The Battle of Olympus (Nes, Nintendo)

by Broderbund Nintendo

Product Features

• Single Player

Product Details

• ASIN: B000PE7MYI
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,259 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

This game is about a Greek named Orpheus, in Ancient Greece. His love, Helene, was poisoned by a snake and died. Later Orpheus learns that Helene was actually taken by Hades, god of the underworld, to become his bride. Upon hearing this, Orpheus begins his journey to save Helene.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite NES Game, January 10, 2009

By 

Nadia "I listen to audiobooks only while runn... (SEASIDE, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Battle of Olympus (Nes, Nintendo) (Video Game)

As a fan of Greek mythology, I found The Battle of Olympus to be a fantastically fun game. The format and game play are very, very similar to Zelda II. The main character, although presumably a grown man, is even a little squirt, just like Link. This is a very involved game, however, incorporating the old NES "remember this code to pick up at this point again" save technique. Otherwise, I find it difficult to judge by today's standard-- games were simpler back then-- only very basic combat moves were available. The two-dimensional world was actually quite pretty and varied by NES standards. Plus, there were quirky items that you could collect and keep in your inventory. (Need to get to Athens in a hurry? No problem, just play your harp, and Pegasus will come and pick you up.) And the game was chock-full of mythological Greek icons, threading elements of numerous Greek myths, such as the Herculean labors, throughout the core story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

I feel a lot of nostalgia for this game (the first time I beat it back in the 80s, I was so proud of my achievement that I took a picture of the television screen), and despite its apparent lack of popularity, I hope very much to see it available in the Wii Marketplace soon.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Great Game!, March 14, 2010

By 

Christopher T. Percha - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Battle of Olympus (Nes, Nintendo) (Video Game)

Definitly worth buying. You gain a variety of weapons, sheilds and items which help you through your quest and unlike your typical RPG/Quest game you actually fight your enemies instead of just entering comands. This game also has really great graphics for NES.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Criminally overlooked, November 4, 2009

By 

Formal Treehouse (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Battle of Olympus (Nes, Nintendo) (Video Game)

This one often gets overlooked or misclassified. It has elements of console RPG, action-platformer, & adventure. The nearest analogy is Zelda II (with which BoO shares its game engine), though I like this one much better. You play Orpheus (though you can name him whatever you like), who must journey to Tartarus to save his beloved Eurydice (you may name her whatever you like, too). The classical greek setting provides wonderful atmosphere. You'll be fighting mythological beasts such as Rocs, Sirens, Salamanders, the Lamia, the Minotaur, and good ol' Hades himself. There are some nice touches, too; such as the Salamanders being immune to your fire attacks (they were supposedly born in fire, after all), and the Gods will not address you unless you kneel when you speak to them.

You must seek the aid of the Gods to proceed. Some favor your quest from the beginning, but others will not assist you without some manner of palm greasing. You may find them in their respective temples (usually. Hermes, the messenger, tends to flit about). Some of the puzzles are a bit tricky, but the game gives you enough hints that a clever gamer can make it through without FAQs.

I had a lot of fun with this game. There's a treasure-hunt aspect in collecting all of the items you need, and there's plenty of challenge to go around, without ever reaching the point of being unfairly cheap. Phrygia may make you pull your hair out the first couple times, though. Stick with it. There's a lot to love. I'd recommend it highly to fans of Zelda II, Simon's Quest, or Metroid.