> The hero of Landstalker is Nigel, a free spirited elf, skilled swordsman and seasoned treasure hunter who has a voracious appetite for adventure. His youthful appearance belies the fact that he's 78 years old and causes people to underestimate his abilities. How advantageous. Easily overcoming the perilous trap infested Jypta ruins, Nigel finally finds his prey, the statue of Jypta. After all, dodging huge boulders and making death defying leaps across mountainous ruins couldn't be easier for one such as Nigel. After selling the statue to a collector and becoming 2000 gold pieces richer, he meets -- well bumps into a fairy called Friday trying to escape her own hunters. She mentions knowing the location of King Nole's treasure, and with no other words necessary, Nigel swiftly hides her from her would be capturers. Nigel pays a huge bird to fly them to a distant island where this long forgotten treasure lies in wait. And although 2000 gold pieces poorer, together they begin an adventure beyond their wildest dreams.

     > The description action RPG entails jumping platforms, some moving, others falling, killing endless hordes of armored warriors with a single sword; prying open treasure chests and solving a myriad of puzzles that involve moving things around, some inanimate some animate. Well, Landstalker safely falls into that category but in isometric fashion. You assume the role of Nigel, visit villages, buy stuff, help locals; explore dungeons, and hunt for valuable items all towards the same end: finding the hidden treasures of King Nole. The setting is a stereotypical sword and sorcery fantasy world where evil comes in the form of monsters and man alike. Slashing hostile creatures to death yields gold pieces or items. You don't gain levels in order to sharpen your skills, but rather collect life stock -- golden hearts to increase your hit points, find superior swords and amour to improve your attacking and defensive capabilities, as well as mastering Nigel's agility. Amassing life stock not only  raises your health, but increases the power of your sword swipes as well. Don't think Friday is useless ether; she's always brimming with advice. Plus, whenever you die she brings you back to life, if you have EkeEke restorative herbs in your backpack which can be bought and found. The game can be saved at a church alter which are usually located in towns. Likewise, you can rest at inns to replenish your health, but not without paying first. Indeed, gold pieces are vital if you want the greater survival benefits of helpful items and services.

     > Now, I've read a number of negative reviews that compare Landstalker's graphics to modern games. No wonder they are so negative. Games should always be compared within the confines of their own time. So, even though the Genesis has a limited color pallet and can only display 64 colors at once, Landstalker is still impressive for its time. Everything is seen close up -- closer than typical top down RPGs. The graphics are colorful, neat and adequately paint detailed environments (that was a metaphor by the way). The generic sprites animate well considering how many frames of animation they have, especially particular enemies (like the huge, burly, bulky knights). The artwork is very imaginative given its Japanese anime origins, and every sprite is drawn to accommodate all isometric angles. Nigel is animated smoothly too, but we should expect nothing less from an RPG main character. I love his jumping posture, and the way his sword leaves a trail whenever he swings it.

     > Pressing the start button brings up the screen-sized item/weapon menu. You can use items via the menu or switch weapons/amour/boots/rings around. Very convenient.

     > Combat is constant but battles often require quick reflexes. If an enemy touches you, they harm you, so avoidance is a must. Hitting the attack button constantly won't necessarily win a fight. Plus, enemies attack from all angles, or throw projectiles at you. They lunge at you, strafe and even teleport. The controls are sensitive but flexible; practice makes perfect. The most effective fighting strategy is to move around enemies while stopping to attack, or timing attacks from one angle. The number of successful hits an enemy needs before being killed depends on how strong you are.

     > The game sounds mesh with the music and play at the right moments. They aren't muffled. Damaged and dying creatures make the appropriate screams and shrieks. Ringing sounds represent Friday's text dialogue, but lower pitched sounds play during general dialogue. Everything else from jumps to sword slashes are included.

     > The towns are large and bustling with people, especially Mercator which is host to many mini games. At Greenpea's Gaming Emporium you can gamble for wealth by throwing a small boulder on one of three small platforms moving in the air at different speeds. If your boulder lands on the fastest platform, you win the most money. Of course, like any gambling establishment, if you win too many times, you get kicked out! 

     > The game seems to revolve around item collection, but the innumerable NPCs instill character into the journey. The main plot is refreshing; there are no kingdoms to save from certain doom, just you scouring the land for treasure. However, you get swept up by problems that stand between you and that goal. There's some good character development in the game: Nigel's sole interest is wealth, yet he thrives on adventure. His friendship with Friday grows as the pair venture into the unknown. The two are always interacting with each other and with the people they meet. Their identities shine to the point where you feel they actually have personalities of their own. Even the main villain has his own indomitable ambitions, and is more like Nigel than he'll ever know. Great stuff.