Actraiser (SNES, 1990)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-8 Control-7 Challenge-8/6* Story-
Level Design-7 Frustration-8.5/7* Fun-7/6* Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*Simulation part
+
Decent bosses overall (pretty easy to button mash some of them)
Decent variation (combines sim and action sequences pretty well)
Upgrade your character through the sim game (complete sub objectives or find them as hidden items by using your spells)
Alternate paths in some levels (with item rewards)
Good dialogue
Interesting theme (you are an angelic soldier of god)
Pretty fast paced action sequences
You can skip the sim part through the use of a code (?)
Population growth is directly tied to your player character's level meaning there's an RPG/leveling element (affects HP and SP)
+/-
JP version is harder during action sequences (tougher bosses, all spikes insta-kill?)
Slight delay on attacks
Can't move or turn around while attacking
-
Poor jump control (can't turn around in mid-air, pushing the other direction stops you in mid-air (takes some getting used to), can't attack when falling down if you didn't jump forward (holding down the button makes you attack after landing but then it's a crouch attack), no height adjustment, your character ducks after landing so attacks might miss)
Dated interface (can't use skills while town is building or a lair is being sealed, when receiving gifts from people you need to first read a message then go into the menu to receive it, then accept it!; need to go into menu to use spells)
Slow paced sim part (can't speed it up)
Trial & error (spikes kill even from the side, the game doesn't warn you about earthquakes or explain how to use certain items, leaps of faith (can't look up or down), boss patterns (some are very fast))
Some very short levels (first blood pool area)
Enemies in sim section quickly become tedious to beat over and over
Overpowered star rain magic (you can easily spam kill bosses with it later on)
Some cheap hits (falling boulders and birds+skulls in stage 4-1)
Mostly muffled and/or weak sfx (some sfx sound 8-bit, the angel makes an annoying sound when talking)
So-so animation
Level Design-7 Frustration-8.5/7* Fun-7/6* Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*Simulation part
+
Decent bosses overall (pretty easy to button mash some of them)
Decent variation (combines sim and action sequences pretty well)
Upgrade your character through the sim game (complete sub objectives or find them as hidden items by using your spells)
Alternate paths in some levels (with item rewards)
Good dialogue
Interesting theme (you are an angelic soldier of god)
Pretty fast paced action sequences
You can skip the sim part through the use of a code (?)
Population growth is directly tied to your player character's level meaning there's an RPG/leveling element (affects HP and SP)
+/-
JP version is harder during action sequences (tougher bosses, all spikes insta-kill?)
Slight delay on attacks
Can't move or turn around while attacking
-
Poor jump control (can't turn around in mid-air, pushing the other direction stops you in mid-air (takes some getting used to), can't attack when falling down if you didn't jump forward (holding down the button makes you attack after landing but then it's a crouch attack), no height adjustment, your character ducks after landing so attacks might miss)
Dated interface (can't use skills while town is building or a lair is being sealed, when receiving gifts from people you need to first read a message then go into the menu to receive it, then accept it!; need to go into menu to use spells)
Slow paced sim part (can't speed it up)
Trial & error (spikes kill even from the side, the game doesn't warn you about earthquakes or explain how to use certain items, leaps of faith (can't look up or down), boss patterns (some are very fast))
Some very short levels (first blood pool area)
Enemies in sim section quickly become tedious to beat over and over
Overpowered star rain magic (you can easily spam kill bosses with it later on)
Some cheap hits (falling boulders and birds+skulls in stage 4-1)
Mostly muffled and/or weak sfx (some sfx sound 8-bit, the angel makes an annoying sound when talking)
So-so animation