Alcahest (SFC) Review

Written: September 8th-14th, 2013

Year: 1993 | Developed by: HAL Laboratory

Published by: SquareSoft | [|O|]

Last year I made an impressions post about this game, but it only had one screenshot and three paragraphs.  I wanted to express my thoughts a little more this time around, in a bit more detail.

So, before I talk about the game, I'm going to share a brief little story.  Ever since I played DoReMi Fantasy: Milon no DokiDoki Daibōken on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console (the only SFC import in the American VC service) back in 2008, not to mention often visiting RVGFanatic's "Obscure SFC Hub" section of reviews (I still do sometimes), I've been inspired, curious about and wanted to play more Super Famicom games.  But there was one problem: at the time I played that game, I didn't have an SNES console, and after being loaned an SNES console several months later by one of my cousins (as well as some of his games), the problem was I could not import.

I heard that it was possible to play SFC games on an SNES if you modded that console, and as enticing as that thought was I just could not bring myself to do it as I heard that the console would no longer be working if one wrong move was made.  So because of that I refused to put my console in harm's way (I wouldn't have had the heart to do it anyway), but it wouldn't be until four years later (in 2012) that I would begin importing SFC games.  And now the following, which is brought to you by learning things the hard way.  =|

Any time I'm on eBay, there will always be descriptions pertaining to the item, what it's condition is, and what capabilities it can do.  I often read that a Game Genie, aside from accessing elements that weren't in the final product or is a tool to help one play with enabled settings (ergo, cheat), was also able to play Super Famicom games.  So I decided to import both it and the game on the same day, and for my first Super Famicom cartridge I wanted to start by buying something a bit cheaper, and Alcahest was the first game that came to mind (since I looked up some interesting things about it).  The Game Genie arrived first, but since the cartridge for Alcahest was flying from Japan it would take a little longer for it to arrive, and once it finally came on May 22nd I was excited.  =)  Unfortunately, it did not last long.  =<

Naturally the first thing I did was try to fit the cartridge in the Game Genie peripheral, but one of the first things I noticed about the game cartridge was how different it was in shape and size compared to the SNES games from America.  The NTSC games would fit on the Game Genie, but the main issue was the flap on said peripheral cartridge which meant you had to make sure it doesn't break.  It was a pretty heavy blow for me, but I learned the hard way that day that

Super Famicom games would not fit on the Game Genie, thereby dashing my hopes of importing further 16-bit Nintendo games from Japan.  I would not have gotten a Game Genie if it did not have that description on eBay.  Either a) there is a Game Genie peripheral cartridge I don't know of that is capable of doing such wonders and I got stuck with an inferior version; or b)

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me at all if it was the latter, because there are some sellers that will try to con the buyers into getting what they least suspect to be an inferior product and/or it may not pull through to the promises it claims.  Game Genie; it doesn't help any that I don't use it all that often, and any time I tried to access a code with it before it wouldn't work.  Basically I'm a Game Genie illiterate, and while I don't regret buying it, it wasn't worth the disappointment.  =(

As a result I was a little despondent about those series of events, that is, until I went to the 3D Games store a couple days later.  That day I bought three SNES games (one of them being Pocky & Rocky), but I've also noticed something; something that I've never taken into consideration as much before: a Retro Duo console.  Capable of playing not only NES games but SNES games as well, I remember having looked up that it allowed you to play Super Famicom games from Japan (I even got to try one of the games there before buying it).  All hope was restored!  =D

Buying a Retro Duo - one of the best gaming decisions I ever made!  =D

So the following Thursday I decided to pay another visit to buy the Retro Duo (mascot edition), which was being sold at a decent price in my opinion, and when I brought it home that day I fit Alcahest in the front slot; and once I turned it on, guess what?  It worked!!!  Yaaaaaaaay!  =D  I was so happy that day; May 31st will be a day I'll always remember.  At the moment I've got seventeen Super Famicom games, so how has my experience been with my first ever SFC cart?  Well, whatever the case; it was well worth the wait!  =)

Now then, let's talk about one of HAL Laboratory's more obscure titles that sadly never hit the West even to this day: Alcahest!

A long time ago, there was a time when the people prospered greatly, until a menacing entity called Alcahest, God of Destruction, was trying to wreak havoc to the land and people that lived there.  Fortunately, a hero came!

That fateful night, the legendary hero (who looks strikingly similar to bare-legged Simon Belmont from his later Castlevania games) lay Alcahest to rest once and for all with the aid of the four Guardians.

Or so it seemed!  A thousand years have passed since then, and for the most part things have gone well.  In time though, there have been forces that have been planning for a while to attempt the God of Destruction's resurrection, but who will stop them this time?  A millennium is a pretty long time, you know.

Luckily, our savior has been summoned and found by a Guardian as he was in a tight spot.  His name is Alen, and he is the last descendant of the legendary hero.  It's going to be a long journey, and he'll need all the help he can get; will he be successful in stopping the evil forces and possibly accomplish what his late ancestor could one thousand years ago?

Only by defeating this Guardian boss will
Alen prove his worthiness

Alcahest was HAL Laboratory's second (and last) attempt at crafting an RPG after their initial attempt Arcana on the SNES didn't do so well with gamers (specifically in America).  While that game was a first-person Tarot card-themed turn-based RPG, this game opts for a more action-oriented RPG style viewed from the bird's eye view.  You take control of Alen, who attacks with his sword and can move around in all eight directions.  And as it's an RPG, of course you'll have to contend with a series of enemies and bosses, do a bit of navigating around to locate items essential to your progression, you'll be increasing your stats, and you'll be learning some new techniques as you move on.  If there's one downside to the controls it's that running (done by double-tapping any direction) can get a little unresponsive sometimes and at times it might be sticky.  Fortunately the rest of the controls are competently handled.  In most of the areas you'll be stepping on jump pads which will have you levitate to a specific section that it points to, plus there's a pad which will have you speed straight through.  Throughout your quest you'll find new Guardians which will join you (one by one), as well as be accompanied by one companion.  And here they are, in order!  =)

Garstein

This young intellectual wizard has got magic that will serve you greatly.  Not only does Garstein have magic powers that homes in on enemies, but also an explosive spell that will dispel a group of enemies or cause some potent damage during boss battles.

