A genre-bending masterpiece.
You play the role of God, and have to defend your people, gain a following, and build their civilization. Before you can do anything, you go through a sidescrolling level in each area on the map, and just go from point A to point B. It's simplistic, but fun. At the end of the level, there is a boss, and let me tell you, they are not easy. It almost makes the difficulty of the game seem unbalanced at points, since the levels can be so easy, but when you get to a boss, it seems hopeless at first. Afterwards, you take on the role of an angel ,armed with a bow, who has to protect the cities that you try to build, and help the people of the towns seal off monster's lairs. Usually, towards the middle of these stages, something will pop up where you have to enter a dungeon or special area and kill a monster. These areas are fun, and are refreshing after a long segment of city building. After you kill all the monsters in an area, so that the cities are safe, you can enter a new area, and repeat the same process with a new coat of paint and different enemies. However, this formula never gets old, so don't worry that it might be redundant. My only important gripe about gameplay is that the controls aren't always as responsive as they should be on the sidescrolling levels. Attacking enemies from multiple sides can be a nightmare because of this.
Graphics:
For its time, these are some of the best detailed sprites on the SNES, and the overhead view of the map is very impressive for a game this old. As probably expected, the framerate is consistantly smooth, and never lags down. Sound:
The music in Actraiser is some of the catchiest to ever appear in a video game. The instant you start the first stage, you hear one of the best songs on a Super Nintendo game, and it doesn't ever seem monotonous or repetetive. Accompanying the stellar soundtrack is an equally satisfying array of sound effects. Value:
Unfortunately, the game is short. Before you know it, the fun is over. But, if you pick up the game months, maybe even weeks after beating it, it's a fun enough experience to play through again, that it feels new again, even sixteen years after its original release.
The fact that this game crosses so many genres makes it easy to recommend it to anyone, no matter who they are. Out of all the games in my Super Nintendo Library, Actraiser stands out above all the others, and has my spot at number 1.