| Introduction:
Actraiser was one of the first Super Nintendo games, and due to its
variety and play control, is still one of the best. You are the Master,
and you rule over a planet over-run with demons. Your arch-enemy Tanzra
has sent his monsters to destroy your cities. Now, you have to travel
down to earth and take your villages back from Tanzra. With action,
adventure, and RPG elements, plus a city- building mode like Sim City,
Actraiser is a great game to own.
Graphics [7/10]:
The graphics aren't great by today's standards, but the characters are
detailed and colorful. The background is a little plain, but is made up
for by the characters on screen. The Master and enemies move smoothly,
with little slowdown. The graphics seem simpler and less detailed in
the city-building mode, but they're still smooth and clear. The End
Bosses look cool.
Music and Sound [6/10]:
The music in the game is simple, but apropriate. Dungeons and caves
have murky, spooky tunes. The End Boss music is fast-paced and
sinister. While the music in the action levels is good, the music in
the city-building levels is repetetive and gives you a head-ache after a
while. The sound effects are decent. The Master grunts when he is hit.
The were-wolf Boss howls, and the centaur Boss's hooves sound realistic
when he charges.
Game Play [8/10]:
The game's different features are its strong point. After you beat a
level, you can build a city there. As the population of your cities
goes up, your level will raise, making you stronger. Good play control
is another strong point. You can use 4 types of magic during battle,
which can be found while building your cities. End Bosses are fun to
fight, but offer little challenge.
Challenge and Replay [7/10]:
The game offers some challenges, but isn't very difficult. Most minor
enemies have simple patterns and only take one or two hits before dying.
Some Bosses are tricky, while others are very easy. For players that
beat the game, the all-action Expert! mode is challengeing, but
frustrating.
Conclusion/Overall [7/10]:
For action and RPG fans, try Actraiser. Due to the fact that the game's
five years old, if you can find it it'll cost less than ten bucks.
While city building is invoving, it's the action mode that makes this
game a winner. If you like Actraiser, try Actraiser 2, the primarily
action(and not to mention more difficult) sequel.
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