Reviewed
04.12.2000
Publisher
Renovation
Developer
Telenet
Format
8
Megabit
Origin
Import/Domestic
Available
1991
(USA)
Exclusive
No
Difficulty
Normal
Dimensions
2D
View
Side
Scrolling
Genre
Action/RPG
Players
1
Options
6
Button
Requires
n/a
Importable
95% |
INTRO:
> The Valis series has a rather rich history. It has appeared on all the
major 16 bit consoles (Genesis, Turbo Duo, and Super NES), and even though
each format has it's own strengths/ weaknesses, they all share one thing,
the gameplay. You play as Yuko, a school girl chosen to become the
(scantily clad) Phantasm soldier, wielder of the Valis Sword! It
is your duty to re-balance the Yin and Yang, and stop evil King Rogles
from conquering both the Human and Dream worlds. Reluctant at first,
you engage in mystic combat none-the-less.
GRAPHICS:
> I can't explain how impressed you'll be when you first see this game
in action... as long as you think you are playing on a Sega Master System.
The backgrounds lack any kind of animation or parallax. The colors
are so lacking you'd think the Genesis was limited to six colors on screen,
instead of sixty four. The cover boasts "8 Meg Power", but you'll
be wondering what they used the other 7 megs for. The one neat thing
about the game are the fairly long cut scenes. Now you get to see
the two-frames-per-second-open-mouth-close-mouth animation on a Genesis
game that used to only grace the Turbo. The enemies are repetitive
and uninspired. I think there were like four enemies per stage, they just
kept repeating and repeating and repeating. The magical abilities you gain
through out lack any kind of flair. In all fairness, the game
is nine years old, but when I see what Strider
accomplished back then, and then look at this, my sympathy exits stage
left.
CONTROL:
> The one thing I can't complain too much about is the control. But I can
complain a little. To use magic you need to push up on the D-pad, and press
your attack button; but it takes so long for the game to go through it's
little "He-man" like posing, that you usually get hit by an enemy, which
cancels out the magic. Jumping was responsive as were the attacks.
They got something right.
SOUND:
> I have to admit it, I kind of liked the music here. I'd swear I've
heard some of the songs somewhere else, but I can't remember where. It's
very catchy. I'd gladly swap this games soundtrack with any of the crap
that is tacked onto today's 32/64/128 bit system's games. The only
thing missing is the voice on the cut scenes, but that's ok. Voice
acting in the early Nineties was no where near the high quality you see
in today's games (he typed sarcastically...). Instead of voice, you
get r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w- s-u-b-t-i-t-l-e-s. You can't speed them up, and
it's really painful to sit through. Pressing start will skip over them
though. Sound effects were minimal, and you'll get tired of the sound
it makes when you get hit.
FUN:
> This one is kind of iffy. I originally bought it for Nomad play. The
character sprites are fairly large, and so I thought it would play fairly
well on the small screen, and it does. The lack of detail goes pretty much
unnoticed until you hook it up to a TV. The minimal use of color
and flat backgrounds make it easier to see. However, when I did play it
on a large screen I lost all interest. It's just too archaic and static.
The one thing that Valis has always had across the many platforms it has
appeared on is it's game play, WHICH ISN'T MUCH! There are no points. Kill
it if you want to, or don't. Unless it's a boss, it doesn't do you any
good or bad. The magic you get takes up way to many points, and you
only have a set amount of those. Same with your life gauge. You start out
with as much a you'll end with. It makes it really easy in the beginning,
and real frustrating towards the end.
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