Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage (SNES) Review

Received: February 3rd, 2011 / Written: March 17th-25th, 2016
Published on: March 26th, 2016

Alternate Title: Bakkusu Banī Hachamecha Daibōken [|O|]

Year: 1993 | Developed by: Viacom New Media | Published by: Sunsoft

Hello everyone, StarBoy91 here; passionate about video games, big retrophile, and fan of all things 16-bit.  Who didn't love watching Looney Tunes growing up, what with the funny slapstick and comedic writing not to mention the colorful cast of characters, and still likes them now?  =D  No character was more synonymous with this series than the one and only Bugs Bunny.

Images from Wikipedia

Although he originally made his first (prototype) appearance in the 1938 short "Porky's Hare Hunt" (as Happy Rabbit), it wasn't until 1940's "A Wild Hare" with Elmer Fudd as the hunter in the Merrie Melodie series that the sly, conniving Bugs would officially make his debut courtesy of the late animator Tex Avery (voiced by the late Mel Blanc).  The gist of this character is that he sneakily and cleverly had a knack at fooling, tricking, and/or manipulating those unfortunate enough to cross his path (the sole exception being the tortoise in the Tortoise and the Hare-themed shorts).  Basically Bugs was an animated equivalent of a troll... which I know does not exactly sound like a positive trait in the off-chance you've never seen a Bugs Bunny short before, but in the context of these episodes he's actually a sorta likable kind of troll (a rare exception) and quite funny.  =D  =|  I'm not really selling this to the uninitiated, am I?

Images from Wikipedia

Since his official inception he has become one of the most iconic animated characters of all time, appearing in various franchises, video games, merchandising, cameos (one memorable one opposite Mickey Mouse in Who Framed Roger Rabbit), TV shows and spin-offs, and Bugs Bunny even got his Hollywood Walk of Fame star.  Movie-wise he (and the rest of the Looney Tunes cast) appeared in Joe Dytka's second (and final) theatrical film Space Jam starring alongside Michael Jordan (as himself in live action) in 1996 (becoming the highest grossing basketball movie of all time) and in Joe Dante's box office flop Looney Tunes: Back in Action in 2003 (with Brendan Fraser and Steve Martin).  While neither film was a hit with critics, both have garnered a bit of a following after the fact.

Looney Tunes distributor Warner Bros. had hoped that if the latter film did really good that they would begin a "revitalized franchise of Looney Tunes media and products".  Things did not go that way, for instead the studio planned to retcon the series in the form of Loonatics Unleashed (which I'm not familiar with), the polarizing The Looney Tunes Show (which The Weekenders creator Doug Langdale was involved as a writer for an episode, among other writers), and very recently the flash animated short series Wabbit.

8/7/22 Update: I deleted my negative thoughts on the show Wabbit and any reference and/or shade I threw at it in my blog before this, I feel it took up too much of this review and in hindsight I feel those were very unnecessary

We're not here for Wabbit though, we're here for Viacom New Media's Bakkusu Banī Hachamecha Daibōken (which translates to "Bugs Bunny's Insane Great Adventure") which came out in Japan in June 1993, or as it got known as when released in February 1994 and September 1994 in North America and Europe respectively: Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage.

Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage was one of several Nintendo 16-bit Looney Tunes licenses made under the Sunsoft name during the early half of the '90s (before the company struggled from bankruptcy).  This platformer (or its subtitle, anyway) is loosely based on the 1955 "Rabbit Rampage" short where the theme was literally animator versus creation, the creation being Bugs whom the antagonistic animator has got at his mercy, which means plenty of comedic possibilities.  And the game follows a similar theme, but with a few key differences (the animator is not Elmer Fudd this time).  Of note on the cover is that it tells you plain and clear that it is 12 MegaBits; this disclaimer was so important

that they copy-pasted the whole cover art on to the NTSC cart.  I don't get it, was 12 MegaBits really that big of a deal over 16?  o_O

"What's up, Doc?"

So after the title appears you get to see a visual representation of what your controls are and what buttons you need to use to utilize them.  Bugs Bunny can move around, duck, slide down thin platforms or holes by holding down and pressing B, jump with the B button (altitude depends on how lightly or hard you push the button), pounce on enemies and bounce off items by pressing B while in midair, throwing a regular pie at enemies with the Y button, kicking enemies with the X button, and every now and then you'll stumble across Acme items you can use to aid you and/or hinder your foes with the A button (some items have a high throw, low throw, or a normal throw) which you can toggle between with the left and right shoulder buttons (and like Contra III: The Alien Wars you can even do that while the game is paused, which is very convenient).

