[From Wikipedia.com - In Greek mythology, Astyanax was the son of Hector and Andromache. His birth name was Scamandrius after the river Scamander, but the people of Troy nicknamed him Astyanax (i.e. high king, or overlord, of the city), because he was the son of the city's great defender (Iliad VI, 403) and the heir apparent's firstborn son.]
The Astyanax, known in Japan as The Lord of King, is a side-scrolling platform arcade game released by Jaleco in 1989. Another version was also released for the NES.
PLOT
The NES version of the story revolves around a sixteen-year old high school student at Greenview High known as Astyanax. He has dreams every night about a princess calling for help. One day while walking to school he is summoned to the mythical realm of Remlia by a pixie named Cutie. He is directed to rescue Princess Rosebud, but first he must fight off hordes of monsters set loose by the evil wizard Blackhorn. He must rescue the princess in order to return to the real world.
GAMEPLAY
Astyanax is a side-scrolling platform game. The controls are fairly simple: the A Button makes Astyanax jump, the B Button will attack with an axe called Bash, and a combination of up and attack will perform a special magic attack. The game also contains a few role-playing elements, such as weapons upgrades. It had a unique feature (for the time) of a bar that grows between attacks; the length of the bar determines how much damage Astyanax will do with his next attack. If one attacks rapidly, one's hits will do little damage, much unlike most games where a rapid succession of hits would all be equally damaging. A very similar system would be used in Secret of Mana some years later.
Most of the sprites are unusually large and detailed for a mid-generation NES game, although this results in slowdown, flicker, and some questionable hit detection. The hit detection, object size and game physics make falling in pits a particularly high risk if hit when jumping.
The levels are both vertically and horizontally scrolling (but never a combination). Their structures are simple 16x16 blocks, which allowed an editor called "AstyEd" to be used with emulation to make mods of the game.
The same general gameplay was used for the arcade version, though without the weapons upgrades.
Castle Crashers
Castle Crashers is a console video game independently developed by The Behemoth, featuring music created by members of Newgrounds. In 2006, Behemoth announced the game as available for download via the Xbox Live Arcade service. It was released as part of Microsoft's Summer of Arcade campaign, and became Arcade's best-selling title of 2008. It was voted 2008 Best Game of the Year at the XBLA Awards. A PlayStation 3 version of Castle Crashers was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2009.
GAMEPLAY
Castle Crashers is a side-scrolling, beat-em-up/hack n'slash which incorporates a small number of role-playing game elements. After selecting a character, the player then selects a starting level (beginning with the wizard's attack on the castle) through a graph-like world map; once the player completes a level, they may then opt to start or revisit that level any time. Other levels include shops where the player can buy items for healing, attacking, or defense using coins gained from defeated foes, and arena levels where the player can take on challenges to unlock additional characters, although in co-op the arena turns into a player vs player match.
In each level, the player can use a number of melee attacks and combination attacks in addition to a unique magical ability each character has in order to defeat foes. The player has a health meter that, if drained from enemy attacks, will cause the character to fall in battle; if the player is playing alone, this ends the level and the player will have to start it over; otherwise, any of the other players may attempt to revive the downed character. The player's magic level is also tracked by a meter and regenerates over time. Numerous weapons can be found in the game, each that have various effects to the character's attributes when equipped. There are also animal orbs that can be found that may help out in battle, improve the character's attributes, or provide another special ability such as gaining more treasure from defeated foes. After a player damages an enemy, they gain experience points, eventually gaining the player a new level. Each level gained allows the player to allocate points towards four basic attributes to improve that character in combat. One character can "level up" to level 99 which is accomplished by amassing exactly 113,680 exp points. Certain level advances also grant new combination attacks. Progress in experience and game completion is tracked for each of the playable characters separately. New playable characters can be earned by completing the game with a new character, or through downloadable characters from Xbox Live Marketplace.
The game supports up to four player co-op, either locally or through Xbox Live. The game progression in terms of what levels are unlocked is defined by the hosting player; however, each player can continue to gain levels and acquire wealth, weapons, and animal orbs as they progress with the rest of the party.
Two minigames are also present: an Arena mode similar to the arenas in the main game where the player attempts to survive through several waves of enemies, and "All You Can Quaff", a button-mashing contest between all players to attempt to eat as much food as possible.
Castlevania is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series did not receive wide attention outside of Japan until the FDS version was ported to cartridge format for the Nintendo Entertainment System and localized for North American and European releases of Castlevania in 1987. The series soon became a recognized landmark in the design of action platforming games.
