Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

"Breathes Life back into Gaming"

Maximo, while far from perfect, is an incredible game. It all boils down to one simple reason. Old-skool. Maximo feels like you're playing an old game with new tricks. Other than 2 minor problems, it's as close to perfect as possible.

Graphics 9/10
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The graphics are great. Instead of creating something dark and eerie, Capcom created a very cartoony feel. Somehow it fits the game. But even with that trait, it still looks excellent. Leaves shake as you run through them, water ripples, and enemy skeletons swing lances at you. Even with the intense action, things still stand out, which, in my book, is a plus. I can distinctly remember a dull grey-ish black level which felt terrible. Then, near the end, an incredible looking, brightly colored flower showed up. It looked so great that I nearly got hit.

Sound/Music 7/10
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One of the only weak points. The music is okay but I didn't really develop a feel for it. Also, the sounds are decent. The clash of a sword on a shield is realistic enough, but the sounds really just consists of crashing. Not the best thing ever.

Control 9/10
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The control rocks. The moves flow well and are very simple. They suit the game perfectly and respond well. No fancy combos needed here. Just lightning reflexes. However, the real plus for me was how classic they felt. X jumped, Square slashed, O three the shield. It actually felt like an old game, as opposed to many new ones that try to create their own feel.

Gameplay 9/10
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This is what the game is about. Being an action game, it plays quickly, but no that quickly. It's just fast enough to give the average person time to anticipate a move. Speaking of which, that's what the game is about. The enemies (for the most part) have completely different attack patterns. To win, you must find a quick and effective means of dealing with each enemy type. However, unlike most games these days, it's completely merciless. If you slip up, it will hurt. A lot. Therefore, your play must be perfect. I'm serious about this, 1 or 2 mistakes will kill you. The enemies will take advantage of every opening you make, forcing you to practice. And believe me, practice is good. Most games these days will take one try per level, maybe two on the tougher stages. Yet in this, the third stage took me 5 tries. By the end, I knew almost everything about the stage and how to deal with everything. Having that feeling is wonderful.

Now for the problems. Maximo has two distinct ones. One of which is the camera. It can get nasty by taking far too long to center. Then there's the big problem, saving. It kosts 100 of your precious koins to save. This wouldn't be a big deal since it's easy to get 100 koins, however, you need them. I have gotten stuck because of it. There was one level I couldn't pass without extra armor, but I was on my last continue... I really had no good choice because if I failed, my hard work would go to waste, and if I saved, I wouldn't have enough money to afford the needed armor. My recommendation to you is that you should play several levels in a row so you'll save up the koins.

Overall, Maximo is brilliant. I rate it 8/10 (not an average) and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a challenge. (If not, please shy away or rent)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/22/02, Updated 09/22/02