Crystalis 193050 222240262 2008-06-28T07:51:49Z AspiringSquire 3469466 /* Differences between the NES and Game Boy Color versions */ Re-adding information in a less-spoiling way. {{Infobox VG |title = Crystalis |image = [[Image:Crystalisboxart.jpg|256px]] |caption = Box art from the original [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] release. |developer = [[SNK Playmore|SNK]] (NES) / [[Nintendo Software Technology]] (Game Boy Color) |publisher = [[SNK Playmore|SNK]] (NES)<br />[[Nintendo]] (Game Boy Color) |designer = '''Game Boy version'''<br>[[Yoko Osaka]] <small>([[composer]])</small> |engine = |released = '''[[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom/NES]] version'''<br />{{vgrelease|Japan|JPN|[[April 13]] [[1990]]}}<br />{{vgrelease|North America|NA|July 1990}}<br />'''[[Game Boy Color|GBC]] version'''<br />{{vgrelease|North America|NA|[[June 26]] [[2000]]}} |genre = [[action role-playing game|Action RPG]], [[Action-adventure game|Action-adventure]] |modes = [[Single-player]] |ratings = [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: Everyone<br />(Game Boy Color release) |platforms = [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Game Boy Color]] |media = 3-[[megabit]] [[cartridge (electronics)|cartridge]] (NES) |input = [[Gamepad#Nintendo Entertainment System|NES controller]] }} '''''Crystalis''''', known in Japan as {{nihongo|''God Slayer: Haruka Tenkū no Sonata''|ゴッド・スレイヤー はるか天空のソナタ|Goddo Sureiya Haruka Tenkū no Sonata|lit. "God Slayer: Sonata of the Far-Away Sky"}}, is an [[action role-playing game|action RPG]]/[[action-adventure game|action-adventure]] [[video game]] produced by [[SNK Playmore|SNK]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]. It was released on [[April 13]] [[1990]] in [[Japan]] and later that July in the [[United States]]. Though ''Crystalis'' never became a runaway hit, it is now considered a [[cult following|cult classic]].<ref name="Greatest games of the past decade" /> The game's initial success prompted a release for the [[Game Boy Color]] by [[Nintendo Software Technology]] in 2000, which is generally considered more of a remake than a simple [[porting|port]].<ref name="RPGFan" /><ref name="Viper" /><ref name="Hamm" /> Many changes were made to the story, music, and other aspects of the game, upsetting many fans of the original.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> The game begins with a man's awakening from a [[cryonics|cryogenic sleep]] one hundred years after a global [[nuclear warfare|nuclear war]].<ref name="Ohmsford" /> Even though he is unable to recall his name or who he was, he begins to discover that he may be the key to save this world from destruction.<ref name="Caffeine Commando" /> Aided by four wise sages and a mysterious woman, he rises up against the [[tyrant|tyrannical]] Draygonia [[Empire]] to ensure that humanity ultimately has a future.<ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> ==Plot summary== [[Image:crystalis tower.png|crystalis gameplay.png|thumb|left|"The Tower"]] ''Crystalis'' takes place in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic world]],<ref name="Gaming Age" /> one hundred years after a global thermonuclear war has reverted civilization to a primitive, [[Middle Ages|medieval]] existence populated with fierce [[mutation|mutated]] creatures.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> Science and advanced technology have been abandoned though the old ways of [[magic (fantasy)|magic]] have survived.<ref name="GameSpot" /><ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> The survivors of the terrible destruction built a floating "Tower" to prevent any future [[cataclysm]]s, as its occupants would have the power to govern the world due to the Tower's weapons systems.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /><ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> A man known as Emperor Draygon, however, has revived the forbidden ways of science and combined them with magic.<ref name="GameSpot" /><ref name="Gaming Age" /> With these skills, he controls the world's last remaining military power and seeks to conquer what's left of the planet by attempting to enter the Tower.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /><ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> The protagonist is a young man who has been [[cryonics|cryogenically frozen]] since the time of the devastating war one hundred years earlier.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> He awakens in the future with no memory and, guided by four wise sages, gradually learns that the world is sinking into turmoil once again, due to the Draygonia Empire's destructive influence.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> Entrusted with the Sword of Wind, he seeks to aid Mesia, another survivor from his time, and to combine the four elemental Swords of Wind, Fire, Water, and Thunder into the legendary sword, ''Crystalis''.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> Together, they must defeat Draygon before he uses the Tower to achieve his evil ambitions.<ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> ==Game mechanics== The [[gameplay]] is similar to other [[action role-playing game|action RPGs]].<ref name="GameSpot" /> The world is presented in a [[top-down perspective]]<ref name="Gaming Age">{{cite web | url=http://www.gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/reviews/review.pl?sys=gameboy&game=crystalis | title=Crystalis Review for Game Boy Color | first=Jason | last=Allen | publisher=Gaming Age | accessdate=2007-10-22}}</ref> so the [[player character|player]] can move smoothly in eight directions using the [[d-pad|control pad]].<ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> There are two action buttons; one is used for attacking with a [[sword]], and the secondary button is mapped to a chosen action, such as a [[magic (gaming)|magical power]] or an item from the player's inventory.<ref name="GameSpot">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gbc/rpg/crystalis/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;review | title=Crystalis for Game Boy Color Review | author=Miguel Lopez | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | accessdate=2007-10-26}}</ref> The other two buttons pause the game and bring up either a status screen or the inventory menu, respectively.<ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> In addition, the player can equip various [[armor|suits of armor]] and [[shield]]s.<ref name="Saikyo Ki" /><ref name="Caffeine Commando" /> Defeating monsters allows the player to gain [[experience point]]s and levels, which boost his [[health (game mechanism)|health]], defense, and attack strength.<ref name="GameSpot" /> [[Image:crystalis gameplay.png|crystalis gameplay.png|thumb|right|''Crystalis'' gameplay, in the town called Portoa.]] The primary means of defeating monsters is through the use of the four swords scattered throughout the game<ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> (the fifth sword, Crystalis, is only obtained at the very end). The swords are capable of both normal slashes and powered-up attacks that launch energy projectiles.<ref name="GameSpot" /><ref name="All RPG" /><ref name="Caffeine Commando">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/review/R33229.html | title=Crystalis (NES) Review | author=Caffeine Commando | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-11-04}}</ref> Each of the four swords is imbued with a distinct elemental power (wind, fire, water, and thunder), making each sword more effective than the others in various situations.<ref name="GameSpot" /><ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> The elemental nature of each sword also provides a necessary means of traversing otherwise impassible obstacles;<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> certain barriers succumb to the power blasts of individual swords, and the Sword of Water creates a bridge of ice across some shallow, narrow sections of rivers.<ref name="GameSpot" /> The method of control is similar to the earlier NES action RPG, ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref name="RPGFan" /><ref name="IGN" /><ref name="GameSpot" /> The main difference is that the emphasis is much less on puzzle-solving and more on the combat.<ref name="RPGFan" /> The player is also not limited to moving in the four cardinal directions, but can also move diagonally, allowing for smoother control;<ref name="Saikyo Ki">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/review/R19294.html | title=Crystalis (NES) Review | author=Saikyo Ki | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-11-04}}</ref> in this way, the mechanics are similar to those in the later ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'' for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] (and its [[2D computer graphics|2D]] sequels).<ref name="LoveOfTheGame">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/review/R91275.html | title=Crystalis (NES) Review | author=LoveOfTheGame | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> The player can also jump over enemies,<ref name="Pako Pako" /> and certain enemies can puddle and slide under the sword's reach, such as those in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]''. The gameplay of ''Crystalis'' is perhaps best described as having ''Zelda''-style combat blended with traditional [[console role-playing game|RPG]] spell-casting and earning of experience points.<ref name="1up Console vs Handheld" /> ==Characters== The [[anonymity|anonymous]] male [[protagonist]] (named Simea by default in the Game Boy Color version) and his female accomplice, Mesia, are scientists who were [[cryonics|cryogenically frozen]], to be released when the tower began to activate.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> The protagonist is assisted by four sages named Zebu, Tornel, Asina, and Kensu, primarily in learning magic spells and gaining information about the world and the quest.<ref name="GameSpot" /> They are encountered frequently throughout the game, and the player can seek their advice using the [[Telepathy]] spell.<ref name="GameSpot" /><ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /><ref name="Caffeine Commando" /> In the GBC version, the sages are each responsible for creating one of the four swords:<ref name="GameSpot" /> Zebu for Wind, Tornel for Fire, Asina for Water, and Kensu for Thunder. The original game does not mention who forged the ancient swords. [[Image:Crystalis Draygon.gif|thumb|Emperor Draygon's true form.]] There are also four recurring [[boss (video games)|boss]] characters, "Draygonia's Finest Four."<ref name="urobolusring">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/review/R78850.html | title=Crystalis (NES) Review | author=urobolusring | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-10-23}}</ref> Comprising this group are a warrior named General Kelbesque, Sabera the Witch, the Swordsman Mado, and Karmine the Wizard. Each of them has a distinct elemental weakness, and with the exception of Karmine, each is encountered twice during the adventure.