GAMEPLAY
The very first console title, Castlevania, was a typical platform game in which the player takes the role of Simon Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont clan, a bloodline of vampire hunters. He travels to Dracula's demonic castle, Castlevania, and fights his way through its monstrous denizens, eventually destroying Dracula himself. Belmont's main weapon is the Vampire Killer Whip, while the secondary weapons, inspired by the legends and folklore regarding vampires and related supernatural beings, are powered by Hearts, found by whipping candles. Common secondary weapons include a dagger, and a bottle of holy water.
Each of Castlevania's six levels conclude with a boss fight: these bosses are generally taken from horror literature or legend, and include a vampire bat, Medusa, mummies, Frankenstein's Monster and Igor, and the Grim Reaper.
PLOT
In the year 1691, Transylvania has been at peace for one-hundred years, thanks to the efforts of Christopher Belmont destroying the vampire Dracula. Dracula has resurrected again, and Simon Belmont goes to defeat him with the Vampire Killer.
Simon enters Castlevania, Dracula's immense castle, and proceeds up to its master's keep, along the way fending off all sorts of nasty creatures and dangerous traps.
In the ending, Simon successfully defeats Dracula, leading to the events of the video game Castlevania II: Simon's Quest.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, known in Japan as Dracula II: Noroi no Foin, "Dracula II: The Seal of the Curse". The game takes place in the fictional universe of the Castlevania series, where the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan wage an endless conflict against the immortal vampire Dracula. Simon's Quest takes place after Castlevania, in which Dracula has been defeated, but has left a curse on the protagonist Simon Belmont from their last encounter. With the Belmont clan's whip, the Vampire Killer, Simon travels the Transylvania countryside to undo the curse.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay departs from the standard platforming genre of the first Castlevania, and instead uses an exploration system. Simon, controlled by the player, can travel to towns and dungeons. Some RPG elements are included in the game. Simon can talk with townspeople who will offer vague clues or lies. He can also go to merchants who will sell items, either for fighting enemies or for traversing to unreachable areas. In order to pay for them, he must collect hearts, which are dropped by defeated enemies. In addition to the ordinary items in Simon's inventory, he can also purchase new whips in a few locations of the game. He begins with a standard Leather Whip, and can upgrade to stronger ones with each new purchase.
PLOT
The game's setting takes place seven years after the original Castlevania. According to the story details in the instruction manual for the Japanese version, the prologue begins when Simon visits his family's resting ground. His back is critically injured from his last encounter with Dracula in the previous game. He suddenly feels someone's presence, and turns to see a young woman standing within the mist. She tells him that a curse was placed upon him by Dracula during their last battle, and that he does not have long to live. However, she continues to say that the curse can be undone if he resurrects Dracula himself. The woman begins to explain that Dracula's body was split into five different parts after his defeat seven years ago. Simon must recover these and bring them to Castlevania, Dracula's ruined castle. There, he must seal Dracula and defeat him. However, before disappearing, the unknown woman says she cannot guarantee that this will destroy Dracula permanently.
After Simon defeats Dracula in the game, there are three possible endings which are received based on the time the player took to finish it. Two of them are scenarios where Simon sustains fatal injuries from the confrontation with Dracula, and dies.
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Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, known in Japan as Akumajo Densetsu is the third installment in the Castlevania series of video games. It was published by Konami in Japan in 1989 and in North America in 1990.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is the third game in the series' canon, featuring Simon Belmont's ancestor, Trevor Belmont. According to the game's instruction manual, it takes place 215 years before the events in Castlevania I and 100 years before the events of The Castlevania Adventure. Many characters and elements introduced for the first time in Castlevania III became mainstays in the series.
PLOT
The year is 1476, and Count Dracula has started to ravage Europe with an army of monsters. The Belmont family of vampire hunters, once exiled from Wallachia, are called into action by the Church. They feared the Belmonts' "super-human" power, but with Dracula menacing to swallow Europe in darkness, they are left with no choice but to call Trevor Belmont, current wielder of the Vampire Killer Whip.
Joining Trevor Belmont in his mission to defeat Dracula are three new playable characters: Sypha Belnades, a young priestess with poor physical attack power but powerful elemental magic spells at her disposal;[1] Grant DaNasty, a pirate with the ability to climb on walls and change direction in mid-jump (a rare ability in earlier games of the series); and Alucard, Dracula's son, a dhampir with the ability to shoot fireballs and transform into a bat. Trevor can be accompanied by only one companion at a time, and the player can "spiritually transform" between Trevor and his ally with the "select" button. Both Trevor and whoever is accompanying him share the same health meter. The ending of the game differs depending on which companion Trevor has with him at the time, or if he does not take another character with him at all.
