Ok, so, really weird thing about the different swords and varying enemy vulnerabilities: there is absolutely no in game reason to try this, but if you take the last elemental sword back to the very first area and try to use it on the slimes, it not only doesn't hurt them, it makes them bigger. It only makes them a little stronger, but IIRC it does make them drop more money.

@OnlineVideoSurfer

Жыл бұрын

That's actually kind of a cool Easter Egg! I did not know that. I'll have to try it if I ever replay the game.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Whaaaaaaaat I had no idea! That's pretty funny!

@wjr4700

Жыл бұрын

Ive been playing this game since it came out. Completed it at least 100 times and I NEVER knew that!

@matthewrusche9506

Жыл бұрын

😂 I totally discovered that as a youngling. They get angry eyebrows too.

@bezoticallyyours83

Жыл бұрын

That's so neat! I'm not there yet, but I must try that!

Crystalis and The Guardian Legend are my two favorite NES games of all time. They've been so inspirational in my own work as a game developer... So many great childhood memories of those two games.

@hungrygoriya

11 ай бұрын

They're fantastic games! Anything you've made that's drawn from those is probably pretty amazing. I wish I'd had a chance to play both of them when I was younger, but better late than never!

@elgatofelix8917

3 ай бұрын

I had the Guardian Legend as a kid but my mom threw it out because she thought the cover art looked "evil" Unfortunately I only got to play it for a couple days before that happened so I never finished playing it. To this day I still haven't gotten around to revisiting it. I need to correct that.

@FinalHarps

2 ай бұрын

I agree that both of those games where way ahead of their time.

I remember I replayed Crystalis on October 1st 1997. I was aware at the time of the date so weeks in advance I was expecting to replay the game once again at that specific date, it was a once in a lifetime thing I guess.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Oh nice! I wonder how many other folks did that along with you that day.

@alfredocanas6802

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya yeah, I was 17 at the time and I remember the NES was in the back burner because I was just playing PC games.

@mike2884

Жыл бұрын

So YOU were the hero that saved us all that day !!!??? Damn bro thank you!!! I remember I was a stupid teenager in a village called "leaf" ....then this weird guy in a purple helmet was at the shop doing a scam on the shop owner... And for some reason some relaxing background music filled the air everytime that guy came back.... 😊😅

@dorpth

4 ай бұрын

Damn, and the world had JUST gone through nuclear war a month earlier when Skynet kicked off judgement day on August 29, 1997.

@jonm3427

16 сағат бұрын

I played Crystalis on October 1st 1997 and I watched T2 on August 29th 1997 for the same reason. Too bad I didn't actually beat Crystalis until 1999.

Possibly the most underrated (action) RPGs on the NES and ever!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Yes! I think it's a lovely game and I hope more people play it if they haven't already.

@KraftLawrence1

Жыл бұрын

LOVED Crystalis, but Faxanadu will always be my #1 ARPG on the NES.

@victortwo466

Жыл бұрын

​​@@hungrygoriya Fun Fact: The Title for the Japanese Version of Crystalis is called "God Slayer - Sonata of The Far - Away Sky" and also Simea (Or SNK as a default mc name depending on the region) is one that still didn't give a chance to be a candidate as a guest character for any fighting game to this day which is ashamed since Ikari Warriors is now currently a part of King Of Fighters Series now being the Ikari Warriors Team and Metal Slug had been a part of King Of Fighters Roster before as well for a short and brief period of time before relegated to the background and hell even Psycho Soldier's two main characters Athena Asamiya & Sie Kensou are also currently playable fighting characters for Team Athena in KOF Series as well (Fun Fact : Both characters from Team Athena are actually original characters from a 1987 platform game called Psycho Soldier which is a Distant Sequel to an another platform game which is also released a year prior called Athena in which Princess Athena is actually a grand descendant of Athena Asamiya, and highly recommend for both games although that they might not be as excellent platforms but they are still fun to play imo)

@vankook

Жыл бұрын

Everyone makes videos about how good it is. It's not underrated.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@vankook I think a lot of the praise is warranted.

I'll admit, I never had the chance to play this one on the real hardware, but it's definitely one of the most underrated gems on the NES by far.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

It definitely did some interesting stuff around the edges of the screen in the overscan areas on original hardware! I loved this one a lot. I hope you get to try it someday.

@RedAsTheFire

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya It's certainly one of the most technically impressive looking titles by far.

@lexluthermiester

Жыл бұрын

@@RedAsTheFire Give it another go, by whatever means! GOG has an SNK collection that includes Crystalis and it plays perfectly!

@RedAsTheFire

Жыл бұрын

@@lexluthermiester I'll definitely have to give that a good look. thanks.

@picantesworld7723

11 ай бұрын

I have when I was a kid I had the game when it came out. It was one of my fav games growing up

I played this game briefly via Nintendo Switch Online, and I was surprised at how smooth the controls were for an NES game. It felt like something I’d expect to see in a SNES game. I didn’t get very far, but I want to pick it up again.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I hope you do! It's definitely worth playing through in my opinion!

@Enigma1788

Жыл бұрын

Got to keep in mind that this was very late into the life of the NES (July 1990 for the US) Many of those titles late into the life cycle of a system tend to blur the line between one console generation and the next, either in terms of gameplay, overall polish, or both.

@ramonmujica3193

Жыл бұрын

The entire game felt like a SNES game. This and Baseball Stars put SNK on the same level as Capcom and Konami for NES third party developers.

This game was way beyond it time , one of the best gem of the NES .

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Agreed! It did so many cool things that I haven't really seen elsewhere on the system.

In the time before the internet, I stumbled upon Crystalis through buying it for $5 at a small video store going out of business sale, I didn't know much about the game besides the cover art, but it looked interesting to nine-year-old me, so I picked it up. What a discovery I made that day! This game has been in my head since 1991! I can still hear the music as clear as day in my head when I think about it. I love, love, love Crystalis.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

What a lucky purchase! I'm glad it's been such an important game to you for your whole life. That's how Faxanadu is for me, though I can't quite recall how it came into my possession as a kid.

