Prince of Persia (SNES) Review

Written: December 18th-19th, 2012

Year: 1989, 1992 | Developed by: Brøderbund, NCS Masaya, and Arsys | Published by: Konami



All right, I found a sword!  Now I can defend
myself!  =D

Ah, Prince of Persia!  Hard to believe it's been around for twenty-three years now and what an impact it's had on video games, gamers, and challenge found in video games in general, but I digress.  Back in 1989, a man called Jordan Mechner, who also created the critically acclaimed sidescrolling brawling venture Karateka five years prior, crafted and designed a huge maze-like adventure that would go on to be a huge success for many years to come on the Apple II computer: Prince of Persia.  In fact, it was so successful that it wound up getting ports and remakes on pretty much every console around at that period, and some versions are still being made even now.  The version most gamers still resonate with and consider the overall best is the remake made by Masaya three years later for the SNES, which is what I'm going to talk about today.

There are elaborate puzzles aplenty

I remember first hearing about this game (in general, not just the SNES version) several years ago on the internet, and from what I looked up it seemed very interesting to me, and I recall seeing a couple gameplay videos of the SNES version on YouTube, and immediately I became very curious.  Of course, I wasn't loaned the SNES console by my cousin until a couple days before 2009, but even then, despite my interest, there was something that was holding me back from purchasing it.  Over a year later, a new Wii game called Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands was announced, and it was even reported to have the SNES version of the classic as an unlockable; I figured, maybe if I try it on the Wii, then I may get to try the Nintendo 16-bit version as well.  Imagine the disappointment among gamers when the final product turned out to not have the SNES version as an unlockable like it was reported, but a different one entirely.  I didn't buy the Wii game of course, but I digress.  Sometime in January of 2012 I decided to give the SNES game a shot, and in all honesty, I'm glad I did.  So what is it about this remake in particular that has gamers hold it in such a high regard?  *cracks knuckles of fingers and toes*  Let's discover why!

A long time ago, in the land of Persia, the sultan was out fighting a war with his soldiers, leaving Jaffar, his grand vizier, in charge while he was gone.  Wait a minute!  Jaffar?  Grand vizier?  ...  <=/  Wa... Wasn't there a character who shared both that exact name and that exact role in that one animated Disney mov--?  Never mind!  =<  Anyway, the grand vizier has malicious intentions and wishes to take over Persia, but there is one thing which stands in his way of ruling the land: the sultan's daughter, Princess... er, Princess.  While the sultan's away, she also acquaints herself with a traveler (that's you) named... um, Traveler and begins to grow attached to and fall in love with him.  However one day the guards take said traveler away due to Jaffar's orders and summons the princess to her room.

Jaffar asks her to marry him, but she refuses and would rather die.  So Jaffar makes an hourglass appear and gives her two hours (as in actual 120 minutes) to make her decision: marry him or perish.  All her hopes rest on the lover that she's met; fortunately, he's making a prison break right now.  Will the traveler rescue his romantic interest before the sands of time run out?  Will the grand vizier receive his ultimate comeuppance in the end?  And will the traveler become the titular Prince of Persia... Prince??  Well, what are you waiting for?!  Get out there and save her!

I'd look at that pretty view outside those windows,
but now's not a good time

The fortunate thing is that, if you're new to this game (like I was when I first played it), there are five training levels to properly get accustomed to the layout and controls, as well as give you an idea of what to expect throughout the whole course of the game.  In the real game, however, you've got two hours on your plate, so you're timed throughout the whole deal, and if you don't get to her on time, then there will be dire consequences.  The controls of the game are pretty simple and solid, though you're going to have to master them if you wish to prolong your survival.  Your character can run, slow-step, jump forward, jump upward, and after you find the sword in the first level, fight off armed enemies whenever you encounter them.

Exploration and navigation is the key!

Running's the natural way of moving around left and right, but you may not wish to do that all the time, because there are spike traps below you on the ground that could impale should you not be careful.  Not just that, but there are moments when you'll want to climb down a ledge, and running won't stop you to the end (unless there's a wall or a closed gate), otherwise you'll plummet down, then you'll either lose health or die.  If you hold down a button while moving, then you'll step slowly forward, and the great thing about that is that you'll not be killed by the spikes protruding from the ground if you do this; it's also very useful if you wish to get close to the ledge without falling down.  Sometimes you'll be required to make leaps of faith, and so what you do is you run and at just the right moment you hit the jump button, hopefully ensuring that you'll either land on the other side or grab onto that ledge (if you wish to hold on to any ledge, just hold down the other button, but you'll only hold on for a few seconds, so use it cautiously).

