Rygar

There isn't too much to say about this game, its one of those old NES adventure side scroller games that is hard as nails and requires a lot of trial and error to get through the game. It has some RPG elements like leveling up as you defeat enemies and it has an open World hub kind of like Zelda II where you can explore in full 3D to access the different areas. You get different tools to help you access new areas. Honestly its not terrible, I'm sure this was amazing when it came out, but it just hasn't aged well and I feel there are so many games that feel like this. I hate games where the bosses are overly difficult and have too much HP and this game suffers from that, the bosses just take way too long and I just feel like these games required luck and 100s of deaths till you knew every frame and variation of the boss pattern only to still likely die over and over, I don't know how 10 year old kids in the 80s even beat these games since dying made you replay huge chunks of the game.

Plus in some of the side scrolling segments I feel enemies can spawn too often and it gets annoying having to constantly hit enemies coming from both directions. This game almost feels like Ninja Gaiden annoyance at times. The music is alright, the theme song is kind of iconic, but overall this is an average NES game that has pretty much been forgotten. I'd rather even play Zelda II over this and that game may be my least favorite Zelda game so that is saying a lot.

These days, it seems like Rygar is rarely remembered, or when it is remembered, it's for the composer of the game's soundtrack reusing one of the tracks in that infamously bad Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde game. This is a shame, as Rygar is far from a forgettable game, nor is it one that should be easily dismissed. Rather, it is a standout title that for whatever reason just hasn't gotten its due.

This NES title was actually loosely based on an arcade game. In the arcade, Rygar was heavily focused on frantic action with minimal platforming and scrolling done exclusively to the right. It was popular enough in its day to warrant a number of ports to various consoles and PCs but is quite a dull game by today's standards, being more a test of endurance than skill or wits. Thankfully, when it came time to release the game on NES, someone got the idea to make a new game rather than porting the arcade version, and they added many features that were uncommon at the time, which make this a very forward thinking game.

At a glance, it may appear that Rygar is your standard platformer with the addition of a unique attack. As his primary attack, the protagonist swings a shield on a chain. You can swing it quickly by rapidly pressing the button, and a very satisfying bop rings each time you hit the enemy. In terms of function, this is not all that different from using a long-sword or even a whip, as in Castlevania, but it does provide a different aesthetic. This method of attack was one of the few carryovers from the earlier title, and if you only play the first few screens, you might think that it was no better than its source material, but beyond the attack and a few graphical touches, this is a completely different game.

Evidently, the developers of this game agreed that the arcade release was a bit too standard, as they did everything possible to distinguish their work. Instead of a direct port, they have opted to apply liberal influence from some of the most popular Famicom titles at the time. The most direct point of comparison would be Metroid, as this is an open world platformer, but it also includes overhead sections that somewhat resemble The Legend of Zelda, and like that title, the tools are used mostly for traversing the world rather than for combat. Most notable of these items are a grappling hook, which allows the player to travel upward or downward, provided there is a viable grappling point, and a crossbow, which allows traversal over gaps that are too wide to jumped. The player also has a few magical spells at his disposal, including a health recharge, although I used these sparingly when I played. Additionally, there are light role-playing elements, as the player's strength and health can be leveled up over time.

All of these touches make for an interesting and diverse game with a combination of features that was unlike anything else in Rygar's time. 30 years later, some of that novelty has worn off with open ended platforming games like this becoming more common, but unlike so many games that we are seeing today, which may as well be clones of Metroid and its sequels, this one has a design philosophy that is all its own. The world of Rygar is small, but with some areas only reachable through the overhead sections, it really is not such a simple task getting through it. There are some NPC characters in the game that will give you hints or one of the five items required to complete the game, but no one explicitly tells you where to go next. Instead, you are simply left to explore the world, which goes a long way in making the environment seem larger than it actually is. At first, it feels quite daunting, particularly since the player only has one life, but with unlimited continues, that proves to be a non-issue. By the time I started finding items within the game, a rhythm began to develop, and I gained a greater sense of confidence. This gradual progression is one of the game's biggest assets.

The game also has excellent visuals and music to its credit. The opening scene with the sun posed high in a scrolling background is still quite striking today, and ironically enough, it's been so lodged in my mind that sometimes when I see the sun rising or setting, it calls to mind the visuals from the game. In general, all the various areas of the game are well drawn and distinct from each other, whether they be the caves, the mountain, or the forest, and none of them rely on gimmicks like fire or ice, which were so prevalent in those days. The setting is much more pastoral, feeling more like a Greek legend than high fantasy. The monster are likewise well drawn, sometimes looking quite threatening, particular the mechanical men. The music is quite melodious at times and usually adds to the wondrous atmosphere. One interesting detail is that the Famicom and NES versions actually have slightly different soundtracks, and it's a rare case where we got a better version in the West.

If there is any area of Rygar that could be improved, I do think that the overhead sections are more difficult to control than the side-scrolling ones, and the graphics in these sections sometimes seem unfinished or glitched. However, it's mostly in comparison that these sections are weak, as they still more or less work in their own right, and they do a lot to make the game different. Additionally, the game may have benefited from better balancing. The player is very weak at the start of the game, and by the end, you can be nearly unstoppable to regular enemies. Some players may like that approach, as it does lend a sense of accomplishment, but I feel that just getting used to your environment would be enough challenge towards the beginning of the game.

Overall, Rygar is a little rough around the edges, but it is a triumph of design, finding a lot of ways to incorporate innovations that were new in its era without straight-up copying them. Between the satisfying action and the brain-taxing exploration, it has plenty to provide in terms of play, and it is a surprisingly beautiful game as well. It is a common game that most NES or Famicom fans probably know, if they don't have it in their collection, but I get the feeling that too many people gave up on it without completing, which is a shame as it has so much to offer beyond its surface. It's easy to cast it aside as a generic action game with obtuse levels, but if you stick with it, you will discover one of the most underrated games in the console's library.