I never, NEVER would have been able to beat this game if it wasn't for Nintendo Power magazine, who did a special in-depth feature on this game, including providing an in-depth map of the game's world.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Once I got the teleport spell, I didn't really feel lost. I was really grateful that I didn't have to go through the mazey caves every time I wanted to go from region to region. That would've been miserable.

@UMAMIMAMU

11 ай бұрын

Awesome story. Nintendo Power was _so_ essential back in those prehistoric pre-internet days. I was born in '86 so I was around _just_ in time to experience the joy of bringing gaming magazines to school and borrowing/trading games with other kids at school. At recess or lunch we'd all crowd together to look at the magazines, and I remember as a kid whenever I had to go to the supermarket with my parents, I planted my ass down right on the floor in front of the magazine section and caught the latest tips, tricks, and *rumors* !! Remember how rumors used to be *soooooooo* rampant back in those days??? Dude, you can _actually_ be *KANO* *AND* *SONYA* in Mortal Kombat II! My cousin Scotty saw his best friend Rodney do it, and he *_swears_* on his Nintendo *AND* his Gameboy collection it's true!!!! I miss those simpler times sometimes. I feel like it often made little things more special. Finding out a tip, or trick, or cheat, or password for a game was a lot more special when you didn't have www.gamefaqs.com to just instantly look up all of them for everything. edit: Sorry that was so long (TL;DR) , lol. Sometimes I get carried away, hahaha.

@TSyoyo

10 ай бұрын

I had to use that paid phone service you call to get help from a live person. I think I got the number out of nintendo power lol.

@billlyons7024

7 ай бұрын

@@TSyoyo Haha my mom would never let me call it, although I begged.

@Bluewave2024X

3 ай бұрын

I was lucky to beat this game without any help or tips at the age of 11 or 12 maybe younger, I can't really remember the age when I beaten this beautiful game.

I really liked Crystalis, and it is one of a handful of games I played through again more than once as an adult. It's definitely one of my favorite classic action/RPG style game.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

It's been a while since I played this myself and I'd love to play it again as well. I can see why you like it so much! It's great!

Watching you play, it suddenly occurred to me how much "Ys" must have been an influence. The speed, the bosses, the menu system, the jaunty power-walking hero... it almost looks like a Falcom game. Even then, it's impressive how good this is, since SNK had almost exclusively made arcade-style games previously. They apparently learned a lot of good lessons from their inspirations!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Its similarly to Falcom games might be why I liked it so much! I loved the Ys games I've played so far.

@Evilriku13

10 күн бұрын

kind ironic cuz there was an Ys NES version but.. japan only afaik.

Currently wasted 70 bucks on a AAA game that i havent been able to access for ten hours. Reeeeeeallly missing the days of my console systems lol. Crystallis was a wonderful adventure and glad you're covering it. Great content per usual

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Oh no! Are you stuck in download hell or something related to updates? I don't play much modern stuff at all, but I can sympathize.

@eclat4641

Жыл бұрын

What game?

As a child it took me forever to get past Mt. Sabre because I didn't realize I had to unequip my magic to jump with the rabbit boots. I managed it though, and glad I did because this is one of my all-time favorites.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Right on! I am an MP stickler so I was constantly toggling my magic spell off so I wouldn't accidentally waste any! I must've not even thought twice about using the boots because of it.

@chrlpolk

10 ай бұрын

I rented it from a store at Christmas time and was up all night playing it. My parents were pissed because they wanted to get the gifts under the tree and go to bed, and kept trying to get me to turn it off and go to sleep. When I got up SUPER early and opened the gifts, I quickly dismissed them and went to see where riding the dolphin was going to get me. 😂

Ahhhh, my love! Crystalis holds a tremendous place in my heart for all the great memories it brought me. My mom and I still play this game every few years. An excellent review as always, and I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it!!

@Zopharr

Жыл бұрын

Side note: I'm extremely biased because I had my mom and grandfather's hand drawn maps and strategy guides. It was always a great resource for when I got stuck

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Awww that's great to hear! I'm glad you and your mom have that gaming connection. This is a great game to bond over.

@bezoticallyyours83

Жыл бұрын

​@@Zopharr What fun!

@eclat4641

Жыл бұрын

That is cool!

I bought it back in 2008 when I was seriously starting a retro collection and played it on my NES blind, it was really great, never went back to it though but finished it and loved it, the game feels awesome to control and the musics and graphics are top tier for the system.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm happy you got to play it without spoilers. I needed to ask some clarifying questions around the Queen in Portoa because I got stuck there forever, but other than that, I got through it okay. I love the music and the character control. It's pretty much perfect.

Definitely one of the better action RPGs on the NES, my only problem is the sword juggling. I'd say there are a few more, lesser known ones, like The Magic of Scheherezade or Grand Master, but this one is definitely much more well-known. Nice of you to cover it!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I do plan to make a review on The Magic of Scheherazade as well. I just played that one a month or two ago and enjoyed it quite a bit.

Spent so much time on this game. It was one of many that got me into RPGs. Unfortunately, I never beat it until much later because it seemed I was cursed to have my save file delete itself whenever I'd get close to the end.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Noooo :( I'm so sorry to hear this. My copy of Zelda 1 never saved when I was younger so I feel your pain. I'm glad you eventually got to conquer it though!

Glad to see this covered. I loved this game and struggled to get my hands on it when I was young. Very underrated and under appreciated.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad to get some thoughts out on this game. This review's been brewing with me for a while!

Great review, I think you did a good job showcasing both the good and bad :) Loved this game as a kid, it took my family years to finally beat it cause we didn't know about the item needed to beat Draygon's second form! Very frustrating at times, but we still had a blast running around anyway. Also if anyone else is interested, there is a Crystalis Randomizer thats very mature and still getting updated! We'd love to have anyone stop by and experience a fresh take on this classic :D

@ChunkyBiscuits6744

Жыл бұрын

just had to google this. I am intrigued! I love LTTP randomizers and know I would love this one as well.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed this one. Are there lots of things to change in the randomizer? Mostly just items or locations as well? I played a Faxanadu randomizer around Christmastime and it was very fun!

