May | 2017 | RVGFanatic

Super Star Wars (SNES)

**Dev: Sculptured Software | Pub: JVC | November 1992 | 8 MEGS**

I was never the biggest Star Wars kid growing up. Hell, even today I’m not the most ardent fan. I’ve grown to appreciate the franchise over the years, namely after purchasing the original trilogy VHS set off eBay in the late ’90s. I had a childhood friend who was OBSESSED with Star Wars. My brother and I used to sleep over at his place all the time in the early ’90s, and one of my fondest memories is watching him play through Super Star Wars. That stunning intro with that iconic score blasting through in stereo sound is entrenched in my soul. I can’t tell you the number of nights I spent watching this opening intro in sheer awe and never growing tired of it. My friend let me play the game here and there but I never got past the second or third level. I recently sat down to finally play this game seriously. Not only did it scratch a childhood itch, it took me right back to my friend’s living room circa late 1992. All those lazy Saturday nights spent watching him save the universe, at last it was my turn. My turn to be the Jedi master. Or try to be, anyway. But I digress. Let us take a galactic stroll down memory lane.

40 YEARS… GOD DAMN, MAN

One of the most iconic shots in cinematic history

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope. 40 gawd damn years. Who knew what an impact Star Wars would have when it was released back on May 25, 1977? What can I say about this film that hasn’t already been said a million times before? It just hits all the right notes. It had the classic underdog protagonist, Luke Skywalker (what a name). An absolutely iconic villain (Darth Vader), a charming rebel (Han Solo), a gorgeous female lead (Princess Leia) and several different themes running throughout. It was lightning in a bottle.

Thanks for the memories. R.I.P. Carrie Fisher

IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…

Sculptured Software, the developer, got no love in the intro.

Presentation was on point. But the best is yet to come…

INSTANT GALACTIC GOOSEBUMPS.

Wouldn’t be Star Wars without the classic text crawl.

Intros became more popular and common place during the 16-bit era. Sure, they were extremely simple in many cases but that’s also why I like them so much. There’s a charm to their simplicity. Super Star Wars easily has one of the more memorable intros on the SNES, thanks in large part to its epic music.

Nostalgic feels! Talk about bringing back memories! The Sea Dune is one of the most memorable first levels in SNES history.

Starting out with a standard blaster, Luke can upgrade his firepower several times over. Beware of the sand worms.

Showing off his new flame gun, Luke’s in for a giant surprise as the terrible, hideous Sarlacc Pit Monster nearly swallows him whole for lunch!

Sarlacc Pit Monster is such an unforgettable first boss. Probably the very first thing that comes to mind when I think of Super Star Wars. It perfectly sets the stage (no pun intended).

Cutscenes occasionally appear after clearing a stage, moving the plot forward.

Admittedly this hasn’t aged terribly well, but back in late 1992 it was quite the sight.

Destroy all 12 Jawas to free R2-D2. Then head for the Sandcrawler.

Outside the Sandcrawler, Luke must penetrate the defenses and power his way in. Tell me that second shot doesn’t scream Metal Slug…

Jumping on ledges of varying sizes is the meat of this level. Some of the jumps can be a little tricky as some ledges are a bit small and the control isn’t as tight as say a Super Mario World. Eliminate those annoying Jawas before they can attack you right off a ledge. Pretty soon you’ll upgrade to the Seeker gun.

LIGHT SABER?! Relax, that will come later. That light saber icon increases your health bar a bit but oddly only for that level. Each level it resets back to the norm. This stage ends by simply dropping into a hatch. No boss fight. Boo.

Inside the Sandcrawler we go. Run to avoid becoming a human s’more.

Skywalker looks over his shoulder only to spot a Jawa coming his way with ill intentions. Instead of turning around and shooting the Jawa, Luke fires straight ahead at the wall in front of him. The Rapid Ion shot bounces off walls and can take enemies out in unconventional ways. Sick.

There’s no switching of guns, though. Once you upgrade your shot, that’s the only gun you have. Dying sadly drops you back to the very first gun, rather than a step down (how unforgiving). The Plasma shot is the most potent.

Sliding through tight spots never felt so good.

Massive mechanical monstrosities and strange creatures await.

Shades of Contra III: The Alien Wars eh? Speaking of shades, is it just me or does the Hydra boss from Shinobi III remind anyone else a bit of Lava Beast Jawenko?

Hyrda from Shinobi III — Hydra from *Shinobi III*

[More like Kraid from Super Metroid I say... -Ed.] — *[More like Kraid from Super Metroid I say… -Ed.]*

Defeat Jawenko and rescue R2-D2.

Another cutscene ensues [Boy, nothing gets by you -Ed.]

Attention to detail 101! Love the way Luke struggles to free himself from that sticky goo. More Jawas to kill. Watch out for those crumbling ledges.

Sandwiched between a sand worm and a Tusken Raider. Gee, where’s Beetlejuice when ya need him?

Tricky bit, this is. It’s a long way down…

“GODDAMNIT, LUKE!”

Gifted with the light saber, shit just got real.

Everyone at some point has imagined what it would be like to wield a light saber. Super Star Wars lets you experience it about halfway through. Better late than never! Besides, by the time it’s available, it really feels special.

Banthas die in this dramatic, explosive fashion. Quirky.

Wonder where all those little womp rats come from? Say hello to the mother.

Another vehicle section breaks up the action. Make your way to Mos Eisley. This is where you encounter your first Storm Trooper. Almost brings a tear to my eye. Arguably the most iconic cannon fodder in history. Foot Soldiers and Putties have nothing on these guys!

There’s something really satisfying about slicing a Storm Trooper with your light saber. Especially when you’re jumping. I love how those blocks split up when damaged. Mos Eisley is home to some deadly plant life. Avoid stepping in them.

Chewbacca joins the fray! Let’s give the big wookie a shot…

Chewie’s turn to shine. It’s an old fashioned barroom brawl at the Cantina! Creepy images and enemies abound. I remember being a little spooked whenever my childhood friend made it this far and I sat in the back looking on…

Kalhar is a hulking mess. Watch out for its long neck and limbs.

Everyone’s favorite rebel, Han Solo, crashes the party!

Escaping from the Cantina, there’s a bounty on your head so you better hightail it fast. But being Han Solo, you know no such thing…

Differences between the three playable characters? Chewie is the strongest (his default health bar is the longest). Han Solo has a longer rolling slide than Luke Skywalker. But only Luke can wield the light saber. It’s a small price to pay however to be the coolest rebel this side of the galaxy on your SNES.

Maybe a little TOO cool, though. That’s the last time they get me…

Massive mechanical monstrosities abound.

Consider yourself an excellent gamer if you make it this far without cheating.

Those giant tie fighters fly by and clip our hero. There are quite a few moments in this game where damage is pretty much unavoidable. A little annoying but thankfully there are plenty of heart refills. Ah, nothing warms my heart more than seeing a couple dumb Storm Troopers rushing into the scene.

Nothing beats blasting them to oblivion… except seeing them fall through those pits on their own volition!

Death Star Hangar Bay is a simple but fun little stage. An Imperial Defense Droid greets you at the end. It’s reminiscent of the ED-209 from RoboCop fame.

Switch off to the light saber to make this even more challenging!

Damnit, Luke! Yeah, I’m talking to you! Way to cut it close…

Spider robots can be a pain. Damn, the Storm Troopers are tall in this game.

Detention Guard Boss is no match for a true Jedi. Congratulations on rescuing Princess Leia, but the battle is far from over.

Blasting Storm Troopers left and right makes me happy.

Deactivate the Tractor Beam. Shades of Elevator Action a bit…

Switch over to the light saber and take it out like a real G!

Darth Vader’s token cameo. Maybe he’ll appear more in the sequel…

Death Star — you’re going down!

Gratuitous Mode-7? Check.