Trevor and his companions cross the Transylvanian countryside, defeat Dracula's minions, and eventually defeat the Count himself. Once his father is defeated, Alucard goes into a self-induced slumber, unable to cope with having fought his father. Moreover, he realized that his own power could pose a potential threat to the world. However, he would awaken in the late-eighteenth century when feeling the absence of a Belmont when Dracula was revived by the dark priest Shaft. Grant DaNasty oversees the reconstruction of Wallachia after the battle is finished. Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades end up getting married once peace is restored in the region (according to the Castlevania Time Line included with Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin).
Conan (Xbox 360)
Conan is a 2007 action-adventure video game that puts players in control of the titular hero, Conan the Barbarian, from Robert E. Howard's fantasy literature. The game was published by THQ for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles. Its developer, Nihilistic Software, was inspired by the God of War and Ninja Gaiden video games to create an experience featuring gore and nudity.
In Conan, the hero is on a quest to recover his lost armor and defeat an evil wizard. Conan can fight with sword and shield, two-handed weapons, or a weapon in each hand. Starting with several basic attacks, the barbarian gains experience points by killing enemies. By exchanging these points for additional attacks, players improve the hero's fighting abilities. Magic powers complement Conan's arsenal, including the abilities to turn enemies into stone and conjure firestorms. The game also features context-sensitive action sequences in which players press a sequence of buttons displayed on the screen to complete actions such as killing powerful enemies and interacting with the environment.
GAMEPLAY
Players control Conan the Barbarian from a third-person perspective while attempting to advance through the series of levels that subdivide the game. The gameplay is the same for each level: Conan moves from area to area, fighting groups of enemies until he reaches the end. At the end of certain levels, the barbarian has to fight a more powerful opponent called a boss. Defeating a boss involves a two-stage process: Conan has to inflict heavy damage on the creature and thus trigger an interactive button-pressing sequence that players have to complete to kill the boss. Several cycles of this process are required to defeat most bosses. Besides combat, button-pressing sequences are also used to interact with the environment, such as knocking down obstacles to create passageways, or as parts of platforming sequences in which Conan climbs walls and jumps from ledge to ledge. Players can save their progress by using special stones that are placed throughout the game.
The game takes place in the world of Hyboria, a creation of Robert E. Howard for his stories about Conan the Barbarian. Conan's developer, Nihilistic Software, chose several Hyborian locations, such as Kush, Stygia, and the Barachan Isles, to establish a link to the literary world.[7] Hyboria was designed to be a fantasy version of Earth around 10,000 BC, and its civilizations were based on those from the Stone to Iron Ages. Nihilistic portrayed the plains of Kush, a fictional Africa, as savannahs with villages of straw huts. Stygia was illustrated as a land filled with structures resembling Egyptian tombs and the Barachan Isles as lushly jungled islands.
STORY
Howard's short story, "Queen of the Black Coast", served as the inspiration for the game's plot. In the short story, Conan has a brief romance with Bêlit, a pirate queen. Near the end of the story a demonic creature kills Bêlit and Conan seeks revenge. The creature, however, is stronger than Conan, overpowers him, and is about to kill him when Bêlit's spirit startles it and inspires Conan to kill the beast. The game's story follows a similar theme with A'kanna in the role of Bêlit. Told as a campfire story, cut scenes-in the form of static artwork or animation rendered by the game engine-open and close each level with narratives from an elderly A'kanna.
MUSIC
Mike Reagan, a music composer noted for his work in video games such as Darkwatch and God of War, was hired by THQ to write the music for Conan. To begin, he wanted to compose simple but powerful melodies, and looked to Basil Poledouris's score for the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian for inspiration. As Reagan played development copies of the game, he was influenced by two other works: Igor Stravinsky's barbaric and sensual ballet music The Rite of Spring, and Bernard Hermann's score from the 1958 action film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Each week, Nihilistic and Reagan updated each other with copies of their work-in-progress, synchronizing their efforts. Reagan also studied with noted percussion artists Denny Seiwell, Emil Richards, and Michael Duffy to gain further insight on the use of drums to accompany the game's bloody and violent plot. After mastering the soundtrack, he brought the music of Conan to an October 2007 Video Games Live show, performing it live in Los Angeles, United States.