Elikshil

The princess of the land, she agrees to join Alen when he lets her know that he may be the newest legendary warrior and after a town has been destroyed during an invasion.  She shoots small projectiles straight ahead and masters the prowess of healing.

Sirius

This serious-looking relative of Dirk the Daring is a well-known knight, and one that tried to stop the forces himself.  After getting stuck together, he decides to ally with Alen and bring forth justice.  His special capabilities are a multi-shot technique (which makes him look as if he's using a machine gun; odd that it occurs in an alternate time period with no pistols of any kind) and he carries a powerful whip that is incredibly long that it makes the whips from the Castlevania series blush.

Magna

This advanced android is a man-like machine.  He's a good helper, and his regular attacks are charging large round shots which ricochet off walls (huh, when did this suddenly become Turrican?); as for his special attack, he fires a slew of rockets as time temporarily freezes over which are either powerful enough to destroy enemies or can deal enough damage to certain bosses.

Nevis

This goddess who is literally from a different planet is the last partner that will join you in the game, but not before you challenge her first.  She does roundhouse kicks which will fire up a flurry of ice attacks all above her, and she can transform into a fire-breathing dragon too!  That's awesome!

Slaying a dragon then saving the princess?
Screw that crap!  How about slaying a dragon
alongside a princess instead???  =D

Alen can only have one partner with him at a time (luckily they're pre-chosen for you), but later on there will be a way to choose which one of the five you want to be with you via the A button (when all of them will join you via a special summoning item).  While they're not AI-controlled, they do follow your every move and do their regular attacks when Alen attacks with the Y button.  To perform an ally's special move, all that you have to do is press the X button; however two partners only require one SP while the other three will use up two.  Since the special moves cannot be used in limitless fashion, it's best to use them only if you need to.  Think of it as something along the lines of Magic Sword; only it's viewed from the top perspective, uses RPG elements, has various spells and sword tactics to use, plus it's more linear in style.

These labyrinthine-like sewers are one of
the game's most atmospheric of areas

Yes, like Arcana before it, Alcahest is divided into chapters; and usually if a game is divided into chapters there's no returning to the previous areas, for you'll only be allowed to peruse around the areas that the current chapter presents to you.  That is the case here.  No matter what happens, Alen will always carry the same sword, shield, and armor on him (a rarity in an ARPG).  He does however, get assistance from the Guardians that he meets, which you can cycle through with either shoulder button.  Depending on which one you select (represented as magenta-white, blue-purple, yellow-azure, and yellow-green), if you hold down the Y button until the gauge is full, you can release to unleash a massive sword attack.  The regular blue-white outfit lets you sword-spin around briefly, Guardian 1 (magenta-white) lets you swiftly jab in front of you with three times the power, Guardian 2 (blue-purple) allows you to spin wildly ending with an ice flurry in the direction Alen's facing, Guardian 3 (yellow-azure) lets you jump-attack/home in on enemies and bosses, and Guardian 4 (yellow-green) makes you dash ahead.  The thing about the gauge-charging is you have to hold still otherwise if you move it will pause the gauge until you remain stationary again (and that admittedly can be a bummer sometimes).

Hey, I didn't know that the Master from
ActRaiser 2 made a cameo here!  =O

Like the companions that join Alen in his quest, the Guardians have special powers too.  Their powers are potent and can help you in a big way; but you have to make sure that you're wearing the Guardian's representative color outfit to summon them with the B button.  Guardian 1 will launch giant spheres of power to Alen's foes, Guardian 2 will form a couple of spheres which will circle around him that will briefly fire off arrow beams in any current direction that you will face, Guardian 3 will home in on enemies and throw powerful fist attacks, and Guardian 4 gives you a momentary force field so no harm will come to you.  Like the companions with their SP, the Guardians require the usage of two MP, so only use them sparingly and if you need to.

You can't tell from looking at it out of
motion, but the rain effects are simple yet
pretty to look at

All right, let's talk visuals!  Alcahest has got very solid visuals, and while for the most part they do not require the usage of Mode 7 rotating or scaling effects, I think they do a good job portraying the game very well.  =)  The game begins with a cool cinematic sequence with detailed characters and visuals highlighting what happened a millennium prior.  What's nice about the areas is that they vary in terms of style and design, and I think that may be the best part of the visuals.  Each area has got a great decor, and most of the time you won't be seeing the same area twice; the amount of detail given is exceptional without going too overboard.  Alen will be going through mountain cliffs, volcanoes, castle sewers, the interior of some castles, a dark cliff with breathtaking rain effects, an airship, et al.  Some of my favorite areas are the inside of a volcano with its brooding sense of danger and adventure, the sewers are dark but can be atmospheric and mysterious when you travel there (especially if it's filled with water or not), the rainy cliff gives a perfect sense of action, the castle dungeon is fun to explore, and the airship is highly advanced as far as design goes (plus the view of the bottom is cool).

Airship, a great place to be!  =)

The character designs are solid (and human-like), with decent animations and detailed design.  I like the various animations that Alen can exhibit; what's fascinating is how he does not have jumping and running animations, but when you step on a jump pad good ol' HAL found a way to make it look like he was jumping (when really they reused his sword-swinging sprite to good effect).  The Guardians are designed greatly, and the secondary characters are designed nicely too.  What I feel is a good touch is when the dialogue box pops up a profile (wonderfully designed ones by the way) of a character (or nemesis) speaking is shown if they are important characters; though for some strange reason Alen does not have one.  Um, he's the main character of the game, right?  If they wanted to keep his look secret, then HAL should not have made him appear in the cover art-looking like a cross between Richter Belmont and Ryu from Street Fighter.  =|

If it helps, try walking in the opposite
direction you're facing

The enemies are designed and animate decently too; the roster ranges from wolves, sewer flowers that spew deadly poison, human opposing soldiers, statues, ghouls literally protruding from shadows in the ground, robed Alcahest worshipers, dangerously fiery wisp enemies, hulking chained up slaves that amass a deadly breath attack, and most menacing of all: mimic chests!  =O  Oh, mimic chests, aren't those just fun kinds of enemies?!  You know, the monsters disguised as chests that appear in games such as Brain Lord, SoulBlazer, and to a lesser extent, Mickey no Tokyo Disneyland Daibōken?  Yeah, those ones!  The bosses are big and detailed, and many of them have really great designs!  The Guardian Boss looks cool and menacing (I love the wavy effect during that time to make it look sizzling), the scaly black dragon boss is great, many of the bosses' second forms are huge, and both of Alcahest's forms look nice!  The thing I find funny is how no one character or enemy shows any running animation, they just appear to be walking fast.  It's actually pretty humorous, to be honest!  XD

Human Enemy Soldier: "Hey, there's an intruder in this castle, get him!!!"