♫ You spin my head right round right round when
you go down, when you go down down ♪

There is also a twirl maneuver which will render you invincible towards all who dare approach you by just holding down the Y and X buttons together as you move left and right--the downside is that the longer you do it your carroty health slowly gets drained in the process, so only do this sparingly or as a last resort.  When you press Select at the title screen you're brought to the options screen where you can adjust your controls, enter the training screen to accommodate yourself with the controls, turn the music on or off, as well as set your life count between anywhere from one to ten; I highly suggest that any time you start the game you begin with ten lives.  Trust me; the continues are few and far between.

Why is Bugs' post-2015 show even called Wabbit
anyway?  Did Elmer Fudd make the deciding vote?  o,O
Despite not even appearing in it?

Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage is largely an open-ended platformer (with only a handful of stages being straightforward and/or just plain small) where the main objective is to reach the goal of the stage, mostly culminating in a boss fight.  Obviously getting to that point will not be so simple as your path will be full of obstacles comprising of the Goofy Gophers, hunting dogs that box, cowboys and Indians, Marvin the Martian and his alien cronies, robots, and a legion of black cats among others.

The "pies" have it!

Luckily along the way you'll come across a slew of Acme products which Bugs can use against his enemies or use for his benefit.  Each stage has got items that exclusively pertain to those stages alone (white paint for the penultimate stage, anvils for the third stage, toy tanks for the seventh stage, et al), but the common ones you'll more likely come across are pies, sticks of dynamite, bullseyes for which will make something bad happen to the unfortunate enemy who steps into it, and of course checkpoints which you can place during any part of the stage so that way you'll resume progress from that portion of the stage when you lose a life.  Along the way are also small carrots that will replenish a bit of your health, which helps while you still have the opportunity (I'll elaborate on that soon).  =)

Yes, game, I know I have yet to talk about
Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time, don't remind me  -_-

Bugs Buggy's Nintendo 16-bit foray looks absolutely spectacular, as Viacom New Media have spectacularly managed to replicate the look and feel of the Looney Tunes source material; kudos!  =D  The game cleverly begins with the landscapes and backgrounds being painted by brush strokes, and on the whole its snowy landscape is gorgeous (with layers of mountains in the backdrop; this game is perfect for Winter fare).  The sixth stage with the Tazmanian Devil has got great foliage, and the fifth stage that takes place in space looks mesmerizing with the constantly moving planet in the background.  Its sense of detail is cool, and there are numerous instances of parallax scrolling; some obvious (the mountains of the first stage, the craters of the fifth stages, and green leaves of the sixth stage) and others much more subtle (the floor of the second stage and the ground of the third stage) which augments Rabbit Rampage's sense of depth.  =)  And it's awfully nice to see cameos from various Looney Tunes alumni (sometimes in the audience and sometimes battling against you).

Squawks!  You have a mohawk on you... and
look more two-dimensional somehow  o.o

Bugs Bunny and gang look as good in their Nintendo 16-bit format as they did in the original Looney Tunes, and that's a good thing.  =)  Bugs has got solid jumping and ducking animation, as well as fluid walking animation; when he's in his idle position he's got some personality, and any time he gets hit, squished, shrunk, transformed, or even gets defeated he does so with an incredulous reaction.  There's something darkly funny about seeing the main character literally being erased when he bites it on the ground.  XD  The rest of the cast has got solid animation and for the most part have a fitting color palette; Elmer Fudd looks and animates greatly, Yosemite Sam riding on a giant dragon looks cool, Toro is imposing when he charges after you (but looks stunned when smashing against an anvil or wall), Witch Hazel's brief appearances are a joy to behold as she whizzes by on broomstick, and the Tazmanian Devil animates solidly.  Most of the enemies you face have got incredulous reactions upon being defeated and or hit, and they are glorious.  =D

Ducking down helps here

The music in Rabbit Rampage is very well-composed and at times very catchy; not only do they suitably blend in to their respective backgrounds, but they sound like they would fit perfectly in a Looney Tunes short.  =)  A couple of familiar themes are used (the cue from the beginning of the shorts playing appropriately enough during the title and the "That's All Folks!" cue playing after you either got a game over or beat the game proper), but everything else is brand new.  Some really good examples are the fun saloon theme, the laidback and playful dark forest theme, the fittingly operatic space theme (with a brief "Also Sprach Zarathustra" interlude at the start), and the very bouncy and jazzy theme during the penultimate stage.  Each stage starts off with a brief interlude that is only heard the moment you start that stage, meaning that any time you die (on the ground) the music will start again from the meaty portion of it all; but if you lose a life by falling offscreen the music will just keep on playing, which I'm okay with.  =)  What I'm less okay with is the fact that this is not only one of those games where the music just stops the moment you pause it... but it's also one of those games where after you unpause it the music starts all over again!  >_<