Before you can tackle the Death Star head on, you must first obliterate 20 tie fighters and 20 towers.

November 1992. This looked absolutely stunning back then. Some images are just burned into your core. Watching my childhood friend play this over and over is something I still vividly recall… even nearly 25 years later.

Super Star Wars was the first SNES game to combine side-scrolling action with first and third person sequences. Props for the innovation!

Foreshadowing at its finest…

Of course, the Empire did strike back — And boy, did they ever strike back

Sculptured Software followed up Super Star Wars with Super Empire Strikes Back (October 1993) and Super Return of the Jedi (October 1994). If I’m not mistaken, Star Wars holds the distinct honor of being the only film trilogy to make it onto the same console in three separate games. Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures doesn’t count since the three Indy films are jammed into one game. As of this writing I have yet to thoroughly play through Super Empire Strikes Back or Super Return of the Jedi. It’s said that they’re even better than Super Star Wars, thanks to more refined gameplay, more playable characters and a much welcomed password feature.

FAITHFUL TO THE FILM

Presentation of Super Star Wars, from the opening text crawl to something as little as the very font itself, is extremely faithful to the film that was released 40 years ago today. Sure, a few of the enemies and bosses were added in but thank goodness — it sure would get boring battling just Jawas, Tusken Raiders and Storm Troopers. Some minor plot points were also tweaked, but it’s forgivable. Overall, Super Star Wars nicely captures the spirit and essence of the 1977 film.

USE THE FORCE (OF CHEATING)

Mercy, sweet mercy... — Mercy, sweet mercy…

Super Star Wars has a reputation of being one of the toughest SNES games ever crafted. Enemies come at you with relentless hunger. Many attacks are seemingly unavoidable. There are around 15 levels and no save or password feature. The game does become easier when you power up your gun to the max, but as soon as you die you’re back to using the initial gun. Power-ups are somewhat rare so you’re kind of screwed if you die. You’re almost better off starting back from the beginning. To top it all off, the jumping feels a bit rigid. It’s not impossible to beat, but I definitely recommend playing this on Easy. Thankfully, Sculptured Software was so kind as to provide several cheats. Among these include a debug menu, invincibility, a level skip and even a cheat that allows you to begin the game with Luke’s light saber.

Debug Menu: Press A, A, A, A, X, B, B, B, B, Y, X, X, X, X, A, Y, Y, Y, Y, B at the title screen. During game, press L+R on controller 2.

Stage Skip: Press A, A, A, A, X, B, B, B, B, Y, X, X, X, X, A, Y, Y, Y, Y, B at the title screen. During game, press START on controller 2.

Light Saber: At the title screen, press Y, Y, X, X, A, B, X, and A.

Even the cheats were hard!

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

So hot it's on fire... — So hot that it’s on fire…

The critics loved Super Star Wars. EGM gave it ratings of 9, 9, 9 and 9. Super Play scored it 89%. It was a smash hit success when it came out in November 1992. Many considered it as the first truly playable Star Wars game that held true to the vision of the iconic film. From the theme being perfectly replicated to flying the X-Wing in the trench, Super Star Wars knocked it out of the park. Producer and lead designer of Super Star Wars, Kalani Streicher, had some interesting comments to share. In an interview conducted with Retro Gamer Magazine, Kalani had these following remarks: “From the beginning I wanted to retell the story of the movies in an interactive fashion. I also knew, being a huge Star Wars geek myself, that I wanted to bring in elements that never were explained or expanded upon in the movies, especially areas or characters that were mentioned briefly in the films, such as fighting the Star Wars chess monster as a boss in the Cantina.”

Kalani expanded on the universe — Kalani expanded on the *Star Wars* universe

You fight Kalhar in the Cantina — From a hologram chess piece…

Regarding the trilogy’s infamous difficulty, Kalani had this to say. “These were difficult games. We were aiming at the hardcore. Everybody was a hardcore player back then! I definitely could not deliver such difficult games today. In hindsight, I would reduce the enemy damage by 10-20 percent, make the player character able to absorb more damage, add more power-ups and improve level design.”

But overall, Kalani admits there isn’t much else he would change. “I’m very happy with how all three games in the SNES trilogy turned out. We did an incredible job getting this trilogy out back-to-back-to-back each Christmas. There are a couple of elements I wish we could have incorporated if we had more time, such as all the levels, characters and bosses we had to cut from the game — with each game we built more levels than we actually shipped. I’d also make the games a bit easier to play. I’m very fond of the Super Star Wars trilogy and very pleased with its popularity. They were my very first games and we had such fun designing and developing them.”

Needless to say, long live Star Wars (it won't ever die) — Needless to say, long live *Star Wars* (it won’t ever die)

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Classic. Timeless. Happy 40th! — Classic. Timeless. Quintessential. Happy 40th!

It’s hard to believe today marks 40 years since the first Star Wars film marched its way into theatres. May 25, 1977. Who would have ever thunk that it would go on to become the biggest grossing film franchise of all time? Many films come and go. Only a select special few manage to leave an indelible mark. Even fewer go on to become a mainstay in the very fabric of pop culture. Super Star Wars is a fine space action platforming blaster. It’s not without some flaws, but all in all it captures the spirit of the film and was a small landmark achievement back in the early ’90s. As difficult as the game may be, it’s still a blast traversing the landscapes of Tatooine both by foot and vehicle. I love all the little details like the way Luke Skywalker breaks the fourth wall to stare back at you. Or how the pieces of a shattered machine warhead can nick you for damage. Or how the blocks section off into tiny pieces when shot at. It’s a fully breathing universe that feels a bit lived in. It’s convincing and really puts you in the shoes of Luke, Han Solo or even Chewbacca. Well, if he had shoes. Look, you get the point. It’s not perfect but if you’re a fan of the franchise then you can’t help but appreciate the effort and authenticity.

Super Star Wars was the first SNES game to incorporate side-scrolling action with first and third person shooting sequences. It was tough as nails but thankfully playing on easy makes it somewhat manageable. If you’re really struggling though, you can enable a secret debug menu to make life a bit easier. The visuals were very good for its time, despite some drab looking deserts scattered throughout. The music was amazing. This is one of those games you want to crank the volume up for. Each track fits its stage perfectly, ranging from sweeping and epic (Land of the Banthas) to jazzy and toe tapping (Cantina). Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the near perfect rendition of the legendary Star Wars theme. The iconic John Williams score was masterfully handled by one, Paul Webb of Sculptured Software. The sound is also on point, from the guns to the enemy cries to the WHOOSH of the light saber. Explosions are glorious. It’s all part of an engrossing game that sucks you into its digital world and makes you forget for a second that you’re playing a video game. You really do feel like you’re smack dab in the middle of the Star Wars universe. Speaking of which, it’s a good game on its own but when you factor in it’s FREAKING STAR WARS, it’s something quite special.

One of the better games of '92 — Just as memorable 25 years on

All of this of course would be for naught if the gameplay didn’t hold up its end of the bargain. Thankfully, while it may not cross over into the upper echelon of SNES action games, Super Star Wars delivers for the most part. On the downside, jumping can be a bit stiff. There is a fair bit of slowdown that occasionally plagues the action. And the boss battles don’t require much strategy. It’s just a case of firing away at them mindlessly for the most part. The game is generous with its heart refills but the constant barrage of oncoming enemy waves can quickly overwhelm to the point of undue frustration. It’s still very playable and enjoyable, particularly on the easy setting, but these factors prevent the game from receiving an even higher score. There are minor differences between Luke, Han and Chewie but there could have been a bit more differentiation. The good far outweighs the negatives, though. Old school hardcore gamers will welcome the challenge but less ardent players may find this game overly irritating. For what it is, especially for its time, Super Star Wars is easily one of the more memorable SNES games ever created. Not necessarily one of the best, although it is very good, but definitely one that sticks in your mind long after the dust settles.

Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 10
Gameplay: 8.5
Longevity: 7

Overall: 8.5

Double Silver Award

*breathes* I'll see you next time — *breathes* I’ll see you next time

Alien³ (SNES)

**Pub: LJN | Dev: Probe | May 1993 | 8 MEGS**

Movie game adaptations back in the ’90s were hit or miss. Often times seemingly more miss than hit, especially when you saw the infamous dreaded letters of LJN on the box cover. Alien³ has a mixed reputation when it comes to the film. So you factor all these things — somewhat shoddy film with a very shoddy firm such as LJN — and it’s easy to see why some folks had their doubts about how this game adaptation would turn out. Thankfully, Probe handled developing the game and Probe strayed away a little from the film’s stifling creative choices. This included strapping Sigourney Weaver with enough arsenal to start a small war and oh boy, were there aliens galore! Compare this to the film which had only one alien and zero guns. A most fine creative choice by Probe. The box wasn’t lying when it said 3 times the suspense, 3 times the danger, 3 times the terror…

AN ICONIC FRANCHISE

Not one to play "Telephone" with — Not one to play “Telephone” with

The first Alien film, released nearly 38 years ago on May 25, 1979, was a smash success. It was a tense sci-fi thriller starring Sigourney Weaver as the iconic Ripley character. And of course, one badass alien that scared audiences the world over. The sequel, Aliens, hit theatres on July 14, 1986. It scored rave reviews but the franchise would go on to remain dormant for six years. That’s when Alien³ marched into theatres on May 22, 1992. Today actually marks the 25th anniversary of Alien³. It received mixed reviews and is considered by many as the black sheep of the franchise. However, there’s a decent smattering of Alien³ backers who will claim otherwise. It’s one of those “controversial” sequels in a franchise that warrants another viewing if you haven’t sat down to watch it in over 15 years or so. A year later Alien³ was released on the Super Nintendo. Let’s take a closer look…

At the very least the game captures the gritty grimy feel — The game certainly captures the film’s gritty, grimy feel

NO ONE CAN HEAR YA SCREAM IN SPACE

Nothing like that classic slow Alien fade in effect.

Shiver. That damn facehugger dropping always gets me.

Lieutenant Ellen Ripley, one of the most iconic characters in sci-fi cinematic history, is the sole surviving member. She may wish otherwise…

Alien³ is not your typical side-scrolling platformer, which tends to be the fate of most movie licensed games. It plays more like an interconnected adventure, which is a nice change of pace from your typical hop ‘n bop affair. Throughout each level you’ll find computer terminals. Select a mission, discover your objective(s) and view blueprints. There’s some slight strategy at play here, such as being able to select the missions in an economical fashion where you travel the least amount of distance from mission to mission. Obviously the less ground you cover the greater your chances of survival.

Missions don’t vary too much, which can lead to a spell of repetition now and again. One type of mission is locating and rescuing all the trapped prisoners. Right away you notice the game has this gritty, grimy feel to it. It’s faithful to the movie in that regard, perfectly capturing the bleakness and futility of the maximum security prison. It stands out in a crowd of bright, cartoony looking SNES games for sure!

Ripley’s energy bar is only shown after she incurs damage. I rather liked this as it’s not eating up your HUD space. Although your health bar will occasionally flash once your health drops to 25% or below. It adds to the tension of the game and is a bit reminiscent of Metroid, but less annoying. The smaller aliens inflict little damage but the bigger ones pack a nasty punch.

Speaking of the bigger aliens, I love the way they explode. You can really feel the impact. The screen also seems to shake ever so slightly, just to further play up the gravity of the situation.

Climbing ladders and crawling through the claustrophobic air ducts are two things you can expect to do a lot of. Watch out — those air ducts can quickly fill up with deadly facehuggers and other buggers…

Another mission type is repairing broken electrical boxes.

Creepy shadowy figures watch you from the safety of the sidelines. Use the flamethrower on the eggs when they open up. And beware of falling facehuggers!

Always the little details in a video game that makes me go, “Nice.” Look no further than spotting an item, collecting it and watching it split into several different pieces as it goes into your inventory. I also like the ability to shoot up and kill aliens that may be scurrying high above.

Nothing like taking a flamethrower to those nasty eggs. Also equally satisfying is rescuing all the hostages held captive within the prison.

Ripley’s hand-over-hand technique is brilliantly animated. Finding that tricky final hostage is quite a fist pump worthy moment.

Mission completed? Head back to any given terminal and select the next one. You can choose them in any order you wish, and a blueprint allows you to see exactly where you need to go. It can slow down the action of the game but I do like the touch of strategy that comes with the ability to view a map.

Multiple pipe fractures are compromising your safety, so find them all and seal them up. I like how you see the meter charging from 0 to 100%. Sometimes aliens will come scurrying at you so you must take them out first, and then resume reconstructing the pipes.

Medikits are scattered throughout the game and replenish 30% health. They’re a Godsend when you’re low on health. The game will remind you if your health dips below 25%. There’s nothing like healing up and not having to deal with the annoying low health warning.

Sometimes you need to hang around for a bit. Watch out for the alien’s acid spit!

Roasting the bigger aliens and seeing them explode into tiny pieces is disturbingly satisfying…

Speaking of roasting, the flamethrower is by far my favorite weapon of the three. Just a shame then that it eats up ammo super fast.

Creepy! Alien corridors are exactly that.

Nothing beats an ammo room! You’ll need it too as ammo in this game can dry up fast with the insane amount of aliens that the game throws at you. Probe had mercy and even makes the ammo and various goodies reappear after each successfully cleared mission. Trust me, you will need to restock…

Alien³ can be a pretty tough game. Not impossible by any means, but hard enough to send you to the game over screen a few times. And what a game over screen it is, too…

Scrambled? Sunny side up? Over easy? None of those. I simply prefer my eggs to be alien-free, please. Thank you.

Another type of mission sees you picking up a device in one area only to place it in a control unit in a different area. This back and forth gives it a slight Metroid feel as opposed to an all-out hardcore action affair. And for the most part, this works well.

Sealing certain doors is another type of mission. Notice in the first shot there you are sealing off the door that leads to the ammo supply room. This is where strategy comes into play. I recommend saving this particular mission for last since you will probably need to restock on ammo. Killing all eggs is another mission variant. Watch out for them bloody facehuggers leaping out at you!

Facehuggers should naturally make your skin crawl. They definitely do that in this game. Falling from the ceiling and scurrying about… it really adds to the horror vibe of the game.

Quick, better fix those fuse boxes! But don’t forge ahead if a nasty bugger is quickly heading your way. Pause and dispatch of the threat. You’ll have to start over from scratch charging the bar but thankfully they charge pretty fast.

Grenade launcher will light up your TV screen. Potent sucker!

Hidden goodies are usually lurking about if you explore enough. Once you clear all missions you receive a (funky) password and a time stamp of your adventure. I love games that provide the time it takes to complete a level or mission.

Things get progressively more difficult as you proceed. For example, multiple eggs and xenomorphs call the various hallways home. You’ll be amazed at how fast the ammo flies… and watch out for the changing colors of the aliens. They do grow stronger, like the blue ones…

Missions galore, as usual. I like the little titles they each get too, rather than a generic “Mission #1,” “Mission #2″ and so forth. Take advantage of the blueprint by examining it carefully before accepting and carrying out a mission.

Ooooh, ahhh. A nice change of pace from the more depressing looking visuals of certain other locales.

Reminder: DON’T F*CK WITH RIPLEY.