*walks menacingly towards intruder*
 

Niiiiice mecha dog...!  Gooooood mecha dog...!  D=

The soundtrack, like the majority of HAL Laboratory's library of games (mostly consisting of the Kirby series), was composed by none other than the talented and underrated Jun Ishikawa.  And I'm going to be right upfront with you: this is literally one of the best soundtracks I've heard from a Super Famicom game, and that says a lot!  It's somewhere in my Top 5 SFC video game music list.  First of all, there's his trademark sound style, so expect some great unique sound quality.  Secondly, every single song matches perfectly with each area that they accompany.  Thirdly and finally, the sense of atmosphere in Alcahest is very high because the music works so well!  =D  *nods approvingly*
 

I love these dialogue sequences  =)

The title music sounds both cheerful and epic (if that makes sense), and it really invites you to start your adventure.  The intro is theme dark, adventurous, and sets you up for a grand adventure.  The volcano theme is dark yet mysterious, the sewer theme is very slow and ambient, the castle dungeon theme is one of the best songs in the game sounding consistently heroic, the airship theme is filled with high energy and gives you a soaring feeling, the lost advanced labyrinth sounds quiet yet intriguing, and the space theme is epic.  The various boss themes are all great; one of them is incredibly ominous and dark (it works best when you play the game as opposed to out of context).  The theme for when you get introduced to a new Guardian is very mystical, the credits theme is wonderful, and the ending themes are truly rewarding to hear once the adventure is over (particularly the first of the two).  Fun fact: the sound effects are nice, and a lot of them would eventually be recycled for Kirby Super Star.

A cool thing about Alcahest is that there is a sound test in the options screen (yes, there's an options screen in an RPG!  I know, mindblown!), and if you wait a little while after the ending message "End" appears, then the soundtrack will be playing from the beginning (a couple of songs are even longer in length than the in-game moments showcase), which makes video game music lovers such as myself giddy with joy.  In short, I love Alcahest's music so much, it's pleasant to listen to, and since I'm a nice blogger I'll share with you the links to some of the best the soundtrack has to offer found on YouTube: "Sewer", "Title", "Dungeon", "Cave", "Big Boss 2", "Friends", and "Alcahest (First Form)".  Enjoy!!!  =D

No, the solution to this puzzle is not what
you think it is (as enticing as it looks)

Right then, let's talk difficulty!  One of the things I looked about up about this game before having played it was that aside from the fact that it was made by HAL Laboratory, it was an A-RPG that consisted of chapters and that it did not have battery back-up at all, which meant that if you wanted to pick up where you left off you had to use passwords.  What kind of RPG relies on passwords anyway?  I know, it sounds fairly unusual for the genre but if you're willing to stick with it to the very end it can be beaten in one sitting.  Another thing that I found intriguing about this RPG in particular: Alen does not have infinite continues, there are a set amount of lives.  =O  Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds... for the most part.  Oh, and if for some reason you cannot bring yourself to continue, don't worry; HAL has got you covered big time!

Yyyyyyeah, want my advice?  =/  Play it in one sitting, or if you don't have the time to do it, then I recommend you take a photo of the stage title's overall kanji, because chances are if you attempt to write the kanji by hand it will not appear the same (not to mention some bits of kanji appear in various increments).  Some titles are shorter than others, and fortunately they can be accessed when you pause the game and any time you see the next chapter title.

Now how many ARPGs do you know of that
have at least one setting be in outer space?

Alcahest is an ARPG that's got not one, not two, not three, but four difficulty settings!  If you decide to play it on Easy mode you'll start off with eight lives, if you choose Normal you'll begin with five lives, on Hard you commence with three lives, and should you accept the task of playing the Pro difficulty mode then you'll start off with zero lives.  Don't worry, though, since this is an RPG you will be earning experience points by defeating enemies and bosses (reaching a certain incremental score will give you another life); the bigger the amount of lives you have the more points it will take to get new ones.  Losing a life, however, will start your experience point count back to zero however, so bear that in mind.  The game is linear due to its chapter system, but luckily most chapters have areas you can navigate around; thorough searching is also key if you wish to get an important item that will allow you to progress a little forward (save for one chapter, there are four special items exclusively used during the individual chapters you're playing).  Examples of these vital items include boots that enable you to walk on lava without sustaining damage, keys that will unlock certain doors, hammers that break blocked caves that either conceal a treasure chest or secret entrance, and an item that makes you access an elevator.

And since this is a HAL Laboratory title, expect some enemy respawning if you left a screen portion of an area and then came back to said screen portion.  A lot of the bosses have second forms, and in a few moments it can sort of feel like a boss-a-thon where you fight boss after boss.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, if you can handle the challenge.  There are a few differences between each mode, boss attacks will either go faster or slower depending on the difficulty, and then there's the grail.  Since Alen is the only character you're controlling he is the only character that takes damage, thus Alen is the only one that can die.  On Easy you'll start off with a grail by your side if you died, and what the grail does is that it revives you after you lose all your health but it doesn't refill it whole.  On Normal and Hard you have to find it in a chest (search every one of them; you never know if one will contain a health increase, health restoring, MP increase, MP restoring, SP, et al; sometimes enemies will drop one of said items).  On Pro you do not have the grail at all, so be careful.

There is one room later on that will stump you for a little while (I know that it stumped me the first time I played it), with six tiles that you must step on in a certain order to gain access to the next room.  I'm not telling what the answer is, but you can look up information on the items you obtained when going to the menu.  Each section of each chapter takes several minutes to complete, and most times it takes over ten minutes to beat a chapter.  Regardless of what you do, a little trial and error is required.  Each boss has a pattern to follow, and how much damage they take depend on which Guardian you use against them or which powerfully charged sword attack you use on them.  Experimenting is key, I love that!  =)  The last two chapters are basically a rehash of the bosses you've fought in the past, with a couple new ones in the mix.