"Here's a drink, on the house!"
"Thanks!"  =D

This is also a big problem on account of the fact that if you stick around the stage long enough you'll notice that the songs are actually a lot longer than you initially believe them to be, which is absolutely infuriating as an audiophile.  So you mean to tell me that in-game I have to basically stay alive and/or do nothing in order to hear the whole song before it loops again?  Freakin' A, Viacom New Media; you didn't have the decency to add a sound test to this, only have the option to turn the music on or off?  D=<  *sigh*  Thank God for YouTube.  The sound effects are well-chosen and have that Looney Tunes spirit, such as the splat of the pie sound and the exaggerated squishing sound, and it's pretty cool how there are soundbytes from the show; namely Bugs Bunny's trademark "What's up, Doc?" and "Yipe!", Elmer Fudd's laugh, and even Marvin the Martian's "BOOM!" at certain points.  =)

Sooo much spatial depth

Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage is a bit on the challenging side as far as its one and only difficulty is concerned; it's not a one hit and you die affair like Xandra no Daibōken is, but regardless there is a lot of challenge to overcome here.  So when you start each stage you have the opportunity to get all these Acme products that would help you on your way as well as small bits of carrots that would replenish your health... the catch is that should you lose a life and replay from where you started or from the last checkpoint and you went to the exact spots where the items were, they'll no longer be there.  Basically once you get these items in a particular stage that's the only time you ever do so in the same playthrough; tough love.  Basically when you find these items you should use them (the important ones, anyway) wisely (if you want to, anyway), namely the checkpoint arrow.

Lord Hater and Emperor Awesome aren't the
bad neighbors, post-2015 Bugs and snooty silver
eyebrowed tech savvy Wile E. Coyote are!  D=
Yep, that's a thing

There are various ways to deal in enemies; whether it be by kicking them, throwing the normal pie at them, pouncing on them, twirling towards them, or even executing an Acme product against them.  It is best to exercise caution for if you're not careful you are going to die, especially since the moment you touch these carrots you won't do so a second time; there's no timer, so you can take as much time as you want.  That said, even if you are at your most careful a lot of the time it's hard to get by without receiving some damage once or twice due to the way the game was structured (especially by the Tazmanian Devil), but it is possible to get by with a little perseverance.  At the end of each stage you're treated to something you should not be subject to in a game like this: a freakin' rating system!  -_-  Why are these necessary?  Is reducing one's self-confidence that big a goal for the developers, considering that a lot of the time you'll receive bad ratings here such as "Southern Fried Rabbit" (unless you somehow beat any stage in a single life)?  This condescension is further exacerbated by an equally condescending cue that plays during this screen, and to add insult to injury it also plays during the credits.  Yeah, that was worth the experience, thanks!  =P

Oh, that Taz, falling for someone who's not his wife  =D

The major goal when it comes to most boss fights is to hit them as many times as needed until they bite it; in most platformers if you lose during the boss battle you have to start said battle from the start.  Here in Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage it's a strange case as... okay, say that you were battling the tall lumbering cowpoke during the second stage and only needed three hits to take him down, but you died; you go back all the way to the boss fight after the fact (preferably from a nearby checkpoint you set up), and he's over with after having dished the three remaining hits to him.  This both benefits and damages the game as a result: it benefits it in that it reduces a bit of challenge and frustration from it, but at the same time it damages it as it ends up cheapening the experience somewhat.  On the other hand, I'm grateful there's some form of leniency, otherwise the frustration factor would've been immensely higher than it already is and the game would've been less manageable.  The main exceptions are the bosses during the third, eighth, and final stages as they essentially are one big boss fight.

You're in deep ice now!

Yeah, from what you've read you're probably guessing that Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage is a very flawed platformer, and it is by all counts.  But that in no way necessarily means that it's a bad game; sure, it can often be frustrating but when you've got control of it then it can be plenty of fun too.  =)  It's got solid enough controls when you've got a hold of them, and it looks and feels like an interactive episode of the Looney Tunes (right down to that quirky charm), which I don't think was an easy task for Viacom New Media, but they did it!  I found out about this game several years ago online and remember being curious about it (not just on account that it was a Bugs Bunny game on the SNES, but also on account that I still loved the character at the time), and I didn't think of ordering it on eBay until very early 2011; it was a very cold February day when I picked it up in CIB condition in the mail (I can still feel the cold chills around me).  Personally on the whole I think it's good, not great; I didn't expect much but to have fun with it, and I felt that Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage delivered in that regard quite decently.  =)

