Phantom 2040

"Quite possibly the greatest 2-D Platformer ever made."

Introduction
Phantom 2040. This game pretty much has it all. While it may not be THE ABSOLUTE best (but then again, at the review title, it MIGHT REALLY BE) this game is definitely one of the best. Items, difficulty, exploration, and music! I've played games as good as Super Metroid and Yoshi's Island, which seemed to be the best side-scrolling platformers. They're excellent classics, but they can only hold their own against this game so much. Let's start, shall we?

Graphics: 9/10
The game's graphics are excellent! From the detail of the world map, to the in-game screening, this game's visuals are quite good. Especially even after so many years. I'd say that it matches Super Metroid.

Sound: 10/10

Beam noises are good, but the music is where this game really shines! Especially that kind that gets your heart pumping. Generally, that's boss music, like the one in the sewers later on in the game. It's all good.

Gameplay: 10/10

Okay. This is where the game shines brighter than almost any SNES game I've played. The game has exploration, and you can search for items. It pretty much crosses two of the best SNES games together, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Metroid. Super Metroid for it's deepness in exploration and 2-D platforming elements, and Zelda for how you use your items. Items range from a Wave Punch, to a shield, to a nasty attack that can destroy many enemies on screen. Come to think of it, Phantom 2040's items are probably at the same level, if not better, than Zelda's. Heck, you can even summon a Panther to do your dirty work! And the difficulty level is decent. Like the boss fight in the sewers I mentioned above. After that, you have to escape the sludge by going UPWARDS and jumping on platforms, and that sludge moves FAST! One false move, and it's over. Also, this game is a choose-your-own-adventure type. Like, sometimes, when you get to a point when you're talking to two guys, you can speak with either one (but only one) and get to do their mission.

Replay: 5/10

Boo! Boo! Boo at the password system! That's this game's biggest flaw. 4 lines of passwording in order to get back to your last saved point. This might be what holds this game back from being the best. And beating the game a bunch of times to get the different endings (which is intriguing) doesn't help at all, either. But overall, it's still a fun experience playing the game again. Just not the 20+ characters for passwords every time you start the game again.

Overall: 9/10

Great game. Bad password system. But this game is still great. And this is coming from someone who hasn't played this game for six years (I rented it twice) and still can say that it's better than many games that I've played. But yeah. Super Metroid & Zelda kinda crossed here.

Buy or Rent? Buy. If you like great games and platformers (in general, let alone just 2-D), you gotta get this game!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/04