3 TIMES THE GUNS

Sometimes an action shooting game doesn’t need a whole lot of guns. Alien³ only has three, but they work extremely well and each has its pros and cons. Take the pulse rifle, for instance. It can kill aliens from a low angle but it’ll miss aliens crawling up top. That’s when you bust out the flamethrower instead. However, the flamethrower eats up a ton of ammo fast. The third gun, a grenade launcher, does massive damage but is used more sparingly. Three guns may not seem like a lot but in this case it actually works so well that you don’t find yourself wishing there were more weapons. All three guns are also instantly accessible from the very start. Deciding when to use which, or sometimes even not using any of them at all (if you can safely evade the alien hordes that is), is all part of the ever shifting strategy as the game unfolds. There’s a brilliant simplicity to it all.

Roasting aliens never gets old. The flamethrower goes through three upgrades. Red-green-blue. Red is the weakest. Green is medium and blue is extremely potent. You’ll find the different colors accordingly as the game progresses. Of course, the aliens themselves grow stronger too…

DARKNESS FALLS

Interestingly enough, the beta version is a lot lighter by contrast. The finished product however is much darker. I’m glad Probe went the darker route because it creates a creepy and foreboding atmosphere that is perfect to play on a stormy night with all the lights turned off.

JUMP TO MY LOU-TENANT RIPLEY

Unfortunately, Alien³ isn’t without its share of flaws. While Ripley can jump a great distance, the jumping can feel a bit floaty. In particular, jumping straight up is awkward. It causes Ripley to leap straight up and then float forward a bit. Don’t ever jump straight up if you can help it. And then there are some instances where you need to make a bit of a “blind jump” and it’s tough to land on a platform. This can lead to unnecessary damage and some frustrating moments.

WHAT’S THE SECRET WORD?

There are a total of six levels, each containing six to eight missions per level. Due to the nature of these various missions, each level can last you a decent 45 minutes or so. As such, thank goodness for the password feature. The passwords have these odd words, as opposed to random strung together letters and numbers. For example, one password is MOTORWAY and another is CABINETS. Um, OK? It kind of adds to the weird charm of the whole game though, for sure.

“GAME OVER, MAN!”

Ah, R.I.P. Bill Paxton — Ah, rest in peace, Bill Paxton

In the 1986 film, Aliens, Bill Paxton had a classic line that simply stated, “GAME OVER, MAN!” Alien³ gives you a Bill Paxton voice over of that same line. Brilliant. It just fits like a glove. Even though they’re different films, it was still nice to see, er, hear.

S³GA G³N³SIS

Which is better: SNES or Genesis Alien³?

Alien³ is a vastly different game on the Genesis than the SNES. Which one is better? There seems to be an equal amount of fans in each camp. If you’re seeking a more action-oriented rendition then you’d do well to play the Genesis version. But if you’re looking for more of a Metroid style action adventure then check out the SNES version.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Alien³ made Nintendo Power's Top 100 at #100 — *Alien³* made Nintendo Power’s Top 100 at #100

While the film Alien³ flopped with the critics, the Super Nintendo version of Alien³ was by and large considered a success. Often hailed as one of the better movie to video game adaptations of the ’90s, Alien³ was praised for its dark atmosphere, challenging gameplay and an intensely moody soundtrack. The visuals were also heralded as being top of the line in its day. EGM gave this game ratings of 8, 8, 8 and 8. GameFan scored it 95, 90, 89 and 87%. Super Play rated it 84%. It was a hit among critics and players alike. Nintendo Power in their 100th issue ranked their top 100 games. Alien³ cracked the list at exactly #100.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Don’t let that LJN logo on the box fool ya. Probe took their time developing this game and it shows. While the movie itself wasn’t great, anytime the video game is better than the movie that’s a win in my book. The graphics are amazing. They almost seem to have, at times, this photo realistic style to them. The music fits the game’s dark creepy corridors to a tee. It’s moody, intense and helps to craft one hell of a nightmarish atmosphere. There’s a sense of dread and bleakness that seeps throughout Alien³. It’s bloody brilliant.

The action never stops... — The action rarely stops

Aliens come scurrying after you at almost all times. There’s hardly a moment to breathe as just when you think you’ve exterminated the last batch, here comes another wave. However, it’s not to the point where you feel suffocated so much that the game becomes overly difficult and thus no fun. It manages to keep you on your toes at all times yet skillful navigation and strategic conservation of ammo keeps you on the winning side. I love the alien variety, too. Although there may not seem to be that many, the different attacking styles and whatnot keep the game fresh as you adjust combat strategies on the fly. Facehuggers, chestbursters and then three kinds of alien warriors: small, medium and DAMN. The first time you see the big one is one of those moments you never forget. It’s an all out barrage of alien warfare the likes of which is sure to satisfy any action aficionado.

Sweet mother of God... — Sweet mother of God…

Alien³ has its share of flaws, though. The jumping can feel a bit wonky in spots. Ripley also has this annoying control scheme where you press down and she’ll kneel. You have to tap down and shoot. Hold down too long however and you’ll aim down instead of shooting while crouching. I lost way too much health to this than I care to recall. It’s not something you can’t overcome without a little practice but she’s definitely not as easy to control as, say, Mario. It’s not a deal breaker by any means but it’s little things like this that prevent me from giving this game an even higher score. Having said all that, this game is packed with action, intensity, violence and an underrated soundtrack. Killing aliens never felt so good before. You can really feel the “weight” behind the guns and the sound effects are top-notch, right down to the aliens’ screeches and death cries. Alien³ is easily one of the better movie video game adaptations not only on the SNES but of the entire 16-bit era.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 8
Longevity: 6

Overall: 8.0
Silver Award

Sweet dreams my dear... — Sweet dreams my dear…

Catch Alien: Covenant out in theatres as of this writing! — Catch *Alien: Covenant* in theatres as of this writing!

Knights of the Round (SNES)

***Pub & Dev: Capcom | April 1994 | 12 MEGS***

This past Friday (May 12, 2017), King Arthur: Legend of the Sword limped its way into theatres to mixed (but mostly poor) reviews. It grossed under 15 million in its opening weekend. Mind you, it was produced on a budget of 175 million, not counting advertising. It is a box office bomb in the ultimate sense. Damn, as if everybody didn’t see that coming. King Arthur has definitely seen better days, and I’d be damned if Knights of the Round doesn’t qualify as such. A conversion of the Capcom arcade beat ‘em up, it arrived pretty late into the SNES’ lifespan (November 1991 to April 1994) but hey, better late than never. As far as beat ‘em ups on the Super Nintendo go, this is easily one of the better ones.

A GOLDEN TIME

Timing is everything... — Timing is everything…

In January 2006 I was struck hard by an overwhelming desire to revisit my childhood in the form of one, the Super Nintendo. There were so many great games from my youth I wanted to play again and even more that I always wanted to play back in the ’90s but never did. Early 2006 was a special time. Most SNES games sold for a measly $5. There was a paucity of nostalgic collectors back then; the market had yet to explode. It was a classic case of right place, right time. I acquired most of my SNES games on the internet, but I also bought more than my fair share in real life. And there’s something special about that. It’s kind of like playing a video game with your buddies in the same room rather than online play. There’s a purity to the real life exchange that simply can’t be beat. I’ve had some great deals and met some interesting cats in those early days of 2006. One of my favorite memories was the day I ran into an old college acquaintance while out hunting.

March 25, 2006. 12:27 PM. Two months into my SNES resurrection, I left my house that Saturday afternoon full of hope and optimism. Burnt out on Saturn gaming, it was during a long University winter break that the urge to play my childhood favorites, and discover the gems that I missed back in the day, hit me like a ton of bricks. But I digress. Back to March 25. The night before I made my local rounds on Craigslist and found an ad of some guy liquidating all his old 16-bit games. I emailed him and he promptly replied, asking me to come visit his store (a good 45 minute drive both ways) on Saturday to browse his selection. He promised to give me a good deal.