"Yipe!"  8{

Something I applaud Viacom New Media for is the neat way they preserved the shorts' humor and transitioned them to video game format, with the impeccable comedic timing and funny facial reactions from both Bugs and his enemies (especially when Bugs gawks at the towering figure before him in the second stage).  XD  It's also brimming with charm and personality; the stages each have titles that make sense in the context of the stage but in the outset is deliberately inconsistent.  For example: the first stage is called "Level 1.1", and once you're finished with that you get to the second stage, as "Level 1.2" humorously switches up and becomes "Level 2.1".  =D  The fifth stage that takes place in outer space is called "Level 2001" (is it not obvious why?), and the penultimate stage with all the black cats (including Sylvester) is christened "Level 13" (why do people always presume thirteen to be an unlucky number?).  The best part is the final stage where its title is formatted in such an unceremonious way compared to the titles of all its preceding areas that I can't help but find funny!  I love it!  XD

Most gamers would probably clamor Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose! as the superior bunny-centric Nintendo 16-bit platformer, and I'll concede that Konami's fun licensed game is more polished in terms of structure and is less frustrating to play, but I personally felt that Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage has the edge over that game... if only 'cause this game has ten stages and Buster Busts Loose! has only six, not to mention that this is one of several Looney Tunes platformers on the system while the aforementioned game is the only Tiny Toon Adventures platformer available on the SFC/SNES.  Doesn't mean I don't like it, just wish there was more.  <=)

I'll say this much: Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage was more fun and satisfying for me as someone who loved watching Looney Tunes growing up than Riedel Software Production's Tom and Jerry on the SNES, which was a disappointingly dull and underwhelmingly boring mediocre not to mention sorry excuse of a license lacking any of the humor and charm of the cat and mouse series I loved watching growing up (and still largely enjoy today... the good ones, anyway).  ={

And since I'm bringing up rodent-starring platformers: Ocean's Euro platformer Mr. Nutz is so awesomely underrated, and genuinely awesome, and so much fun, and one of my favorite Nintendo 16-bit platformers of all time!!!  =D  ...it really needs more love.

How rude of Bugs to interrupt the Goofy Gophers'
"You Like/I Like" music video  =P

If you're a fan of platformers on the Nintendo 16-bit console then Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage will decently fit that bill as it's largely fun to play.  If you're a fan of Looney Tunes (or Bugs Bunny in general) you'll be very satisfied with Viacom New Media's game as it does the license justice.  If you're looking for the best game in the genre you'll have to look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a challenging platformer then you're looking in the right direction; it's just going to be frustrating sometimes.  It's admittedly not quite as accessible or as polished as Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose! or Mr. Nutz and it's not for everyone, but on its own merits Bugs Bunny's 16-bit foray on the SFC/SNES is good (at times frustrating) fifty-sixty minute fun while it lasts.  =)


My Personal Score: 7.5/10

<( ^o^)^TO EACH THEIR OWN^(^o^ )>

P.S. I recently saw Ferris Bueller's Day Off for the first time, and I thought it was fun John Hughes fare (I just wish it wasn't shot in CinemaScope, because CinemaScope + TV = pan-and-scan, and I hate pan-and-scan; which is why I watched it on a widescreen DVD).  =)  That museum scene was amazing, and Jeffrey Jones was hilarious!

 

P.S. 2 My birthday's in less than two weeks and I haven't even started my 2016 video game birthday review yet.  '__'  *sigh*

 

P.S. 3 Often times I question if I'm a good reviewer.  I wish I knew.  T_T

 

Thank you for reading my review, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  Happy Easter and take care!  =)

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Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage may be flawed, but at least it's not Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions flawed.

"You're despicable!"

Equinox (SNES)

Received: June 28th, 2010 | Written: February 27th-March 5th, 2016 

Alternate Title: Solstice II [ ⬤ ]

Year: 1993 | Developed by: Software Creations

Published by: Sony Imagesoft

Hello everyone, StarBoy91 here; passionate about video games, big retrophile, and fan of all things 16-bit.

Image from Wikipedia

In 1990 a little company called Software Creations crafted an action/puzzler for the Famicom and NES console by the name of Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos, which had the wizard Shadax trying to save the world from the evil clutches of Morbius; what made it noteworthy on the Nintendo 8-bit was that it was entirely isometric (being viewed from a 3/4 angle), having drawn inspiration from Knight Lore and Pentagram (both Ultimate Play the Game properties that helped pioneer and popularize that perspective).  I haven't exactly played Solstice myself but from what I gathered it was deemed impressive at the time but has not exactly aged all that well.

Image from Wikipedia

Then a year later in 1991 the Game Boy handheld received the action/puzzler Altered Space: A 3-D Alien Adenture where you got to play as an astronaut trying to survive as he's trapped inside an alien-infested ship.  This bears no relation to Solstice aside from the fact that it too was isometric (a first for the system) and that Software Creations developed it also.

 

Most games during the '80s and '90s were either viewed from the sidelines or from the bird's eye view, but once in awhile some games braved the isometric realm and helped popularize that viewpoint (regardless of genre); eventually Solstice would get followed up by something special for more reasons then one and greatly contributed to the isometric action/puzzler genre hybrid.