Every trap and obstacle will try to kill you,
including fire!  D=

The goal of each level is to open up and reach the exit door, however it's not as easy as it sounds (it never is).  In these levels you must think your way out of each room, and each area is rife with floor switches.  Each floor switch will open up a certain gate, sometimes in the same screen and sometimes it will be a little farther away.  Here's the catch: the majority of the gates will start to close down after a few seconds, and so you have to reach the other side before they are closed completely, otherwise you must try it again.  Watch out for loose tiles, as they will fall down once stepped on; there's a chance that it might land on a floor switch, thereby leaving the gate open forever.  Unfortunately there are also a few floor switches that will abruptly close down a gate, so step wisely and jump over certain switches you don't wish to step on.  You'll have to be quick on your feet if you wish to get past certain gates, and explore thoroughly, because that is one of the vital tools you'll need to survive.  Prince of Persia is one of those kind of games where proper timing matters most.  You can even move while crouching ("crouch-bouncing", as I would like to call it), but it's not as easy to control as the majority of the controls are.

Ah ha!  I've landed a hit on you!!

And now for the sword battles!  =)  Any time an enemy is approached our unnamed traveler/prince will pull out his sword and prepare for battle.  There are two ways of using your sword: as an offense by attacking, and as a defense by parrying the other blade.   This is one of those moments where you must time your attacks in order for the hit to be unleashed.  You can even move forwards and backwards while holding the blade; it's also possible to switch sides if you're careful not to lose damage.  Here's the main downside: if an enemy attacks you and you don't have your blade out, you will die regardless of how much health you've got.  I know, horrible way to go, right?  =(  If you wish, you can even force your enemies onto a trap or make them fall off to their doom.  Of course, strategizing is the key, and using the sword will take a bit to get used to.

Fight!!!

Unlike the SNES version of Eric Chahi's Out of this World (or Another World for PAL audiences) where it retained the visual style and look from the original, this SNES outing of Prince of Persia was given a big aesthetic makeover compared to the original version.  I've got to hand it to Masaya, they did an excellent job with this aspect; it shows that they really understand what makes a Persian area, and how they make it atmospheric.  And there is a lot of visual grandeur to be found here.  This version of Prince of Persia is beautiful-looking from beginning to end, and it's one of those few games from the late '80s and early '90s where it doesn't scroll, but it goes from screen to screen.  The cool thing is how there is a lot of eye candy, and there are different areas which sport a variety of looks, style, and feel.  Each level is brimming with detail and each have got their own vibrant color schemes.

With every area there comes a battle

To name some areas, the first one you start out in takes place inside a dungeon, and it starts out all blue save for a few flaming torches on the wall, with the feeling of loneliness and is even littered with dead bodies in some segments.  In another moment you might be in a slightly brighter area, and during a few moments you'll see a nice clear view of the night outside.  =)  The tenth through twelfth levels are colored entirely in red, with variants of said color's hues and shades, and I think it works because it really sets you in the scene.  The first of these levels take place inside a volcano (?), which I don't get; was the palace constructed on top of a volcano, what?  The rest of the areas have really good decor; in fact, a few of them even look mesmerizing!  The level designs are great, and designed so devilishly too at that, but more on that later.

Uh, oh, I've got myself a clone!  =(

The animations the character and enemies display are so smooth and remarkably fluid, all thanks to the ever so famous rotoscoping technique.  In here, everyone looks and animate with close detail paid attention to.  This was made possible thanks to tracing colors over recorded footage, and it is executed smoothly.  I enjoy looking at these animations, especially the running, sword-fighting, and jumping animations.  The hero and enemies each have different death animations, and a couple of them are rather cringeworthy in my opinion (if only because the characters are human).  This game is viewed from the sidelines, yet I like the way it looks; the perspective is shifted a little so you can see what's ahead of you or what's behind you, and that's a very good idea, otherwise it would make things a little harder.  Simply put, this is a gorgeous-looking game.

Desolate and lonely-looking dungeon

In this version of the game, there is a great amount of background music, with neat orchestration and instrumentation, and I like how Masaya made it sound Middle Eastern, which is evident when you listen to it.  Each song gives each respectful area a fitting mood and a fitting feeling of atmosphere.  The title theme alone sounds fantastic!  Several of the songs are well-written as well.  The first area theme sounds dark and brooding yet mysterious and somewhat inviting.  =)  The volcanic and red area themes sound ominous and even a bit foreboding at times.  A few area themes even sound playful, charming, mysterious, and one of them even sounds epic.  Any time a battle ensues the music will change to a battle theme, which gradually sounds suspenseful the longer you stay in the fight.  The sound effects are great too, like the sounds of the loose tiles that end up breaking, the sound of the hero running, the sounds used when swords are clashing together, and especially the sounds used when the hero runs.

Thoroughly survey the premises to advance

Prince of Persia is a fairly challenging maze-like game, and as far as I'm concerned the amount of challenge to be found here is rather commendable, if not a little taxing a few times.  As was mentioned before, you've only got two full hours to get through all twenty levels and save the princess, otherwise you'll get a bad ending.  The good thing about this game is that if you want to know how much time you have left, a window a pop up every minute to give you the heads up (or you can always press the Y button to see for yourself).  The levels are designed in such a way that it will prompt you to take on its challenge, but the fortunate thing is, despite a few moments where it might feel that way, it's not impossible.  Time will always gradually go down, and getting to the exit door is not a piece of cake.