And so the next morning I was off on yet another trek. I fondly recall those early hunting days. There was sort of a magic to it all… like the possibility that anything could happen and any game on my want list was laying out in the open. Having a want list of literally hundreds meant a good chance I was always going to find something. It was a peaceful spring Saturday morning. Listening to my blaring music, windows rolled down, driving all over town to reclaim bits and pieces of my childhood… there was something very ‘romantic’ about those early days.

Upon my arrival I met Aaron, the guy whom I had been in contact with. He looked oddly familiar… I couldn’t escape the feeling that I’d seen this fool somewhere before. As I browsed his SNES offerings it suddenly hit me. I had a college class with him back in the spring of 2002! In fact, we were groupmates for the final! How’s that for a weird little story? It had to be destiny.

He was looking at me sort of funny too. It had been four years since we seen each other. As we looked at each other my memory started flowing back to me. For our Final we had to share with the class something we were passionate about (it was a rec class). I talked about my love for playing basketball. At that time my love with the game was at its peak (thanks largely to Coach Butler and 9/11). Meanwhile, Aaron shared with the class his passion for video games, which included Nintendo, Sega and even the Atari Jaguar.

As I stood there recalling to myself exactly who this guy was, as if on cue, he came over to break my train of introspective thought.

“Finding everything good?”

I answered his question with a question of my own. “Hey man, didn’t we take a rec class together in college like four years back?”

“Man, I knew you looked familiar! … Steve, right? Yeah I totally remember that class… easiest A+ of my life! How the hell ya been?”

We chewed the fat for a while. So random and crazy! Turns out Aaron’s dream has always been to own his very own game store. And at just 22 years young, he was the manager of this little gaming store. I was happy for him. We were never best buddies in college but we were cool, and just seeing him randomly on this day and finding out that he achieved his dream at just 22 years old, that was sweet. It’s always nice to run into an old face and find them doing well in the game of life.

Found my shining knight... — Found my shining knight…

I eventually brought these four games to the counter. I was so excited to dig up Knights of the Round; it was my first time in two months spotting a copy in the wild. Such good childhood memories spent playing it and Super Baseball 2020 (which I also bought). Never got to play the SNES port of Power Instinct but I always wanted to. Aaron gave me a good deal. Knights of the Round was price at $8 but he sold it for $6. Power Instinct was $8 but he took $4. Super Baseball 2020 went for just a measly $1 (!) and Super Soccer Champ ran $2. What a wild trip, all courtesy of my checking Craigslist the night before. Little did I know I would run into an old face from my early college days, see that he was doing well and that life had been good to him, and get a nice little deal in the process. Driving home that Saturday afternoon, I rolled down the windows and blasted the music. There was such a feeling of excitement in the air. It was a fascinating time where I was getting ready to wrap up college and look to the future yet at the same time I was also looking to the past. I looked at the four games sitting on my passenger seat, smiling as old fond memories of playing them began surfacing. It was the perfect drive home. Those early hunting days… man, I’ll never forget those exuberant days. The feeling of excitement in the air… reclaiming my childhood… running into old faces… crossing want after want off the list. Good times indeed.

THE STORY GOES…

Legend says that whoever extracts Excalibur... — Legend says that whoever extracts Excalibur…

... would rule the land! — … would rule the land!

"Arthur, only the Legendary Grail can save the world!" — *“Arthur, only the Legendary Grail can save the world”*

"You three must find and use it to unify all of Britain" — *“You three must find and use it to unify all of Britain”*

"Now go forth, ye Knights of the Round!" — *“Now go forth, ye Knights of the Round!”*

Blocking enemy attacks is crucial to your success

KNIGHT CLUB

A strong all-around fighter and a true jack-of-all trades — A strong all-around fighter and a jack-of-all trades

King Arthur was quite the swinger in his day... — King Arthur was quite the swinger in his day…

Makes up for his lack of power with blazing speed

A lumbering brute blessed with the strength of 10 men — A lumbering brute blessed with the power of 10 men

He's the classic slow but strong fighter — He’s the classic slow but strong fighter

KINDERGARTEN KNIGHTS

They say everything you ever needed to learn, you learned in Kindergarten. If true then these knights pass with flying colors. One of the unique things about Knights of the Round is the ability to split up treasure into multiples. That way, when playing with a buddy, both players can reap the benefits. Nice!

I can't eat all this... — I can’t eat all this…

And not only can you split up the treasure but the food as well. I can’t think of another beat ‘em up that does this off the top of my head. It makes Knights of the Round unique as it really highlights the true co-op nature of this game.

ALL MINE, BWAHAHAHAHA... — ALL MINE, BWAHAHAHAHA…

WELCOME TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Not many beat 'em ups can claim this — Not many beat ‘em ups can claim this

Another cool feature is the leveling up system. Your character will level up after reaching a set amount of points. This results in increased strength and tiny cosmetic changes. It adds a slight RPG flavor. It also serves as a way to refuel your health bar even mid-way through a stage, which can turn the tide in your favor. My brother Kevin and I raved about this scoring system back in ’94 and I still appreciate it to this day. There’s nothing better than having a sliver of health only to level up. In the process your character receives a new piece of armor and your health bar resets to 100%. It’s these little moments that make this game such a joy to play. Love these gimmicks!

Leveling up when you're near death is the best — Leveling up when you’re near death never gets old

WHEN IN DARKEST KNIGHT

Perhaps the best item of all, this allows you to automatically level up whether you’re one point away or 30,000. Hopefully you’ll run across it soon after leveling up on your own, since that really maximizes the odds of winning.

Arguably the second best item in the game

Along the way you’ll find some key items, such as this red orb. This will destroy all enemies on screen. On the downside, this does eliminate the chance of scoring more points. It’s a small sacrifice…

KNIGHT-MARE

Wouldn't be right without some horses — Wouldn’t be King Arthur without some horses

This was so cool but sadly it’s a one time deal. The mare puts you in prime position to smash and bash their skulls in. Playing with a friend? You and your buddy will have to decide who gets to ride the beast. Yeah, my brother and I used to always to discuss this, ahem, “peacefully.” And by that I mean if I didn’t let him mount the mare he would smack me upside my head with a pillow. Nothing like brotherly love, is there? No worries bro, I’ll get you back with my best man speech (edit: I sure did…)

"I like long walks, riding horses and slaying..." — *“I like long walks and horses”*

OK, so you can ride a horse *twice* in the game, but only one time outside of the Braford boss fight. It’s still a shame to have it happen only two times in the entire game. Since you can’t pick up weapons, grab enemies, throw them or steal their weapons, things can get a bit repetitive. The horses manage to break up the action nicely, and thus it’s a shame they only crop up twice.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Look for the goodies hidden in various barrels — Look for the goodies hidden inside various barrels

It's a good thing then that Percival loves crashing parties — Good thing then that Percival loves crashing parties

Minus clapping and balancing the pike on his nose

I could never max out the leveling up, though... — I could never max out the leveling up, though…

Capcom was the master of the small details

Mask Men are quite agile and rather annoying

Get it before they turn you into a royal sandwich!

Hit detection here in particular was a bit off

Nothing like stealing another man's ride — Nothing like stealing another man’s ride

[Wow... that explains a lot. Now it makes sense -Ed.] — *[Wow… that explains a lot. Now it makes sense… -Ed.]*

I love the Andore-type enemies. LOVE 'EM! — I love Andore-type enemies. LOVE ‘EM!

I'm warning ya -- LAST CHANCE! — I’m warning ya — LAST CHANCE!

The tiger lands on the soldier's sword. OUCH — The tiger lands on the soldier’s sword. OUCH

Arlon the Silver King is the first tough boss you face

We're not even halfway through the game yet — We’re not even halfway through the game yet

Hand that flag over, OR ELSE — Hand that flag over, ***OR ELSE***

But thank God we didn't — But thank God we didn’t

Taking out some of your comrades in the process

You shouldn't have done that... — You shouldn’t have done that…

You could say it's "falcon" awesome [No -Ed.] — You could say it’s “falcon” awesome [No -Ed.]

