Genesis REVIEWS: Landstalker
Made by one of the early stars of Sega's development teams, Landstalker was Sega's answer to the Legend of Zelda. The fact that nearly the only similarity between the two is that it stars a blonde elf is a significant positive for Landstalker.
For better or worse, Landstalker is not a middling Zelda clone. It confidently goes forward as its own thing, warts and all.
Right off the bat, it is surprising how much character and plot the game manages to put into a 1992 cartridge. Starting with an opening credit sequence where Nigel (the main character) does his best impression of Indiana Jones, the game continues on with a theme of adventure and comedy that it manages to retain throughout the game.
Usually, at that time, it was enough for a game to have a story, regardless of quality. Some narrative that pushes the player forward. Landstalker was not content with that. Instead, it manages to actually be a really good story with genuinely funny lines.
Nigel suddenly stumbles into the Wood Nymph, Friday. This chance encounter propels him into a search for the Treasures of King Nole in an island nation. While the game doesn't do anything revolutionary with this setting (why should it?), it doesn't lazily rely on it. It does manage to introduce some funny characters, throw in some comedic situations, and generally be far ahead of anything else at its time.
"I keep sending scouts there, but somehow, they don't seem to return"
The world of Landstalker is basically an overworld littered with dungeons. Nigel can move, carry, and throw things, and attack. In addition to the limited utilization of some items, that is basically what the gameplay consists of.
All these elements depend on the, let's say, unique way movement is handled in this game. Because the game takes place in a "3D" isometric space, the traditional directional buttons do not work well in the game. Instead, two directional buttons need to be held at the same time to move Nigel the way you want to.
It is not immediately obvious how it should be done, but it soon becomes second nature once you adapt to it. Movement in an isometric field basically dominates how you approach combat in the game.
Nigel's attack is one basic forward horizontal swipe. Later, with more swords, he gets access to some area-of-effect magic attacks, but that does not change things much. Fundamentally, combat is about positioning yourself where you can hit your enemies and where they cannot hit you. Since your attacks push them backwards, you must always move and attack.
It is by no means a deep combat system, but it's frantic and fast enough to be engaging. Due to the number of recovery items you can hold, it's rarely difficult, but if you neglect movement, it's easy to burn through those berries.
"Nooooo! Now we are dead ducks"
Unlike with combat and basic traversal, movement becomes a significant issue in platforming and platforming puzzles. The game's worst moments are easily related to its more obtuse platforming challenges.
It is actually surprising that an isometric game even attempts to cram in as much platforming as it does. Imagine the imprecise and annoying platforming of Super Mario RPG on the SNES, but actually add in a lot of penalties to it, and you have Landstalker's platforming sections in a nutshell.
Isometric maps are not real "3D" space, and they therefore have little indication of depth and position. This is why, when the game asks you to jump perfectly into floating one-space blocks, it's actively wasting your time.
Several times, especially nearing the end of the game, Nigel is required to go through platforming sequences that are made more difficult due to the isometric view and non-conforming control scheme.
Mostly, this adds more time and frustration to the game. Coupled with the labyrinthine late-game dungeons, this makes the last quarter of the game a slog to go through. In one dungeon, the designers thought it smart to have several doors sending you back to earlier parts of the dungeon, requiring you to repeat the same area more than a couple of times.
"Going off to defeat Mir, eh? Hope your mama's got something black to wear!"
Besides the platforming flaws related to the isometric view, Landstalker does little wrong regarding its presentation. In fact, it may be one of the best-looking isometric games of its time. That is mostly due to the detailed and colorful sprite design.
Everything, from the background objects to the player character, is well-drawn and animated with experience. It's not exactly an outstanding result. Character models have something off about them; a smurf-like quality that I didn't particularly enjoy. However, it is all made in such a way as to complement the game world and be of consistent quality.
The same can be said of the music, which, while lacking in iconic tracks, is of an almost uniformly very good quality. Tracks range from the playful to the adventurous, and they complement the tone of the game rather well.