Devil May Cry (frequently abbreviated as DMC) is an action game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by Capcom in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. Although the first game in the Devil May Cry series, the events in the game are second in the series storyline's chronological order, taking place after events in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, and before Devil May Cry 2 and Devil May Cry 4.
Set in modern times on the fictional Mallet Island, the story centers on the characters Dante and Trish and their quest to confront the demon lord Mundus. The story is told primarily through a mixture of cutscenes, which use the game's engine and several pre-rendered full motion videos.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay consists of levels called "missions", where players must fight numerous enemies, perform platforming tasks, and occasionally solve puzzles to progress through the story. The player's performance in each mission is given a letter grade of A, B, C, or D, with an additional top grade of S. Grades are based on the time taken to complete the mission, the amount of "red orbs" gathered (the in-game currency obtained from defeated enemies), how "stylish" their combat was, item usage, and damage taken. PLOT
Devil May Cry begins with Dante being attacked in his office by a mysterious woman named Trish. He impresses her by easily brushing off her assault, and tells her that he hunts demons in pursuit of those who killed his mother and brother. She says the attack was a test, and that the demon emperor Mundus, whom Dante holds responsible for the deaths of his family, is planning a return. The scene jumps to their arrival at an immense castle, whereupon Trish abruptly leaps and vanishes over a high wall.
Dante explores the castle and encounters the game's stock enemies, demonic marionettes. He also finds a new sword called Alastor, and battles the first boss, a giant spider/scorpion demon named Phantom. Dante wins the battle, but in what becomes a recurring theme, the defeated boss monster reappears a short time later in a corridor, forcing the player to choose a narrow escape or to fight in the tight confines. After further exploration and combat, Dante battles a demon named Nelo Angelo who impresses Dante with his confidence. The demon wins, but suddenly flees upon seeing the half-amulet Dante wears. The demon attacks twice more in later missions, and is eventually revealed to be Dante's identical twin brother, Vergil. After Vergil's final defeat, his amulet joins with his brother's half, and "Force Edge", the game's default sword which belonged to the twins' father, changes into its true form and becomes the Sparda sword.
When Dante next meets Trish, she betrays him and reveals that she too is working for Mundus, but when her life is endangered, Dante chooses to save her. Claiming he only did so because of her resemblance to his mother, he warns her to stay away. Yet when he finally confronts Mundus, who is about to kill Trish, Dante again chooses to save her and is injured. Mundus tries to finish him off, but Trish takes the attack instead. This unleashes Dante's full power thus allowing him to take on the form of Sparda. Dante and Mundus then battle on another plane of existence.
Dante is victorious, and leaves the amulet and sword with Trish's immobile body before departing. Mundus returns and corners Dante, who is now back to his regular strength, before he can flee the island; Trish also returns and lends Dante her power. Dante defeats Mundus, who vows to return and rule the human world. When Trish tries to apologize she begins to cry, and Dante tells her it means she has become human and not just a devil, because "devils never cry". Dante and Trish escape on a plane as the island collapses. After the credits, it is revealed that Dante and Trish are working together as partners, and have renamed the shop "Devil Never Cry".
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is a beat 'em up/hack n'slash game developed by independent software developer James Silva for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service.
The Dishwasher is a 2D, side-scrolling, beat 'em up/hack n'slash action game. Gameplay revolves around an unnamed protagonist, ostensibly a dishwasher, as he fights through waves of increasingly strong enemies until the boss fight and the end of the level. The player is given a basic starting weapon (meat cleavers) and can earn new weapons and upgrades by defeating bosses and collecting 'spirals' from defeated enemies. Weapons include the cleavers, a samurai sword, a machine gun/shotgun combo, chainsaw, and kama. Fighting is done through using either a basic attack, a strong attack, or a grab move, in combination or alone to string together chains of attacks for points. Enemies, once weakened, are susceptible to various 'finishing moves' that yield even more points and health to the player. There is also a magic system, dubbed Dish Magic, which can be bought at later levels. Also present is a guitar minigame, which can be played with the common guitar peripherals from the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series.
CHARACTERS The Dishwasher - The violent, unnamed protagonist; captured by the cyborgs in hope of making him one of their own, The Dishwasher was saved by Chef - his mentor - and was donated "Alien Blood" resurrecting him from death and giving him incredible powers.