@kupopo1

Жыл бұрын

Main standard randomization is items, but also trade-ins (who wants what), enemies, elements, and we're also playing with optionally randomizing maps, towns, and connections between areas. Plus a handful of quality of life updates.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@kupopo1 Huh! That's really interesting, especially the trade-ins part.

This is one of my favorite games ever. Thank you for sharing this with us.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure! There were a lot of people who loved this game and voted for it in the poll, so I'm glad to finally get this review out to you all.

@BigBearHgX

Жыл бұрын

@Hungry Goriya to be fair I voted startropics just because I've seen so few talking about such a good game that is pretty unique

Oh, you got to Crystalis. Awesome! This was the game that fully cemented for me that I actually much prefer the action-adventure style of gaming to the JRPGs like Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior. And you nailed why about halfway through: movement. Being able to move freely, run once you get the upgrade, and attack in all directions, will always be superior for me to turn-based random encounters. Games like this, the early Zelda games, Soul Blazer, and even the halfway-between that was Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (literally a "Baby's First Final Fantasy Game" game, but I've always had a soft spot for it) will always capture my interest before the JRPG-styled games.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I find turn-based RPGs engaging if the battles have something unique to them, but most of them feel too similar to really stand out. Good story also helps, and some of them really knock it out of the park in the narrative department. I'll always gravitate towards action RPGs though. They're just more engaging all around!

Nice review! Fair criticisms, I think. I really enjoyed this one as a kid. It’s part of the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection that came out a couple years ago, too!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

They were only small problems, but the game shone brightly regardless. I'm glad that folks have so many ways to access this game these days. I think it's part of the NES Online service on the Switch as well.

@HeadacheCentral

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Indeed, it's part of the NES library on Switch Online.

Always love listening to old retro reviews like these before bed. You earned my sub. Can't wait to watch the rest

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Oh nice! Well thank you for taking a chance on the channel. I'm glad you liked the video. And thanks in advance for checking out some of the other videos!

I have played through this game 15 times since I was a kid. Incredible music and story

@hungrygoriya

4 күн бұрын

I've only played it through the one time, but it was a really positive and fun experience. A game I've played through around that many times for me would be Faxanadu or The Legend of Zelda.

Thank you for all the great content! I've been busy the past few weeks but thankfully so have you! Please keep it up!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

It's my pleasure to make these videos. Thank you for watching and for stopping by! I should have a new one out soon if all goes well.

I grew up with the NES yet never played this until just a few years ago. I kind of regret denying my childhood self that experience. I even got every achievement.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Oh did you do the Retroachievements? I love that stuff! I didn't get to play it until recently either, if it's any consolation.

@Hungry Goriya Hey you finally did it! I love how you hit the highlights without spoilers, very good touch! I love Crystalis and it will forever be my all-time favorite NES game, yet now I have been afforded the rare chance of seeing it through the lens of someone else's mind & perspective. Thank You for covering this one with your usual exacting objectivity! Very well done indeed!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I try to keep spoilers to a minimum when I can. I've come to most of these games without knowing much about them story-wise or even how their plots progress, so I hope to keep that feeling for anyone who's playing for the first time too. And thanks for the kind words! I can see why you and so many others appreciate this game so much.

Keep bringing more and more of your personality into the videos, they're only getting better and better!

I'm SO happy to see you get around to this game! It was hands down one of my favorite NES games period, even with all it's quirks (those townspeople bumping... ARRRGH). "Polished" fighting is a perfect way to describe it and is why I have such fond memories of the game. I still chuckle when I remember just how easy the last boss was since you had the Crystalis sword. I used an NES Advantage controller and just stood right in the middle firing like a madman while having the heal spell going the entire time. Boss went down in seconds LOL. Ah happy memories 😁. Thanks again for your videos. I love watching them when time permits. When i saw you did Crystalis tho, I had to drop everything and just watch it, I've been wanting to know what you'd think of it for a good while now. Glad you found it overall enjoyable!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad I finally got this review out too. Thanks for your enthusiasm about the channel! I can't tell you how much I appreciate hearing that! And the game was just a fantastic time through and through. I had this review started a long time ago and just never got around to finishing it because other less-talked-about games kept jumping out in front. I did love it though, and I always intended to get something together to sing its praises. I'm glad I'm part of the I Like Crystalis Club these days! It's a good place to be!

I’ve been waiting a long time to see your review of this one!! I’ve been enjoying the heck out of this game since I first rented it back in ‘92! I could never find the gas mask to progress very far, but I loved the music, the action, the exploration, it was all there. It can sure be frustrating to blunder around aimlessly (it’s what’s has kept me from completing the game to this day because I don’t want to look up the answers online for this one) but now and then I go back to it, start fresh, and enjoy every minute of it.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the patience on the long wait! And a big high five to you to keeping your experience pure. I can totally relate to that. You only get to play a game for the first time once! I hope you get a little further the next time you play. Good luck!

YAY! I'm so glad you reviewed this! Crystalis is one of those games I always looked at from a distance with awe, it just seemed so advanced, especially game design-wise, for an NES game! I have played it a little, and it's now on the Switch Online app and the SNK Anniversary Collection, both of which I have, and when my gaming pallette is clean, it's gonna be one of the first 8-bit games I dive into

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Yessss! I'm glad you'll get around to it soon. It's definitely very polished and refined, and I hope you like it too!

@HybridAngelZero

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I'm looking forward to it, for sure!

Appreciate you reviewing this, and youtube for recommending it to me. Got this game in elementary school when it was new after another kid on the schoolbus let me borrow his one weekend... Holy crap, Crystalis took my appreciation for games from a casual hobby with Mario, Contra, Double Dragon, and Metroid, to a level of immersion and appreciation for interactive storytelling that my little brain didn't consider possible back then. Finally got my hands on a CIB copy recently and proudly mounted it in a shadow box on the wall, but my OG copy still graces the original hardware from time to time, some 30+ years later. Nice to hear you got some enjoyment out of it!!

@hungrygoriya

9 ай бұрын

I really enjoyed this one. And it's awesome that Crystalis played such an important role in your gaming journey. I wish I'd had an opportunity to play this as a kid because I think I would've really loved it back then too. Congratulations on getting a CIB copy! One of my favourite games is Faxanadu, and I lent my CIB copy to someone about 15 years ago and never got it back. I finally picked up another one last year and it felt so good to have that again. I know that feeling!

