"A computer classic that must be played on an Amiga to be fully enjoyed."

I got this game very soon after it's release in 1989. Ten years later, I still haven't beaten it. But nonetheless, this game is a work of true craftsmanship. Sure, it's a 2D side-scroller, but it's an invigorating challenge from start to...well, as far as I've gotten. The storyline goes that your character was stolen away in the middle of the night by a group of evil, cabalistic worshippers. Using evil magics, they transform you from a regular human child to a strange creature of mystic abilities and power. Then, they make you their message delivery boy.

Yeah, it's not much, but then years later, they make a fatal mistake: they kill your parents as you watch. This does not sit well with you, and you decide to make them all pay by going through and taking them all down one by one. We all know the revenge premise, but it feels good knowing that everyone you're taking down is unshiftingly evil.

The game progresses in a linear fashion (although seemingly non-linear due to the different directions you can go at the start) as you weave from below in a dark tree fortress to above ground interiors such as dank castles and graveyards. All the while you jump, punch, and grab objects to exact your revenge on the final enemy.

GRAPHICS: 10
This game didn't win awards for nothing. The whole game looks like something you can hang in your living room, with beautiful backdrops (esp. the plains backdrop with the mountains and the moon in the sky) that rival some 2D games today. The characters are all fairly large for the game screen with truly massive bosses. While there isn't any gore, there are several characters that are, shall we say, not pleasant. Level design and monsters vary dramatically from level to level.

SOUND: 10
This category doesn't get a 10 so much for sound as it does for music. The sound effects pale in comparison to the mood setting tunes (my personal favorite is the castle music with a mixture of gothic and techno beats). Although any game that samples the Aliens pulse rifle sound automatically gets a 10 in my book.

CONTROL: 9
Move left, move right, punch, jump and kick. Controls just don't get easier than that. My only gripe is that the character turns far too slowly. You really need to time things in order to get them right. Thank God they fixed this in the second one.

GAMEPLAY: 10
Despite the fact that I haven't beaten a game after owning it for ten years (go ahead! Laugh! I dare you!), this game still has a fun factor attached to it. The difficulty may put off some people, but it will call others back time and time again, hoping to see what lies in wait at the end.

I've played this game on other platforms, but they all pale in comparison. If you own an Amiga, and can find this game somewhere, get it. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99