If you survive this deadly trap, then you're a
real hero

Whenever you finish a level you're given a password so you can resume your progress; there are moments when there are continue points, but for the most part I rely on passwords.  To me there are two kinds of passwords: the "safe" passwords and the "screwed" passwords; by "safe" I mean you're given the passwords with no provisos or conditions, while for the "screwed" passwords not only will let you resume your progress but it also takes into account what you've lost or did not pick up in the process (i.e. time, lives, continues; to give an example, Sparkster on the SNES falls in this category as it takes into account how many continues you lost).  Prince of Persia falls into the latter category, but since all you have to worry about is the time that's been used, it's not such a problem this time around.  =)  Here's the thing, though: any time you lose a life, almost always start the level over by password, and for good reason.  If you do decide to continue without starting over by password then the time will not go back to how you started the level in the first place (to explain it thoroughly, say you had seventy minutes and about five minutes passed before you hit the bucket, if you continue, then you won't start the area again with seventy mintues on the clock, but sixty-five).  It's dangerous, and I often find myself starting the level over by password whenever I mess up.  Thorough searching will lead you to a screen which may have a potion, whether it be one that heals you by one, poisons you by one, and even a full bottle-like potion.  Most will increase your health capacity by one, but be careful which one you take, because you never know what may happen.  The given password takes into consideration how much health bottles you've got as well, so bear that in mind.


I still don't know what this boss is supposed
to be!  It is weird!!  <=/

 So what makes the whole game challenging?  Well, everything, really!  This is one of those games where timing means everything, so a lot of trial and error will be required until you get it just right; and if you mess up you have to start the level over again.  Most levels are filled with floor switches, gates, enemies, not to mention it is filled with traps!  I'm serious, everything will try to kill you, as the hero has to avoid consequences like falling down high heights, being burned alive, getting impaled from spikes, being cut in half by chompers, and of course, getting killed by enemies themselves.  There's this one segment in particular during the twelfth level where you must successfully time it right and run through eight chompers in a row one by one without being sliced, and it is nightmarish as it sounds; did I mention that they all activate randomly here?  D=  Proper navigation and honing your skills with the gameplay will greatly help throughout the course of the adventure.  Sometimes leaps of faith will be required and mandatory, and trying to get through a gate before it closes down will prove challenging later on.  The sword fights are cool, but I honestly felt they were the least challenging bits of the game, and here's why: if an enemy is apart from you a few inches, and you continually slash your sword, then they won't move; but if you wait until the exact moment they begin to move, you can seize your chance to slash them.  I find that to be an effective way of getting through a battle without sustaining too much, if any, damage.  Of course you can move while slashing the sword, but yeah, survival is of the essence; also, if an enemy is at the end of a wall, then simply put, they are a sitting duck (just make sure it does not happen to you).  I know it's not really much of a strategy, but for the most part it works; the only time it won't will be during the final encounter with Jaffar who's got two parts, which means luck will play a role during this part.

Swords clashing

Prince of Persia, overall, is a classic, and deserves to be praised as such!  =)  This is one such game that is absolutely not afraid to challenge gamers, and for that I find it admirable.  The gameplay is largely excellent, the levels are detailed and look beautiful, and the music really helps lend atmosphere to its Persian world.  The trial and error works really well, and the password system is only seven characters short, which is not excessively long, and thank God!  This is one such game that will always keep you busy and will try to throw everything including the kitchen sink at you to ensure that you're stopped in your tracks.  The level designs are spectacular and fiendishly-constructed, but if it were in real life, then it would be highly implausible!  I mean think about it, if it were real life, then how the hell would anyone be getting around; the only level designs I felt were realistic were the seventeenth and the final twentieth levels, solely because they are straightforward.  XD  But I digress!  The sword fights are cool, and what's cool is how there are different branching paths in order to get to a certain part of the level, or even different ways of getting around.  Reaching the end of each level and the game itself will prove to be rewarding in the long run, as perseverance and strength will be required.  Masaya has done an excellent job with this conversion of Prince of Persia, and I salute them, 'cause it's one of the best games available on the system!  =D

9.5/10

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment!  =)

P.S.: The way Jaffar is a grand vizier, orders the guards to send the hero to the dungeon, and asks the princess to marry him in both the game and the Disney movie is uncannily similar.  Surely this must be a coincidence!

P.S. 2: I researched that in the Japanese version there is blood and even a segment of the intro where the traveler gets repeatedly beaten and bludgeoned by a guard that was removed from localized version.

P.S. 3: This game is just that awesome!  =)  What else can I say?