If there's one downside to Alcahest is Alcahest himself; he takes way too much damage to kill, and his first form is more annoying because he constantly keeps moving and covering his weak spot.  The second form is less annoying, but it still takes long to oust him; you must especially be careful since he (and his powers) can damage you badly.  As a result of this, the final boss is the one you'll be fighting the longest in the entire game (around seven to ten minutes, if not longer); and trust me, it's going to take you several tries until you defeat him successfully.  >=(  None of the hardest of the bosses comes close to this entity; you must conserve and use a companion's SP and Guardian's MP wisely.  But it's all worth it to see the ending, I promise, since it rewards you for your hard efforts (unlike Arcana's ending, which was absolute and complete shit).  Perseverance will help you prevail.  =)

Go Nevis, go!

So on the whole, I love Alcahest!  =)  Yeah the final boss does drag on for a bit, a few portions of the game are longer than they need to be, and playing on the hardest difficulty setting will prove to be quite a challenge to overcome.  But overall, I think this is a highly great and well-crafted ARPG.  The soundtrack is some of the best ever heard in the console, the serious-looking visuals and anime-like profiles are really good, the gameplay is mostly rock solid and intuitive, and a lot of these chapters' areas are well-designed.  If there's one minor problem I have with the game is that it's rather short considering its genre, but depending on how you do (or if you feel like looking for every treasure chest) or how many lives you lose it might take about two and a half to three hours tops to beat Alcahest.  And that's too bad, 'cause otherwise it would've been a better game; on the other hand, though, it's probably for the best that it ended before it would begin to drag on too long.  Also how many RPGs do you know of that have actually horses in them?  =)

Yes, there's actual horseback riding in an RPG, I can't think of many games in the genre that had that.  In a genre that usually has dogs, cats, sheep, birds, deer, cows, and other animals, it's refreshing to see an RPG with horses in them (they're also one of my favorite animals, so I guess that makes it better).  Tenchi Sōzō (Terranigma) didn't have any horses in it, and that game is the best Super Famicom title ever (in my eyes)!  When I first saw it I could not believe my eyes, but it truly happened.  That's just awesome!  =D

Despite being entirely in Japanese, it's actually pretty manageable to play without a guide due to its linearity and arcade-like substance.  The amount of challenge is good, and beating it in the hardest difficulty setting will prove to be most rewarding!  I felt like I was whisked into another world entirely when playing this game; and to be fair, that same assessment could be applied to any game I played that's got Japanese dialogue in it.  When I bought a Retro Duo and got to play Alcahest for the first time, the console opened up a new world of possibilities for me, and it allowed me to explore more and broaden my horizons.  In retrospect, Alcahest may have been a weird choice for my first SFC cart (hey, when trying new things, you have to start slow), but I don't regret it one bit.  If you're a fan of Kirby or HAL Laboratory games in general, I think you should check this game out and import it.  It's full of surprises plus it offers an engaging two-plus hours of fun adventure!  =)

I do think it's a shame that there are sellers on eBay that boast how Super Famicom games can be played on a Game Genie, because the truth is they can't.  Had they not made the description and gave me high hopes I would've never got the peripheral cartridge to begin with.  But I suppose I cannot be too mad; had I not done so, I probably would've never considered getting a Retro Duo after heading to 3D Games, and I would've never have a current collection of seventeen physical Super Famicom cartridges.  With all that said, I only have one thing to say: I love you, Retro Duo, you opened up a new world that I at one point never would've thought was possible and gave me hope again when I felt despondent.  =)  Thank you!  *hugs Retro Duo console*

*"Ending 1" theme playing*

(Any time I listen to this brief song it gives me chills)

I used to find Arcana better than Alcahest, but over time I've grown more fond of Alcahest and love it even more than Arcana.  I must find some way to make it official!  =D

Re-review Arcana.

Uh, what?  o_o

Re-review Arcana!

Oh, do I have to?  =(

You gave that game in your original review a 9!  A freaking 9!!  That's too high for that game, you know that!!!

I was young, I didn't know any better!  And besides, it's not like I've changed my perception of the game drastically!

Oh, that's not true!  You have changed your perception of Arcana to some degree, don't lie to yourself!

But it's a hard game to talk about, fairly under-appreciated by a bulk of the gaming crowd that's played it.

Then make it un-hard to talk about!

But...

DO IT, OR YOU'RE FIRED!!!

Fiiiiine!!!!  -_-  One of my future reviews will be of Arcana.  Dammit, I blame myself!  =(

Update: To read my current take on it made on October 23rd, 2014: click here.

( >'.')>TO EACH THEIR OWN<('.'< )

P.S.: The only games I play on my Retro Duo are NES games, Super Famicom games, and the Super Game Boy.  If I decide to play an NTSC SNES game, I'll do it on my NTSC SNES console.

P.S. 2: I'd like to say that it would be nice if this game got remade for the West as a 20th anniversary present, but since 2013 is over in three months that's not likely to happen any time soon.  =(

P.S. 3: The art in the cover, which is pretty good, has good qualities but there's something I'm not entirely certain about.  Yes, Alen is there alongside Garstein and Nevis in dragon form (red as opposed to gold).  Is the blonde woman on there supposed to be Elikshil?  She looks nothing like her!  I'd say that it's Nevis' human form, but then why would her dragon form be appearing as well?

P.S. 4: Alcahest is proof that a HAL Laboratory game can be awesome without the involvement of either Kirby or Lolo in the lead role...  though that would probably offend them both if they were to hear me say that, so "shhhhhh"!  This is between us!

P.S. 5: The Last Airbender screengrab taken from my Region 1 DVD, and the movie is the property of Paramount.

