"Decent port over of a little known but excellent Square game"

I had played the original on the SNES when I first bought the system. At the time, it was one of the most original games I had ever played. Now, after all of these years I'm pleased to say that it still is a very original game on the new Wii console...but with a few flaws.

Here's my take on the new port....

Graphics - (8/10): When taking graphics into consideration, I try to base it on how it looked when compared to other consoles and games from the same generation that the SNES was in and not vs. Wii games or other current gen consoles. In this regard, Actraiser bounced from being a crisp, vibrant, artistic world during the action sequences to simplistic and minimalistic during the simulation modes and transportation between regions. To be honest, graphics were obviously not a priority during the sim development cycle of this game, but by that same note, it's not terrible either....everything looks like what it should.....people look like little stick people, goats and horses look like goats and horses, and so on. The "miracle" powers are nice and pretty when they happen as are the monster attacks (the monsters themselves, however, look a little cartoony but it's not a huge deal). Of course there's plenty of mode 7 scaling going on as well. Meanwhile, during the action, you get the flashy fireballs, lightning in the sky and backdrop, and fog effects that came with a top tier SNES game of the time. It's really a sight to behold. Basically, I subtracted a few points because from a graphics standpoint, the sim part does have some problems.....but again, it's not enough to take away from gameplay.

Sound - (9/10): This is classic Square composing right here....and again, keep in mind that it's not going to be using the maximum power of your wii in the sounds...but for 16 bit era music you can't go wrong with this game.

Controls - (6/10): Here's where things fall apart some. Back when the SNES was out, it had a control pad similar to the Wii's classic controller now. However, between the periods of SNES and Wii, there have been some major controller design changes. As with all VC games from the SNES you can use either the classic controller (which is sold separately) or if you're like me and own a purple lunchbox that was the last gen Nin console use the Gamecube controllers...and thus not pay for a controller. However, nintendo never bothered to include a button mapping or swapping feature for this or any other VC game (some other VC games suffer from the same problem). Now I understand that the original game didn't have this feature....but at the same time, this is emulation and in this day and age every modern day emulator going even as far back for some as the original Mame has the option to remap controls if you want to. Basically, this is just an issue of laziness that they didn't include the function and one that I hope Nin solves someday (perhaps with a patch for the system uploaded thru WiiConnect24 or a d/l). As it stands, the button placement on the Gamecube controllers can take some getting used to and do hamper gameplay until you do. If, however, you have a classic controller, then you wont have this problem. Outside of this of course, there are a few minor issues. While in the sim mode it can be hard to line up with targets coming from left to right with the stick on the Gamecube controller (prolly not an issue with the classic as well, but I don't know) due to the sensitivity. Also, inversely, movement during the times that you're directing development can also feel somewhat slow due to clunky controls and slower then expected targeting movement. In general, however, this 2 other points are not super serious in terms of playability.

Gameplay - (9/10) How many games can you name that could call themselves "Action/God Sim Hybrids"? Not many indeed....especially when you consider the sheer numbers of FPS, Standard RPG, or Sports games in comparison. You do gain some power via doing well during battles, but in general the only way you're going to get real powerful in the action sequences is to also do well in the sim portions as well. It's actually a great merger of two otherwise very different genres (which is why I was so surprised they didn't keep it in the next Actraiser sequel when it was released). The sim portions are not super hard but do require some minor micromanagement and some shooter like skills as you protect your people from roaming monsters and resolve environmental issues for them. Not complex and deep as one would expect from a true god sim....but it meshes well and is enjoyable. The action sequences are pure standard fighting/platforming affairs......but it plays very well and as you would expect it (with just a hint of delay between input and action, but hardly noticeable). Bosses fight with patterns, so after a while you will get the hang of it and of them......but still, it's definitely a game that oozes fun.

In conclusion:

After you beat this game it can be hard to find a reason to play it again. Thankfully, it has a decent amount of content to make that first playthru memorable. Ultimately, despite its flaws, this is a worthy addition to anyone's VC collection and seriously deserves a look from anyone looking to try something entertaining and fresh.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/18/07