Impressions: World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck (GEN)

Received: November 7th, 2012 / Written: November 25th-29th, 2012

World of Illusion starring

Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

Year: 1992 | Developed by: Sega (AM7) | Published by: Sega

The underwater sea is such a miraculous
place

It seems to me that I just can't get enough of these Disney-licensed titles, especially when they star Mickey Mouse; hell, this is the fifth 2D Mickey Mouse platformer I got this year (maybe I should take a break?).  Sega's first Disney platformer for their MegaDrive/Genesis console Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse was such a big hit back when it came out in 1990, and rightfully so, because I thought it was very fun when I played it for the first time last month, and I considered it the best Mickey Mouse game I played.  It was one of those games I found charming and effective despite their overall simplicity.  The following year QuackShot starring Donald Duck (I haven't played it yet) came out for the same console, and it too enjoyed the success of Mickey's first 16-bit adventure...  =|  Wait that game didn't do well with critics, I don't think, nevermind!  *clears throat*  Let me try something a little more accurate: Sega, noticing that gamers were enjoying both Mickey's and Donald's first 16-bit games so immensely, one day figured "Hey, why not have these two Disney favorites in the same game, and turn it into a two-player experience?"  So a sequel was born!  =)  And the sequel is different than fans of the first title expected but regardless, here it is, ready to be talked about today: World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck!  Yeah, that's a lengthy mouthful of a title, isn't it?  So from this point onward I'm going to simplify the name to World of Illusion!  So, yeah, let's delve in!!  =D

World of Illusion was also a game I've been interested in for years, but after I played Castle of Illusion I wondered if it was going to live up to the expectations and enjoyment set by the first game.  I heard mixed feelings on this sequel; some thought it was superior to Castle while others thought it was a major step down.  So what I did was I tried not to have high expectations, so I lowered them before playing, and honestly that's a good thing.  =)  Let's start off the impressions by saying that you can play as either Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck in this adventure, and if you preferred one character over the other, then World of Illusion simply offered the best of both worlds.

Well, more or less...  There are no difficulty settings this time around.  =(  So I guess you must be wondering: did I think it was a good follow-up to the 1990 hit?  Let's all find out together!

And yes, I am a brony, and I am proud to be one!  I like Friendship is Magic, I think it's a charming and likable animated show, and in my opinion it's one of the best animated shows of the 2010's right alongside Phineas and Ferb.  Please don't judge me, non-bronies.

"Uh, I don't know, Donald.  I don't trust this
box at all!" replies Mickey.

One day, Mickey and Donald are practicing their magician skills for a magic act that's about to come soon.  So they both aspire to become magicians?  Who knew!  Anyway, Mickey performs this one trick which startles Donald and sends him flying back; in the process, he unveils a box of mysterious origin.  Mickey and Donald are surprised to see it backstage, so they come to inspect it.  Donald wants to try it and use it as part of their act, but Mickey has his doubts.  Little did Donald realize, however, that entering the creepy-looking box would lead to his untimely demise.  I kid, I kid!  XD  What does happen as Donald enters it is that he gets transported to an entirely different world, and soon after Mickey follows.  A big, ominous hooded figure then appears and tells them that he will help them out of his world... on the sole condition that they get past all the areas and obstacles set against them and ultimately defeat him in the end.  So this is a tale of escape, pretty much; that's cool.  Will Mickey and Donald ever get out of the titular World of Illusion (no connection to the first game's Castle from the same moniker)?  Will they ever see their friends and family back home, and will they be back just in time for their magic act to start?  Also, will the mysterious hooded figure maintain his word?  There's no time to waste, so put your magic skills to the test and try to escape this wonderfully surreal, magical world!

Now this is what I call an ideal piano!
In the sky!!  =D

Controls are different from the last game, and they are pretty nice and polished.  Gone is the "hop & bop" gameplay (as RVGFanatic would call it) that dominated the previous adventure, and now this time around Mickey and Donald attack enemies and bosses by using their capes.  Also in this adventure, there are three assigned actions: attacking with the cape, jumping, and lastly, running.  Your character can also crawl through tight spaces if you hold down the jump button while crouching when moving left or right.  The game controls pretty nicely, and the gameplay feels polished as well.  Although, not to sound like I'm complaining, but why not have the attacking and running abilities assigned to just one button (like the Super Mario Bros. series) for one of the control types in the options screen?  I'm not saying it's a problem or anything, I'm just saying!

As previously mentioned, you could take control as either Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, and if there was another gamer by your side then you could play with both characters simultaneously.  Your character has a health capacity of eight (that's generous), and throughout the game you'll be contending with enemies and collecting "?" bags with any of the following content: cards, candy for one patch of health, a blue card that offers temporary invincibility, a slice of cake that refills your whole health, and lastly, there is a rocket item.  These rockets are scarce, for you won't find many of them, but when you do find them what will happen is that it will launch in the sky, show off some fireworks, and then affect all enemies on screen.  The enemies don't die here, but rather if your cape touches them they'll be turning into different creatures, such as butterflies and flowers.  I like that, it's quite a nice touch.  In keeping with the magic theme, after you defeat each boss, a chest will appear with a manuscript that teaches you a special magic trick that you can use in the next particular stage anytime you exclaim "Alakazam!"; a few of these are encasing yourself in a bubble so you won't drown underwater, and in another you use it to make a flying carpet appear so you can fly in the sky.  The types of magic are really nice, and I like how there's variety in each of them.

