Crystalis (GBC - 1990)

Epilepsy Warning: Skip about 10 seconds from 0:40 to 0:50. The text during this section states: "When war overtook the entire planet, some thought the true end had come." After being awoken, I enter the starting town of Leaf. Picking up the first sword, the Sword of Wind, gives the first example of the digitized human speech advertised on the back of the box (did they really consider the hero holding aloft the sword to be a "cinematic"?). Getting my first task from the four magicians, the miller magically appears for me to awaken (the reload was to confirm that the miller wasn't there before talking to Zebu, as well as seeing what the dialog for the miller is before using the flute), and I'm able to repair Leaf's windmill. Zebu then rewards me with my first spell. He then tasks me with defeating the vampire in the newly accessible cave. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

I head off to slay a vampire. In the vampire's cave, I pick up the Ball of Wind to upgrade the Sword of Wind. Defeating the vampire on my first try, Zebu rewards me with the Rabbit Boots. After exploring the rest of the cave, I exit and make my way to the town of Brynmaer. After upgrading my shield, I retrieve Akahana's Onyx Statue, receiving a Gas Mask as a reward. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

Since he was mentioned in Brynmaer, I go train with Tornel. I really thought there was something more to the duel with Stom than just repeatedly attacking as fast as you can. Defeating Stom, Tornel teaches me the Telepathy spell. Venturing into the south path to Mt. Sabre, I get my first game over. Being placed back at the entrance to the mountain with full health started me wondering what the downside of dying is. With the one enemy I ran into being a major step up in difficulty, I'm fairly certain that I shouldn't try tackling this area yet. Checking out the north path to Mt. Sabre and encountering the wall I was told about, that leaves one path left to try. Entering the swamp and watching my health quickly drained, I start really testing out what happens when you die. It looks like the only downside is losing the Experience gained since you saved. Using the gas mask to survive the swamp, I eventually find the town of Oak. With the inhabitants hating humans, the only thing to do here is find the child who wandered into the swamp. Finding the child and leading him back to Oak, his mother rewards me with the insect flute to summon the monster terrorizing the swamp. The town elder gives me the Sword of Fire to slay the monster. It took a handful of tries, but I finally defeated it, getting the Ball of Fire as a reward. Tornel appears, tells me that a powerful item for the Sword of Wind is on top of the southern peak of Mt. Saber and to meet him there. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

Wandering around Mt. Sabre for way too long, I do find the Tornado Bracelet. It took me quite a while to realize that a fully charged shot costs MP, which made me never actually use fully charged attacks again, other than to see what they looked like. Finally finding Tornel, after congratulating me on finding the bracelet, he tells me Dragonia and his General Kelbesque attacked Leaf, taking all the townspeople (a bit of a hint there in the wording) to Dragonia's Flying Tower. To help me get back there as fast as possible, Tornel teaches me the Teleport spell. I would have thought Telepathy would be needed to talk to the rabbit-like creature in Leaf. I started using the 2nd save spot just in case there was a power outage happened after saving but before ending the recording. It's a good thing since the Retro Freak started crashing occasionally. Considering it hadn't happened prior makes me think having multiple saves in the game being played might be the cause. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

Heading to the north path to Mt. Sabre, Zebu removes the wall since I know the Teleport spell. Finding the people kidnapped from Leaf, I then defeat General Kelbesque on my 2nd try, getting the Flame Bracelet he drops. Zebu then rewards me with the Paralysis spell. Exiting the cave, it's a short walk to the next town, Portoa. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

In the town of Portoa, using the newly learned Paralysis spell to reach the queen, she tasks me with discovering the town's secret in order for her to help me out. While trying to figure out what I need to do, I decide to go exploring the area and stumble across a cave behind the waterfall northeast of Portoa. Finding a couple people who have been turned to stone blocking the path further in, I leave since I don't have what's needed to cure them. Still at a loss as to what I need to do, I eventually happen to speak to the queen again, which trips the necessary flag. This leads to the third magician, Asina, revealing herself and giving me the Flute of Lime to cure the actual queen who is one of the people turned to stone in the cave. Curing the queen, I continue exploring the cave and find the Sword of Water. Thinking there is some dialog that I'm missing by not returning to Portoa before finding the sword, I reload. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

Back at the Waterfall Cave, I again find the Sword of Water. Exploring the rest of the cave I find another Flute of Lime to cure the nearby petrified man. He was looking for a special lamp, likely the Fog Lamp, and gives me the Shield Ring as thanks for saving him yet again. Wandering around trying to find the cave where the Fog Lamp should be, I stumble into a cave where I've given the Ball of Water, which allows me to see a recording of my fellow warrior-magician Mesia. Realizing that I can reach whatever that greenish thing in the water in Portoa is, Asina rewards me with the Recover spell as I approach where I can create an ice bridge. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

I really thought it was going to be a story item, not a simple Medical Herb, that would cure what turns out to be a dolphin. Since the dolphin takes off after giving me the flute to call it, I head to the cave a little southeast of the Waterfall Cave, finding the Fog Lamp inside. Now that the boat rental guy is back in Portoa, I give him the lamp he was looking for, getting free use of his boat whenever I want. Hopping on the boat, I take a slow ride down a river to a house on a beach. Since the boat disappears when I enter the house, I call the dolphin for a ride. Exploring the seas here, a small cave in the southwest corner holds the Love Pendant the guy in the house lost, which causes him to leave the house before I return. Continuing to explore the area, I end up in the town of Joel, where reloading after finding the pendant put me. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

In Joel, the town elder gives me the Necklace of Fate, which will grant me access to the Island of Spirits where the townsfolk were turned into zombies. Inside the cave leading to the Island of Spirits, I find the Iron Necklace. Making it to the town on the island, venturing into the town's castle, I get to fight two vampires - a new one and apparently the same one from earlier. Once I realized the bats they spawn don't harm me, but rather simply push me, and that the vampires won't ever teleport to the southwest corner of the battle area, the battles became simply a matter of waiting for the vampire to teleport directly in front of me. Figuring out Sabera's ruse, It takes a few tries, but I finally defeat her and get a Broken Statue. Her defeat also cures the town. Clark, the son of the town elder of Joel, gives me some Eyeglasses to use in Joel. I thought they might reveal the invisible other than a shadow enemies in the castle. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.

Back in Joel, the town elder tells me how to calm the sea. Using the Eyeglasses in the shed opens up a door, which leads to where Kensu has been waiting. Giving him his Love Pendant, he rewards me with the Glowing Light before poofing off to the town of Swan. Since I appraised the broken statue, I know what item it repairs. Fixing the statue and placing it on the altar eliminates the whirlpool blocking access to the north part of the area. Asina appears just before I enter Swan and teaches me the Barrier spell. Completing Kensu's challenge, he teaches me the Change spell, which gets me past the soldiers guarding the gate. I've never played the NES version, so I can't compare the two. It's generally considered to be much better than this version. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. Captured using an Elgato HD60 X capture card. Recorded in OBS Studio.