P.S. 6: I've recently seen the newest episodes of Wander Over Yonder, and I'm convinced: that newest Disney show is in the right capable hands (I'll share my thoughts on them in the next blog post)!  It's very charming; a lot of the jokes work (not just for kids but for older viewers too); it's incredibly fun (nonsensical maybe, but it works because it wallows in its pure nonsensicality); the characters are likable; it's not demeaning, mean-spirited, or condescending to the viewers; it's a show with a heart; the animation, shading, and lighting is wonderful; the timing is great; watching it makes me feel like a kid again; and it just leaves me with a big smile on my face.  =)  I know what show I'm gonna watch any time I need cheering up.  That, or I could resort to Kirby's Epic Yarn any time I feel down, which I personally feel is the best feel-good video game ever made (hey, it was made by Good-Feel after all).  =)

P.S. 7: This game is very enjoyable and is not overly dark.  What could possibly prevent it from leaving Japa--

HOLY, THAT IS TERRIFYING!!  D=

Thank you for reading my review, please leave a comment and I hope you all have a great day!  Take care!  =D

Kirby Air Ride (GCN) Review

Written: September 2nd-6th, 2013

Alternate Title: Kirby's Airride [|O|]

Year: 2003 | Developed by: HAL Laboratory | Published by: Nintendo

As many of you may be aware, I am huge Kirby fan!  =D  Even though the first Kirby game I played was during the '90s (Kirby's Dream Land 2 to be specific; yes, I'm aware that I still need to review that game), it wasn't until late 2002 after I played Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land for the Game Boy Advance (a remake of the NES Kirby's Adventure) that I truly became enamored of the round, charming pink puffball and his adventures.  And since then I've been enjoying his games immensely, having played almost all of them (the exceptions being Kirby's Star Stacker, the Satellaview series of mini-games Kirby's Toy Box, and his 20th anniversary compilation Kirby's Dream Collection).  And based on what lot I've played in the series, I can proudly say that many of his games as far as I'm concerned were solid... while some of them were relatively weak.

Case in point: Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards on the Nintendo 64.  Barring his appearance in the first Super Smash Bros. a year prior, this 2000 Nintendo 64 iteration was Kirby's first foray to the 3D world overall, albeit as a 2.5D sidescrolling platformer, which garnered some of the most middling of all reception in the series since it came out.

While it's not a terrible game (it is decent at best), it is one that I consider part accomplishment and part disappointment (the latter especially hurts when you compare it to his other adventures).  While it won't win any awards for its story and scope, it did have some good qualities going for it.  While they look  very aged by today's standards, the visuals are still good for the most part (albeit quite blocky) with well-chosen textures, lighting, and colors, not to mention presenting inbetween-planet cutscenes that play at a surprisingly fast and fluid pace.  The gameplay was very good, even though due to the controller's layout it would take a bit of time to adjust, and it offered some new gimmicks; like combining two power-ups to create one powerful power-up, trying to evade columns in the background that will attempt to squish you as they fall towards the foreground, riding alongside Waddle Dee and piggybacking on top of King Dedede, and pretty much all the bosses having two phases.  The first of which would eventually resurface in Kirby Squeak Squad, except not as commonly implemented and requires two bubbles to be merged inside Kirby's stomach.

The problems lie within the execution.  While it's structured like a traditional Kirby game, it tries to diverge itself so much from the formula that it ends up becoming very untraditional in the process.  Kirby does things that he rarely does in his other games: like grabbing his power-up star from his mouth should he wish of disposing it, carrying and/or throwing said power-up star in (or from) his hands as he moves around, moving as he inhales, inhaling underwater, and most glaring of all, not being able to float indefinitely.  While the spiraling and twisting camera angles were nice, they stray so much from the orthographic camera style that's been used in all Kirby's other sidescrolling platformers, not to mention the fact that they're eerily reminiscent of Pandemonium!'s camera style, that it can get distracting at times (particularly for those that played the aforementioned PlayStation One sidescroller).  Another low blow was the fact that once you grab a crystal shard you don't have to finish the stage to keep it in your possession; you can just leave the area and you won't even have to collect it again, thereby dangerously reducing Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards' replay value by a huge margin.  I mean talk about enabling!

Aside from the Mario Party-style mini-games and the fact that there are two endings (not to mention an optional attempt to gather all the Enemy Info cards should you desire), there was simply little to no replay value to be found here.  And in a nutshell, that's what drove some gamers off from this game in the first place; and yeah, having played the game I do see where they're coming from.  Just like its detractors it's also got its defenders, and that's fine.  While there are issues to be certain, it does make up for it with a really good soundtrack, great amount of charm, fun gameplay, its ambitious ideas, and the secret final boss fight.  Considering it was the first Kirby game made in 3D, it could've been a lot better in retrospect.  But then, it could've been a lot worse.  It's ironic that I caught up with this game in 2011, the same year that HAL Laboratory would create what in my humble opinion has got to be Kirby's Magnum Opus: Kirby's Return to Dream Land for the Nintendo Wii (also a 2.5D platformer), since in the same year I got to play both one of Kirby's weakest entries as well as his overall best.  =)

My only regret with that review was the time I made those remarks towards things that were irrelevant to the game I was talking about.  Not because of the remarks themselves (though I will admit they were harsh), but because I made the boneheaded decision about bringing them up in the middle of the review; it's unfortunate because it made it distracting (and all because I was too stubborn to make separate blogs about them).  If I could, I would try to remake the whole review without those bits of irrelevancy, but that would mean having to reword it all and possibly get some replacement screen grabs that I ever wrote it to begin with, and I'm sorry I wrote it the way I did for it's haunted me since that day (so much so, I've deleted it for my appreciation for it grew over the years; 11/8/21 Update)  =(  From the creative team behind the Super Smash Bros. trilogy and Kid Icarus: Uprising, I give you my review of Kirby Air Ride!

Select your game mode

It's funny that I bring up the Nintendo 64 at all, because Kirby Air Ride was initially going to be developed for that console as a Generation One title, four years before Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.  Being inspired by that one bit in the intro sequence from Kirby Super Star (where Kirby rides on his Warp Star), HAL Laboratory decided to make a racing game starring Kirby.  At first it was going to be called Kirby's Air Ride, undergoing through various changes during the game of the hour's development hell, it was at one point going to be different in structure (much more different than what the final product turned up); one of the fascinating things that were apparent in the earlier version's screenshots were the fact that Kirby was wearing a blue baseball cap, the enemies would be racing too, and the fact that there were both a health meter and number of lives in the same shot (as far as I looked up).  Sadly while in development it got cancelled, and it's a shame since a part of me is curious to have seen how the game would've worked and run in 64-bit format.

