. When you actually get a feel for what route you would like to take, it can be cleared in a relatively short time frame. I suppose the exploration aspect will increase the amount of time spent when you go in blind.
The music in this game is not bad overall, but one track that particularly sticks out to me is the lovely rendition of the Hi no Tori OVA's ending tune that makes the game well worth finishing. The OVA for this particular chapter is also very good!!!! Would probably recommend it even over just playing this, although I think this game is definitely worth checking out, as well.
As a small tip: there's a means to destroy blocks or secret walls underneath the player by holding down and tapping jump 3 times on the same block, which can easily be missed when not having access to the manual.