Crystalis has been a favorite NES game of mine ever since it came out. There's just something about everything that came together: post-apocalyptic science fantasy, zippy action RPG, colorful anime aesthetic, and great music! True: it has its annoying flaws; but it's an underrated classic, overall! I liked how you used the various Swords, psychic powers, and items to progress in different ways. And yeah--that manual is fantastic! Back in the time when those things were both instructional and part of the storytelling!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I really liked the game overall, even with its rougher mechanics. It's incredibly polished and deep for the time, and I enjoyed that feeling of progress as you levelled up and found new stuff to wield. And that manual's gorgeous... I hope I can find a physical copy someday.

This is my all time favourite!!! Thank you for this walk down memory lane!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure! Glad to be in the I Love Crystalis Club along with all you fine people!

This is one of my favorite NES games and rpg/adventure games. I also love that the swamp and it's boss are inspired by Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (a manga and anime movie from Hayao Miyazaki) , yhe swamps air is poisonous just as certain areas in the world of Nausicaä and the boss is an Ohmu, a giant insect-like creature.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I hadn't heard of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind until today, but I'm definitely curious to check it out in both forms. If it's anything like Crystalis, it's bound to be good!

@albertotequida6964

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya it's nota like that, but they movie is quite enjoyable

Really enjoyed this review. Like you, I kept reading and hearing great things about this one. I just kept forgetting about it. Definitely adding this to my list of must plays. Keep up the great work!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Oooo I hope you enjoy it when you play it too! It's a great game despite some rough spots, but no game is perfect.

Damn, crazy timing. Im playing this now, just started yesterday. I thought my phone was spying on me when I saw this at the too of my feed but no its brand new video. Im really digging it so far and im like level 5.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Haha oh no... sorry for the scare, but thank you for checking out the video. I'm glad you're enjoying Crystalis!

@wardrich

Жыл бұрын

Turns out it was HG that was spying on you all along 😂

Absolutely a great game. Though we always pronounced it differently. Haha. Especially for a game on the NES, it was pretty indepth and immersive.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I usually say "Crystal-iss" but I deferred to the old ad and they said it the way I say it in the video. It's all pedantic anyway!

@bezoticallyyours83

Жыл бұрын

​@@hungrygoriya I didn't realize that was its proper pronunciation? I always pronounced it like chrysalis.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@bezoticallyyours83 I have no idea if old commercials are the authority or not, haha... I just decided to go with that. I think you and I usually say it the same way.

@bezoticallyyours83

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya 😁👍

@wardrich

Жыл бұрын

I think most of us called it "crystal-iss". Majority rules, the game creators pronounced their own game wrong. Just like the guy that invented the "gif" format 🤣

This game was such a great experience. The music in the last area is absolutely incredible. Spot on review! Thanks for the content!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Agreed! I loved so much of the music in this one, and the last area's was definitely a favourite. I couldn't help but put it up early in the video! And you're very welcome! Thanks for taking some time to watch.

@jhudsu1

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya one of my favorite things about the music is how well it matches the tone of the story arc as you progress through it, from the innocently cheerful music in the beginning to the gloominess late in the game when Draygonia is winning the war to the resolved hopefulness of the final area.

ive been so excited since you announced this! my favorite nes game, and i think its because i learned all the difficult to find stuff back in my pre-memory days. i dunno how people would find things without knowing ahead of time, some of the guidance is lacking, at best. lots of good memories of playing up to portoa a lot of times because i just liked playing from the beginning. nowadays i do yearly playthroughs on the End Day in one sitting, just an all time classic for me.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I definitely got stuck a lot. Portoa and the whole Queen riddle boggled my brain for far longer than I care to admit! I'm so glad this game is special for you and that you come back to it yearly. That's like me and Faxanadu... I can't stop playing it, and lots of where to go in that game is also deep in my brain folds. I am really grateful for everyone that voted. I've been wanting to talk about this game for a long time but tend to focus on stuff that's a little less discussed, so it was nice to have permission in a way to talk about something a bit more mainstream. Hopefully people like the review!

@Schmeev

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya its so odd hearing it referred to as more mainstream! like, seeing so many people who have played it now when way back no one else i knew has heard of it is really cool. the most i ever heard it mentioned was people writing it off as a "zelda clone" or "the one with the commercial" and i was an indignant child ready to defend the honor of my fav. the queen thing im still confused by the actual gating method that goes on there, and i dont think i can actually watch a speedrun to find out because they just do a skip. just a lotta walking back and forth

@wardrich

Жыл бұрын

@@Schmeev it sucks that it never got a sequel. It really could have taken off

Watched your twitch a good bit. Glad you enjoy this gem.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for checking out the streams! I appreciate it! And in this game, what's not to like? It was a great one.

Yay, another Hungry Goriya video! I remember as a kid having SO much fun playing this game with the son of one of my mom's co-workers. He was a bit older than me but we got along so well. Mom and the other lady ended up having some kind of major falling out and I never got to see him again after that one time. I just didn't understand and was so sad and upset about it.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Awww :( I'm sorry that this story has such a sad ending.

@dangox3370

Жыл бұрын

haha it's alright. It's a childhood memory I can't help but associate with Crystalis. When I recently replayed the game, I wondered how that boy is doing today and if he remembers me too.

I remembered passing up renting crystalis a bunch because of the box art, but one day i gave it a shot and it was amazing! No one really knew about it back then.

@hungrygoriya

11 ай бұрын

It's awesome that you eventually got to play this despite the box artwork's oddness. I hope it was worth the wait for you. I played this for the first time only a year or two ago and I was really impressed with it. It's definitely stood the test of time.

I have been binging your videos for the last couple of days. I really like your review style and your tastes are similar to mine. Subbed, keep up the great content!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

That's very kind of you to say! I'm glad you've been enjoying the channel. I will definitely do my best to keep things rolling here. Thanks so much!