Nooooo!!!  Not another tasty-looking area!!
Hasn't my tummy been through enough??  =(

Without a shadow of a doubt, the visuals for this sequel have vastly improved since Castle of Illusion!  Each worlds are beautiful to look at, for they present so much detail and color, not to mention that each stage has a really inviting, magical look to them.  What's cool is that some stages and themes are inspired by previous Disney movies, such as The Little Mermaid, The Sword in the Stone, and Alice in Wonderland.  To name some examples, the very first area sets you in an enchanted forest setting, with some line scrolling and moving foregrounds to add some depth, afterwards it takes place inside a mine with diamonds seen in the background and filled with bright spider-webs.  Another area takes place in the sky with a large abundance of clouds, and what's pretty cool is how there are a couple times you might come across piano keys made out of clouds.  That is both ingenious and imaginative.  =)  The underwater portions look dazzling, what with all the different blue hues on the horizon, and I love how it's all wavy in the backdrop (just check out that castle).  The final stage even has some gorgeous-looking moments.  Unfortunately this is one of those games that has at least one food-themed area, with cakes and chocolates and sweets among the place; while very pretty-looking, it can easily make gamers crave a big appetite if looked at too long.  In another subject, I really love the way the plot unfolds in storybook format, since I feel it evokes a mystical sense to it.  =)

Don't mess with Donald!

The character and enemy designs are great.  Mickey and Donald animate very fluidly, they move and run really smoothly, and I like the way the cape looks when it's being used against your foes.  The main duo look really detailed, and I like how Mickey's and Donald's character sprites are faithful to those of the short toons they starred in; even though I admit I do miss anime-Mickey from Castle of Illusion.  The enemies and bosses are also designed nicely, and what's cool is how some of them make appearances from classic Disney fare, like the crazy shewitch Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone, the card guards from Alice in Wonderland, and that one pencil/ruler-hybrid creature from the special Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land (awesome cameo!  I loved that short flick when I was little!!), to name a few.  The final boss looks highly-detailed and shaded, even if he fills up the majority of the screen.

It's so beautiful!!!  ='D

Soundwise, it's all right.  The MegaDrive/Genesis doesn't have the greatest of sound cabilities, but done with the right touch, it can be effective and fun to listen to in its own way.  Sega succeeds with that somewhat.  The instrumentation is nice, and a lot of the songs that are heard here are memorable and catchy in their own right, though I couldn't help but notice that there was some soft underscoring in the mix for this game.  But still, the songs are nice.  The song that plays during the plot portion of the intro pays great homage to Maleficent's theme from the underrated animated feature Sleeping Beauty, and boy does it sound menacing and brooding with Sega's sound chip.  The first stage theme sounds charming, the underwater third stage theme sounds wonderful yet haunting, and the fourth stage themes sound good.  Some songs are emotion-driven (in my opinion), and a few songs do a good job at delivering an ominous mood without straying far from the lighthearted tone, not to mention one of the final areas delivers a fittingly mystifying aura.  The regular boss theme is good while the final boss theme is loud and foreboding, which is great.  The best song, I feel, plays during the credits sequence, for it's charmingly lighthearted and at one point goose-bump inducing (it's that good).

The sound effects are decent, though not exactly up to par with the background music.  They're not bad, and some are even fun to listen to; such as the sound the cape makes whenever it successfully transforms the enemy into something different, the sound for when the character roams around the sea inside a bubble, and the escalating notes of the piano whenever you step on each note from right to left (albeit sharply).  In this adventure, there are actual voice samples of Mickey and Donald used whenever they take damage, anytime they say "Wow!", and everytime they say "Alakazam!"  Even though it sounds a tad muffled, it's still a technical achievement for Sega's console, and they sound good.  They sound so much like Mickey and Donald, that it makes me wonder if I'm hearing the voice clips of the late Wayne Allwine and the current Tony Anselmo, respectively?  I'm pretty convinced that it must be the case, but either way, it's so cool!

This bit gives a real sense of mystery and
wonder  =)

World of Illusion is a good game and a loyal follow-up to the magnificent predecessor Castle of Illusion, even though they are connected by title only, and not through gameplay and plot (no references to Sega's first Mickey Mouse game, either).  The areas are bright, wonderful, and colorful, and I like how each of them have a good amount of depth and atmosphere that help bring it to life.  The songs are good, and the gameplay really shines thanks to its polish, responsiveness, and intuitiveness.  The stage designs are good, and it's one charming, magical adventure.  Now with that said, how does it stack up with the first game?  Remember when I said before that Castle of Illusion could be beaten in around a half hour?  Well, this game can be beaten in less time than that, and there are a few moments that present some challenge, even though for the most part it's a very easy game; even easier than the first title, which says a lot (though give that game some credit, it at least tried).  The choice to play as either Mickey and Donald was a really wise choice Sega made, but the lack of a difficulty setting reduces its status by a margin.  But what it lacks in difficulty modes it more than makes up for with diversity.  There are still five stages regardless of who you play as, but what's neat is that depending on which character you play as, you'll be heading to one portion of the stage that was made exclusively for either Mickey or Donald; for example, Mickey is the only one who flies to the stars on a cork, and Donald is the only one who heads to the islands during that one bit in the third stage.  I looked up that there is an exclusive stage for when both characters are active, though I've yet to see those.  So at least there's some notable replay value to be had.  The only HUD you're shown are your health and the amount of lives you've got, and that's great; though I can't help but feel that the upper right hand corner could've been used for something else.  Overall, World of Illusion is always a fun game to play every now and then, and it's always fun while it lasts, despite its shortcomings.  It's lighthearted, charming, and enjoyable, not to mention a neat atmospheric adventure with some cool boss fights.  It's not the first game, but it's a good game in its own right.  Simply put: this platformer was both a step forward and a step backward.  I thought it was brief yet amiable!  =)