Chef - The Dishwasher's mentor and savior. Chef is a mysterious character who's past is ambiguous, however we learn that it was Chef who saved The Dishwasher from the Cyborg army and indeed he is the only one possible to stop The Fallen Engineer (says the Engineer is himself at the end of the game).
The Fallen Engineer - Chef's nemesis and the silent Antagonist of the game. The Fallen Engineer is encountered twice: once in the very beginning and once at the very end as the final boss of the game. We learn that The Fallen Engineer is actually the original creator of AI Sinthesis and the Cyborg Army.
AI Sinthesis - The Master Computer that rules The Cyborg Army: destroying Sinthesis is The Dishwasher's primary goal for it is the Creator of the Cyborgs (although it should be noted that AI Sinthesis was created originally by The Fallen Engineer). It has the several television screens that appear as its many faces and two robotic arms that it uses to control the other computers with.
Yuki - The Dishwasher's prodigal sister whom he lost to the Cyborgs years before. He often reminices of his sister but thinks her dead.
The Doctor - AI Sinthesis' second is The Doctor: a psychopathic Cyborg who is responsible for the transformation process that is used to turn humans into machines.
WEAPONS Cleavers: The standard weapons adopted by The Dishwasher from the kitchens he cleaned in.
Shift Blade: Taken from The Fallen Engineer: a magical Katana with the power to teleport its user. The predomiant used weapon throughout the game.
Kama: Two scythes used similarly to the cleavers. The fastest weapons to use yet deal little damage. Earned after defeating the enemies in the well on St. Crux Cemetery.
Chainsaw: Taken from defeating The Pumpkin Headed Psycho - certainly the most powerful weapon in the game yet it limits your movement and is slow to use.
Arsenal: A machine gun and a shot gun taken from defeating the One Eyed Assasin; machine gun has rapid fire and long range but does little damage; shotgun is much more powerful but rate of fire is slower
Gauntlet the Nintendo Entertainment System version is an original game based on the Gauntlet with a unique storyline and 100 levels.
STORY
In a land known as Rendar, Morak, a hooded devil-like creature, has stolen the Sacred Orb that protected the lands. He hid this along with other treasures he stole in the Gauntlet which is protected by his evil creatures. Of the four heroes from the original Gauntlet only two were able to enter the portal and go after the Sacred Orb.
GAMEPLAY
As with most early Gauntlet games the player is seen from above, keys must be found to open doors, and closed treasure chests. Potions and keys can be found throughout the levels, however unlike the Arcade version the doors will not unlock on their own, after a period of time has passed. Although the Unlicensed version states "The #1 Arcade game!", there are many differences between the Arcade and NES versions, one of the biggest being the helpful hints provided from a Dungeon Master type voice are missing from the NES version; however, the grunts and "Ummm" sounds of players getting hurt or enjoying food can still be heard.
The player can choose any of the original four players that were in the arcade version, Thor, Thyra, Merlin, and Questor; each varies with respect to magic power, shot power, hand-to-hand fighting skill, armor and movement speed. Gathering gold can increase these powers like experience points, and there are also specialized potions that permanently increase these abilities slightly. Temporary abilities can also be acquired from box shaped items that grant enemy-repulsing power, invisibility, invulnerability, super shots and reflective shots.
A map of each land is shown between the stages. There are five worlds to journey through: Castle, Forest, Caverns, Water, and Volcano. In each area the walls are made to look like different kinds of blocks; trees, brick, rock, crystal rock, and invisible (water levels). A new addition to the Gauntlet style of play is that the NES version has pushable walls.
TRIVIA
After the release of Gauntlet on the NES, three juveniles in Pompano Beach, Florida were arrested for behavior they claim was motivated by the game. The youths attacked an elderly couple by throwing toy axes and flaming trash. The event caused a minor stir in the local media.
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Gauntlet II
Gauntlet II is a 1986 arcade game, the first sequel to the game Gauntlet, released the previous year. Gauntlet II, like its predeccesor, is a fantasy-themed hack and slash.
OVERVIEW
The gameplay is very similar to the original Gauntlet, a topdown dungeon crawl supporting up to four players. The biggest difference from the original game is that players can choose identical classes, instead of being limited to a particular one for each joystick; the players being differentiated by colors. Thus, instead of having a "warrior", "wizard", and "valykrie" (for instance), in Gauntlet II there could be a "red wizard", a "blue wizard" and a "green warrior".