 

Behold as we enter the world of Galadonia

A few years after Solstice's release the Super Famicom received Software Creations-developed and (John and Ste) Pickford-headlined Solstice II on November 1993 published by Epic/Sony Records in Japan, followed in March 1994 by the American and European releases of what would become retitled as Equinox (not to be confused with the 1986 Mikro-Gen ZX Spectrum game of the same name) published by Sony Imagesoft back when they were still on good terms with Nintendo.  In my original 2011 review I praised it and gave it a 9*, and honestly that score still applies here; but it's been over five years since I covered it and a lot could happen in that amount of time (especially since I played more games since then)--not to mention the fact that my paragraphs were overlong (and since late 2012 I learned to make smaller ones) and I wanted to talk about it with the improved writing capabilities I currently prowess.  While Equinox got good word of mouth by the gaming press in its initial run it wasn't really until the days of the internet that it would pick up its popularity and garner a cult following.  Let's talk about one of my favorite Nintendo 16-bit games of all time!  =D

* 8/1/24 Update: I've since deleted it

The land of Galadonia had long prospered in peace since the wizard Shadax defeated Melkior (huh, I guess the translator forgot that Morbius was his real name, but whatever) ages ago.  One day the old wizard went out to teach his pupil Sonia, but when he ventures out something went wrong: monsters began to plague Galadonia and ruin the land.  Shadax got betrayed and imprisoned by Sonia, the very mastermind behind it all.

All is not lost, however, for in the time since Solstice Shadax bore a son named Glendaal, and he will brave through all the monsters and obstacles in his path if he is to salvage Galadonia, defeat the evil Empress, and rescue his father before it's too late; and become a man in the process.

Before you cross to the next segment you must
defeat the current guardian underground

Since Equinox is pure isometric fare that means that you can only walk in four diagonal directions as opposed to all eight of them, which especially rings true during the overworld.  While you're on the surface you must search for any one of the various entrances in order to get started, also outside are were-bats and trolls that you might have to fight sometimes.  The meat of the action all transpires underground as the goal for each dungeon is to collect all twelve blue orb-like objects called "tokens" so that when you reach a peculiar room you'll not only be summoning the boss in question but have to fight it as well, because until then their spiritual form will still haunt the land and block passage to the very next part of Galadonia.

"Can we work as enemies in your game?  This world seems
to have actual dignity and integrity unlike Pac-Man and
the Ghostly Adventures"  <=(

But as you can probably surmise it is not that simple a task as these dungeons are maze-like and ridden with a myriad of obstacles and enemies.  Glendaal works with not just his might but with his magic as well, for the currently selected weapon can be used with the Y button while the magic is conjured via the X button (how much MP is used depends on the spell you that you wish to use, so it's best to use magic sparingly); and to personally select your weapon and spell just toggle the Select button to bring up your inventory.

*insert dumb "axe" question pun here*

Some enemies you contend with are ghosts, shining metal knights who can only be struck from behind, Tazmanian Devil-like creatures who tire out after a while of spinning, and bouncing blobs; and in most rooms you will encounter one or more of these enemies, never fighting two different kinds of enemies in the same space.  Every now and then are blocked doors for which the gates will only open if you have the proper key with the corresponding color; fortunately your health and magic can be replenished again when you find an apple and potion respectively (one of four different colors), sometimes left behind after the last enemy has been vanquished in the room or found if it's just sitting on a platform.  Any time you find a new weapon you should fight a troll with it on the surface to augment your health capacity by one, and every time you gather a magic spell your magic capacity will increase by one, and the defeat of each boss will give you an extra bit of health and magic.  Any time you go back to the surface, defeat the dungeon bosses, and when you eventually obtain the Save spell your progress will be saved; and at this point you're given the choice to either continue or to take a break and go back to the title.

Damage Spell

Equinox is an extraordinarily gorgeous and visually arresting Nintendo 16-bit game; its strong attention to detail is incredible and the colors attached to each environment of Galadonia are so succinct.  =D  Some of the areas that spring to mind are the mushroom-infested rooms of Tori, the Aztec-like corridors of Deeso (with unusually big busts here and there), and the eerily-designed deserted tombs of Afralona with the upside down pyramids and the sarcophagi hanging on its walls.  Two of my favorite areas overall are the underwater dungeon of Atlena where it is not only beautifully designed but is completely lathered in smooth water-layering wavy gradients of blue which adds so much atmosphere (up until you fight its boss); another favorite is in the overly vegetated ruins of Quagmire (shut up!) where it looks as if it had not been set foot in for centuries, adding to the intrigue is the way its walls are showing their age and how some windows fell down from their very foundation.  What was this place in its former glory?  O.O

