Game: Crystalis
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Year Released: 1990

In my very first Gamervision article, I mentioned five games I wanted to see on the Nintendo Wii’s virtual console. Since then, I have made it my mission to track down these games for myself, along with any other old classics I haven’t played since my childhood or somehow missed out on the first time around. Maniac Mansion was acquired from Ebay, I discovered that I actually had Chrono Trigger in my collection as part of the Final Fantasy Chronicles for PS1 (this is what happens when you buy 75% off games in bulk from GameStop), I got a Genesis and Earthworm Jim along with it, and thanks to Sean, a copy of GoldenEye currently resides at the Gamervision office. And now, as of this weekend, I have my very own copy of the classic NES game Crystalis... again.

So since I obviously have a habit of buying way more games from the previous generations than I have time to play, I figured, why not get cracking? I know I’m not the only person that still has a place in her heart for NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, and PS1 games; the existence of the Virtual Console further proves that. I even resisted the urge to review Maniac Mansion right away (it would probably score somewhere along the lines of 13.5 out of 10) and decided to pop in my newest acquisition instead.

So remember October 1, 1997, when the world ended and all of earth’s inhabitants become mutated? No? Well, that’s the future painted by Crystalis, which starts off the game with a brief but well-written backstory about the End Day, which is what that apocalypse is known as. The game actually begins one hundred years later, in the tower in the sky that the survivors of the End Day have built to continue their existence.

The player takes the role of a nameless protagonist who wakes up after a cryogenic sleep not knowing who or where he is. He finds his way into the small town of Leaf, gets some money, and is on his way out into the scary unknown world. It soon becomes clear that he may be the key to saving the new world from an inevitable destruction, and as the hero you will travel from town to town, along the way meeting people who will aid you on your travels.

The gameplay seems pretty straightforward for an action RPG. Encountering enemies is similar to the original Legend of Zelda game, and after being equipped with a sword and shield, you can explore the world map and fight enemies. Charged sword attacks allow you to hit enemies from further away (hey, that sounds familiar…), and you will eventually get balls of power that further enhance your attacks.

What makes this different from a straight action game is the ability to gain experience from each defeated enemy and level up. The higher level that you are, the stronger your HP, MP, and attacks will be. I know you’re all thinking, Duh, Sarah, we know how RPGs are played, but keep in mind that in 1990, this was not exactly a standard method of gameplay. In fact, as one of the first action-RPGs ever made, this was a pretty revolutionary game.

Although Crystalis is graphically dated, it pushes its 8-bit power to the limits with detailed environments, towns, and characters. What I really love about this game, however, is the story. It was one of the first games in my gaming history that had a really well thought-out and interesting storyline, and playing it again, I’m still impressed. As a writer, I’m always intrigued by a good story, especially when it comes to video games (that’s one of the reasons I love RPGs so much). I also have to comment on the musical score, which is wonderful and brought back a flood of memories; the tense music before a boss encounter had me on the edge of my seat, while the soothing harmonies of friendly environments were certainly welcome as well.

Some gamers might get turned off by the repetitive gameplay, however. It can get a bit annoying when enemies return seconds after you’ve killed them, especially when you’re trying to fight your way through a particularly dangerous cave with limited resources. Although you get some magical powers along the way, almost all of the fighting is done with your sword, which only requires a simple button press (the longer you hold it, the more your sword power charges). But come on, on the NES, one-button attacks were all you needed with a controller than only had buttons A and B.

I have to say that overall, I’m very pleased. This game is every bit as wonderful as I remember it and even stands the test of time. I wish it had been more well-known, because this is something I definitely would have loved to see a sequel for, or at least a really good remake. Although I never finished the game the first time around (keep in mind I was only 7 when it was released), I definitely won’t be making that mistake this time. If Nintendo ever does get around to putting this on the virtual console, I would definitely recommend that you download it. That way, you too will be able to embark upon this awesome futuristic adventure.