Sooooo many pretty lights!!!

After having failed to release it on the Nintendo 64 several years earlier, HAL Laboratory attempted to resurrect Kirby's racing game to the newer GameCube console.  They showed it as a brief preview which wasn't favorably received due to its less than stellar visuals and its deliberate speed over at the 2003 annual DICE summit over at Las Vegas, however the title would be changed from Kirby's Air Ride to simply Kirby Air Ride.  Since the preview backfired badly, HAL decided to show it again at E3 in the same year showcasing all three game modes and five playable tracks.  And, wouldn't you know it: it fared a lot better.  Kirby Air Ride would also be the last game in the series that Kirby's creator, Masahiro Sakurai, directed; but he would act as a special advisor to Flagship for when they made Kirby & the Amazing Mirror the following year.  So, when this racer finally came out seven long years after its inception to be played by all, the critics unanimously were like:

(I know, that's a badly drawn thumb down on the left; and no that's not Kirby)
"Ehh!"

But (casual) gamers and fans of the always hungry pink puffball were more like:

♫Come on, baby, light my fire♪

You know how there are games that critics love yet have the gaming crowd feel mixed or indifferent about them as a whole (i.e. Kirby's Epic Yarn, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, New Super Mario Bros. 2)?  Well, the same attributes can be applied for the exact opposite, Kirby Air Ride included.  Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I find this observation quite fascinating to be honest.  Of course it's not the first time that it's happened, nor will it be the last.  So what is it about this Kirby game in particular that makes critics tick and yet tickle crowds of gamers with absolute joy?  After Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, the second 3D-rendered Kirby title is one topic of great discussion.  So let's not waste any time and see why Kirby Air Ride has been polarizing these said groups for the past decade!  =<

In space, the blue hexagons shine brightly

So, after helping save Pop Star numerous times and partaking in sidequests that required the defeat of King Dedede, what is Kirby up to in Kirby spin-off number... *counts fingers* seven?  Racing!  Yeah, racing in Pop Star... that's pretty much it really.  =/  There's no real plot, sense of danger or urgency here; it's just Kirby, his differently colored clones, Meta Knight, and King Dedede out racing to have a good time, kick back, and have fun.  Oh, and there's some competition to be had too, but it's mostly for fun purposes!  There are three game modes here; and they are Air Ride, Top Ride, and City Trail.  Oh, and there's also a way to play multiplayer via LAN by connecting multiple GameCubes, but I never tried that (nor could ever afford doing so) so I won't go over that.

Flying through a pair of big rings

Each game mode has Kirby racing on a star vehicle, and the goal for each mode varies widely.  The titular Air Ride mode plays as, well, a regular racing game in a similar fashion to Mario Kart except not quite as structured as that series.  There are series of courses to choose from, and the goal is to reach the finish line after going through enough laps.  You can either race the default amount of laps, choose a specified amount of laps to race, or you can ride until a certain amount of time runs out.  In the star vehicle select screen you can switch the color of your Kirby with either the X or Y buttons, and you've got a wide range of star vehicles to choose from; each vehicle has their own unique trait.  An example is a Winged Star, which is not fast on the ground but does make up for it with its flight capabilities; and for another example, a Wagon Star cannot charge or break but it does offer plenty of speed.  There might also be some that are hard to steer or control, so be careful about those.

Each color shares a different facial
expression

In the race you charge by holding down the A button, and if you press it on top of boost arrows then you'll be gaining more speed.  You can also do a quick spin by quickly rotating the Control Stick, and should the vehicle you're riding be capable of doing so you can hold Down to glide upward.  When it comes to gliding you can control the position of the star vehicle (facing down, facing up, flying in either two side directions), and should you land perfectly it'll go smooth sailing; if not, it may cost you a second and a half.  But it wouldn't be a Kirby game if there weren't any enemies to swallow and copy power-ups from, now would it...?  Unless that game was the original Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Pinball Land, or even Kirby Mass Attack that is, but one game at a time.

Kirby has got the wings of power

Now onto the power-ups themselves.  There are two ways of obtaining power-ups; one is by swallowing an enemy with a power-up capability, and the other is by riding over a "?" platform where you're randomly given a power-up (pray that you don't receive one you do not want).  Make sure you avoid swallowing a Noddy, or you'll be forced to sleep and have to wake yourself up by quickly rotating the Control Stick.  As for the other ones they are the Sword, Needle, Freeze, Fire, Bomb, Wheel, Tornado, Mike, Plasma, and finally, the Wing power-up.  Wait?  The Wing power-up is here?  Huh!  Funny how the ... least used ability in the series (introduced in Kirby Super Star) gets used again in one of the lesser received games in the franchise.  Anyway, some will have you just pressing a button, others may have you holding down the button, or in Plasma's case you'll want to rotate the Control Stick until the gauge is filled up and you're ready to fire your laser beam.  Buuuuut, since this is a racing game, you won't be keeping the ability forever, and in the remaining time that you still have it you'll still retain it even if you take damage.  So, as you can tell, the controls are relatively simple, which isn't a bad thing, but more on that later.

♫I believe I can fly♪

Next up is Top Ride, where it's a racing game like Air Ride, except that it's viewed from the bird's eye perspective in the vein of similar racing games such Super Off-Road and Super Sprint.  The goal is similar except the courses are smaller, the number of laps are bigger, and the races are much shorter.  The power-ups are different from the other two modes (and you don't swallow enemies here), but they're used so sparingly due to the brevity of these races.  The power-ups can be effective, and there are some that can be used exclusively here, such as wielding a hammer as you ride and summoning the almighty Kirby enemy cloud Kracko to shock your competition for a momentary period of time; the same can be done to you, however, so watch your back.  Top Ride will still have Kirby charge and do the quick spin though, only this time there are two types of star vehicles to ride: the default Free Star which will move in any direction you push, and the Steer Star which steers left or right.  It's highly recommended that you ride these races with the former due to their versatility, but if you want to challenge yourself you can always attempt the races with the latter.

