Karnov

""Shut up and sit down you big bald...""

It took me a long time to get around to getting this game and playing through it to write a review for Karnov. So long in fact, that I was staring at a blank page for six months trying to decide how in the hell I was going to describe a game that really is odd in every sense of the word! Karnov is an action platforming game that puts a little bit of Super Mario in with some good old Ghosts ‘n Goblins making for a fun, yet extremely hard to play game. Underrated to an extent, but full of enough game play, this is one of the classic Nintendo Entertainment System games that had a decent Arcade predecessor!

The story line is one of the same types that you’ve heard and played before. Basically, you take control of Karnov, who is a circus strongman and try to save a priceless treasure from the evil dragon Ryu. Now, there is a point to the genre in which you use a story line a little too much, but in this case the ability to spit fireballs pretty much offsets the fact that you’ve played this story before. Through several stages, you’ll have to collect items to use and not get yourself killed in the process, which makes for a challenging game all the way around.

Game play in Karnov is your run of the mill action adventure in which its you against the enemy and all you have at your disposal is the fire you breathe and the items that you pick up. Where the game takes a slight twist is that you cannot jump, but rather you have to use ladders in order to get to higher places. For some gamers, the thought of actually having to use ladders to climb and objects to fly and swim may be something interesting, but for the rest it may seem like too much of a hassle. The enemies that you face are easily dispatched with the fireball, but you better have a plan for the bosses because they are tough.

Through your adventure, you’ll find small icons that give you different powers to use. However, when you’re trying to figure out what these things do, you have to be aware of what is going on around you and if you’re not careful, you may find yourself dead! Because Karnov can only take two hits before dying, you have to make sure that you have a course of action before you go running headlong into a group of enemies. This type of strategy is pretty much the same in any action game and if you’re into the action genre, then you shouldn’t have a problem picking up on the game!

Control is another factor that takes a little getting used to. Because Karnov uses items and you have to use the directional pad to move, you’ll be constantly selecting items every time that you press the directional pad. What this does is create a problem in which you have to stop and press the directional pad in order to use the item that you need, instantly causing you to take damage that is cheaply given! Whatever the motive behind this was, I’ll never know and for those of you who are looking for solid control, you just won’t find it here in this game.

Visually, Karnov is about as basic as it gets without going to crayons and paper. The stages, while interesting to roll through in terms of enemies is simply devoid of any type of life and you’ll find that looking at the overly bright colors is enough to drive you mad. Character designs and detailing is also put at a serious minimum, with Karnov looking as though he’s raising his arm to whip fireballs for his armpit and it just doesn’t look flowing or natural! Another problem that the game seems to bring up on a consistent basis is that the images seem to break up and fall apart if there is too much action, adding more confusion to the mix!

The audio that you find here is repeating on every stage with the music attempting to be adventurous and action filled, but because it repeats through all of the nine stages, you won’t hear anything new. What will also catch your attention is that there are no special tunes for the bosses, and with that being said, you’ll be looking for a long play time with just that one tune. The sound effects are pretty interesting, but you may find that the game just doesn’t seem to have all of the adventure game effects other than the tossing of the fireball and the popping of the enemies when they get hit. All in all, there isn’t much here and it makes for a pretty boring listening experience!

Karnov is a game that just doesn’t seem to have anything going for it in any sense of the phrase. You’ll find that the game play can be slightly confusing if you’re never played a game of this type before and some of the mechanics that come with it are completely off. Another problem that you’ll find is with the crappy controls that just doesn’t have the push and the drive or the precision that you need in an action game, so be prepared for that as well. The audio and the visuals aren’t up to par either, regardless of whether or not this is an old game for the Nintendo Entertainment System!

If you’re looking for games to collect, then you can pick this one up exceptionally cheap and add it to the collection simply based on it being a NES game. However, if you’re looking for a game that has some depth and really presents itself well, not looking to collect and just play, then you need to look elsewhere and find something that is done in a better fashion and gives the gamer a fair chance at playing!

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 01/27/02, Updated 01/27/02