Don't falcon touch my treasure! [No -Ed.] — Don’t falcon touch my treasure! *[No -Ed.]*

"Damn sure could use a cup of joe right about now" — *“Damn sure could use a cup of joe right about now”*

Fat Men: "Head straight and turn left at the escalator" — Fat Men: *“Head straight and turn left at the escalator”*

Obligatory one hit fodder leaping from each side bit — The stakes are a little higher here, though…

It's the Lovecraftian Samurai from 47 Ronin — It’s like the Lovecraftian Samurai from *47 Ronin*

Whoa, after a certain level Percival shaves his head! — Whoa — after a certain level Percival goes bald!

Lightning reveals a pair of dragon statues. Nice

Boo for palette swaps. Who are you, Arlon's brother? — Palette swaps suck. Who are you, Arlon’s brother?

Garibaldi is by far the toughest boss in the game

Indeed it is. Nothing beats a close call... — Indeed it is. Nothing beats a close call…

ALL HAIL KING ARTHUR... ER... PERCIVAL! — ALL HAIL KING ARTHUR… ER… PERCIVAL!

MEET THE MEDIEVAL GEAR GANG

Soldiers have the smallest energy bar I've ever seen — Soldiers have the smallest energy bar ever seen

No good medieval game is without some sorcery

Compensating for something hmm? — Compensating for something, hmm?

Sounds like a Broadway musical in another universe — Sounds like a Broadway musical in the making…

Every beat 'em up has to feature some fat guys, eh? — Every beat ‘em up must feature some fat guys, eh?

Let's throw in a samurai a brilliant Capcom intern said — You can never go wrong with samurais

Best chocolate ever [THAT'S GHIRARDELLI YA FOOL -Ed.] — Best chocolate ever *[IT’S GHIRARDELLI YA FOOL -Ed.]*

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Capcom and SNES go together like PB&J — Capcom and the SNES go together like PB & J

Knights of the Round had a pretty respectable reputation for the most part. EGM gave it scores of 9, 8, 7, 7 and 7. GameFan never reviewed it but spoke favorably of it in its preview. Super Play Magazine, who were notoriously hard graders, particularly of beat ‘em ups, rated it a paltry 51%. They didn’t like the genre a whole lot, so I pretty much disagree with the majority of their beat ‘em up scores. They were excessively hard on these games and found many to be too derivative. Fans of beat ‘em ups may view otherwise, yours truly included. Super Play aside, this is regarded as a solid conversion of the 1991 arcade brawler. This medieval mash ‘em up is yet another solid Capcom SNES effort.

Three player mode was axed,but it's still fun with two — 3-player mode was axed, but it’s still fun with two

The arcade featured a 3-player mode that didn’t make the SNES cut. No surprise there, as there is no 3-player simultaneous beat ‘em up on the SNES. It’s a damn shame, but something you accepted as a kid back in the ’90s. Some sound effects are missing as well, such as the stomping of Hammer Balbars. But all in all, Capcom captured the spirit of the arcade well and it’s a blast with two gladiators at the helm. Knights of the Round is the closest thing to Golden Axe on the SNES! Capcom delivers yet again, to no one’s surprise.

I love Super Play but they were tough on beat 'em ups — Super Play often graded beat ‘em ups very tough

EGM, as they did more often than not, nailed it

CLOSING THOUGHTS

"I tell ya, the fish was THIS big!" — *“I swear, the fish was **THIS** big I tell ya!”*

Knights of the Round is a solid beat ‘em up and one that SNES fans of two player games should have in their collection. It covers a lot of familiar ground that gives it an instant comfortability. This includes having three varying characters to select from, special desperation moves and a typical hierarchy of enemies including several nasty bosses. In addition, it also has some clever tricks up its sleeve that helps differentiate it from the crowd. Being able to split up the food and money is a neat gimmick — I’ve never seen that before in a beat ‘em up. Also, being able to block and gain a split second of invulnerability adds to the strategy of the game, elevating it from the rest of the pack. Last but not least, the ability to level up is brilliant and makes racking up points all the more crucial.

But of course, the game isn’t without some flaws. The graphics and music are both good, but the sound is a bit muted and doesn’t have the kind of convincing slicing and slashing one would expect coming from Capcom. There’s also a tiny bit of slowdown (though mainly when battling Iron Golem) to work through. And because the Arthurian bunch come armed with their weapons, there are none to pick up along the way. Picking up various weapons along the way is one of the genre’s classic simple joys — being able to pick up a Louisville slugger or a lead pipe is typically all part of the fun. Another staple of the genre missing from this game is the ability to grab, pound and throw. Therefore, Knights of the Round is more like a slash ‘em up. It offers less choices than your average beat ‘em up since there are no weapons to pick up and no way to throw your enemies. This can lead to the game growing a bit dull from time to time, but overall, it’s still a blast playing with a friend. Despite its imperfections, Knights of the Round is a solid beat ‘em up that features some unique ideas and deserves a spot in any Super Nintendo library.

Graphics: 7.5
Sound: 7
Gameplay: 7.5
Longevity: 6.5

Overall: 7.5
Bronze Award

... THIS IS FULMINATED MERCURY! — **… THIS IS FULMINATED MERCURY!**

Sorry Arthur. Heisenberg is the king of meth-eval times — Sorry, Arthur. All hail the king of *“meth-eval”* times…

"I AM THE ONE WHO BLOCKS!" — ***“I AM THE ONE WHO BLOCKS!”***

Coming soon... ish... maybe — Coming soon… ish… maybe

Super Adventure Island II (SNES)

Pub: Hudson | Dev: Make | October 1995 | 16 MEGS — ***Pub: Hudson | Dev: Make | October 1994 | 16 MEGS***

Last month marked the 25th anniversary of Super Adventure Island (released April 1992). It was the most simplistic platformer on the market at the time. For some it was a little too bare bones, but there’s a charm to its simplicity. It was far from being a gem however, as Master Higgins was a little stiff in his movement. In late 1994, Hudson released Super Adventure Island II. I remember seeing the ad in EGM and thinking it looked super cool. It was clearly a platformer but they seem to have added various adventure components to it, making it almost look like an action RPG. Surprisingly, the game came and went with little fanfare. I always wanted to play it, but never did. That was until last month in honor of the 25th anniversary of Super Adventure Island. It was time to finally right a wrong. Better late than never! While Super Adventure Island II may fall a little shy of true “classic” status, it’s a very strong entry into the SNES library, and comes highly recommended.

THE STORY GOES…

Lovers torn apart by a vicious storm. Poor Tina has lost her memory.

Master Higgins also lost his memory. Tina stumbles upon a castle where the king falls in love with her. But before he can marry her, a winged fiend captures the lass. Higgins spots this heinous act from far away. Not sure of who she really was, he knew he simply couldn’t stand idly by. Higgins might have lost his memory but he sure didn’t lose his sense of bravery and justice.

Everything a sequel should be — Sequels should be better. This is

Super Adventure Island II is very much a side-scrolling platformer, but there are a few NPCs that you’ll talk with from time to time. This, along with a few other aspects, really help to give it the slightest hint of light action RPG flavor.

There’s even a world map where random encounters occur on occasion. Thankfully, these raft battles are extremely brief and quick. It’s cool the first few times you see them, but pretty soon you’ll breeze through them mindlessly. Still, it was a pretty neat touch that definitely set it apart from other SNES platformers.

Speaking of RPG undertones, there’s even a life recovering gimmick and best of all, a save anywhere option. Unfortunately, regardless of where you save your game when you boot it up it always starts you in front of the king’s castle. A little bit annoying but not the end of the world by any means.

