ActRaiser

"Look, do you want a happy God or a vengeful God?"

The world is lost. Having upset the fragile balance between darkness and light, Satan and his allies assault the heavens; unable to match their combined might, the loving God fights valiantly but is ultimately forced to abandon his creation and seal his domain. Lost in a fathomless, healing slumber, he is unaware as the Earth transforms for the worse in his absence – all the earth is ruthlessly conquered by Satan’s minions and slowly becomes a barren ruin populated only by demons. Centuries pass, and at last he awakens to find his worshippers only a memory, and with them his powers. There’s only one thing left for a fallen deity to do: return to the Earth in a physical incarnation and unleash some Old Testament scourging and wrath upon the devil and his children.

The Super Nintendo enjoys a countless number of action-filled platformers as well as numerous simulation-style games. ActRaiser falls somewhere in between, incorporating action, world building, and a touch of role-playing. The Earth is sundered into six separate lands: the grasslands of Fillmore, marshes of Bloodpool, arid desert Kasandora, mountainous Aitos, tropical jungles of Marahna, and wintry snowfield Northwall. Each of these lands begins with a side-scrolling Act I, an action stage in which God enters the form of his graven image and smites the unbelievers. Departing the sky, his essence plunges into the vibrant forests of Fillmore to begin the quest, hopping from tree to tree in the beautiful woodland and facing a giant centaur accompanied by the clashing of cymbals and steel. In another, majestic trumpets rage along with the battle across the ramparts of an ancient castle while in the distance the full moon casts its reflection into blood-red waters. Or perhaps you would prefer a somber, deliberate dirge for your trudge across lonely blankets of snow and caverns of ice? The large character sprites and excellent backgrounds are accompanied by Yuzo Koshiro’s sweeping score as it unfolds in a classic orchestral style, all aptly displaying the potential of the then-newfangled console.

Once you have cut a suitable swath of law and order in this hostile world, the land is generally safe for human habitation and the overhead Simulation mode may begin. Assuming command of your cherubic assistant and his trusty bow, you must protect your newfound flock from the various monsters remaining in the land until they can fend for themselves. That is to say, the people, not the monsters. While your cherub cannot actually perish, exhausting his health will leave him unable to attack the monsters, leaving them free to enjoy their predilections toward slaughter and pillage. Fear not, soon enough the mortals will take heart and begin sealing the lairs from which these monsters spawn, because God helps those who help themselves. The simulation phase, while an interesting concept, is a tad too simplistic for its own good; you control the direction in which the city will develop, which essentially amounts to marching towards the monsters’ lairs and subsequently proceeding to cover every inch of the map. The actual construction is handled automatically, so unfortunately your cities suffer from a pronounced lack of variety as they will largely turn out the same every time. Of course, to truly bequeath unto your people the wonders of civilization and max out the populace you’ll have to rain merciful lightning down upon your earliest worshippers and their ugly straw huts, making way for the more affluent dwellings and their greater capacity. It’s all in the name of progress; I'm sure your people would be the first to agree if their auditory organs weren't reduced to soot.

What’s the point of this world building? The Earth’s population amounts to God’s experience meter, raising his divine level of righteous mystery and translating into a longer health meter for those pesky action stages. Each map also hides useful items such as extra lives, magic scrolls, or perhaps even a powerful spell, provided you can direct the people into finding them. Fortunately there’s more to godhood than architecture and constant smiting – being an omnipotent entity, your followers will shower you with offerings such as temporary power-ups for the angel, the invention of music, or the discovery of fuzzy pants. Some of these gifts will prove useful in other lands; the cultivation of Bloodpool’s grain will allow your future settlement in Aitos to grow larger, for instance, while Marahna’s medicines will surely be appreciated back in the harsh deserts of Kasandora. In return for these offerings, your worshippers will often pray for deliverance from unsightly bushes and parched crops, requiring you to flex some immortal muscle with a few good old fashioned miracles such as Rain, Wind, Earthquakes, and the aforementioned Lightning. Each disaster/miracle costs a specific number of SPs, which increase with level and regenerate along with your angel’s health every minute or so as the people scamper about and build. Interestingly, the costs of your godly powers are dramatically higher than those of the Japanese version, requiring that you slowly replenish them and thereby extend the life of this mode. How subtle.

Immediately upon clearing the last monster lair, some horrible cataclysm will invariably befall the fledging settlement and onward we go unto Act II and its renewed focus on action. While Act I is often straightforward and largely horizontal, these offerings are far more convoluted, even mazelike, and take you up and about all over the place. Only by slaying the master of this realm will you able to (hopefully) ensure peace in that particular region. Were you able to find any spells or scrolls? Each scroll allows one casting of whichever spell you may have equipped in advance, resulting in a flashy attack that will quickly make paste out of your foes, bosses included. Spent scrolls are replenished with the successful conclusion of each Act, resulting in unnecessarily high numbers as your inventory grows; nothing is going to stand up to eight Holy Light of Doom attacks, so please try to exercise some self-control, okay?

Yes, the Super Nintendo version of ActRaiser sadly suffers from a decided lack of difficulty. The action stages are filled with predictable foes and numerous health restoratives, the bosses inflicting paltry damage while quickly falling to your onslaught of hacking and slashing even without the benefit of magic. Completing the game unlocks the hidden “Professional Mode,” a journey consisting of all the action levels inhabited by tougher enemies and made without the aid of magic. Playing the Japanese version also offers a greater challenge; the action stages similarly contain a greater number of enemies who can both receive and inflict more damage than their Western cousins. In addition, the magic system is far more logical; each spell has an MP cost equal to its level; the fourth and final spell can only be used once or twice before depleting the player’s entire stock of scrolls. This higher level of difficulty and sensible magic restriction makes playing ActRaiser far more worthwhile; it’s a shame that Enix didn’t feel the US market was up to the challenge. Correcting this mistake, the European release does away with Professional Mode in favor of “Story Mode” and “Action Mode.” Both modes, selectable from the beginning, allow the player to choose between the three levels of difficulty, although spellcraft is regrettably identical to the American release.

An above-average platformer with a twist, ActRaiser makes for an entertaining hybrid. Sadly, we have not seen a game quite like it since. Developer Quintet might have refined their execution and released a more interactive and complex sequel, likely to great acclaim, but instead took another path, focusing solely on pure action for the tough-as-nails ActRaiser 2. Nevertheless, the original remains a memorable, innovative experience and a well-timed launch title – the lush graphics, Mr. Koshiro’s masterful composing, and the fresh concept come together and showcase what gamers could expect from Nintendo’s long-awaited 16-bit hardware. Should you find yourself browsing the local used-game store or alternatively wake up and find yourself in 1991, please consider giving yourself a very special gift . . . the gift of God.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/06/03, Updated 01/06/03