In addition to the new "class" system, new level designs were added, including the possibility of encountering them in altered ways by having the playfield turned in steps of 90°. Level 100 was the winning design from a public competition. Other new features included the enemy "It", which upon contact would make a player "It" and draw all enemies towards him/her. The only way to release this curse is by touching another player or entering the exit, turning any level containing "It" into a fantasy filled game of tag. Other notable additions include the ability to ricochet shots off walls by means of a special pick-up, acid puddles that caused large, predetermined amounts of damage and a large dragon which would occupy multiple squares and require multiple hits to destroy.
GOD OF WAR (PS2)
God of War is a video game for the PlayStation 2 console released on March 22, 2005. It is an action-adventure game based on Greek mythology. God of War was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division. It is the first installment of the God of War series of games and the second chronologically.
PLOT
The game begins with the main character, Kratos, committing suicide by jumping off a cliff into the Aegean Sea. As he plummets to the rocks below, the game's story is told through a series of flashbacks. The story of God of War revolves around Kratos, a former captain in the Spartan army who sets out to kill Ares, the god of war. It is the goddess Athena who requests him to destroy Ares, as his army is attacking her patron city Athens. But since Zeus had previously forbidden the gods from directly declaring war against each other, only a mortal can stop Ares. Kratos however, is already motivated by revenge; as the game progresses, Kratos' backstory is gradually explained, revealing that he had formerly been a murderous servant of Ares and had received from him his weapons, the Blades of Chaos (which, along with Kratos' recurrent nightmares, continue throughout the story to serve as a reminder of his past), but had renounced his service to him after the god tricked him into killing his own family.
The game starts on a ship, beached on rocks in the Aegean Sea under siege from the Hydra. Kratos defends the ship from several of the undead, while simultaneously fighting the many heads of the Hydra. After arriving at Athens by ship, and fighting through it, Kratos learns from the city's oracle that the only way to defeat Ares is to use the legendary Pandora's Box, which can give any mortal the power to kill a god. However, the Oracle explains that the Box is hidden within the Temple of Pandora, carried on the back of the last living Titan, Cronos, who has been commanded by Zeus to endlessly wander the Desert of Lost Souls as punishment for his past actions. Kratos travels to the Desert to find Cronos, and upon doing so, gains entrance to the Temple after scaling the Titan's back.
Much of the game takes place within the Temple, inside of which Kratos must solve numerous puzzles and overcome hordes of hostile creatures to reach Pandora's Box. Ultimately he retrieves the magical artifact, but as he does so, Ares learns of his success and kills him. After doing so, Ares sends harpies to claim the Box for himself. Kratos meanwhile, falls into the Underworld, but he manages to fight his way back into the world of the living.
After escaping from the Underworld, Kratos recovers Pandora's Box from Ares (who threatens to usurp the other gods of Olympus), and opens it. The powers unleashed cause him to grow until he is the same size as Ares, and the two engage one another in battle. When Kratos has the upper hand, Ares traps him in an alternate dimension in which he is seemingly reunited with his family, but is forced to defend them against clones of himself. After saving them, Ares strips Kratos of his Blades of Chaos (and the magical powers he had acquired during his journey), and uses the Blades to kill his family. A distraught Kratos is returned to the battleground and, after finding the ancient Blade of the Gods nearby, succeeds in finally defeating and destroying Ares.
Despite his victory, Kratos is informed by Athena that the gods cannot rid him of his frequent nightmares of the past (since none can forget his atrocities), and had only promised to forgive him for his sins. Thinking all his troubles have been in vain, Kratos attempts to commit suicide by throwing himself off a cliff, bringing the story back to the beginning of the game. Athena, however, intervenes and takes him to Mount Olympus where, because of his services to the gods, he is offered to become the new god of war. Kratos' magical abilities are restored, and he is given new weapons, the Blades of Athena.
The Golden Axe series is a well-known side-scrolling arcade hack 'n' slash series developed by Sega. The series takes place in a medieval-fantasy world where several heroes have the task of recovering the legendary Golden Axe, the mainstay element of the series.
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Golden Axe is a side-scrolling arcade hack 'n' slash game released in 1989 by Sega. Makoto Uchida was the primary developer of the game and also was responsible for the creation of Altered Beast. The game places the player in control of one of three warriors each bent on revenge against the vile dictator Death Adder. Death Adder has taken over the once peaceful land of Yuria and murdered their friend and partner, Alex. According to the Killer List of Videogames, Golden Axe is the most important arcade game of the year 1989. Several ports of the game were created, most notably for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega Master System. Several sequels followed.