This was my absolute favoritest(!) game as a kid, and it kind of changed my whole perspective, because it had characters who have little arcs, at least compared to how most games were at the time. I could only ever beat it with my Game Genie, so I guess it was like Legend of Zelda for you. I didn't make myself invulnerable, but just used the infinite MP code. It was still pretty hard for my tiny self!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I can imagine it was a tough time even with the Game Genie! Some of these bosses totally flattened me as a proper adult, so nice to know that you got through it with a little help back then. Nothing wrong with that! I think the first game I played that was like this in any way was Faxanadu. It had some backstory and towns/characters to interact with, and I loved it. I'm sure I would've adored this game as a kid as well, though I'm sure some of the mechanics would've been lost on me.

Great review Goriya. Love your focus on old school games. I hope you hit some more SNES classics as well

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Hey thanks so much! I do have some SNES stuff brewing over here that I need to finish and get editing, so definitely stay tuned for that!

Finally! Thank you! This is my favorite game of all time. So glad you covered it.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad I finally got around to making this review as well. I really liked this game and can see why you and so many others do too!

@wjr4700

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya your criticisms are valid. but that music though. its the sound track of my childhood.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@wjr4700 The music's amazing. It's been stuck in my head for as long as I've known about this one as well!

I was curious about the story of this game despite having played it a thousand times as a kid and stumbled across your game. Hungry, you have a wonderful video and I'm actually excited to get to know you as a content creator. Thank you for being awesome.

@hungrygoriya

6 ай бұрын

Hey thanks so much for your kindness! The story in the manual and the game's a bit different, so I told a mashup of the two here. It's a fantastic adventure and I hope more people give Crystalis a shot.

I traded my copy of Kirby's Adventure for this game and The Krion Conquest when I was a kid. To this this day I still have them both and never regretted it. Classics among the underrated!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I think Kirby's Adventure's really overrated. Good choice!

@wardrich

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya it's a great tech demo lol

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@wardrich I don't mind the gameplay but I find the control really clumsy.

Another great review, HG. I should get back to this one sometime

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I hope you do!

i ♥your content, never heard about you but you're making great stuff, keep it up!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! I have no intention of stopping any time soon!

Great video! I recently played through this game. It was fantastic.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad I'm not the only one that came to this game later in life. Glad you liked it too!

Glad to see you are getting a lot of views. You're one of my favorites

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

It's pretty mindblowing that so many folks are turning out to watch these days. It's an honour!

Amazing as per usual, friend. I remember seeing the commercial for this one as a kid a handful of times and boy oh boy, it definitely sold me on the game. But I don't think I've played it since I was a kid. Perhaps, like so many of your triumphs, I should give this one a go for myself again. Thanks for sharing!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

... do it! Do it now!

That was a good video! I didn't realize until today that this was available on the Switch in the SNK collection, I'm going to have to try it. By the way, I never commented before, but just wanted to add that your reviews are always very good with the right touch of humor !

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Yeah! It came out a little while back so lots of folks have been getting to play it. And thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoy the reviews! My humour's pretty quiet so it's always nice when someone notices, haha

Excellent video. I've had this game for like 20 years and still need to play it, haha

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

No time like the present! Enjoy it if you do finally get around to it!

My favorite NES game as a kid! Thanks for the look back.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure! And I can totally understand why it'd be a favourite of yours.

I’m glad to see that you finally found time to play this classic. I agree that Crystalis is very well rounded and provided many hours of entertainment. You forgot to mention that if you get stuck, you could always use telepathy and reach out to the wisemen. One last thing to mention, once you receive certain items, I like how the game made you backtrack and new side areas would open up revealing additional content.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I feel like most times I spoke to the wise men, they told me to get lost haha... I didn't end up relying on that too much. I didn't mind the backtracking in this one since it was meaningful, as you mentioned.

I still have this in the box with the manual from when I was a kid

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

The soundtrack's honestly amazing. Listening to it again for this video had me bopping my head while editing, haha Congratulations at pushing through all the trouble at the end of the game. It was off-putting to me given how much I liked the adventure up to that point. Getting slammed with that difficulty and a swap in gameplay really threw me as well and I remember asking my chat: what's happening here? And whaaaaaaat I had no idea that the second player controller had such capabilities! That's really cool! I haven't tried the GBC version at all, though lots of folks here in the comments have mentioned it's a bit of a mixed bag. I'd love to form my own opinions about it. Thank you very much for taking the time to watch and to leave a thoughtful comment!

The flashback to my childhood (simpler times!) puts a smile to my face! Although a bit grindy at times, the amazing music and fast paced combat (compared to Zelda 1) made this game my second favorite NES game. My first love, however, will always be the Guardian Legend -- have you played/reviewed that game yet, it's highly recommended. Thanks for the nostalgia and excellent commentary!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Aw right on! This would've been an awesome game to experience as a kid, and I'm glad you got that opportunity. I have played through The Guardian Legend and actually talked about it in a list video (9 NES Favourites), a video or two before this one. I liked it quite a bit!

I really love this one as it was a childhood favorite! I remember even tying a black string around my head to simulate the main character's headband while running around with a plastic toy sword, haha. Yeah, I got stuck every now and then from not talking to the right person at the right time or missing a key item, but that was all part of the exploration and fun of these kind of games of this era. The Goa Fortress still stands out to me as a very memorable dungeon due to it's length and overall difficulty. Mapping that one out took me a few weeks alone inbetween after school sports and homework. Like you, I also never really used the level 3 sword charge abilities and saved precious MP fpr spells to heal and do other important functions. Our RPG playing style is so similar! Great review, I'm very happy you enjoyed this as well!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm always glad to know other MP hoarders, haha... it was great getting to see you experience this game again after so long when you streamed it a little while back, even if the final area was knocking you around a little. The only memory I have of dressing up like a character in a show or game was with Sailor Moon. I used to put my headband on my forehead and yell "moon, prism, power!" at people and throw it at them. Recess was always a fun time in my life!

