Customer Reviews

Astal

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Astal is one of the most breathtaking games ive EVER played....its only 2D but the artwork is stunning, and the sound track is even better...the game as a whole is a work of art and I recommend it to EVERYONE, it won't let you down.

Astal is one of those games that you MUST have sitting on your game shelf, just so that you can show it off. I'll start off with the good stuff:
This title has some of the most impressive, mezmorizing scenery that the Saturn has ever seen (and this was one of the first few titles for the console!!). Every new level is like a chapter in a fantasy novel.
The music is probably the best part about the whole thing. Composed with great detail, and wonderful artistry, each cut makes you want to turn up your stereo even more. I've used the music test mode to relax and study.
The gameplay is just what you'd expect for a platform game. The best part is the "beat-em-up" factor. You can really kick some [...] in this game. The enemies are very imaginative, also. Astal is a very noisy guy.. he screams more when he's beating up enemies than Venus Williams in a tennis match.

Pick this one up, Saturn faithfuls. A wonderful story in a game to match.

for those of you with huge over active imaginations, this is perfect! astal, obviously is a side-scrolling platformer, similar in style to rayman. and also in it's likeness with unique fun-loving characters and "dreamy" stages. the plot is nothing special, but they do unfold the story as you progress through the game. what the game lacks in story it more than compensates in graphics, sound, and game play!

GRAPHICS) 5 OUT OF 5
if any reason to buy this game, the artistic style of the game is reason enough! astal is very well animated and expresses his personality well by this means. each stage is unique all in it's own. backgrounds are multi-layered and awesomely animated. it has amazing special effects from zooming in and out to, again, those wonderfully animated backgrounds. im suprised this game didn't require a 4m cart.

SOUND) 5 OUT OF 5
as you may have already read, the music is phenomonal! some tracks are better than others but none are bad and all are great! from ochestra style fantasy music, perfect for the stage, will make you feel like you're in a fantasy action epic. to ambient/almost jazzy guitar sounds that will make you say oohh and ahhh while the beat will keep you going. interesting. even metal music! in one stage a volcano is erupting and those chunky electric guitar sounds set the mood just right! voice acting is cheesy, obviously for the kids, but astal has an awesome yell that really never get annoying. yaaataaahh!<-- chun-li says the same thing after winning..if crystals could make sounds they would probably sound like this

GAMEPLAY) 3 OUT OF 5
i'm a hardcore platformer originating from the original super mario bros. and this game while epic in style, is not the best of the best. definately not sonic!! but it sure doesnt suck. they mix it up enough so it doesn't get old quick and the bird adds an extra element (player 2 can control the bird). astal is a strong guy that cant move too fast, but can run. imagine beast from x-men or max from streets of rage 2. he's got that feel, which is weird on a platformer. that bulky feel can be aggrevating on those jumping from moving object to moving object parts. some times he barely even makes it. but it is TONS of fun to play, just keep in mind this game is different from mario and sonic and kid chameleon etc, basically all other platformers. this game is very linear and not vertical so don't expect to go up up up. the top of the screen is the top of the screen. that's it! unlike other games that in the same level you could go up, middle, or low increasing replay value, you will replay this game mainly for it's style.

CONTROLS) 4 OUT OF 5
the controls are just fine.. infact, if anything sucks about the control, it's me! lol. common its sega saturn control, the same i use on 2-d fighters. it's fine. only thing keepeing it from a perfect score is that the saturn control came standard with six buttons and two triggers and they took no advantage of this! the just programmed x,y,z to do what A button already does. and the triggers do nothing. this game couldv'e been so much more if the programmers and designers took a little more time with it. they could fit so much more into the game using the ram cart. but still it's for sure a game must-owning and worth playing.

thats my final verdict.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The game-play in Astal is interesting. There is a cave-part where you will be "warned" of incoming monters. The screen will grow dark, and all you'll see is the glowing eyes of beasts, your companion and Astal. If you like Odin's breath-taking graphic's, you'll like Astal. It's almost in the same fashion as Odin's background. The Boss fights somewhat remind me of Castlevania Rhondo of Blood remake for the psp. There are animated cut-scenes and voice-acting. The game also reminds me of "Crystal Maze" for the Atari. Remember you had to finish the level before the grim-reaper came? Well Astal has its version of the reaper. Finish quickly or there will be something unpleasant stalking you. You'll also want to smack the Goddess for punishing Astal then suddenly falling asleep for no reason, thus leaving the universe vulnerable to be destroyed by her enemy. She then stupidly leaves afterwards for good, so she has no purpose other than just being a "goddess". The in-voicing is somewhat cheesy.

Astal yells. He yells like a banshee every time it comes time to toss some rock or an enemy. Sure, it can be ignored after a person gets use to the game, but it's annoying the first couple of times. Astal is short game, but it makes up for it with its side-scrolling graphics. Gem for any collector of the Sega Saturn franchise.

Next to NiGHTS Into Dreams and Burning Rangers, Astal was Sonic Team's other super impressive Sega Saturn game. Sadly, due to the changing landscape in gaming, which happened to favor 3D gaming over 2D gaming, Astal suffered from poor sales in North America. Regardless of its sales, Astal received a positive reception from both game reviewers and gamers that actually gave it a chance.

Blessed with beautiful hand-drawn art and animations, Astal is truly a thing of beauty. Even on its aged hardware, Astal still impresses because of its attention to detail. The environments are so well done. This is some of the most beautiful 2D art ever conceived.

In addition to its wonderful art style, Astal has an amazing soundtrack, which was something to be expected from Sega at the time.

The gameplay is simple and pretty much exceptional. Astal at its core is a 2D platformer. All of the mechanics work exactly as they should.

Astal really is something to behold. If you don't already own it, you're doing yourself a great disservice. Buy it immediately.

Now listen, when I was 8 years old, this was my absolute favorite game at the time.

I wrote about it for schoolwork, projects, and homework. (So then my teacher knew all about it, haha.) I wrote about it in my journal. I played it all the time. His voice is stuck in my head for life, and it was an amazing experience. The videos in the game are wonderful, and the action, characters, and graphics suck you in. I remember it as being THE best experience one could find on a SEGA system at the time. If only they had also ported Princess Crown....

This is a wonderfully made game. It's full of whimsy, fun, and beauty.

The Saturn was so under-appreciated in North America....