Customer Reviews

Crystalis

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had this game almost my entire life, and every few years, I go back to play it, just because it's THAT GOOD. Think Zelda...but with a plot. Whenever I am in need of a great RPG, I always come back to this; when I'm in need of inspiration, Crystalis is my reminder that good things can come out of the video game industry without the name Final Fantasy attached to it. I don't know why you'd BUY it now, what with emulation available and such, but just know that this is one of the few games that has touched my soul, and I'll give it to my kids to play when the time comes.

I first played this game about 12 years ago, Did Not Regret it at all. You see, it was sitting in my fathers collection of NES games and i picked it up, knowing very little of what to expect from a game that was not vastly known at the time, It was one of my fathers favorite games, he would spend Hours at a time playing this game, and when i popped the cartridge into my NES, i soon figured out why. The Storyline was so expansive and invigorating that it consumed my life for at least 4 hours every day, Even then it was hard to step away from it, The game actually gave me a challenge, which most games at that time i was used to and knew what to expect from each one. This game was so ahead of its time that many people did not pick this up, which they should regret doing, The story Begins in a post Apocalyptic world when Technology destroyed most of the towns, villages and wildlife, which caused the earths axis to shift causing mutations in the creatures, You awaken in a cave from a cryogenic sleep, and are told that you must gather together 4 swords, Sword of Wind, Fire, Water, and Thunder, and then, only then can you Obtain the most Powerful and Valuable sword in the game, The sword of Crystalis. You Begin Your Journey in the Town of Leaf and Visit the Elder, who tells you that a great evil emperor named Draygon (Also known as Draygonia)has Built a Tower in the sky and has brought back the ways of Technology. Now in a world Where the ways of Magic Flourish, you must oppress the evil Draygon and Save Humanity. *Note: Play the NES Version, NOT The Game Boy Color Version, The NES VERSION is far more superior and provides more of a challenge, the GBC Version is not a true Port of the original, Just letting you know.* (I wrote this review originally as Crystalis Fan)

I just have to enthusiastically echo the comments of the first reviewer. This is one of the best games ever produced for the original Nintendo, and one of the most underappreciated. The plot is great. The gameplay is challenging. If it's your first time playing, the puzzles are challenging and fun to solve. And considering the time period this was produced in, the graphics are EXCEPTIONAL. I encourage anyone with an internet connection and loose morals to download a ROM of this.

I am normally not a fan of action or adventure games, but I remember the hours I spent on Crystalis some twenty years ago. At first, the simple ability to jump is what put it above and beyond The Legend of Zelda, but the gamer to learn more about the classic nature of this title as the game went on.

The Classic Role-Playing Game (RPG) element has your character advancing in levels as you gain experience. This addictive element in video games is what usually kept you going all hours of the day as you only needed to kill a couple more bad guys to advance to the next level and watch your statistics raise. And even beyond that, there were items in the game that leveled up as well, which meant that you couldn't just spend the time finding the upgrades - you had to test them out, for sure!

Politics being what they are, The Legend of Zelda was the baby of Nintendo, Inc., just as the Mario World and Donkey Kong. Crystalis, from the classic (and still good) SNK game-makers, couldn't get resources pooled together like what Zelda could. In fact, after seeing those relatively lame-A Zelda games (I know many would disagree), I remembering WISHING that they would simply come out with "Crystalis II"! But, alas, it never happened. (Thank God for Squaresoft and Final Fantasy!)

So I suppose in many respects, Crystalis lives on in the classic RPG elements favored today in many adventure titles. But to bring back nostalgia and even spend some hours really doing nothing, try to get ahold of Crystalis. Even with 8-bit graphics and sound, this game rocks in 2007. I downloaded this title a number of years ago for a NES emulator, and I backed that little puppy up long ago (so I could always have it!). If you cannot find this ROM for your emulator (and I strongly suggest that you try!), see what bargains you can find. But I seriously doubt that anybody but die-hard collectors and the unknowing would have a copy of Crystalis.

To close, if you do get ahold of Crystalis in some form or fashion, really give it a go and compare it to Zelda for the NES. I bet my 5-star rating that you will agree with me that it is far better.

An example of a fantastic retro classic. I cannot recommend Crystalis ENOUGH!

Get a copy today, just make sure it has a battery backup that works. Or play it another way.

5 stars, highly recommended!

I got this game from Santa as a Christmas present ages ago when I was a wee lad. I remember my dad and I played this game while my family watched around the TV. It was a once in a lifetime experience playing this game for the first time as a kid. I was very lucky to get such a great NES game, especially considering it's a more obscure lesser known title.

This game was so awesome. I still pick it up and play it again now that I'm in my mid twenties. The graphics are good for the NES. The music is good. The amount of weapons, magic, armor, items, and powerups you can get are amazing for an overhead RPG Adventure game from this era. And all the weapons and items are useful and placed well throughout the game to keep you from getting too powerful too fast. The controls are good, and the menus are easy to understand. Pacing and difficulty are just right.

I love the boss battles. They are all diverse and challenging. Your allies, the wise men, and the townspeople actually tell you useful information and the story is also interesting. I'm surprised at how little known this title is considering how great it is, especially for an NES game. But everyone I've talked to that does happen to know about this game loves it. If you are a fan of classic adventure games or RPG games, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. You won't be disappointed.

Crystalis is one of the best adventure / RPGs ever. It plays like something between Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana. The graphics are far above average for the NES with large character sprites and high resolution detail. We did not see games this sprawling and complex again until the latter years of the Super NES. It was one of the first (if not the first) to combine experience level gaining with Zelda-esque sword swinging action. If I had to name the top 10 essential games for the NES this is one of them.

I would agree with the other reviews for this game. Almost 20 years ago, and I still want to play it. I really hope nintendo brings this game to it's virtual console