@littlemixer7522

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Haha so awesome. My girlfriend is going to love to hear that story!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@littlemixer7522 Hopefully she wasn't randomly one of my old classmates that I pelted with hair-wear... haha

I would give my soul for a new game in this series or a remake. It's been one of my favorite games ever since I was a kid back in 1990. My step grandma got the game for me from some random game store in the middle of nowhere. Took it home and played it and it was life changing at the time. Game was so revolutionary. Amazing gameplay. Amazing music. Tons of power ups and secrets to find. I beat it back in 1990 or 1991 or so and still play it to this day on original hardware. It's a timeless game that will never get old

@hungrygoriya

Ай бұрын

I'm hoping they'll eventually read the room and realize how many people love this game. I will keep my fingers crossed too!

LOVE this game! The mobility of your character is amazing. Great story. Just amazing

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

He's so quick!

@DS94everXev

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya At the time this game came out, I saw it as the true sequel to Zelda. Links Awakening was a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT to me. It had lives like a Mario game. You could only move left right. Like a Mario game. No more moving up down to avoid enemy fire or to hide. But I didn't play Zelda to play Mario. Crystalis was EXACTLY what I wanted Links Awakening to be. It had more story. It let move in 8 directions. It was the heir to Zelda. Sucks it didn't become a franchise. Because every Zelda since the original has been a disappointment. To the point where I don't even buy a Nintendo console anymore. Other franchises have taken the reigns of being the game where I can go off and explore. And they do it better. But Crystalis was amazing when it came out.

This was my favorite game for a long time and my favorite NES game. It brings me the most nostalgia from the time of my life I was the happiest (1989-1991), maybe that's why I still like it so much. Luckily I had Nintendo Power otherwise I would have never solved some of the puzzles. I'm one of the nerds that recommended this game to you on the comments of your other videos and I'm happy you liked it. You're welcome. heh

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

That warm and fuzzy feeling that you get going back to old games is pretty special. I have that with a few NES titles as well as some Genesis ones from my childhood. And thanks for recommending it to me! It was a great little game and I'm glad I finally got this review out.

Awesome, core memory unlocked! Thanks for posting this.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

It was my pleasure! Thanks so much for watching!

Loved hearing your perspective on Crystalis and glad to see you enjoyed it overall. I have such fond memories of playing this on a little color TV with the spinny tuner dials on front. One of my first action RPG experiences along with Battle of Olympus and I was hooked on both of them immediately when playing. Holding select then pressing a button to swap weapons would have been a great inclusion for the weapon-swappy parts, but like you said it's overall a pretty minor annoyance for the most part. Cheers.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I seem to remember a time in my life where we had a TV with one of those dials on it, but mostly I remember our old CRT in the living room that would change channels if you jingled a set of keys nearby. And yeah, nothing that bugged me in this game bothered me enough to sour my opinion on it. It was great through and through!

This game really was a hidden gem and the music was excellent. Thanks for shining a light on this entry.

@hungrygoriya

6 ай бұрын

It's a fantastic game!

I'm proud to say my earliest memory is when I got an NES along with Crystalis on Christmas morning... I guess it was 1990 based on Crystalis' release date. I was able to play one game before breakfast and this is the one I chose. I had no clue what I was doing and think I didn't even get the sword of wind before it was time to eat but was loving every minute of it.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

That's an amazing memory to have as your first that you can recall! Thank you for sharing!

Oh wow! I remember playing this as a child. It was a rental for me, back then. No manual! As you can imagine, things are extra baffling when you only have the in game info to go on. Still, I loved it! It just felt vast to me. And the first time I got to use the 3rd level thunder sword... Oh boy, I felt like a GOD!! I replayed about 7 years ago. I think I enjoyed it even more as an adult. There are some slow parts, but it packs in so many upgrades that it always felt like I was doing something new and interesting. To me, this game has a unique feel to it - it's hard to articulate. It feels both serious and whimsical at the same time. It feels like you are in huge spaces, but it also feels like the camera is slightly too close to your character, who moves really fast, which makes everything feel claustrophobic. And your character feels over powered, while not having enough of an energy pool to maintain that dominance. By the end of the game you are so completely powerful that nothing else in the world can hope to challenge you, except the final boss - makes the end fight feel truly dangerous. I can't name another game that feels like this one - try it out!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I agree with everything you said here. I hope people take your advice and give this one a try!

Fantastic video! I love that you mentioned The Outer Limits, one of my favorite shows. I wish SNK had made more games like this. It really stands out in the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection on the Nintendo Switch.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I used to be obsessed with The Outer Limits/Unsolved Mysteries and other shows/books like them. I loved letting my imagination wander. And I'll have to see what's on that SNK collection. A few folks have brought it up and I knew it existed, but I didn't realize that this was such a standout. Anything else Crystalis that they could make would be well-loved by many, I'm sure.

I’m glad you grabbed this one to dissect since it’s sincerely a complete game. One of my first NES memories is seeing the commercial for Crystalis and desperately wanting it! The commercial is a bit cheesy in retrospect, but what wasn’t back then..? From beginning to end my brother and I had a blast playing. He spent a ton of time discussing it with the classroom NES whiz kid in order to get through the toughest areas. Overall I think I agree with your evaluation, especially the frustration of switching between the proper elemental swords to get rid of enemies in the same area or screen. It was tiresome, but avoiding enemies never seemed like the best option because one could get stuck taking damage from three or four and die very quickly. It would be a nice touch if there were shoulder buttons for cycling through the swords. The speedy, 360 degree traveling hero was a refreshing change from most other games in my gaming experience. The downside of his speed was that I found myself plowing into badguys when my clear intention was to swing the sword as I approached them. You really have to pace yourself and figure out a certain rhythm to battle! The music is top-notch in my opinion, and I can still hum the tunes from most locations. We recorded several of the tracks on a cassette tape and used them as our action figure soundtrack ;) I actually replayed the game about five years ago and remembered most of the puzzles, but I still had to consult a guide for some scenarios. I don’t remember how old I was when I played Crystalis the first time (probably ten or eleven); the story is pretty compelling as an adult! Seems like as a child I didn’t appreciate the gravity of the tale. Sometime in the mid-2000’s I found out the Game Boy Color had a port of the game, so it helped me pass a lot of slow nights as I worked nights during that time. I didn’t hear you mention that particular port (so sorry if I missed it!), so I wonder if you’ve played that one. For some reason the music was changed in the GBC port, and I’m not entirely sure why. There might have been more differences although the specifics evade me now :) I’m long-winded and do apologize. Crystalis is such a great NES game, and I would hate for anyone to miss it!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

No need to apologize for a nice comment like this one! I'm so glad you enjoyed this game through and through. I do agree with you about the combat being a little bit slippery, simply because of how fast you move. I got used to it pretty quickly and tended to keep my distance after a while anyway, but I can see how it would be possible to lose a bunch of health haphazardly because of that "feature". I didn't mention the port because I haven't played it, nor do I currently own a copy. I've heard mixed things about it here and am really curious about it. It's really cool that you got to play both of them!