I know I've used this joke before; but it's
Hammer Time!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!  Even those that have not played Kirby Air Ride know about this mode, for it is perhaps the most played game mode in the whole package: City Trial!  Unlike Air Ride or Top Ride, this game mode does not involve racing at all.  Actually, what it is is a chance to roam around a city, get lots of ability boosts, possibly have to face a few challenges along the way, and maybe try to get a better star vehicle; all in the allotted time remaining!  Okay, let me fill you in on all this: you and the other Kirbies start off on a Compact Star, which starts off very slow but can turn decently.  In the area are a series of boxes and power patches scattered about; each one augments the current star vehicle you're riding's specific capability by one.  You can collect up to eighteen of each of them, and the power patches range from HP that it can sustain, turning capabilities, defensive and offensive capabilities, boosting prowess, et al.  But be aware of when you get the power boosts and only grab the ones that are in color; obtaining a gray one will decrease said capabilities (it's possible to get to the negative zone).  But make sure you get just enough otherwise you will be losing control due to a hugely overpowered vehicle.

How far can you fly through the air?

But the power patches aren't the only things that are scattered about as there will also be power-ups with the abilities used in Air Ride plus food and drink that help replenish a bit of your health.  There's also the invincibility candy which renders you invincible, a Gordo icon where you can throw up to three Gordos, a bomb that will ignite should an unsuspecting competitor ride over that spot, and a flashing shield power-up among others.  In the blue boxes are the patches and food; in the green boxes are temporary quick items such as Special Defense and the Hyper Spin which will have you wildly spinning as you ride; and in the red boxes are the ability icons.  Not only that, but should you get lucky enough you may just find a Hydra or a Dragoon piece; collect all three of either and you will be riding one hell of a star vehicle with more power than all the others combined.  If you wanted to get off your star vehicle, all you have to do is hold down the A button and pull back.  This is one of the few times you will be able to control Kirby entirely on his own, for he can run around on all eight directions and jump up to five times to the point of slowly falling down to the ground (he cannot get any power-ups outside of his star vehicle though).

YOU'RE WINNER !

Now is about a good time as any to discuss why this works here and not in any other Kirby game.  In the Super Smash Bros. series there are a plethora of characters from different games, not just Kirby, and if he floated indefinitely while the other characters couldn't, then that would be an unfair advantage to all; so they had to sacrifice his indefinite flight in order to compensate balance.  In Kirby Air Ride it works because it's a racer and not a platforming game, and while getting a chance to see and control Kirby roam around on his feet in authentic 3D fashion is a nice rarity to behold in the franchise, it's not the focus of the package.  When you take one of the defining characteristics this character has for a sidescrolling platformer (if it plays like a traditional Kirby game, mind you) and alter it in such a way, then it just isn't quite the same and feels rather jarring.  And that is why giving Kirby limited floating time in the air was a bad idea in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and thank God HAL Laboratory didn't go through with that throughout the rest of the series.

Meta Knight will slice and dice through these
races

There's a reason you must collect as many power patches as you can during the City Trial.  See, the more patches you collect, the more your star vehicle will be able to accomplish.  It's important to take this into consideration as once the timer runs out completely, you'll be partaking in a stadium event.  The event that you'll eventually be doing will either be random or you can choose in the options which specific events you want to do.  The stadium events comprise of drag races, single races, destruction derbies, air gliding, high jumping, flying in target flights, including the ever so reviled Vs. King Dedede event; if only for the fact that he's got way too much health to defeat and the amount of time remaining to defeat him is just simply not enough.

His Royal Gluttony himself makes an
appearance as a playable character

When it comes to jumping to the newest console, there will also be graphical and visual improvements; which is true for each upcoming console.  Kirby Air Ride looks so much better than Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards; since the angles are much smoothly rounder and less blocky, the lighting and shading affects every character and enemy as opposed to just the main characters as was the case in the previous 3D Kirby outing, the animations are a lot more fluid this time around, the textures (while admittedly a little flat) were chosen greatly, the lighting and shading is effective, and its color palette is richer and more superior to that of said Nintendo 64 iteration.  Many of the areas look great, but the most visually dazzling one would be in the Nebula Belt course which is brimming with so many lights that it's highly reminiscent of the last half hour of 2001: A Space Odyssey (and I mean that in a good way), and Checker Knights where at first you're above water in a literal checkerboard area until you ride below the water to a nightly lit underground city; another good one is Magma Flows, where it's all consumed by a reddish environment.  What's nice is how City Trial will start at a random time of the day, sometimes by day and sometimes by night, which is great; especially great is the fog effect.  Even though this game came out during the GameCube generation, it amazes me how well the visuals have (for the most part) aged; the character and enemy models themselves are absolutely great to behold.  It might not look as great as Kirby's Return to Dream Land for the Nintendo Wii does, but it's a close second as far as the series is concerned.  In fact, I personally feel this game's visuals have aged incredibly well compared to those from say 2002's Super Mario Sunshine, but I'm getting off-track.

"Poooyo!" ("Patches!")

The music for Kirby Air Ride was composed by four composers: veteran composer Jun Ishikawa, co-veteran composer Hirokazu Ando, and a couple other composers who I'm not very familiar with; regardless, the music is very good.  We've got the trademark sound-style that Ishikawa is known for, a really inviting and at times atmospheric soundtrack that complements the scenery and action, and some of the songs are remixed from a few classic predecessors.  But that's not the only source of this racing title's music, for guess where the other music comes: the Kirby anime, but to make things even better, it's the music from the superior Japanese original anime series Hoshi no Kābī.  You know, the music that should've remained in the Americanized dumbed down 4Kids version Kirby: Right Back at Ya! rather than what we got instead.  But even then it would not have helped 4Kids' cause; thank God they are only American show dubbers otherwise the bulk of Europe would've been affected too (not that it's necessarily a good thing either).  =|

Flying high in the sky

As I said earlier the songs were lifted from the anime, and many of them sound good.  Those that have seen the anime in its intended glory will know exactly where in the show they were played, and considering which songs play in which area, they are appropriately well-matched.  The orchestral-sounding songs are really great to listen to, and the sound effects aren't all that bad either.  The sound effects for each star vehicle sound cool, I like the sounds that were used for each individual ability, and few of the original songs made for this game are nice.  One thing I've always noticed since I was younger was that neither Kirby, Meta Knight, nor King Dedede utter a sound when they get hurt or fall off.  Yeah, Kirby still sings loudly with the Mike ability, but otherwise he makes no sound.  It's awkward; how did HAL Laboratory miss that?

