Super Fantasy Zone

"Too bad this was never a U.S. release, because it's a colorful, addictive shooter worthy of the "Fantasy Zone" series."

The good thing about writing a review like this is that since this game was released only in Japan – and probably Europe as well – it is probable that I will be telling most people about this game for the first time. The bad thing about this kind of review is that since the game is for such a now-old system, it is not likely that most people will even find this review unless they are actually looking for it, which seems unlikely given its anonymity. :) Anyone who was a fan of the old Fantasy Zone series (as I definitely was) may or may not realize that there was actually a 16-bit sequel to this game created for the Mega Drive (non-American name for Sega’s “Genesis”) that, despite the popularity of the series, was not released in the United States. That game was called “Super Fantasy Zone,” and is the topic of this review (duh! Like you couldn’t figure that out!).

Super Fantasy Zone, unlike its predecessors, was actually produced by Sunsoft, not Sega. However, you really cannot tell any difference, because they do a great job of keeping it true to theme, and very much like the original game in gameplay, graphics, and sound. For anyone not familiar with this series (shame on you! No, just kidding…) this is a colorful, bright shooter in which you control Opa-Opa, a spaceship who sets out to save the world from all the other alien bad guy forces. By the way, is it just me, or does it seem unfair to send one ship out to destroy an entire enemy fleet? Our country would have been destroyed long ago if we deployed that kind of military strategy…LOL! But anyways, back to the game, your objective is to fly through each colorful, almost cartoony level (this definitely isn’t a blood and guts kind of shooter; it’s kinda like putting Mario or Sonic at the helm of a spaceship and asking them to fly through their colorful levels), destroy all the enemy bases floating throughout the level, avoid or destroy all the enemy ships that are out to get you, and fight and defeat a boss at the end of each level. Along the way, you will receive coins from the bases and bad guys, which you use to enter Shops. Shops come in the form of bright red balloons that pop down from the sky at certain times during the game (most often at the beginning of a level) and can be entered to purchase speed and weapon power-ups for your ship. Opa-Opa will come already equipped with regular bullets and single bombs in unending supply, but you will definitely want to avail yourself of the power-ups in the Shop (especially the speed ones!). Some items found in the Shop prove very helpful for one specific level, and it’s up to you to figure out which one.

Graphics: Bright, detailed, and colorful; in other words, typical of the series. These are 16-bit quality backgrounds and sprites. Fans of more serious shooters may not be thrilled with the tone of the game, but most gamers should find it quite cool and intriguing (or at least original). The intro and ending sequences, new additions to this series, are also colorful and well done. Very cool addition. Rating: 9

Sound: These tunes, like all FZ series tunes, will get stuck in your head whether you love them or hate them. I like them, personally. Very cartoony, spacey quality to the music and sound effects without being annoying or too corny. And for a touch of welcome nostalgia for all of us old FZ fans, the sound test includes remixed versions of all of the original FZ level music! Very cool! Rating: 9

Control: Even better than before. The ship responds to your direction perfectly. And the moves are not hard to figure out; one button fires your bullets, one fires your bombs, and one fires any special weapons you might have acquired in the Shop. Think you can figure that out, or is it too complicated???? Rating: 10

Gameplay: Ehhhh…don’t get me wrong, the original FZ was loads of fun, but this is a 16-bit system! The levels could have been a little bigger. What Sunsoft REALLY should have done was to pattern this game after Fantasy Zone 2, which included warp zones and multiple areas in each level and made the game much bigger and longer and more fun. Instead, they made this game more like Fantasy Zone 1, with one area per level. Fun, but pretty short. I know the Genesis could have handled this; look how big and plentiful the Sonic levels are! And the end-of-round bosses, which typically are a real challenge, seemed a bit easier than normal in this game. A great, fun game that is very well done and worthy of the FZ series, don’t get me wrong, but I have to take a point or two off for being too short, especially for 16-bit. Rating: 7

Funfactor: This is not really a “secrets” game, with reasons to go back and play it again, but if you’re like me, the game is so fun that you’ll find yourself playing it repeated times anyway. Still, many gamers may not find a reason to go back after you’ve beaten everything, except maybe to beat it on a harder difficulty level. Rating: 7

Overall: This game is one of my all-time favorites, despite the fact that it is a bit on the short side. It is a surprisingly addictive game! Still, if it had been patterned more like FZ 2, with secrets and multiple areas for each level, it might have been my undisputed all-time favorite. All in all, a worthy effort of a shooter that is a strong addition to the Fantasy Zone series. If you can actually find it (which is a bigger challenge than playing the actual game!!!!) you should enjoy it. Rating: 8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/01, Updated 07/20/01