During the surface segments of the game you control Glendaal in zoomed out format atop a Mode 7 overworld which you could rotate left or right with the shoulder buttons to your heart's desire.  The way these lands and waters rotate as you do while the props (wells, entrances, trees, mountains, et al) follow suit staying glued to their mapped coordinates is mindblowing considering how early it came out for the console.  =)

So much green vegetation

The main protagonist Glendaal has got a really good design with his chartreuse hair and incredibly fluid walking, pushing, and jumping animation to boot.  Any time you enter a dungeon (from any entrance) there is a brief but cool loading sequence where a huge and detailed Glendaal is falling into action.  =D  Equinox has got plenty of themes, but one you'll notice the most is the green-cyan-magenta-white theme; the enemies you'll encounter are this exact color (and flash in all four colors when you attack them with your projectile), the locked doors and keys share this exact color, some sequences of rooms in each dungeon while have either brighter or darker walls and floors that are green or blue or red or white, and the apples and potions come in one of these four colors as well (but in either case the green replenishes the least health and magic at your disposal while the white variants refills it all up).

The bosses you fight in both the surface and underground in the dungeon are huge and incredibly well-designed with minimal usage of animation by comparison, and their entrance is great as they emerge from the flames during summoning.  Among them is the huge rock monster Sung Sung with a menacing visage, a crustacean crab called Pincha who's intimidatingly bigger than you are, a giant Dollop, and even a sentient pyramid with an eye at its apex by the name of Eyesis.  =)  Even Sonia has got an eerie design and look to her as she towers over you.

Aboard a creaky ghost ship

The Brothers Follin Tim (who did the music for Solstice) and Geoff (who provided the songs to Altered Space) would team up together this time to create one of the most immersive scores ever heard on the Nintendo 16-bit console, and it is phenomenal.  =D  Each dungeon begins with a brief interlude but then when that portion is done it segues into several minutes' worth ambient sound effects playing in the background; and while that might not work so well when heard out of context, when played in context to the game it does wonders to Equinox for it adds a looming sense of great (and at times quiet) atmosphere (especially when played in the dark).  Honestly if the soundtrack were done any different then this action/adventure would still be good... but nowhere near as effective and immersive as it thankfully turned out to be.  Even better is that (save for the boss battles) the music does not start over any time you die but still continue regardless.  Score!  =D

Let's hope you don't inadvertently find and bring
Imhotep back to life inside Hamunaptra

Some of my favorite interludes play during the dungeons of Tori where it sounds huge but inviting, Atlena with the very calming and relaxing harp melody, Quagmire where it sounds desolate and scary, and Afralona where it sounds very ominous but with its apt Egyptian flare.  The sounds that are heard during the ambient segment impress the most for me, because there's a sense that you're there; among those sounds you hear in the background there's banging meal (Galadonia), water drops (Tori), bubbles (Atlena), and even snoring (Quagmire), and Afralona's ambience is downright creepy and scary at times.  Not all songs rely on ambience though for the title theme is amazing, the overworld theme is soft yet adventurous, the boss themes can get real intense (especially since it speeds up depending on the progress of said fight), and the ending theme is somewhat satisfactory after having gone through all that.  =)  The in-game sound effects are well-chosen such as the various sounds of Glendaal's footsteps depending on the location he's at, the sound of the weapons being thrown (and sometimes deflected by the metal of the knights' armor).  My least favorite sound, however, is Glendaal's high-pitched shriek as he loses a life for it's something that you're going to hear a lot due to its challenge value.

Image from Wikipedia

Before I delve into this aspect I'd like to show everyone Equinox's beautiful NTSC cover art which does a good job at setting the tone of the game in part due to the masterful and subtle usage of oil paint and largely on account of its composition.  We've got two moons in the sky, Sung Sung posing as an island, and Glendaal standing near a tree looking at an island unaware that a troll is hidden underneath said tree.  =)  Simply put it is gorgeous and says so much about the game at the same time; unfortunately this only showed up in North America.

Image from MobyGames

The cover art that PAL got instead?  Absolutely pitiful in an out comparison!  X(  This person looks nothing like Glendaal, he's riding on a cloud which Glendaal never does in the game (but a troll does fall down from it), there are gargoyles and sea dragons on the cover that do not exist in the actual package, the orange color is too strong and the dark green shading just looks unappealing.  What probably happened was its artist spent a long time crafting it for a different game but it was rejected so because they did not want it to go to waste they treated it as Equinox's PAL cover art, but at the expense of presenting an entirely different game than the actual game it's supposed to be.  -_- 

The goal of a video game's cover art is to catch your attention first of all, but more importantly give you a proper idea what to expect from it in terms of tone and/or design by the time you play it.  If its art and/or composition doesn't match then it's just misleading and you'd be in deep trouble.  Is it really that hard to promote a game so accurately?  o_O  Speaking of promotion:

the fourth demo of Equinox actually promotes itself and does its own advertising.  How many Nintendo 16-bit games do you know of that actually did that?  That's cool, and 100% spot-on I might add!!  =D

