"A 2D platformer that is also an RPG"

Cadash is a 2D platformer with a ‘swords and sorcery' setting. What makes this game stand out is that it is also an RPG. Your character levels up with experience and becomes more powerful by defeating enemies. Different enemies give different amounts of experience after being defeated. When playing this game, you may want to spend some time leveling your character up. Cadash has a 2 player option where both players have their character on the screen at once and play cooperatively.

In Cadash you select one of the two characters (fighter or mage). The fighter is tougher, stronger and has a greater weapon range than the mage. The mage can cast spells he learns. The mage improves his stats each time he gains a level and learns a new spell after gaining several levels. When selecting a character, the game text says that the warrior is good for beginners and the mage gains power quickly. The arcade and Turbo Grafix 16 versions of Cadash had two other characters; a ninja that threw shurikens and a priestess that could cast healing and defense spells. From what I have read, the Turbo Grafix 16 version otherwise doesn't seem much different to the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) version.

Defeated enemies usually leave bags of gold behind and sometimes they leave behind items. Between dungeons/caves/etc are towns or safe areas with shops and inns. You can spend gold on buying new weapons, armour or items and you can spend gold at an inn to restore all of your hit points and magic points. The game-play is linear but the area layout isn't. You can choose to go back to older levels and towns and sometimes you need to. The level layout and game-play is similar to that of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap.

The music is quite good and the sound effects are ok. The graphics are quite good for one of the older Sega Mega Drive games. The graphics are of a similar style to those of the Rastan Saga.

The story is neither original nor important. Your adventurer is trying to save a kingdom from an evil demon called Balrog and his minions. Talking to people in towns adds slightly more detail to this but what they have to say is more important to the next set of tasks to complete.

Despite having fewer characters than other versions, the Mega Drive version of Cadash is still well worth playing. The leveling up feature works well and I am surprised that very few (if any) 2D platformers had that feature.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/27/06