Blah platform/hack & slash actioner where you control a warrior named after Greek mythology, armed with an axe that can deliver more powerful blows if you wait awhile inbetween strikes (a power meter fills up). To assist you are little statues/columns that spring up from the ground here and there; strike them twice and a power-up item will appear; it may be a shield (which takes a few strikes before disappearing), a life restore, a magic attack which can be released with a third button, etc. Save your magic for the boss at the end of the level; they have several life digits compared to your four! At the "CONTINUE" prompt, you'll get a preview of the main boss (but the 2nd to last boss) taunting you; he's some kind of druid or dark priest. If you care enough to try to finish the game and beat him, you'll actually play a level based on the movie ALIENS, which comes out of nowhere and has nothing to do with anything! After beating the Queen alien you've truly beaten the game and deserve a medal for wasting 20 minutes of your life that you'll never get back. Much better is the NES port of Astyanax. It not only has little anime-styled cutscenes, but the challenge, music, and general gameplay is much better (not to mention you have a much bigger lifebar, and can use more magic). Also, you can use an invincibility code! It is: Up, Up, Up, Up, Down, Left, Right, Up and Start at the Title Screen (you'll hear a tone if you did it right). Also, you can use a Level Select: Press Up, Down, Left, Right, B, B, B, B and Start at the Title Screen. To continue at the Game Over screen press A, B, Select and Start. Yeah, give the NES version a try and skip the arcade version. Not Jaleco's finest hour (that would be the awesome BASES LOADED, one of my favorite NES games!). The arcade version is also called THE ASTYANAX or LORD OF KING (!).

• published: 06 Feb 2014
• views: 29