My Impressions: 8.5

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment!  =)



P.S.: I haven't played Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion yet, but I hope to do so before the year ends!  I just hope that it doesn't have a mouthwatering food stage as well.

P.S. 2: In all seriousness, I knew that Mickey was a magician one time in one of his cartoons long ago, but I never knew Donald was one at one point.

P.S. 3: I apologize if that one joke in the plot portion felt tasteless.  =(

P.S. 4: By the way, I absolutely love how other Disney characters are mentioned in the "starring" lineup during the prelude to the title even though they're reduced to one time cameos.

P.S. 5: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck would abandon their profession as magicians under Sega's wing three years later to star in another platformer together: Capcom's Mickey & Donald: Magical Adventure 3 for the Super Famicom (which sadly I have not played yet).

Impressions: Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (SFC)

Received: September 10th, 2012 / Written: November 17th-22nd, 2012

Ys IV: Mask of the Sun

Year: 1993 | Developed and Published by: Tonkin House | Licensed by: Nihon Falcom | [ O ]

4/9/17 Update: Check out my updated and extended thoughts here  =)

"Eleven against one??  That's not a fair advantage!"

The Ys series is a well-known series among gamers, and some argue that it's got some of the best storytelling on there.  The games have also made their mark in A-RPG history by incorporating anime cutscenes, a rockin' soundtrack all around, and they have very detailed plots.  The great thing about the plots are that bit by bit you uncover a bit of information and secrets which gradually connect the pieces to the plot, and the plots themselves are usually great.  My experience with the Ys series up to this point has been positive so far.

The first Ys, Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished, I thought was quite good, even though it's easy and can be beaten in a few hours.  The sequel Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished - The Final Chapter, which takes place straight after the events of the first game, was a huge improvement; it had more length, greater areas, amped up the difficulty (maybe more so than actually needed), and it had a great final boss encounter.  Also I liked how Jim Cummings provided the voice for one of the villainous characters.  The first two games I played back to back on Ys Book I & II on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console (I downloaded it the day it arrived on the service back in 2008), and in my opinion that's the best way to play the first two games because the first half ends on a cliffhanger and the second half takes place immediately after that event.  Fun games!  The following year I tried the third iteration in the series, the sidescrolling venture Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, which is a heavily polarized title, garnering mixed reactions from critics and gamers alike.  I played the SNES version, and I personally enjoyed it, plus I liked it more than its predecessors even though it was a tad shorter and easier than the previous game.  I loved it and thought was fun even though I had my share of personal qualms with it.  Fastforward three years later, after I got my Retro Duo.  It opened a big window for me, and now I could be able to play Super Famicom games from Japan.  I thought that since my first SFC cart was the Japan-exclusive RPG Alcahest that I would order an RPG every three other games (so far it's working out, but now I'm not so sure); the fourth SFC game I bought was the perfect Tenchi Sōzō (Terranigma to most all of you) and for the seventh game I bought the well-known Ys IV: Mask of the Sun.  And honestly, it's the best Ys game I played so far; I've yet to play games number 5 through 7.

Whoa, I can see my own reflection!  Cool!  =D

Interesting to note is that back when this game came out, it was made not by series creator Nihon Falcom, but by the developers behind the Nintendo 16-bit version of the third game, Tonkin House.  Actually, there are two games under the Ys IV moniker, this followed by the Hudson Soft version on the PC-Engine Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys (which I haven't played).  Even though Tonkin House's version is (or was) the official fourth entry in the series, Hudson Soft's non-canon entry is highly lauded by many gamers.  I looked up that while the PC-Engine version has the same plotline and gameplay, the structure is different and plot elements take place during different moments; so it's not a port so much as a new game.  There were supposed to three Ys IV titles, but for some reason Sega's version was halfway finished in development before it got canned.  I'm guessing the reason Nihon Falcom didn't work on it themselves back then was because they were working on Brandish 2: The Planet Buster, which came out at around the same time; but I don't know that for a fact.

