Whirlo

"Challenging, but a bit childish."

Here's the story: In the land of Sandros, where Whirlo and his people lived, Alsandra mountain exploded, (which really had to suck) sinking it beneath the earth's surface. Of course, there has to be a bad guy in every game, so the arch fiend Malix was freed from her subterranean prison. Crap. Well, anyway, she spread Ashes of Despair across Sandros, letting loose a deadly plague. Well, things can't get much worse, can they? Whoops, they did! Whirlo's son was stricken by the plague! What's a humble little guy to do? Welp, what can you do, Whirlo decided to save his son. This is where you take control of Whirlo. Now let's take a detailed look at the game, starting with whatever I can think of.

Graphics: 8/10
For a 1992 game, the graphics were superb. Of course, this was a well known company called Namco. Not like one of the many now-bankrupt companies of those days. Unfortunately, much of the game appears as a child's cartoon, and some animations, especially those of Whirlo, are of cartoonish nature. not that that's a bad thing.

Sound: 7/10
The sound is (I think) synthesized. No samples. There are a bunch of cartoony sounds, and some that sound like an old arcade game(Namco=Pac-Man). I don't mind though, they don't really get in the way, and the music is louder. :)

Music: 9/10
The music is well put and unforgettable. I find myself looking to listen to the main theme often. The majority of the time, the music is well-suited to each area. The main theme is most often heard, and sounds heroic. Well done, Namco!

Gameplay: 7/10
Every part of this game is a challenge. Whirlo has a number of skills he must use (and you must master)to achieve his goals. a normal jump, a high jump(the high jump will be noticeably higher with a running start), a long jump, an attack with his pitchfork, a downward dive with his pitchfork while in the air, a spinning attack while in the air, and a forward lunge with the pitchfork. These skills are easy to use, but I find they are needed a bit too often. Also, being touched by the enemy or falling off a cliff or in a pit kills you. By the way, I know some of you may have evil impulses, but you may soon find out what happens to you. Don't worry, there's a password feature in case you lose.

Control: 5/10
For an action game, you won't see much more action than this. In the levels close to the end, you may find yourself with no lives left soon. The game is quite realistic at times. fall from too high a place, and you will be penalized with Whirlo getting dazed from the fall. You might be killed by an enemy during this time. also, falling from a not so high distance, Whirlo needs time to stand back up. (when you hit the ground on your feet, you need to pause too, or you'd probably fall down.) There are many situations in which, say, not hitting anything with your forward lunge, waste time. Oftentimes even during the easier levels you find yourself struggling to complete your objective.

Overall: 7/10
If you get over all the things you might hate about this game, you will find it very enjoyable. Although the end leaves much to be desired. Like as in, ''what happens next? Is there a sequel?'' I won't spoil the end details, but it is somewhat worth seeing. By the way, I hinted earlier there is more than one ending. But you WILL know when you see the good ending. A great game to have.

Buy or Rent: Any
If you can find this rare little gem, get it. It's very good, and probably is very cheap if you can find it at someone's yard sale. If you feel this review has made you interested, then by all means, find the game somewhere. You won't regret it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/29/03, Updated 04/29/03