<ref name="Bosses">{{cite web | url=http://www.rpgclassics.com/shrines/nes/crystalis/boss.shtml | title=Crystalis Shrine - Bosses | author=Sinistral | publisher=RPGClassics | accessdate=2007-10-25}}</ref> Though not the final adversary in the game, Emperor Draygon is the ultimate [[antagonist]] and the root of all of evil in ''Crystalis''.<ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> After defeating him in his human form, the hero will encounter him again and reveal his true, [[dragon]]-like form. After defeating Draygon a second time, the hero will gain access to the Tower for a final showdown.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> ==Differences between the NES and Game Boy Color versions== [[Image:crystalis box.jpg|crystalis box.jpg|thumb|left|Box art from the [[Game Boy Color]] version.]] Nearly ten years after the game's initial release, [[Nintendo]] bought the rights to ''Crystalis'' and re-released it for the [[Game Boy Color]] on [[June 26]] [[2000]]. This version, however, is a significantly different game, exemplified by an opening without [[October 1]] [[1997]], "The End Day" on which civilization nearly destroyed itself.<ref name="Hamm">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbcolor/review/R19590.html | title=Crystalis (Game Boy Color) Review | author=Hamm | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-11-04}}</ref> The nature of the Tower's origin and its purpose were fundamentally altered, with the Tower now being a weapon created by the game's antagonist,<ref name="Viper" /> and the protagonist has been elevated to a hero of ancient [[prophecy]] destined to save the world.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> Other major changes include an almost completely modified [[video game music|soundtrack]],<ref name="Pako Pako" /> re-translation differences (for example, Draygon is now known as Dragonia,<ref name="Ohmsford">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbcolor/review/R15721.html | title=Crystalis (Game Boy Color) Review | author=Walker Boh Ohmsford | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> as in the Japanese version) and rewriting of story-items and events<ref name="RPGFan" /><ref name="Ohmsford" /> (Kensu's Body and the dialogue in the Dwarven village, for example). The game now has a longer end due to the incorporation of a new dungeon,<ref name="GameSpot" /> the Tower dungeon being redone, and re-ordering of the ultimate and penultimate [[boss (video games)|boss]] battles,<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> excluded from the original game due to space constraints.<ref name="1up Console vs Handheld" /> Also, a digital voice was added to state the name of each sword upon discovery.<ref name="Pako Pako" /><ref name="Ohmsford" /> Unlike the original version, enemies are no longer immune to certain elemental swords;<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> this negates the strategic element of continually switching between weapons during the game.<ref name="Pako Pako" /> The reduced [[display resolution|resolution]] of the Game Boy Color screen, compared to that of the NES, results in a field of view far smaller than in the original, making the GBC [[porting|port]] considerably more difficult,<ref name="1up Console vs Handheld" /> as it is much more difficult to see approaching enemies in time to deal with them, and some enemies can attack the player from off-screen.<ref name="Pako Pako">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbcolor/review/R87410.html | title=Detailed Crystalis (Game Boy Color) Review | author=Pako Pako | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-10-22}}</ref> Due to these and various other modifications to the plot, soundtrack, and [[gameplay]], the Game Boy Color version is largely seen as an inferior release.<ref name="Pako Pako" /><ref name="1up Console vs Handheld" /><ref name="Hamm" /> ==Critical reception== In December 2005, ''Nintendo Power'' ranked the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] release of ''Crystalis'' at #115 in a list of the 200 best games ever to appear on a [[Nintendo]] system, the "NP Top 200".<ref name="NP Top 200">{{cite journal | title=NP Top 200 | journal=[[Nintendo Power]] | issue=198 | month=December | year=2005}}</ref> The original NES version of the game was praised for its advanced [[2D computer graphics|graphics]]<ref name="Caffeine Commando" /><ref name="urobolusring" /><ref name="All RPG">{{cite web | url=http://www.allrpg.com/games/crystalis/index.php3?page=review&num=1 | publisher=All RPG | title=Crystalis (NES) Review | first=Adam | last=Caldwell | accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> and high quality [[video game music|soundtrack]],<ref name="urobolusring" /><ref name="Edge107">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/review/R52662.html | title=Crystalis (NES) Review | author=Edge107 | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref><ref name="Saikyo Ki" /> and also for its elaborate plot.