El Viento (MD, 1991)
Graphics-7 Sound-7 Control-6.5 Challenge-8
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-9 Fun-6.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-6.5
+
Some innovative gameplay (regenerating MP bar, crouching dash move, magic attacks (some interesting ones like the water attack), rotating platforms, exploding barrels that damage enemies, twirling wall obstacles with a bomb trigger at the end of them (see Ranger X for example), enemies as platforms, the blob boss)
Nice anime cutscenes with decent writing for its time and genre
Some hidden items
Unusual art style
Somewhat comical sprite work at times
Hidden stage 0 (unlocked in the MIJET hack – hold A+B+C while pressing start to begin a new game, very hard though)
Fast paced overall
Slow motion code
Ride a dolphin in one level
Good variation overall
Some bosses with multiple forms/patterns
Basic leveling system (increases the health bar)
Shows enemy HP
Midget pirates and giant octopuses
Rate of fire and homing boomerang upgrades (v-shaped power up and the crystals respectively - not explained by the manual)
+/-
Female protagonist
Limited continues (just three)
Borrows some elements from Strider (bosses as moving platforms)
Dash move doesn’t affect jump momentum
The exploding barrels and oil tanks don’t damage Annet/Annette
You can sort of glitch your way onto platforms without having jumped high enough to reach over their ledges
Unconventional magic selection system (need to charge your magic meter longer to select higher level spells, can’t stop it at a certain spell for tactical purposes or to charge that spell more to do more damage, the meter doesn’t regenerate while holding the button down so you need to time it right to select a certain spell) – clunky when you want quick access to a certain spell (they could’ve made it so that you could change spells in the pause menu or with the attack button while holding down the magic button instead provided you had enough MP for the spell you wanted to use)
Need to shoot one of the HP items to pick it up
-
Glitchy hit detection at times (around stairs (can’t walk down stairs properly, jump sometimes doesn’t register while moving upwards on a staircase), the edges of some platforms, rotating platforms, the gates opened by switches)
No checkpoints
Almost no invincibility time after taking a hit
Uneven difficulty curve (first boss is pretty tough, very short and easy car factory and airship stages)
Some boss fights are just button mashers (the tank’s first two forms, final boss)
Charged spells are wasted if you move through a door
Can’t jump down through platforms which can be jumped up through (usually for no challenge purpose)
Overly tight camera when jumping
Objects and small sprites sometimes blend in with the backgrounds
Trial & error (some leaps of faith (can’t look up/down), bosses, falling bridge, sewer segment)
No difficulty options
Slowdown
Some unavoidable hits (giant octopuses, rats, the bats in the final stage)
Some dead space and dead ends
Loud (and sometimes annoying) sfx compared to the music
Glitchy level 5 spell (keeps targeting destroyed targets (airship) or targeting enemies on the other side of walls)
Tedious final stage
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-9 Fun-6.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-6.5
+
Some innovative gameplay (regenerating MP bar, crouching dash move, magic attacks (some interesting ones like the water attack), rotating platforms, exploding barrels that damage enemies, twirling wall obstacles with a bomb trigger at the end of them (see Ranger X for example), enemies as platforms, the blob boss)
Nice anime cutscenes with decent writing for its time and genre
Some hidden items
Unusual art style
Somewhat comical sprite work at times
Hidden stage 0 (unlocked in the MIJET hack – hold A+B+C while pressing start to begin a new game, very hard though)
Fast paced overall
Slow motion code
Ride a dolphin in one level
Good variation overall
Some bosses with multiple forms/patterns
Basic leveling system (increases the health bar)
Shows enemy HP
Midget pirates and giant octopuses
Rate of fire and homing boomerang upgrades (v-shaped power up and the crystals respectively - not explained by the manual)
+/-
Female protagonist
Limited continues (just three)
Borrows some elements from Strider (bosses as moving platforms)
Dash move doesn’t affect jump momentum
The exploding barrels and oil tanks don’t damage Annet/Annette
You can sort of glitch your way onto platforms without having jumped high enough to reach over their ledges
Unconventional magic selection system (need to charge your magic meter longer to select higher level spells, can’t stop it at a certain spell for tactical purposes or to charge that spell more to do more damage, the meter doesn’t regenerate while holding the button down so you need to time it right to select a certain spell) – clunky when you want quick access to a certain spell (they could’ve made it so that you could change spells in the pause menu or with the attack button while holding down the magic button instead provided you had enough MP for the spell you wanted to use)
Need to shoot one of the HP items to pick it up
-
Glitchy hit detection at times (around stairs (can’t walk down stairs properly, jump sometimes doesn’t register while moving upwards on a staircase), the edges of some platforms, rotating platforms, the gates opened by switches)
No checkpoints
Almost no invincibility time after taking a hit
Uneven difficulty curve (first boss is pretty tough, very short and easy car factory and airship stages)
Some boss fights are just button mashers (the tank’s first two forms, final boss)
Charged spells are wasted if you move through a door
Can’t jump down through platforms which can be jumped up through (usually for no challenge purpose)
Overly tight camera when jumping
Objects and small sprites sometimes blend in with the backgrounds
Trial & error (some leaps of faith (can’t look up/down), bosses, falling bridge, sewer segment)
No difficulty options
Slowdown
Some unavoidable hits (giant octopuses, rats, the bats in the final stage)
Some dead space and dead ends
Loud (and sometimes annoying) sfx compared to the music
Glitchy level 5 spell (keeps targeting destroyed targets (airship) or targeting enemies on the other side of walls)
Tedious final stage