"What the Hell IS a Terranigma?"

What do you get when you combine a weird name with Illusion of Gaia, Soul Blazer, and Zelda-type gameplay? You get Terranigma, an excellent game, but not perfect.

In Terranigma, you play the role of a traditional ''save the world from oblivion hero''. However, the story is more than just this simple description; you're in charge of raising up all the continents and life of the land after you inadvertantly release a demon in the world. Along the way, you meet a few interesting characters (not a whole lot) and unravel the mysteries of this strange and mysterious land, which resembles our own Earth...

The gameplay is very similiar to another game, Illusion of Gaia. The perspective is overhead, and your character moves around, slaying enemies with various weapons, mainly variations of a spear. You have a full range of movement, as in Zelda. However, it also combines an equipment and hit point aspect, which is not seen in Zelda.

As a result, Terranigma provides more depth than Zelda. However, it can't really match the tightness and cohesiveness of Illusion of Gaia. The control is a bit below average; running is executed well, at a one button touch, but everything else feels sloppy, and rushed. Sometimes, enemies are too close for you to attack; there's no way to escape, and you have to get hit.

Terranigma is not an easy game. Besides the sometimes cheap enemy AI, it is also not easy to kill enemies, and the bosses are heinously difficult. Healing is also not easily accomplished; you have to go to a seperate menu for it, and then use the item. Things could have gone much more smoothly if one button was devoted to healing spells and items, much like with the running.

You're not totally powerless against all the baddies in the game; your hero can execute some neat attack, such as a powerful rolling ball attack and a dash attack. However, when they're busy attacking you with the same cheap rolling attack move over and over again, you might not be able to get off the powerful attacks that require running space.

Despite the gameplay flaws, Terranigma is still a refreshing game. The story keeps you playing, overlooking the somewhat serious flaws with the combat system. It's not great, but it's not awful either.

Graphically, Terranigma is a pleasure to the eye. There's many eye-popping visuals, which are simply unbelievable for a Super Nintendo game. Seeing a sun rise over an African day is majestic, as are the other panouts and angles in the game.

Terranigma is also stellear in the audio department. There is a rich orchestrated score, which changes with the scenario. A dungeon has a faster, darker paced theme, while the towns have an upbeat, cheery sound, with lots of wood instruments. A high point of the game.

Overall, Terranigma could have been better in the gameplay aspects, but the presentation values, mainly story, graphics, and sound, make it an enjoyable game. Take it for a play or two, chances are you won't be sorry.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/23/01, Updated 08/23/01