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  • Ardy Lightfoot (Super NES, 1994)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/702714361793429504/superfamiblog-ardy-lightfoot-1994-ascii

    Ardy Lightfoot is a side-scrolling platform game that was released by Titus in the U.S. on the Super Nintendo in 1994. In many respects, it is like any other platform game of the time though it is a solid one. It received mostly positive reviews and graphics and sound were top notch.

    In Ardy Lightfoot you control a fox (named Ardy Lightfoot obviously). He also has a companion called Pec. I’m not really sure what kind of creature Pec is supposed to be…he’s just sort of a blue blob. However, Pec can transform into various helpful things and can also be used as a weapon. If Ardy is hit by an enemy then Pec will disappear and must be retrieved by finding a chest.

    The story line involves a “sacred rainbow” that has been shattered into seven crystal pieces. You, as Ardy, must retrieve them all. Whoever gets all seven receives a wish and there is an evil King that has already found one of them. You will have to fight off his followers in order to retrieve the others and ultimately face King Visconti for the last piece. You’ll have help along the way from other characters.

    There were some changes made between the Japanese release and the North American release. A bunch of sprites and animations were removed (I am assuming to reduce the memory footprint of the cartridge and therefore lower costs) and it was censored to some degree (a gruesome acid death was removed). However, these changes don’t significantly impact the game.

    If you are a fan of platform games, then this is one you probably want to try. There is a caveat though. Despite the cartoony graphics, this really isn’t a game designed for kids, even ignoring the gruesome death scene that was removed for the U.S. release. This is mainly because of the difficulty. There are seven huge levels and they aren’t easy. This game is only for patient players that are up for a challenge. Younger kids, in most cases, would probably only be frustrated.

    If you do want to give it a try, you’ll have to track down an original cartridge or make do with emulation. To the best of my knowledge, this game has never been re-released in any other form.


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  • Super Play (June 1996)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – Super Play – Issue Number 44 – June 1996

    Super Play is a magazine dedicated to the Super Nintendo that was published in the U.K. There weren’t really many particularly successful single system magazine in the U.S. at that time and the ones that came around (usually living brief lives) tended to have 50 pages or less. Super Play on the other hand lasted several years and the June 1996 issue has close to 100 pages. The contents include:

    Regulars

    • Super Express – The latest news includes info on the upcoming Nintendo 64, including looks at some of the first games including Turok, Shadows of the Empire, Super Mario 64, War Gods, and more. Plus a look at upcoming Super NES releases including Olympic Summer Games, Pinnochio, Killer Instinct 2, Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension, Lufia 2, Starfox 2, Mohawk and Headphone Jack, and more.
    • Fantasy Quest – A detailed look at Tales of Phantasia from Namco.
    • Charts – The top 10 games fro the SNES. Topping the list this month is Diddy’s Kong Quest.
    • Game Freak – Questions answered about a portable SNES, Earthbound, Resident Evil, a new Golgo 13 game, the PlayStation, Square and Enix, Ace Driver, and more.
    • Mode 7 – Cheats, codes and strategies for Mortal Kombat 3, Breath of Fire II, Ogre Battle, Mega Man X3, Super Bomberman 3, and much more.
    • What Cart? – A guide to all of the games reviewed by Super Play, a brief description and their score along with what issue the review appeared in.
    • Final Fantasy Forum – A guide and map to Evermore’s Nobilia market including a map of vendors and what they have available among other tips.
    • Playback – Letters from readers about the future of Super Play, Nintendo 64 delays, plus envelope art and more.
    • Irresponsible Pictures – Reviews of the latest anime on VHS, including Urusei Yatsura TV Episodes Vol. 8, Ghost in the Shell, Gunsmith Cats, Dragon Half, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and more. This was the golden age of anime if you ask me.
    • Next Month – Coming next month, coverage of Bomberman 4, War Gods, Donkey Kong Country 2, and more.

    Features

    • Game of Life – A tongue-in-cheek study on using video games to learn real-life skills. How well to games help you to learn how to summon a fireball, drive a car, cook, and more?
    • Super Players Guide: Diddy’s Kong Quest – Part one of a strategy guide for Diddy’s Kong Quest, the sequel to Donky Kong Country.

    Reviews

    • Star Kirby Super Deluxe – Kirby stars in his first Super NES game.
    • Super Mario RPG – Not really my preferred genre of RPG but it was still a good one.
    • College Slam – Like NBA Jam only with college teams.
    • Pacific Theatre of Operations 2 – A.K.A. P.T.O. II, brought to you buy KOEI, really the only company to make strategy war games for the Super NES.
    • Secret of the Stars – A fantasy RPG by Tecmo, a company that wasn’t really known for them. And it kind of shows.

    …and more!


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  • Young Merlin (Super NES, 1994)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/702502698646372352/videogameads-young-merlin-virgin-super-nes-1994

    Young Merlin is a game that was developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Games in 1994 for the Super Nintendo. The game could best be described as an action RPG and was in fact compared to Zelda in some reviews. Despite this, it never gained near the popularity of Zelda or many other similar games.

    The plot of Young Merlin revolves, of course, around a young Merlin whose role you play. In an attempt to save a drowning woman, you (as Merlin) get sucked into a fantasy world. Apparently, the girl you were trying to rescue was also sucked into this world and kidnapped by a Shadow King. Now it is your job to rescue her from an even more difficult situation.

    Much like Zelda: A Link to the Past, you journey around this virtual world from an overhead view in an action style game. There are many enemies to fight, spells to gather, puzzles to solve and inhabitants to interact with among other things. One interesting unique aspect of the game is that conversations are handled with icons vs. text. Also, games are saved via password instead of battery which is good for those trying to play this on an original Super Nintendo with a 25 year old cartridge.

    Young Merlin got mostly positive reviews with very few exceptions. The biggest complaints seem to be that the game was too easy and could be repetitive with all of the backtracking you had to do. I’m not sure what the sales numbers were but it does not seem to have been all that popular. Possibly based on the name it was perceived to be more of a kids game. However, it is a decent action RPG if you like games in the style of Zelda even if it may not be quite as good or as challenging as some other options.

    If you do want to give it a try, finding an original cartridge or resorting to emulation would appear to be your only options. Young Merlin was only released on the Super Nintendo and has not appeared in any subsequent compilations or re-releases. There also do not appear to be any sequels.


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