When I first played the game as a kid, I remember almost never using the bracelet attacks because I felt they were a waste of MP that could have been better used on Refresh. This is because I kinda used math to see how many enemies I could kill with a bracelet attack, which is much fewer than enemies I could kill by just using normal attacks and healing the damage they would do to me. In other words, Refresh was more MP efficient. And then I remembered as a kid I struggled on some of the games later bosses. But, when I replayed it as an adult, I found that bracelet magic deletes bosses from existence, especially the late game bosses. It was really fun going through the late game boss gauntlet and murdering each one in a few seconds with a well-timed bracelet attack.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I would love to experiment a little more with the bracelet magic. I just wish I had a little more inventory space to bring some heals along with me, just in case. Good to know that the magic's effective!

@Denny-Thray

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya it's pretty much just good against bosses because it does lots of damage and hits multiple times. Don't get me wrong, it kills normal enemies good, but it's like using a nuke to kill a mosquito. Not worth the resources used. :) It's still fun though. Little kid me was wowed at the full screen Thunder Bracelet magic!

HELL YEA! I love Crystalis! I played this WAY back in the 90s. I miss those days.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I miss those days as well. I wish I'd gotten to play this when I was younger, but better late than never!

I still remember visiting some RPG fansite as a kid in October of 97 and seeing them celebrate the day the world canonically ends in Crystalis on the front page. I miss fansites. They're almost all dead now. R.I.P. ffshines

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I miss that stuff as well.

I spent years trying to locate this game after remembering it as a kid (I’m in my 30s). Thankfully I found not just one but two copies!! Also, I cannot believe people are still posting about this only 7 months ago! The 80s and 90s era of gaming was hands down the best in history. I was a little too young to remember getting our first NES but I do remember playing it and def remember my first PlayStation! I fear I’ll be cursed for the rest of my time longing for the life of my childhood 😂

@hungrygoriya

5 ай бұрын

Nothing wrong with wanting to look back on fond times. I hope you keep remembering some of these gaming experiences and other 80s and 90s things that bring you joy.

A hidden gem of the time. One of the best games ever made for the NES. I miss the days of awesome manuals. With games that are constantly patched and updated online, I know a manual would quickly become irrelevant. But having a manual to read greatly facilitated understanding a game's bones.

@hungrygoriya

5 ай бұрын

It's a great game. I hope more people play it!

Iver never clicked on a notification so fast in my life. I've been thinking about getting this game but haven't quite decided yet. Let's see if this seals the deal

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Let me know what you think of it if you play it! It's well worth picking up if you want my opinion.

@bezoticallyyours83

Жыл бұрын

Oh you should. I've got it on the SNK Collection. You'll probably have a good time.

I had Crystalis when i young! I was around 7 or 8 and thisngame frustrated the hell out of me, i freaking loved it!😂

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Funny how that works eh? Zelda 1 frustrated me to no end but I kept crawling on back to it, haha

This game is pretty special to me. As a kid in the 90s, my best friend owned this game. It was fun for us to solve the puzzles and figure out where to go next. Sadly, he moved away and I never saw this game completed. Fast forward to my early 30s, I saw this game in a retro-game store complete with the box and instruction booklet for $10. I was broke and going through a tough time, so finding this game complete, and then playing through it, helped me get through that rough spot.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Awww... I'm glad this is a special game for you. It's nice that you got to get some closure on the game's end eventually.

@ezragrun

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Indeed! This was around 2010, before the retro-gaming price bubble. Thanks for the replay. You’re channel is wonderful!

I learned to read so I could play this game. It was the first video game I played on the NES I got when I was three. I replay it all the time. The soundtrack slaps!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

The soundtrack's awesome! I've spoken to lots of people over the years that have said that RPGs taught them how to read. That's pretty cool!

I love this channel because it tends to cover hidden gems and forgotten greats, so I have to admit that at first I was a little disappointed to see comparatively-"mainstream" Crystalis--but then I realized that you had not played this before and were experiencing it fresh for the first time. Then I was just happy to see your pure enjoyment and appreciation of a true classic, as well as my own enjoyment of fresh and honest observations.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

About 95% of the stuff I cover on this channel is from a first playthrough. It's funny you say this though, because that's one of the reasons this review got put off for so long. Other less discussed titles kept jumping out in front of this review so it got put off for a long time. I'm glad you liked it though!

Good review. Crystalis was the game that sparked my interest in the entire rpg genre as a kid. My siblings and I replayed it so many times (and we even named one of our pet rabbits Deo after the one in the game). I still think that it may be one of the best games on the NES and definitely the best rpg.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Awwww! That's a great rabbit name, for sure! I'm glad this game ignited your love of the genre. Faxanadu did it for me, but I wish that I'd had the opportunity to play this as a kid. I think I would've loved it!

It's always a good day when you upload a new game review. 😄👍

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Awww thanks so much!

I got to the bunny boots, I think, something about a swamp and a mask, and snow that was stopping me. Not long after I got throughly stuck in place, I bought a copy of Lufia 2, and the rest is history. I need to come back to this game one more time, and see if I can make it to the end. Decades out say that I at least have the patience, if not the muscle control to do this.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Lufia 2's a great reason to put any other game down. I hope you come back around to this one and finish it someday. It's worth it!

Great review. Thank you. Liked and subscribed 👍

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Hey thanks so much!

Just beat it today! Loved it from start to end

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Fantastic! I'm glad you loved it too! I wasn't too keen on the switch-up in gameplay at the very end since it crushed me, but I still really liked the game anyway.