Following the king’s advice, you head southwest to Poka-Poka Island. Battle man eating plants and an enemy that looks an awful lot like Tails. Right away you’re thrown into a fun platforming world that hits all the right notes thus far.

Simply calling it a platformer would be selling it a bit short, however. You soon realize this plays like Super Metroid Ultra Lite. There are certain inaccessible sections of each world that only become accessible after you’ve picked up a certain item or hit the appropriate switch. Sometimes it’s within the same world. Other times it’s in a different one. Thus, you’ll be doing a bit of backtracking. This is one of those games where having a notepad handy nearby would be prudent.

Plaques are scattered throughout which contain vital information. Switches activate or deactivate designated blocks. As you can see from the first shot here, you cannot jump on those blocks until they’ve been activated. By the way, is it just me or does the sound effect of Higgins climbing a rope sound an awful lot like Donald Duck? It never fails to trip me out…

Perfect example of the powers of the (Nintendo) Switch.

Treasure chests abound! Seeing one always provides for a nice jolt of joy. They contain valuable items such as armor, life bottles and swords to name but a few. Yes, I said SWORDS. It all adds to the light RPG undertones of this game.

Before you couldn’t break through with just your fist. But now armed with the Silver Sword, you can. The rock shatters, sending forth a huge wave of water. Now the rest of the level opens up…

Damnit, more teasing blocks. That one has the moon symbol, which is in an entirely different realm. Mark that one in your notes. Later on, you come across a unique set of blocks with arrows pointing down. You won’t be able to access that treasure chest until you learn a certain skill that’s introduced later in the quest. Yup, you’ll definitely want to keep a journal nearby…

Because there’s a fair bit of backtracking to be done, the developers were kind enough to strategically place “teleporters” within each world. You might think that’s an example of one right there but that marker actually opens up a brand new area of this world after you acquire a certain item late in the game. Each world has its own marker waiting to be unlocked toward the end of the game. Meanwhile, some rocks are immune to your Silver Sword and can only be shoved after learning the proper technique.

Nothing feels better than unlocking a previously inaccessible portion of any given level and claiming the latest prize. Life bottles are essential to increase the number of hits you can sustain. Speaking of life, slain enemies may drop small or large health refills. Seeing a large one in particular when you’re on the brink of death never fails to satisfy. Enemies do respawn so one can even farm if they so choose…

There are even side weapons available. The dagger offers sweet long distance pain, but its strength is a fair bit weaker than the mighty sword. It’s a nice trade-off, and I love that there’s no ammo count found anywhere in this game.

Intimidating boss doors are so underrated. Super Adventure Island II delivers it in spades! It just builds up the suspense of what’s to come. The very first boss is a mutant tree which can only be harmed when attacked in the face. All other areas, such as the arms, prove to be ineffective.

Apples are tossed at you in a variety of ways, and it even spits out these nasty little tree babies. It’s a fun little first boss fight — I only wish there was a boss energy bar of some sort.

Defeating each boss leads to the acquisition of a new stone. The first being the Light Stone. These Stones unlock new worlds on the world map.

Princess Tina has a brief message for our hero following each boss conquest. Higgins’ response can be a little jarring since it’s in the same color and there’s nothing to indicate (other than reading it and using common logic) who is speaking. It’s a small gripe but one worth mentioning anyway.

Where to head next is usually pretty obvious, but if you ever get stuck head back to the castle. The king will offer you free tips as to your next destination. Place the Light Stone on the pedestal to break open the next section of the game. Rinse and repeat. This formula can get a bit tedious from time to time, but the game is so short and relatively well paced that the repetition is kept to a bare minimum. Besides, with the save feature handy, simply quit when you feel you’ve reached diminishing returns, and restart your adventure when you feel refreshed and re-energized.

Apparently, Master Higgins is the real He-Man. These challenges lead to a boss fight. Win a special item if you’re victorious; you should be as these battles are very easy.

Locate the hermits scattered throughout and learn various special techniques. The first one allows Higgins to move large rocks. Of course, the hermit will only teach you the tricks of the trade for a fine little fee. Bastard.

Employ the Ice Bell to open up the section of the next world. You can tell by the quirky text that this game doesn’t take itself seriously all that much.

Shoving skill comes in mighty handy. This frozen island is known as Hiya-Hiya. It’s my favorite world — it’s incredibly atmospheric and features the game’s best visuals. Ah, more blocking. As I said before, get ready to take notes and backtrack.

Platformers can sometimes suffer from pixel perfect jumps that are overly difficult to make. Thankfully, Super Adventure Island II is rather generous in that regard. There are a few jumps that don’t initially appear to be enough, but that chubby little lad always manages to get his toes just on the edge. Here you upgrade to the Fire Sword, ideal for the frozen world of Hiya-Hiya.

Swords get progressively stronger and some serve special purposes. It’s nothing advanced or mind-blowing, but it works. Frozen columns can only be shattered by the Fire Sword. Sweet.

Watch out for falling icicles, abominable snowmen, bloodthirsty bats and more. See that entrance there? Unfortunately they don’t lead to brand new playing areas of significance. Instead, they lead to single screen rooms. A longer more branching experience would have taken SAI II to the next level.

Blockage. Bloody blockage. What’s this?! Ah bloody hell. Trick pit!

Special technique to be learned later. Keep that notebook handy nearby. I love the blocks of ice which you can shatter.

Armor in an Adventure Island game?! Adds to the light RPG undertones and it gives Master Higgins a nice new visual flare. You need to find the Star Switch to free that block of ice there. Looking good, Higgins!

Falling down another pit but be sure to veer to the right. After pressing the Star Switch you’ll be able to pick up the Fire Shield in this little alcove here. I know it doesn’t make a bit of difference but I can’t help but switch from the Fire Sword to the Dagger to take out the ice turtle. Why? Why not?

Pushing the block over produces a major hole in the ground which allows you to reach the guardian of this world.

Great sprite work on this massive mastodon. Nail it between the eyes and watch out for its swaying trunk.

Another nice little exchange with Tina. Wish they indicated who’s speaking for the sake of convenience but it’s nothing you can’t discern. Just highlights that perhaps this game was rushed a bit.

Speaking of special, once you locate the Magic Wand you’ll be able to use the various magic tricks that Higgins employ. From this point on you’ll be able to collect magic bottles. Each bottle added automatically opens up the next spell. These range from health refills to offensive strikes. They’re simple and you won’t need to use them too often, but it’s a nice touch regardless. The spell to fly back to the beginning of a world is particularly helpful, thanks to all the backtracking.

Stuck? Go see the king for a good tip. Sun Ring it is, then.

Welcome to Boa-Boa Island. Unfortunately, especially compared to the beautiful previous world, Boa-Boa leaves a little something to be desired in the graphical department. As I said earlier, at times you can’t shake the feeling that this game was rushed a bit.

Godzooky lives! Ah, look at all that soft ground there. If I only had a shovel…

I’ll leave you to explore and discover the rest of this game. Let’s switch gears and take a closer look at some of the aspects that make this game stand out from the me-too crowd of platformers that call the SNES home.

ISLAND HOPPING

Thankfully, backtracking is made a little easier due to the worlds having special gateways to another world. This allows you to go back without rowing your raft across the entire damn ocean on the world map. It’s not always perfect, but it’s better than nothing. Personally, I wish they just had a spell that lets you pick which island you wanna visit.

Speaking of backtracking, there are portions of each level that you won’t be able to immediately access until you learn a certain skill down the road. Here you see two different types of blocks. It definitely extends the length of the game, which is already short to begin with. But I always like a game that allows me to take some notes and revisit at a later date. Really makes it feel like an adventure.