Puzzle-solving time

Equinox is challenging, and Software Creations have concocted plenty of commendable ways to challenge you throughout the course of your adventure; but at the same time contributed to its high difficulty.  So this action/puzzler is one of those games where just a single hit results in you losing a life, with each room you're currently exploring serving as a checkpoint; and believe me, there is a lot of trial and error to be accomplished, even if you've gone through Equinox before.  Throughout you will find rooms with keys, apples, potions, and more importantly tokens (if not weapons or spells); and a lot of the time getting any one of these things means that when you reenter that certain room you won't have to deal with those enemies again, but if you lose a life after getting one of the vital items before leaving the room (for one reason or another) then you'll have to recoup said item (and clear enemies in the room) until you've successfully cleared to the next room.

Jumping towards platforms in Atlena

Part of the reason contributing for its difficulty stems from the very isometric perspective itself; as you only walk Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest.  At first it might take a bit to get used to, but when you really get into it then it quickly becomes second nature.  There is also lots of platforming involved as you must either jump over a series of platforms (some of which can be pushed for a closer opportunity), a lot of times over deadly spikes.  And speaking of platforms, not all of them will remain constant (on the ground or in midair) for later on will be platforms that move, platforms that begin to tumble down the moment you step on them (only to rise up again the moment you bounce off 'em), platforms that appear or disappear the moment you're on them, platforms that act as conveyor belts, platforms that rise up, as well as platforms that get destroyed shortly after you jump on them.  This makes for a lot of precarious hair-raising platforming and leaping, especially since Equinox largely does not have any shadows to aid you.

I'm standing on nothing (or am I?)

Fortunately you can control your jumps in midair for the jumping is solid, but the lack of shadows gives a seeming sense of uncertainty at first.  The main exception is Glendaal himself when he's on the ground, and when you thoroughly explore the room you're in it can be easy to differentiate if a box or spike is above you, below you, or in front of you.  You still have to beware of enemies and spikes (which you sometimes have to weave between), as well as gates that open and close by themselves, so it's best to exercise caution.  Many of these dungeons have got forks where it's possible to reach the same room but from a different part of the dungeon, and what adds so much to the game is how there are secret rooms (some of which are obvious while others are more subtle in that regard) which are mostly mandatory to enter if you wish to proceed through the current dungeon you're exploring.

My least desired guardian to fight, Pincha can be a
real nightmare lest you memorize his pattern  }=

And since you only die with one hit you must be absolutely careful not to be touched by enemies, not to be crushed by falling gates, not to be impaled by spikes, and especially not be totaled by bosses.  Naturally, serving Sonia's evil forces, magic does not work against them (but you can still heal yourself with the Heal spell), which means physical combat is the only way for you must launch your unlimited array of projectiles against them.  A lot of these bosses have got simple patterns to follow (whether it be rounding out to the left or right part of the room), and while some of them don't pose much of a challenge (Sung Sung, Dollop, Eyesis) there are some that will really be intense and strenuous even if you do understand their pattern (like Pincha and Sonia).  But when you pull through to the end it's actually quite manageable and very playable.  =)

And random bust!

I found out about Equinox roughly a decade ago while reading FlyingOmelette's outdated Top 100 Favorite Video Games countdown and having read her review on it, but it wasn't until she began her shrine dedicated to it in 2008 (if I recall correctly) that I truly began to be interested in it.  When I saw footage of the first stage on her YouTube video I was impressed by Glendaal's fluid animation and the ambient sounds of Galadonia's dungeon, and I knew I just had to play this game someday.  But it wouldn't be until two days shy of 2009 that one of my cousins would loan me his SNES console, and eventually during the Summer of 2010 I decided to buy my own copy of it on eBay; and when it came over I ended up loving it.  <=)  Granted, it took me a bit to get accustomed to its controls during my first playthrough, but when I did it got a lot better.  I was so immersed in this highly atmospheric world with these well-designed dungeons and deviously crafted puzzle solutions, not to mention the gameplay was very solid and responsive that it was all worth it.  In the past if I had gotten stuck in some room I would consult FlyingOmelette's guide, and having an elephant's memory the more I played Equinox over the years the less reliant I was to a guide of any kind.