And just as I decide that Mask of the Sun is going to be my newest Super Famicom experience, I find out that there's going to be another Ys IV experience, for the PlayStation Vita called Ys: Ocean Foliage in Celceta, and that it was worked on by Nihon themselves and will replace the SFC game as the official fourth game in the series.  I find it a little frustrating and a little sad too, because Tonkin House's game is really fun, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  Since 1993, Ys IV has stayed a Japan-exclusive title (including the PlayStation 2 remake), even after the sixth and seventh titles came out, and the only likelihood of the PS Vita game being released outside Japan is in 2013, the twentieth anniversary of the fourth title, but even then chances of it happening are very slim.  If it does come out in America, I'm not going to buy a Vita just for that one game; that would be wasteful.  But that's just me; anyway, I've gone on long enough, let's talk about how I feel about Ys IV: Mask of the Sun.  =)

A conversation between two individuals

After the sidescrolling adventure Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, Nihon decided (before delegating the responsibility to Tonkin House) to go back to their original roots, where the game once again is viewed from a bird's eye view.  Just like Wanderers from Ys was the Zelda II: The Adventure of Link of the Ys games, so too is Ys IV: Mask of the Sun the The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past to the series, in that it reverted back to the original style and successfully manages to outdo all the games that came out before it by incorporating more elements and create a much more fun experience in the process.  From what I researched Mask of the Sun takes place after the events of the second and before the third game; so really, this is both a sequel and a prequel all at once (a midquel, I suppose).

One of Ys IV's many fun maze-like areas

Young red-haired Adol Christin once again takes the role of the main protagonist, and since this game went back to the original roots, so did the original gameplay.  For those of you that are not aware, Adol's method of attacking is shoving the enemies until their health is down; that's it.  But you don't want to run straight through them, as chances are you'll be losing health this way, so I highly advise that you attack from one side of the enemy (to its left or to its right, it doesn't matter which).  There are some enemy areas and some safe areas where if you hold still long enough then your health will automatically heal itself, which is nice and convenient.  There are items which you'll find and need in order to advance the plot, and of course there are items which you'll need in order to make sure you prolong your survival, like herbs and potions for health or magic, among others.Throughout the adventure you'll find different variations of weapons and equipment, and usually the newest ones you find are the ones you'll wish to stick with.  What's pretty neat is that with this fourth installation there are some swords and blades which can conjure up some magic via the X button.  Some examples that come to mind are shooting fire, ice, and even lightning.  But the catch is that it uses up magic points, and how much it uses up varies with the blade you use, so it's really wise to use the magic sparingly.  During the boss battles you'll need to exert tons of physical damage towards them, and you'll have to be careful not to take too much damage plus make sure you follow their exact pattern to have them defeated.  Adol still moves in a boxed, four-way pattern, but he moves so swiftly that it's not really much of an issue throughout the game.  The item roster is bigger than it was before, and this time it's actually possible to get poisoned by a certain enemy type; the only way for it to lose effect is if you equip an antidote or if you hold still for a minute or two until it goes away.  Halfway in the adventure you'll be given a "wing" item which you can use any time you want and teleport yourself to any of the areas you've been in.  Sweet!  The gameplay is rock solid, though I still find the method of attacking through pushing a little silly.

Adol confronts enemies thrice his size

The Ys games aren't known for having the most impressive of visuals, but in their own right they do look good, particularly this fourth entry's visuals.  What I always enjoyed about the series is how the action is viewed inside a nice-looking frame, which is pretty neat.  The frame looks nice and stylized, but everything else in the game looks good as well.  The areas are rich with detail (, and I like how there is a big amount of variety.  A few examples that of these locations are the ice caves where it all looks so cool and nice, and it's largely covered in ice, not to mention there is an icy floor that ends up showing the upper walls', Adol's and the enemies' reflection below them.  That is awesome, and it reminded of a similar time it happened in the first Ys.  Another area I'd like to talk about a rock-style cavern where it's all brown with all the rocks around it with the holes that lead to different portions.  The brown coloring scheme that was used in this area is not bad, and it works, to be honest.  There is also another area that takes place in the middle of a big forest, and from the first seconds you enter there it gets darker and begins to rain.  As simple as the forest and rain effects look, it's still nice to look at.  There are even a few times when you might be walking behind a color-layering waterfall, and even a few instances during the penultimate area where you climb the tower in a neat visual fashion.  Sorry if I'm losing you, the point I'm getting at is the areas look good, despite their simplicity.  The safe town areas look wonderful and inviting, and each area has their own quality that makes them stand out.  The character and enemy models are really small, but they animate real well.  Adol looks cool, and I like the way he looks when he runs.  There are times during conversations when from time to time the characters would either lower their head or even spin around to express a feeling of surprise or importance, the latter of which I find really humorous.  What I find cool about Ys IV is how whenever you meet some notable villains and fight them as bosses, they start off about the same height as you, but then they grow roughly three times Adol's size.  That is incredibly awesome!  =D  It's not often that you see that happen in games of this ilk.  As is a custom for the Ys series, there are anime-like cutscenes, and boy they do not disappoint.  The intro sequence alone is spectacular!

I remember this bridge!  I have such good memories
of this bridge!

