Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage

"Wow, look! All of the characters can talk without moving their mouth!"

Aidyn Chronicles has been hailed as the first 'proper' RPG for the Nintendo 64. Sure, Zelda did have RPG elements in it, but it was dubbed as more of an adventure game.
It's strange, though. When you play Zelda, you can't help but think, ''Wow! If this is what RPGs are like, I want to play more!'' This is the exact reason I bounded eagerly up to the Aidyn Chronicles cartridge, expecting an excellent gaming experience.
Within an hour, I was in tears. Why? Read on....

Graphics:
''What the hell? Is the screen turned on?'' This will be your first reaction when seeing Aidyn Chronicles. It won't be long til' you're wishing that the screen was turned off though, because Aidyn Chronicles' graphics (if you can call them that) are absolutely risible. The main character, Alaron, walks as if his legs are broken in at least sixty-five places, and his face is as sharp as a knife. Indeed, this is a face not even his mother could love.
The graphics are awarded a three.

Sound:
Very, very weird. Aidyn Chronicles has hardly any music at all. Why? I have absolutely no idea. You'll be chundering along in your quest, and suddenly you'll think, ''It's awfully quiet in this area.'' But then you'll discover that it's been quiet EVERYWHERE. About the only thing that emits from the speakers throughout the course of the game is the yelp your player lets out when he/she is hit in Battle Mode. Pathetic.
The sound is awarded 1.

Gameplay:
Aidyn Chronicles is split into two modes of play: there's the Adventure Mode, where you walk through the massive forests and villages on your quest, and there is Battle Mode. You encounter Battle Mode whenever a monster or enemy of some sort spots you.
This is where Aidyn Chronicles becomes truly perplexing. You use the Z trigger to crawl up behind the enemy, so that you'll have an advantage when the screen changes to Battle Mode by being behind him and being up close to him. However, for a reason that is unknown to everyone, Battle Mode changes EVERYTHING. By this, I mean that if you creep up on a solitary wolf, you can enter Battle Mode and find that you are suddenly facing six wolves. What the? And, if you creep up to an enemy so you will be close to it in Battle Mode, your efforts will be for bought, because in Battle Mode you are carried about 20 miles away from the enemy NO MATTER WHAT.
Luckily, Adventure Mode, whilst boring at times, is at least a lot better than the stupid Battle Mode.
Gameplay is awarded a 4.

STORY:
I don't usually include a 'Story' segment in my reviews, but in Aidyn Chronicles it would be wrong not to because- and this is the harsh truth- the Story is the only thing that'll make you want to keep playing. The text-based banter between all the characters is very well scripted.
The story gets an 8.

Well, then. That's it. Only extreme, extreme, extreme hardcore RPG fans will be the ones happy with Aidyn Chronicles. For the rest of us, we will find this game illogical (Battle Mode), boring (most of the Adventure Mode) and graphically inferior to most Atari games I've seen. Put simply, I find The New Tetris on the N64 more exciting. Maybe.
Either way, get Zelda instead. You'll thank me for it!

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 08/05/01, Updated 08/05/01