Equinox

"A well-paced adventure/puzzle game"

When I first played this game a number of years ago I did not know that it was a sequel to an NES game, Solstice. I have since played both games, and while Solstice may be much more challenging, this one is certainly more approachable.

As with the original, this game has an isometric point of view, and the controls appropriately feel a bit awkward at first. However, they do get a bit easier once you play it a bit. There is both an overworld and an underworld in this game, with randomly appearing bats and trolls in the overworld (where you can replenish your lives and magic points), and ghosts, knights, and other assorted minor baddies in the underworld levels.

The graphics are decent for an early Super Nintendo game. They are a bit cartoonish and animated in nature, befitting the game's fantasy setting. Bosses in the underworld are large, sometimes filling much of the room. Music is generally quiet and ambient in nature, except for the boss music, which is loud and fast paced. Other than that, sounds are passable for what they represent: the grinding of stones, the whoosh of weapons through the air, and so on.

I mentioned before that the controls take some getting used to. Well, you had better. The main challenges in this game come not from the enemies, which are generally predictable and easily dealt with, but the puzzles, which often play tricks with how you must view the isometric, three dimensional layout of the game. Most of these puzzles involve pushing large blocks, jumping on large blocks, jumping from platform to platform at various heights, or any combination of the three. Often you must do all this while not landing on spikes on the floor. It's challenging, but the puzzles start off easy and gradually get more difficult, so there isn't too much of a learning curve, and also not a whole lot of frustration. But if you're looking for fast-paced, non-stop action, don't look here.

Boss fights are the only exception to this rule: they are often fast-paced, frantic, and challenging. This is both because of and in addition to the fact that you must do it without getting hit. In this game, one hit, by spikes or touching an enemy, and you lose a life and have to start the room over. Fortunately, you can gain back lost lives by picking up apples, either by picking them up along the way or by beating up on the occasional troll in the overworld.

The story is rather inconsequential to the game; it involves your character trying to rescue his kidnapped father (the character from Solstice) from an evil wizard. But that isn't really a major issue in the game; it really shines in the gameplay department.

Overall, I believe that this is quite a good game, and if you like puzzle and adventure games, this is well worth looking for.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/30/02, Updated 01/30/02