Blocks either have to be activated or deactivated in order to achieve said goal. Sometimes you’ll need to turn blocks ON in order to stand on them. Other times the blocks are blocking your path to a treasure chest, in which cases they must be turned OFF. It can get a little confusing if you don’t keep brief notes throughout your journey.

NOT JUST A PLATFORMER

Super Adventure Island II definitely has light RPG undertones. Look no further than being able to sleep at an inn to recover your HP, as well as a bit of quirky dialogue. Not to mention different NPCs to interact with that will light the path of your journey should you get stuck on what to do next. It’s super simplistic in the most basic form, but it does help to separate this game from the typical platformer.

Thanks for the tips, sir! It’s the least you could do for being a homewrecker! The world map and possible random encounters also add to the RPG-ish atmosphere.

Explore the world map — you never know what items you may find or who you might run into…

Health and magic refills are sometimes given when enemies perish. Since enemies respawn, you can actually “farm” by going back and forth until you’ve reached your desired status. It takes me back to my Metroid and Mega Man days.

Acquiring the shovel later on in the game allows you to backtrack and dig up those soft areas of each world to gain access to previously inaccessible areas. These often lead to life bottles, magic bottles and various other assorted goodies. There is a con to this, however, which I will highlight in a little bit…

Platformers that include magic as a secondary means of offense (or defense) always score highly in my book. It just always adds this extra layer to a game, even when the magic system is super elementary as this one is. You learn new spells automatically as you collect bottles. The recovery spell refills half a heart, which can be crucial in moments such as these. The ultimate spell fully recovers your health, and you’ll likely need it for the final boss battle.

Curly’s Casino appears later in the game and allows you to either gamble away to your heart’s content or to cash in your coins. Yes, another feature that makes Super Adventure Island II a little bit different from your typical SNES platformer is that on occasion slain enemies will drop a coin which you can collect for a value of five. There are a total of five items you can purchase from the shop: an extra half life bottle, Higgins’ classic weapon the boomerang, the Light Shield, Light Armor or the almighty Light Sword (which commands a whopping 49,950 coins). The Light Sword is the BFG of the game and makes rather short work of the final boss. I would save my coins for that bad boy.

Boomerang sure brings back that classic Adventure Island feel. However, it costs nearly 15,000 coins and truthfully, it’s hard enough to amass the 50K that the Light Sword requires. I recommend therefore skipping the Boomerang, although it’s a fun badass weapon for sure!

Gambler, are ya? Then check out Flash ‘N Cash or Money Maker. Always a sweet feeling betting 99 coins on the white and landing on it for the maximum coin benefit of 1980. KA-CHING!

However, if you really want to make money fast and most easily, select the third mini-game, Run For Doe. Four random contestants with betting odds are given. The lowest one usually wins, although sometimes the second or third lowest may eek out a win. The highest rarely wins out. It gets tricky though when the two lowest are tied or really close as seen above (7.2 and 7.6). Sometimes the second lowest wins out. But this is the fastest method to earn coins. I had to win like 30,000 coins from this to get enough at the end of the game to afford the Light Sword…

SHOVEL KNIGHT-MARE

Unfortunately, there are a few annoying aspects to this game. Not annoying enough to derail it, but annoying enough to keep it from being an upper echelon game. It’s always the small things that add up, after all. First, the shovel. In theory it’s such a great idea. Switch to the shovel and dig up new areas of a level. Love it. However, you automatically take off your armor, shield and sword when you use the shovel. Not a big deal, right? Until you consider you have to access the menu, go down to shovel and click on it. Then when you want to switch back to your latest sword, you must click on menu and go back to your desired sword. Thankfully, selecting the sword automatically selects the latest shield and armor as well. Still, it all feels a bit cumbersome and puts a dent in the action. A simple usage of the R shoulder button to automatically switch through weapons would have made this a much more seamless experience.

Super Adventure Island II starts off looking pretty good. Then things looks very good in the second world. But get to the third world and you start to go eh? It begins to feel like the developers were crunched for time. The Indiana Jones bit is pretty cool but marred by the atrocious pink bare background. What the hell? It just kind of takes you out of what should have been a landmark moment in the game.

Tension and drama somewhat killed by the sore thumb background.

Seriously? OK I know this is a very minor thing but still disappointing nevertheless. The game therefore is a bit uneven graphically. Looks great in some places, looks OK in others and in some, like here, look completely unfinished.

Gamera nod, nice. Ugly ass background, not so nice.

Princess Tina talking, or Higgins? Not made instantly clear. You have to read a bit to find out, which isn’t a huge deal but again, highlights a few of the game’s shortcomings. It doesn’t come off as highly polished. It’s still a good game but misses that great mark by missing those little details that add up.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Had to dig to find info... — Had to dig to find info…

Sadly, and bizarrely, Super Adventure Island II was never reviewed by either EGM or GameFan. Even crazier, neither publication even PREVIEWED it. Considering it came out in October of 1994 during the height of the Super Nintendo’s lifespan and coverage of said system, this shocked me as a kid to no ends. Particularly a game of this status. It was a sequel to a fairly popular franchise. All I ever remember seeing was the ad in the pages of EGM and being intrigued as hell by its unique looking mix of platforming and RPG tropes. It was weird to see such a “high profile” sequel get the shaft as this one did. Thus, Super Adventure Island II has never been too popular, and is kind of in that “hidden gem” category.

Left out in the freezing cold... — Left out in the freezing cold…

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Two is better than one... — Two is better than one…

Super Adventure Island II is a fun game that is largely a platformer but with some light RPG undertones. It’s unique enough to separate itself from the typical SNES platformer pack. I like the backtracking gameplay, being able to slowly but surely reveal new playing sections of the world. It’s not a long game at all and can easily be beaten in a single weekend. Looking at maybe 6-8 hours here? It’s just long enough to sink your teeth into but not overly long to the point of exhaustion or wearing out its welcome. I like the save feature and the overall feel of the game. Higgins controls well this time around, unlike his first SNES outing. Jumps are handled generously and the challenge hits a near perfect balance. It’s rarely ever too hard, and it’s never overwhelmingly easy. Rather, it nearly hits that “just right” barometer where you’ll be challenged enough but not to the point of wanting to chuck the controller. Is it better than the first Super Adventure Island? You betcha.

Sure it’s got its fair share of shortcomings. These were highlighted earlier but to briefly reiterate, switching through weapons via the R shoulder button would have so much more convenient. Certain parts of the later levels appear to be a little unfinished or rushed. But the positives far outweigh the few negatives that this game has. The music is pretty good and catchy in certain parts but not as good as it was in Super Adventure Island (Yuzo Koshiro a big reason why). The gameplay is what shines brightest. I like the interconnected worlds and how they all sort of fuse together. It very much feels like a kids’ version of Super Metroid or even a Demon’s Crest, both games which I love and consider top of the line as far as SNES action adventure games are concerned. The difficulty of this game is just right. Perhaps teetering a little on the easy side of things but it hits that sweet spot for the most part. And although a short game, it’s definitely much longer than your stereotypical 16-bit platformer that takes anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours to beat. It’s got some meat to its bones but isn’t so long that it’s a one and done for me. I’m sad I waited this long to finally play it, but I’ll definitely be back one day to play through it all over again.

After playing through this game, I’m even more befuddled as to why EGM and GameFan never gave this the time of day. Not only is it a sequel to a pretty popular early generation SNES game but it’s also probably one of the better action games to come out for the system that year! Ah, some things simply remain a mystery. What I do know is this: Super Adventure Island II is good old fashioned platforming fun, with some cool boss battles and lovely RPG undertones. Master Higgins definitely goes out in style, swords a’swinging!

Graphics: 7.5
Sound: 7.5
Gameplay: 8
Longevity: 6.5

Overall: 8.0
Silver Award

Lost, pal? This ain't Joe & Mac! — Lost, pal? This ain’t *Joe & Mac*!