Another aspect the Ys series is best known for is having a rock-like soundtrack, and this installation delivers each song with flying colors.  The rock quality has always been one of the best parts of the entire series, in my opinion.  What I find very interesting about this soundtrack is how this time there are some symphonics in the mix of the rock music, and even songs that sound entirely symphonic.  It stands out to say the least, but the songs don't sound half bad.  A lot of the battlefield areas sound great, like the one that's played during the ice cavern and and the one that's played during the raining forest area.  The penultimate tower area has pretty rockin' music too, which sounds epic.  The town themes sound neat, too, and I like how fantastic the symphonic themes sound.  A few themes from the first two Ys games are even remixed, and the remixes sound nice in 16-bit format.  There are a couple sad-sounding themes, including this music box-like theme that plays any time this one key blonde female character makes an appearance.  The regular boss theme sounds good, but the final boss theme really steals the show, as it's an epic-sounding showdown with a real sense of urgency, not to mention it's a do or die moment.  The sound effects are nice, too, particularly the ones for when Adol damages enemies and bosses.  The found item sound still sounds similar to Metroid's item found sound, which always sounds cool, and the sound that plays for whenever the bosses have been taken down is great.

Hey, you helped me on my second quest!
You're a good, helpful friend!  =)

So in the end I thought Ys IV: Mask of the Sun was a very fantastic RPG.  It's not the best one in the genre, but it definitely does earn a spot in the Top 10 Nintendo 16-bit RPGs category as far as I'm concerned.  Even though I personally enjoyed Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, I really liked how the licensers Nihon Falcom decided to revert back to their original formula, and especially decided to add new content to make for a more exciting adventure.  The areas all look good, and I love how they've got their own individual look and attention to detail in them.  Each area is designed nicely, and I enjoy their maze-like design.  The rock hard music is awesome, as usually is the case with this series, even if it was significantly different in certain parts, though that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Controls are great, and it was nice for Adol to once again shove enemies in order to damage them, silly though it may sound.  The inventory system is nice, and I thought it was cool that some of the swords or blades had magic qualities.  What's neat about this game is that you could obtain up to ten of each weapon, armor, and shield.  That is awesome, and it's quite an accomplishment considering the previous three games.  The idea to turn Ys IV: Mask of the Sun into a midquel was good one, and the boss fights are exciting.  It was nice to see some characters and revisit a few areas from the first two Ys games, and some of them made me smile; the 16-bit remixes of a few of the themes were really nice.  =)  If there's one qualm I have, it's just a nitpick of mine, but here goes: the experience points.  Unlike the last game, the level cap is 31, and any time you decimate enemies and bosses you'll earn experience points.  But here's what I noticed: the more you level up, the less experience points you'll earn by fighting older enemies, meaning that the newer enemies will consistently have the highest amount.  You'll earn the same amount of money, but you'll earn a different amount of experience points as you level up.  That's just distracting for me; no RPG does that, or at least no game in the RPG genre that I played does that!  But apparently this one does, so go figure.

Even though it was all in Japanese, I was involved in the story somewhat.  There were some rather harsh moments in this fourth Ys adventure, and a few of them were even mean-spirited.  There's this one moment where Adol eavesdrops on a conversation between a winged figure and the Terrible Trio, as I'd like to call them, but he gets exposed by the winged creature; so what happens next is he gets beaten to a pulp by the trio, and even when his health has gone to zero, he's still brutally attacked until they stop.  And I'm like "Did that seriously just happen??", and I've got to tell you, that scene made me so mad; hell, it makes me mad just thinking about it.  There is also this blonde female character who plays a key role in the game, but she consistently gets mistreated (and one time brutally injured) throughout most the of the game, and I cannot help but feel sorry for her; her theme is also so sad that it makes me feel as if something seriously tragic is going to happen.  There are dark moments in this game, too, but the mean-spiritedness that occurs in some of them really gets to me.  The first three games had a few dark moments in certain parts, but never to the extent that was done in this game.  There were a few scenes I felt were emotional, especially the scene that occurs straight after the final boss encounter was finished.  I thought it was one of those "it didn't have to be this way" moments, and I really thought the scene was especially sad.  It was nowhere near as heartwrenching as Tenchi Sōzō's ending scenario, but it was sad all the same.

Regardless, Ys IV: Mask of the Sun was a very fun game, and it took me around eleven non-consecutive hours to beat it (I beat it in more than two months after I received it), at the level cap 31.  It's not that the game is hard, though there are challenging moments, and the adventure is a lot shorter and it can be beaten in less time.  The reason it took me so long to beat the game was because I was a little busy, with college, work, life in general, and I was playing more games, too.  I admit I took some breaks during the middle of my playthrough, too.  I can see why it's positively received, and I'm glad I got to play it.  It's a 9 for me!  =)

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment!



Now that I played the fourth game, my next mission in the Ys series is to play the fifth iteration.  Fortunately that won't be much of an issue, since they've only made one version of it for the Sup--

Really?  =(  Man!  *sigh*  Well I didn't think it would come to this, but I see that I am left with no choice: I'll flip a coin over it.  Heads I play the original version, and tails I try the Expert version.  Here I go: *flips coin and waits for it to land on the ground*

TO BE CONTINUED...

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  =)