I know, the title says Rygar but I came upon some video of Band Brothers for the DS. Now I really want all my local friends to get a DS and this game. We can play together… and stuff. Seriously it looks like it is either 8 or 10 buttons, cool!

Well FriedChicken got Rygar in my head. So of course I played it. Previously I had only about an hour into it. Now I am at about 6 hours into it. I feel almost done, which will disappoint me. But I am enjoying it a bit more now.

See Rygar was one of those games that I played too much as a kid on the NES. I can’t say that I ever beat the game, as I never really tried. I did love exploring the world, and finding new things. That was the main bonus. Almost every time I played I could find something new. Also the game was not linear. Like Metroid (another love of mine as a child) the exploration aspects is a big thing that kept me coming back.

So what did I not like about Rygar right off the bat? It was very linear. You can’t get lost in this game. Getting lost in a game (a non-RPG at least… well unless it is Morrowind) can be a very good thing. The other thing: you can’t bounce on enemies. I use to make up challenges like to stay bouncing on these things backs or getting up to certain platforms (well trying to) by bouncing off of enemies backs. Then there is the whole 3D not 2D thing, but I knew that going into it. There were some almost 3D feeling parts to the NES game with the switch between semi overhead and side scrolling.

Well, after an hour the first time I played I was left thinking it had some good enemy designs and some good music. None of the original reasons for me playing the game were present, so I though I may never play it again. Damn you FriedChicken.

5 hours with one game in one night is a pretty decent amount of time for me in one sitting, so I can’t say that I did not like it (a double negative, shoot me). I say that I feel like I am almost done, well, because I have the different discarmors almost all maxed out and most of the story is coming together to a climax. I did like how the background of the story is all told in scrolls that you pick up, but only a few of them make sense. I mean… yes, a letter from a maid may be in a crate you break open, but a letter written in blood found under a rock?

So, yes the background story has me more interested than what is happening in game. It is interesting to see how they are taking pretty well know historical and mythological events and … conspiracy theorizing them. But the in game goings-on bore the crap out of me and I can’t help but wonder how the labyrinth is in any way a maze…

So what is the game missing, mainly? Well, free roaming. There was one bit that I was allowed to go back to the beginning, I hope there is more, or I am given full free range. But at this point it has been so linear that the roaming will just be seeing what new ledges I can get to, it will have all been explored in the order the designers wanted.

I would have also liked to be able to jump on enemies. Not that it is necessary, but that was part of Rygar for me.

Now I have pretty much come to the conclusion that this game is what I would want a 3D Castlevania to play like. Why? Well Rygar moves slowly. He uses the discarmor to get to unjumpable locations. The way that you get things (powerups, ect.) are similar. The way you find secrets is cool, destroying stuff.

Now before I get into more how this reminds me of Castlevania I want to comment on destroying stuff. It is pretty cool with the discarmor, and especially the heavenly discarmor. Now that could have been enough, but they added some really smooth bass to it and with a nice surround sound system I can handle leaving the vibration function active. The problem is there are some areas that are just kind of go through areas that are bare, but you have this obligation to destroy (or find out if you can destroy) everything because it may affect your future. What I am say is that at times it feels like it is too dependent on you destroying everything and hence halting progress.

So Castlevania use to be this game that you dragged your whip toting vampire killer through a linear castle to get to the bosses. You were slow, you’re jumping was difficult and timing was very necessary to survive. You broke a lot of stuff with your chain whip and gained most of your powerups and life from breaking things. The story line (when there was one) is also cheesy and messed with a bit of classic literature.

So Rygar is this game that you drag your metal disc on a chain whip toting Titan killer through a linear world to get to the bosses. You are slow, you’re jumping is difficult and timing was very necessary to survive. You all broke a lot of stuff with your metal disc on a chain whip and gained most of your powerups and life from breaking things. The story line is also cheesy and messes with a bit of classic literature.

Also some of the design and art is similar (I wanted to write more but I am wearing thin at this point).

So I am left wondering how bad Castlevania: LoI really is. There is a bit of charm in Rygar at points. I am left thinking that it would have been better labeled as Legendary Warrior where the main character was named Rygar or something. To put Rygar as the main name of the game is asking me to play a remake. This is closer akin to Castlevania than Rygar. Perhaps I am being a bit too presumptuous.

Now damnit I want to go read more JoJo.