Blobs stand no chance against your twin knife

This game often gets miscategorized by many as A-RPG, when it's really not.  Yes it's a huge sprawling adventure with lots of action and puzzling involved, but it lacks a thorough narrative.  The only time you're given the story is during the second and third demoes and after you defeat Sonia; gameplay-wise you know exactly which way to go next, but as far as story is concerned how does Glendaal know his next destination?  o~o  From what I heard apparently the original version Solstice II did have inbetween story moments after you've beaten a dungeon--aaaaand chalk this game up under the list of  Nintendo 16-bit games where Japan got everything but the West got nowhere near as much content.  -_-  The Western version is also known for being notoriously delayed because of its sometimes glitchy nature; mostly of the visual kind where sometimes part of the platform that's covering Glendaal would peal some of its layers in a certain spot.  There is also a glitch that could force you to restart from your previous progress if you're not careful; after getting all five harp strings you must make absolutely sure that no fights with were-bats and trolls occur before you play your harp on a cross.  Failure to heed that warning will strand you in the ocean with no way to get back on land, so if you do get into combat, go to a nearby dungeon entrance, exit out of said entrance and save, then go play on the cross.

Those poor Templar Knights were so well-armored
that they forgot to protect their backsides

Equinox is in my opinion an example of an isometric adventure game done right, for it's got so many qualities that really help make it work.  =)  It's a game I always come back to once a year regardless of the month or season, and every time I enjoy it just as much (if not more).  Its dungeons and rooms are gorgeous to behold, the ambient soundtrack by the Follin brothers is very effective in-game, the sense of atmosphere is breathtaking, the gameplay is solid, the puzzles are well-thought out, the boss fights are exhilarating, and its challenge value is good.  Yeah, it's a shame that there are largely no shadows (which is partly why it's challenging), but I'll gladly take this isometric venture over Landstalker.  What's too bad is that the Solstice series didn't exactly get a new installment after this, because the PlayStation One was originally going to get a follow-up (of sorts) called The Spyral Saga; unfortunately for reasons unspecified it never got past the concept phase of development, which makes the "...for now" disclaimer of the ending message completely moot.  =(

I know most people tend to prefer Plok as far as Software Creations fare is involved, but I personally feel that Equinox has got the edge (even though I got to play the aforementioned platformer four months prior).  While Plok is very fun to play and has got funny dialogue, Equinox I found to more effective on the atmospheric front and its puzzle-oriented gameplay slightly more satisfying--then there's the obvious reason I prefer the second installment in the Solstice series (doesn't have to be beaten in one sitting and has got a lenient continue system).  I know it's not a fair comparison to make but it's true.  =(

The lack of shadows also results in moments that might truly stump you the first time around but after a bit of observation it becomes easy to tell an airborne or ground platform apart.  I hope you like mind-warping imagery like this because there are few in Equinox that are present.

As much I enjoy this isometric action/adventure-puzzler I do admit that it is not for everyone, in rather similar ways that Xandra no Daibōken is not for everyone.  While in Namco's platformer the challenge came from all the precarious platforming being utilized and timed with any of the four different jumping controls, Equinox's case lies in the shadowless isometric perspective and difficulty that comes from it.  If you don't like games that are hard then you're not going to like this game for it'll be immensely frustrating for you; but for those who do like challenge it'll end up frustrating sometimes but overall be a lot of fun when you've got control of it.

If you want to play a really good isometric adventure game then Equinox is a great choice.  If you like puzzle-solving there's plenty of it in store for you; if you love thoroughly navigating and exploring each dungeon then you're in luck; if you crave a little challenge then this isometric game delivers in that regard; and if you forgive the lack of shadows and adapt to the four movement controls and difficulty then you're in for a real treat... just don't expect much of a story out of it.  If you own a Super Famicom or a Super Nintendo console then I highly recommend you give it a go for the cart does not cost much on eBay (the SNES version, anyway); but if you want to make the experience really special play the game in the dark, set the volume really high on your TV, and prepare yourself for one hell of an atmospheric ride!  =)

 

I wish  =(

My Personal Score: 9.0/10

<( ^o^)^TO EACH THEIR OWN^(^o^ )>

P.S. I absolutely love how Shadax, an English-style wizard, and Glendaal, clearly appearing to be of Arabian descent, are father and son.

 

P.S. 2 So I'm a bit relatively late to the party, but last Saturday (2/27/16) I saw an episode of Bunnicula on Cartoon Network ("Spiderlamb") aaaaand I found it to be amusing and entertaining.  =3

 

P.S. 3 So while watching the Oscars I saw what has got to be the greatest (Android) commercial of all time: with the creatively animated Rock, Paper, Scissors theme, sweet sentiment, and John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" playing in the background.  <=)  It was so inspiring, I hope I never forget it.  It was the best part of the Oscars for me (well, that, and show-stealing audience bear).

 

Thank you John and Ste Pickford for creating Equinox, thank you Software Creations for developing it, and thank you FlyingOmelette for creating a shrine dedicated to it which inspired me to play it!  =)

 

Thank you for reading my review, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  Hope you have a great Winter day, take care!  =D

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Hahahahahaha, tell me you're joking!  XD