Very nice review. I don't agree with everything, but that's the nature of reviews ha ha. Thanks for spotlighting one of the NES greats

@hungrygoriya

5 ай бұрын

I appreciate you watching whether you completely agree or not! This is my very subjective experience with the game in a first playthrough, so I'm definitely not out there trying to change anyone's mind! I liked it a lot.

@darth-megaman919

5 ай бұрын

@@hungrygoriya From someone who played it when it was "current", I'm glad you did!

I really enjoyed your review. Most people don't think of RPGs when they hear the name SNK a software company better known for their Neo Geo fighting games like KOF and Fatal Fury and run & gun platformers like Metal Slug (which are all superb in their own right) but Crystalis is just another example of how SNK excel in every genre they dip their toes in. Even one of their best fighting game series Samurai Shodown (known as Samurai Spirits in Japan) has a turn based RPG based off it (sadly that only saw a Japanese release) but there are now talks that Samurai Shodown will also be getting an action RPG counterpart as well that will hopefully be released in the US and Europe. Look out for it!

@hungrygoriya

3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! I found out about this one looking through resources on good 8-bit RPGs, but based on what you've mentioned about SNK's track record with other genres, RPGs don't really come to mind first. I hope you're right in that Samurai Shodown will get an action RPG in the future. I've seen a bit of the fighting game played and it looks cool, but I don't thrive well with those kinds of experiences. Thanks for the heads up.

This is another one I play every 5 or so years. I haven't gotten around to playing it yet, but there is a re-translation of the Japanese game out there that is supposed to be a much more faithful translation than what we got in the States that also adds back in all the things that were censored, such as the religious overtones of the Japanese game. It's called "God Slayer" if you ever feel the desire to play this one again. Maybe that version is a little less cryptic than Crystalis is, because you aren't the only one... there are times where you can get lost for an hour or two before accidentally figuring out what you missed.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Good to know that there are some re-translations out there to experience. I'm always curious to know what we missed from games that were poorly translated or censored, and Crystalis is definitely worth another playthrough one of these days. I'm glad it wasn't just me that got lost for a long time. I got especially stumped at the Queen riddle in Portoa, among other things.

Great game and great review HG!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it!

The one gripe I have about grinding that I didn't hear you mention is that you really do HAVE to grind to beat some of the bosses. Like the bosses (and I think enemies, if my memory is right) don't just have elemental weaknesses, they also have level caps where if you're too weak, you can't hurt them with anything! It's such a bizarre decision too because with skilled play, you probably could win and it would be rather rewarding too! But instead you're just forced to lose if you reach a boss underleveled... It's not the worst thing. This game is pretty fast paced otherwise, especially for an NES RPG. I just wish the game had a little more trust in the player and wouldn't stall them out this way.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I can't recall running into this in my playthrough, but it's also possible that I was overlevelled since I was playing for the first time, getting lost, and getting crushed a lot by the enemies. This is a great point though!

@wardrich

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya yeah, the same is surprisingly linear but does an amazing job to make you feel like you're playing an open-world game. You need to be a minimum level to clear a lot of enemies. IIRC you can't even beat Dragan (I think that's the name of the boss before you enter the final stage?) unless you're level 15 or 16.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@wardrich Right right. I don't think I ever ran into any of the level gating problems since I kept levelling up with grinding for money/to stay on top of the harder enemies that were crushing me.

Great review... I loved this game when I was a kid. I remember getting stuck in having to write in to Nintendo power and wait patiently for them to write back and help me with tips on how to make progress in the game.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Oh nice! Do you remember where you got stuck?

@clinton6087

Жыл бұрын

It was so long ago...lol. I don't... But I'm glad you enjoyed your playthrough.

This game looks great. I missed out on it back in the day, possibly because I got a Sega Genesis in 1990 and mostly lost interest in playing NES games. But I'd love to try it sometime. It reminds me of the Neutopia series on the TurboGrafx, which I really enjoyed. Thanks for the review!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I can see why you'd compare it to Neutopia. It definitely has some similarities, for sure. I hope you like it if you get around to trying it out sometime.

I first played this about 5yrs ago. Your experience sounds very similar to mine! 😄

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad I'm not the only one to only have played this recently!

Crystalis was hands down my favorite action RPG on the NES. SNK really should have turned it into a franchise, but sadly that never came to pass. I am happy to see it covered here. It brings back many good memories. Odd little memory that may or may not be correct, but I swear I remember the Main Character's sprite changing over the course of the adventure as you acquired better gear. That probably isn't correct but it is how I remember it. Thanks for another great review HG!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I would've definitely mentioned something about sprite changes with character upgrades if it were a thing because I absolutely love that in my games! Glad to know that this is a favourite of yours too. It's definitely a game I hope more people will try!

@sneakyskunk1

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Oh it gets weirder. In the village of dwarves I always saw them as rabbits wearing sunglasses and black turtle neck sweaters. That is how bad my memories are. Having said that, I still remember the silly smile of the dolphin as he allowed the Main Character to ride him into battle. Time makes fools of us all. Thanks for the heart and reply. Keep going HG, you bring joy to all retro gamers!

I got this game for my bday when I was like 8 or 9. One of my fave games still almost 30 years later. The grind is a bit rough, though. Also, without spoiling things too much, "Shyron" hits hard every time.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

There are some bumpy grinding spots, but not too bad. At least the combat's fast-paced. And I hear ya about Shyron. :(

Loved the world map music! So catchy.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Yes! It's so upbeat and adventure-y!

There's a reason retro RPGs usually included multiple pages for taking notes in their instruction manual.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely. I have a little notebook I keep nearby for playing anything retro, even if it's just to make a quick map. It really helps to keep things straight.

Loooove this game! So many hours playing this as a kid, with my dad.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Awww those must be some great memories! I remember playing lots of SMB2 with my mom growing up.

I loved this game so much as a child. I still remember the twist at the end of the game.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Yeah! I didn't really appreciate how difficult the change in gameplay was, but in hindsight, it was a really neat way to wrap up the game. It took me a bit to understand what actually happened there.