<ref name="Caffeine Commando" /><ref name="urobolusring" /><ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101">{{cite web | url=http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/crystalis/crystalis.htm | publisher=[[GameSpy]] | work=Classic Gaming | title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Crystalis | author=Robert Greene | accessdate=2007-10-26}}</ref> The main criticism of the game was its repetitive gameplay,<ref name="All RPG" /> as the majority of the game's enemies can be overcome by continuous rapid pressing of one button.<ref name="RPGFan" /> Some reviewers have also mentioned flawed [[collision detection]],<ref name="IGN" /><ref name="RPGFan" /> which sometimes allows enemies to harm the player without visibly coming in contact with him.<ref name="Saikyo Ki" /><ref name="Gaming Age" /> The Game Boy Color [[porting|port]] was not received as favorably, the majority of reviews citing it as an inferior copy, due to reduced screen resolution<ref name="1up Console vs Handheld">{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3133565 | title=Console vs Handheld : Crystalis | publisher=1up.com | accessdate=2007-10-23}}</ref><ref name="Pako Pako" /> and altered plot,<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /><ref name="Pako Pako" /><ref name="RPGFan" /><ref name="Viper" /> as well as the fact that the game is seen as "dated" compared to more recently made games.<ref name="1up Console vs Handheld" /> The music is regarded as one of the port's worst aspects,<ref name="Pako Pako" /><ref name="Viper">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbcolor/review/R10082.html | title=Crystalis (Game Boy Color) Review | author=Viper | publisher=[[GameFAQs]] | accessdate=2007-11-04}}</ref><ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> said to be "annoying"<ref name="RPGFan">{{cite web | url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/crystalis/Crystalis_gb.html | title=Crystalis (Game Boy Color) Review | author=Pocket Squirrel | publisher=RPGFan | accessdate=2007-10-24}}</ref> and "begs to be turned down."<ref name="IGN" /> The port was given an 8.0 rating by the gaming site [[IGN]], however, which denotes an "impressive" game, but the reviewer in question had not played the original game. IGN criticized the game for being too [[Linearity (computer and video games)|linear]] and having a low difficulty level but praised the game for its large world and visually detailed "cinema cutscenes".<ref name="IGN">{{cite web | url=http://uk.gameboy.ign.com/articles/163/163597p1.html | title=Crystalis (Game Boy Color) Review | first=Craig | last=Harris | publisher=[[IGN]] | accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> [[GameSpot]] also gave the Game Boy Color port an 8.0, saying of the original NES release: "Crystalis' sheer depth - and the quality of its presentation - was without peer, and it is still regarded as a milestone title in the [action RPG] genre."<ref name="GameSpot" /> ==Influences from other media== [[Image:Kensu asina.jpg|thumb|Kensu and Asina, as depicted in the original Japanese manual.]] There are several aspects of ''Crystalis'' that are based on specific elements in other media. The game's story appears to be somewhat influenced by that of the [[Hayao Miyazaki]] anime film ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind]]'',<ref name="Greatest games of the past decade">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamespot.com/users/davidscorc/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-24751400 | title=The Greatest games of the past decade part 1 | author=davidscorc | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | accessdate=2007-10-19}}</ref><ref name="1up Console vs Handheld" /><ref name="urobolusring" /> and some aspects of the art design appear to be, as well (for example, the giant insect [[boss (video games)|boss]] in the swamp appears almost identical to the [[Ohmu]] giant insects seen in the movie).<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> The "Valley of Wind village, Leaf"<ref name="NES manual">{{cite book | year=1990 | title=Crystalis Instruction Manual | pages=20 | publisher=SNK Corporation of America | language=English}}</ref> also may have been influenced by ''Nausicaä''. Two of the characters from ''Crystalis'' are subtle nods to other [[SNK Playmore|SNK]] characters in the ''[[The King of Fighters|King of Fighters]]'' series. The latter two sages, Kensu and Asina, are based on [[Sie Kensou|Kensou Sie]] and [[Athena Asamiya]] (of the ''[[Psycho Soldier]]'' arcade game), respectively.<ref name="Hardcore Gaming 101" /> In the ''King of Fighters'' series, Kensou is well-known for his obsession with Athena,<ref name="">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamegen.com/fightgen/characters2/kensou.html | title=Sie Kensou Profile | publisher=gamegen.com | accessdate=2007-10-26}}</ref> a quality surviving even in ''Crystalis''. {{-}} ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== *{{moby game|id=/crystalis|name=''Crystalis''}} *{{GameFAQs|type=/console/nes|num=587209|name=''Crystalis''}} *[http://www.rpgclassics.com/shrines/nes/crystalis/ RPG Classics - ''Crystalis'' Shrine] *[http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/crystalis/crystalis.htm Hardcore Gaming 101: ''Crystalis''] *[http://speeddemosarchive.com/Crystalis.html ''Crystalis'' speedrun] at Speed Demos Archive [[Category:1990 video games]] [[Category:2000 video games]] [[Category:Action role-playing video games]] [[Category:Game Boy Color games]] [[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]] [[Category:Nintendo Software Technology games]] [[Category:Post-apocalyptic video games]] [[Category:SNK games]] [[ja:ゴッド・スレイヤー はるか天空のソナタ]]