Ultimately, the visuals and sound of the game are highly professional and well-executed, even if they do lack some edge.
In Conclusion:
Landstalker was a surprise to me. Mostly because I didn't expect a game of its time to actually have a consistently good story that manages to make me laugh. Also, I didn't expect a game to manage so much in the isometric space.
True, the platforming is a major pain, and there are many limitations and flaws.
However, by being its own thing, and not a clone of another well-known action game, Landstalker earns its place among the best games of the Genesis.
Final: 8/10 (Recommended)
Tips:
Series:
For those reading one of my Genesis review blogs for the first time, here is the basic concept:
I already reviewed a bunch of SNES games, so, naturally, I am going to review the games of its prime competition. Does the SEGA Genesis stand a chance against the legendary SNES library?
My review series is based on the top 100 list of Retro Sanctuary
Originally, I posted most of my content on a football forum called "Goallegacy," which was the first online community I had ever joined. I found it to be the best place for a football fan (the REAL football, not handegg) to hang out on the internet, but the forum is not as active as it was years ago.Next Game:
While it's not on the same level as A Link to the Past, Landstalker is by far the best Action Adventure game of the Genesis library. It actually surprised me by being genuinely funny.
The next game is known as Treasure's finest Genesis game at #3 in the list. Gunstar Heroes is a well-known, colorful shooter game. I didn't particularly love the Treasure games, and I am going into this one with some reservations. Hope I am finally converted.
Stay Tuned. For Previous Genesis Game Reviews:
For better or worse, Landstalker is not a middling Zelda clone. It confidently goes forward as its own thing, warts and all.
5: Landstalker:-
Year: 1993.
Genre: Action-Adventure.
Publisher: Sega.
Developer: Climax Entertainment.
"Woe and death unto those who step into this land..."
Right off the bat, it is surprising how much character and plot the game manages to put into a 1992 cartridge. Starting with an opening credit sequence where Nigel (the main character) does his best impression of Indiana Jones, the game continues on with a theme of adventure and comedy that it manages to retain throughout the game.
Usually, at that time, it was enough for a game to have a story, regardless of quality. Some narrative that pushes the player forward. Landstalker was not content with that. Instead, it manages to actually be a really good story with genuinely funny lines.
 |
| Lines like this one |
Nigel suddenly stumbles into the Wood Nymph, Friday. This chance encounter propels him into a search for the Treasures of King Nole in an island nation. While the game doesn't do anything revolutionary with this setting (why should it?), it doesn't lazily rely on it. It does manage to introduce some funny characters, throw in some comedic situations, and generally be far ahead of anything else at its time.
"I keep sending scouts there, but somehow, they don't seem to return"
The world of Landstalker is basically an overworld littered with dungeons. Nigel can move, carry, and throw things, and attack. In addition to the limited utilization of some items, that is basically what the gameplay consists of.
All these elements depend on the, let's say, unique way movement is handled in this game. Because the game takes place in a "3D" isometric space, the traditional directional buttons do not work well in the game. Instead, two directional buttons need to be held at the same time to move Nigel the way you want to.
It is not immediately obvious how it should be done, but it soon becomes second nature once you adapt to it. Movement in an isometric field basically dominates how you approach combat in the game.
 |
| I guess he ran out of berries |
Nigel's attack is one basic forward horizontal swipe. Later, with more swords, he gets access to some area-of-effect magic attacks, but that does not change things much. Fundamentally, combat is about positioning yourself where you can hit your enemies and where they cannot hit you. Since your attacks push them backwards, you must always move and attack.
It is by no means a deep combat system, but it's frantic and fast enough to be engaging. Due to the number of recovery items you can hold, it's rarely difficult, but if you neglect movement, it's easy to burn through those berries.
"Nooooo! Now we are dead ducks"
Unlike with combat and basic traversal, movement becomes a significant issue in platforming and platforming puzzles. The game's worst moments are easily related to its more obtuse platforming challenges.