The game focuses on three heroes. One of them is a battle axe-wielding dwarf, Gilius Thunderhead, from the mines of Wolud whose twin brother was killed by the soldiers of Death Adder. Another is a male barbarian, Ax Battler, wielding a two handed broadsword looking for revenge for the murder of his mother. The last is a long-sword wielding Tyris Flare, a female amazon, whose parents were killed by Death Adder.
Progress is made through the game by hacking and slashing your way through Adder's henchmen, including men armed with clubs and maces, skeleton warriors (much like those in the film Jason and the Argonauts,) and knights. Aiding the characters in this quest is their ability to cast spells that hurt all enemies on the screen. The force of this magic depends on the number of "bars" of magic power currently available. The bars are filled by collecting blue 'magic potions' found throughout the game. The male warrior Ax, limited to 4 bars, is able to cast Earth spells. The dwarf Gilius, limited to 3 bars, casts lightning spells and the female warrior Tyris can cast devastating fire magic, but her most powerful spell costs 6 bars.
CHARACTERS
Ax Battler is muscular hero, who uses a large broadsword. Ax has brown hair and wears blue trunks and boots, as well as silver cuffs and necklace. Ax's mother is murdered by Death Adder's forces and this is his motive in the original Golden Axe.
Gilius Thunderhead is a white haired, bearded dwarf in green with a horned helmet. He seeks revenge in the Golden Axe after his brother is murdered by Death Adder's forces and returns again to defeat Dark Guild in Golden Axe II.
Tyris Flare is an Amazonian woman who uses a sword. She is a muscular woman in a skimpy red and white bikini and red boots with mustard colored hair. Both her parents are murdered by Death Adder's forces, leading her to seek revenge in the first Golden Axe game. Her magic attacks are all fire based, including the summoning of a huge dragon.
Death Adder is a tyrannical Giant who wears armor and wields a large axe. After gathering an army, he enslaves the location of the first Golden Axe game and kidnaps its royal family. He is killed by the game's three heroes, but he is resurrected for Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder. Here, he survives an initial attempt on his life but perishes due to the sacrifice of Gillius Thunderhead.
Ninja Gaiden known in Japan as Ninja Ryukenden literally "Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword" is a platform game developed and published by Tecmo.
The story follows a ninja named Ryu Hayabusa, as he journeys to America and seeks revenge for the death of his father. However, Ryu eventually finds himself involved in a sinister plot that threatens the entire world. In the game, the player must control Ryu through six platforming levels and find out the mysteries behind his father's death. Players encounter many enemies along the way that must be dispatched with Ryu's katana sword.
Ninja Gaiden is renowned for its innovative use of cinematic cutscenes as well as a full, movie-like story. The game's success spawned two sequels and several ports to other video game systems. It also garnered extensive coverage in Nintendo Power magazine, and it was also novelized as part of the Worlds of Power game adaptations written by F.X. Nine.
GAMEPLAY
The player controls Ryu Hayabusa through six platforming levels, known as "Acts". The player has a life meter which denotes the player's "physical strength". Players mainly attack by thrusting with Ryu's Dragon Sword, katana-like sword that has been passed down the Hayabusa clan for generations. They can also use other "secondary" weapons that rely on Ryu's "spiritual strength" as ammunition. These secondary weapons include shurikens, fire wheels, and "jump and slash" techniques.
PLOT
Ninja Gaiden features a ninja named Ryu Hayabusa who journeys to America and seeks revenge for the death of his father, only to find himself involved in a sinister plot that threatens the entire world. The story begins with the death of Ken, Ryu's father, by an unknown assailant. Ryu finds a letter written by his father, telling him to find an archeologist named Walter Smith in America. Before Ryu can find Walter, however, Ryu is kidnapped by a young policewoman, who hands him a demonic looking statue before releasing him.
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Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, known in Japan as Ninja Ryukenden II: Ankoku no Jashinken "Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword II: The Demonic Sword of Darkness".
GAMEPLAY
Ninja Gaiden II retains the same platform-based gameplay as the previous game, with a few refinements. Ryu Hayabusa, the player character, now has the ability has ability to climb or descend walls, rather than just cling on to them (in the previous game, this ability was limited only when Ryu was on a ladder). Another new ability Ryu has is the power to summon a double of himself or two by picking up the appropriate power-up. These body doubles will follow Ryu's movements and mimic his actions.
