Whirlo/Sandra no Daibouken: Valkyrie to no Deai (SNES)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-8.5 Control-5 Challenge-7.5 Story-6.5
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-9 Fun-6 Originality-5
Overall Score-6
+
Decent art direction
Dialogue choices - each one can cause a separate bad ending (choose not to save a thief for example and you'll become a black knight in a cutscene)
Some nice cutscenes
Downthrust and spin attacks
Some minor puzzles (use 'whirlwind' move to move levers etc.)
Can break through walls/ice
Unlimited continues (need to sit through the bad ending if you get a game over or input the password again)
Some new ideas (the three final tests (memorize platform patterns, guide NPCs over pits, light up your path with switches), Crescent moon boss, fall through box maze, magnetic lock on pirate ship, escape from the hatching goblin eggs)
You'll keep crossing paths with a few characters throughout the story (sort of brings the game world to life)
Well done fairy tale theme (one particular scene is odd in the PAL version because they changed Whirlo's default expression to angry)
Some dialogue choices have an effect on characters futures
Alternate paths at one point
Surprisingly dark at times (alternate ending)
Good dialogue overall (some translation mess-ups)
+/-
Password save (somewhat long)
One hit deaths
8 bit-like sfx
No collectables or power ups (shields, invincibility, money)
Can't attack upwards
Sometimes hard to follow the story (apparently years pass during your adventure as a father and son reunite later on)
Interesting plot twist at the end (ties into the spiritual prequel Valkyrie no Densetsu for PC Engine) which unfortunately delays the conclusion to a sequel that never happened
-
Control/interface issues (leaps of faith since you can't look up/down - makes final area super annoying, clunky special jump (dabbing the button to make a semi-auto horizontal jump where you can't control the length, hold for a sec to make a stiff vertical jump where you also have severely limited control) and "whirlwind" (X button, leaves you vulnerable for seconds after use if you don't manage to hit an enemy or certain interactive objects (while also not hitting a regular wall afterwards), you also need momentum to initiate it and then need to release the button as you are falling down) controls, strange momentum controls (regular jumps make you lose it while hops (A) don't, poor control over the jump when initiating a whirlwind move - then no control over the length of the attack, breaking and turning around doesn't affect acceleration yet it takes a while to accelerate from standing position), annoying delay when landing from a height which becomes several seconds long after a certain point - leaves you completely vulnerable to enemies and hazards)
Need momentum and charging (SMB2 style) to do high jumps (required many times in the game and it breaks flow, somewhat sloppy hit detection (snow ball), floaty walking controls (just touching the button makes Whirlo take a few steps), tedious controls for cancelling a charging jump (need to keep charging until Whirlo gets exhausted, leaving him vulnerable for a couple of seconds))
No difficulty options
Trial & error (autoscrolling segment, flood chase sequence, snowball trap on second level, inconsistent cooldown time on enemies, boss patterns, 'can I hit this or not?' moments, fire traps in lava stage, strangle scene with Thief in the castle (you need to walk away to continue conversation, then backtrack and say no to his offer to proceed the game))
Many enemies take too many hits or are unkillable
No hit animation on most enemies (they blink instead)
Simple bosses
Tedious parts (the vertical platforming near the end, bug killing on the island, platforming in lava cave, cramped segment with robots in toadstool cave)
Confusing and tedious interview puzzle (Nick)
Some dead space (forest, first and third final tests)
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-9 Fun-6 Originality-5
Overall Score-6
+
Decent art direction
Dialogue choices - each one can cause a separate bad ending (choose not to save a thief for example and you'll become a black knight in a cutscene)
Some nice cutscenes
Downthrust and spin attacks
Some minor puzzles (use 'whirlwind' move to move levers etc.)
Can break through walls/ice
Unlimited continues (need to sit through the bad ending if you get a game over or input the password again)
Some new ideas (the three final tests (memorize platform patterns, guide NPCs over pits, light up your path with switches), Crescent moon boss, fall through box maze, magnetic lock on pirate ship, escape from the hatching goblin eggs)
You'll keep crossing paths with a few characters throughout the story (sort of brings the game world to life)
Well done fairy tale theme (one particular scene is odd in the PAL version because they changed Whirlo's default expression to angry)
Some dialogue choices have an effect on characters futures
Alternate paths at one point
Surprisingly dark at times (alternate ending)
Good dialogue overall (some translation mess-ups)
+/-
Password save (somewhat long)
One hit deaths
8 bit-like sfx
No collectables or power ups (shields, invincibility, money)
Can't attack upwards
Sometimes hard to follow the story (apparently years pass during your adventure as a father and son reunite later on)
Interesting plot twist at the end (ties into the spiritual prequel Valkyrie no Densetsu for PC Engine) which unfortunately delays the conclusion to a sequel that never happened
-
Control/interface issues (leaps of faith since you can't look up/down - makes final area super annoying, clunky special jump (dabbing the button to make a semi-auto horizontal jump where you can't control the length, hold for a sec to make a stiff vertical jump where you also have severely limited control) and "whirlwind" (X button, leaves you vulnerable for seconds after use if you don't manage to hit an enemy or certain interactive objects (while also not hitting a regular wall afterwards), you also need momentum to initiate it and then need to release the button as you are falling down) controls, strange momentum controls (regular jumps make you lose it while hops (A) don't, poor control over the jump when initiating a whirlwind move - then no control over the length of the attack, breaking and turning around doesn't affect acceleration yet it takes a while to accelerate from standing position), annoying delay when landing from a height which becomes several seconds long after a certain point - leaves you completely vulnerable to enemies and hazards)
Need momentum and charging (SMB2 style) to do high jumps (required many times in the game and it breaks flow, somewhat sloppy hit detection (snow ball), floaty walking controls (just touching the button makes Whirlo take a few steps), tedious controls for cancelling a charging jump (need to keep charging until Whirlo gets exhausted, leaving him vulnerable for a couple of seconds))
No difficulty options
Trial & error (autoscrolling segment, flood chase sequence, snowball trap on second level, inconsistent cooldown time on enemies, boss patterns, 'can I hit this or not?' moments, fire traps in lava stage, strangle scene with Thief in the castle (you need to walk away to continue conversation, then backtrack and say no to his offer to proceed the game))
Many enemies take too many hits or are unkillable
No hit animation on most enemies (they blink instead)
Simple bosses
Tedious parts (the vertical platforming near the end, bug killing on the island, platforming in lava cave, cramped segment with robots in toadstool cave)
Confusing and tedious interview puzzle (Nick)
Some dead space (forest, first and third final tests)