It is actually surprising that an isometric game even attempts to cram in as much platforming as it does. Imagine the imprecise and annoying platforming of Super Mario RPG on the SNES, but actually add in a lot of penalties to it, and you have Landstalker's platforming sections in a nutshell.
Isometric maps are not real "3D" space, and they therefore have little indication of depth and position. This is why, when the game asks you to jump perfectly into floating one-space blocks, it's actively wasting your time.
 |
| Now I need to go ALL THE WAY UP TO TRY AGAIN |
Several times, especially nearing the end of the game, Nigel is required to go through platforming sequences that are made more difficult due to the isometric view and non-conforming control scheme.
Mostly, this adds more time and frustration to the game. Coupled with the labyrinthine late-game dungeons, this makes the last quarter of the game a slog to go through. In one dungeon, the designers thought it smart to have several doors sending you back to earlier parts of the dungeon, requiring you to repeat the same area more than a couple of times.
"Going off to defeat Mir, eh? Hope your mama's got something black to wear!"
Besides the platforming flaws related to the isometric view, Landstalker does little wrong regarding its presentation. In fact, it may be one of the best-looking isometric games of its time. That is mostly due to the detailed and colorful sprite design.
Everything, from the background objects to the player character, is well-drawn and animated with experience. It's not exactly an outstanding result. Character models have something off about them; a smurf-like quality that I didn't particularly enjoy. However, it is all made in such a way as to complement the game world and be of consistent quality.
 |
| The colors POP out of the screen |
The same can be said of the music, which, while lacking in iconic tracks, is of an almost uniformly very good quality. Tracks range from the playful to the adventurous, and they complement the tone of the game rather well.
Ultimately, the visuals and sound of the game are highly professional and well-executed, even if they do lack some edge.
In Conclusion:
Landstalker was a surprise to me. Mostly because I didn't expect a game of its time to actually have a consistently good story that manages to make me laugh. Also, I didn't expect a game to manage so much in the isometric space.
True, the platforming is a major pain, and there are many limitations and flaws.
However, by being its own thing, and not a clone of another well-known action game, Landstalker earns its place among the best games of the Genesis.
Final: 8/10 (Recommended)
 |
| A lot is happening in such a small island |
Pros:
- Decent story and funny dialogue
- Simple but engaging combat
- Effective use of isometric dungeon designs
- Very good graphics and a good soundtrack
Cons:
- Terrible platforming
- No overworld map
Tips:
- You should look for Lifestocks (to increase your health) all over the place.
- Stock up on health items when you go to the later dungeons.
- Use the dahl to retun full-health, as the berry should be utilized for revival emergencies only.
- Wear the Health shoes (if you find them) and walk around to regain some health.
- Always wear the latest armor you find.
- A good way of dealing with enemies is trapping them against a wall and rapidly slashing at them.
- The greatest defense is slashing like hell.
Series:
For those reading one of my Genesis review blogs for the first time, here is the basic concept:I already reviewed a bunch of SNES games, so, naturally, I am going to review the games of its prime competition. Does the SEGA Genesis stand a chance against the legendary SNES library?
My review series is based on the top 100 list of Retro Sanctuary
Originally, I posted most of my content on a football forum called "Goallegacy," which was the first online community I had ever joined. I found it to be the best place for a football fan (the REAL football, not handegg) to hang out on the internet, but the forum is not as active as it was years ago.
Next Game:
While it's not on the same level as A Link to the Past, Landstalker is by far the best Action Adventure game of the Genesis library. It actually surprised me by being genuinely funny.The next game is known as Treasure's finest Genesis game at #3 in the list. Gunstar Heroes is a well-known, colorful shooter game. I didn't particularly love the Treasure games, and I am going into this one with some reservations. Hope I am finally converted.
Stay Tuned.
For Previous Genesis Game Reviews:
This blog was originally posted in Destructoid Community Blogs on November 11th, 2017. The blog was slightly edited to fit my newer review format.
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