Most of the power-ups from the previous game return with the exception of the "Jump & Slash" technique. The regular "Throwing Star" now serves as the default secondary weapon when the game begins or after the player loses a life, while the "Invincible Fire Wheel" can now be acquired by the player as a secondary weapon and use at any time. In addition to the "Windmill Throwing Star" and the "Art of the Fire Wheel", a new secondary weapon is introduced in the form of the "Fire Dragon Balls". The player can now increase their maximum ninja power by acquiring certain scrolls thorough the game.
PLOT
The story begins one year after the events of the original game. With the help of a mysterious Special Forces agent named Robert T.S., Ryu Hayabusa learns that Ashtar, a dark wizard, has kidnapped Irene Lew, Ryu’s girlfriend. Ryu pursues Ashtar to his shrine. Once there, Ashtar stabs Irene in the back, laughing as her blood drips from the sword's blade. Ashtar's true intentions are finally revealed; his sword feeds on chaos and hatred, and he plans to use its power to open the gates to the Realm of Chaos, releasing the demonic hordes that reside within. Ryu and Ashtar clash, and after an epic battle, Ashtar falls. With his last breath, Ashtar sends the sword and Irene into the Realm of Chaos. Ryu follows them into the realm.
In the realm, Ryu finds Irene and Jaquio, who was thought to have been killed in the previous game. He has taken the Sword of Chaos, and plans on accomplishing Ashtar's objective, with the added objective of expanding his power by taking in the energy that will be expelled by the opening of the gate. Ryu, intending to prevent this, launches into battle. After another epic fight, Ryu strikes Jaquio down once more. When Jaquio’s blood touches the blade of the Sword of Chaos, the sword fully awakens, and Jaquio is physically revived by the power that flows into him, morphing into a giant monster. After Robert sacrifices his life to buy the hero more time, Ryu summons all the strength he has left to kill Jaquio once and for all.
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Rygar
Rygar is a fantasy-themed action-adventure platform game developed by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released on April 14, 1987, in Japan for the Famicom as Argos no Senshi and later that year in the United States for the NES.
GAMEPLAY
The player sends the title character (who did not have a proper name in the Japanese version) through a number of fantastic settings with the ultimate goal of defeating the evil King Ligar in order to restore peace to the realm of Argool (Argos in the Japanese version). To accomplish this goal, Rygar/the Warrior must visit five Indora gods who present him with essential items needed for completion of the game. Each of the Indora gods is located in a different realm, and is almost always guarded by a boss. The player can choose the order in which some stages are played, but since certain items are required to reach new areas, choices are somewhat limited. After playing through the five major realms of the game, he must journey to King Ligar's flying castle for the final confrontation.
It should be noted that "Ligar" (the final boss) can also be romanized as Rygar because in Japanese there is no distinction between "l" and "r," but the name is written with the syllable "ra" in katakana. The central player character is only known as senshi (the Warrior) in the Japanese version.
SHORTCOMINGS
A serious downside to the NES version of Rygar is that it didn't allow for game saves. The complexity and difficulty of the game, along with the puzzles to solve and special objects needed to progress, require a great deal of time and unlike other complex adventure games of the time (The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania) the cartridge did not contain a battery (Zelda), nor did it contain a password feature (Metroid, Castlevania). As a result, many players were forced to pause the game and leave their NES on overnight (to resume the next day), sometimes going on for days or even weeks, before finally obtaining the necessary items and power to finish the game. If the unit was accidentally turned off, unplugged, or if it malfunctioned, all game data would be lost and the player would be forced to start over from the beginning.
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Trojan
Trojan is a 2D, side scrolling video game similar to Tiger Road, or Kung-Fu Master. It was developed by Capcom and released in the United States in 1986 by Romstar.
STORY
The story describes a post-apocalyptic world in the near future, devastated by Demonic-influence of evil sects and by Wars. The spirits of warlords from past ages have been brought back to life, destroying civilization with disease and insanity. The bodies of the strongest survivors, the "chosen", are possessed by these violent spirits to rule the small, peaceful tribes with an iron fist. (Similar plot to Mad Max, Fist of the North Star, or Cyborg).
The supreme leader of this new order is known as Achilles.
You play as a young warrior resistant to the evil spirits, trained in martial arts, who has taken the battle-name Trojan.
Your mission is to infiltrate the lands of the evil army, fighting against pirates and gladiators and exorcising these human-demons from the earth in a gothic/industrial wasteworld.