Employee A: "Oh, no!"

Employee B: "What is it?"

Employee A: "I just realized that we forgot to give the characters voices for when they take damage or fall offscreen!"

Employee B: "No sound, really?  That's too bad.  Well, I'll try to figure something out."

Employee A: "The game's due in a couple days, we've no time for that!"

Employee B: "Hee hee, I'm sure no one's going to notice!"  *positive spirit, and waving hand down*

Employee A: *glares at other employee with angry silence*

But otherwise, the sound is not bad overall.  =)

Stadium hints, I love them

Right then, about the challenge value then.  As I said before, the controls are very simple on all three game modes; which makes Kirby Air Ride all the more accessible to gamers of all skills.  One of the reasons this racing game has gotten lots of backlash from critics was due to how simple it was; but even if that was not the case, they commented on how short the game was and that there could've been more to it.  To be fair though, the amount of races and events aren't bad (nine Air Ride courses, seven Top Ride courses, and several increments of events in City Trial), in fact I find them sufficient enough; on the other hand, it probably would've been nice had there been a few more courses to race in.  But even though the races can feel a bit short and City Trial is the most preferred game mode in the package, there are factors I feel augment a lot of replay value.

Good luck unlocking all these checkboxes!

See, in each of the three game modes there are one-hundred and twenty boxes to check, all adding up to a total of three-hundred and sixty.  There are lots of achievements to attempt; such as beating a race (or a single lap) in a certain amount of time, swallow consecutive (blank) enemies in a row, finish a race with a specific ability, obtaining ten of a certain power patch, and trying to see how much mileage you can gain should you race with the timer instead.  Once any of those are done a box will be checked out; if it's green then it's just a regular box, but if you check a red box you'll be rewarded something--whether it be a song to listen to, a new star vehicle, another colored Kirby to choose from, the ability to play as Meta Knight and King Dedede, et al.  If you don't think you can achieve a certain accomplishment (should you have one), you can always place a purple box wherever you wish, for it acts as a freebie; once you use it though, you won't be using it again, so choose wisely.  Fortunately you can tell when you've done an achievement after you hear a tone.  =)  There are even various options for these game modes; such as adding minutes, doing time attacks, practicing with free runs, running the game at normal or slow speed, changing how many opponents you want to compete with you, what their CPU levels are, and more.  So really, even though these game modes are short, there's always that one thing that will make you come back for more.

Kirby is better than Link anyway!  ^_^  Do not
cross him!

And basically that's what it all amounts to in the end.  Its simplicity is a big factor, and one that has both split critics and charmed fans and gamers since 2003.  Whether it makes the game work for you or not depends on whether you're okay and accepting about that.  Whatever the case, one thing is for certain: it makes for a great visual tech demo.  Don't get me wrong, it's very competent as a game, but when you get down to it it's really a visual tech demo.  But even if you don't consider it as that, if you're willing to overlook its brevity and and accept it for what it is, it's a really good game.  And considering all the achievements to be accomplished and the settings you can adjust for each game mode, I feel it adds a lot of replay value.  Ever since I got this game back in Christmas of 2003 I've enjoyed it, and while it's not perfect by any means, I think it's a very fun game (it's even more fun with friends and family).  Make of it what you will; your mileage may vary.  It would be another seven years until Kirby's newest TV console game would come out (Kirby's Epic Yarn), and it wouldn't be until 2011 when his overall greatest title would arrive (Kirby's Return to Dream Land); take my word for it.  =)  Either way, it's a big improvement over Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.

8.0/10

(>'.' )>TO EACH THEIR OWN<( '.'<)

P.S.: I'm still bummed out that there was no news of an upcoming Kirby game during this year's E3.  =(  I'd like to play a new sidescrolling platformer in the series; hell, I wouldn't even mind if it was a sequel to Kirby Air Ride for the Nintendo 3DS.  It'd be cool that if it exists it would do to this game what Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon did to the original GameCube classic and improved it in every way.  I hate to sound like a broken record: but I'd like to see a new Kirby game, since I just can't get enough of the series.  =(

P.S. 2: I just couldn't resist making that Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing reference!  It was just too good an opportunity to not take advantage of.  XD

P.S. 3: The series Wander Over Yonder is finally getting new episodes next Friday, I cannot wait (I like it so far)!  It may be kooky and nonsensical, but it's a kooky and nonsensical show with a heart.  Plus it wallows in its own nonsensicality, which makes it fun for me, and it takes me back to my childhood; also, it stars aliens, so they can do whatever they please.  Fish Hooks, on the other hand, is a badly drawn nonsensical show about aquarium fish with anthropomorphic qualities, but all it does is make viewers cringe in fear due to its flat-out horridness.  There, I've taken another jab at Fish Hooks, one of the worst animated shows of all time (in my opinion), and I eagerly look forward to the next opportunity to do so.

P.S. 4: Sorry about the lack of Blue Kirby in my screenshots, I just didn't have enough and couldn't find a good one.

P.S. 5: Even though this game came out while the anime was still in session, I regret to inform you that Escargoon does not make a cameo in this game... HAL Laboratory would rectify that in the mini-RPG Kirby Quest in Kirby Mass Attack.  =)

P.S. 6: By the way, did you know that 2001: A Space Odyssey had a sequel?  It's called 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

P.S. 7: Just so anyone knows, no I'm not counting Kirby's Avalanche (or Kirby's Ghost Trap depending where you live) as a Kirby spin-off or Kirby anything; if only for the fact that it's not a real Kirby game.  It's just the Western version of Super Puyo Puyo with a Kirby-esque face lift; it shouldn't count anyway as far as I'm concerned.

P.S. 8: I've recently listened to the whole soundtrack for The Conjuring, and holy crap did I jump whenever the jump scare sound cues came up, and the final track is powerfully emotional.  I need to watch the movie again, it was one of the best movies I've seen that 2013's summer had to offer!  =D

P.S. 9: As for how far Kirby could fly:

this was the farthest distance I could manage.

Stay tuned next time for another HAL Laboratory video game review, only it does not star Kirby or Lolo.  What could it be?  Until next time, see ya!

Thank you for reading my review!  Please leave a comment and I hope you have a great day!  Take care!  =)