Looking to play a sleeper hit from the 16-bit era?

User Rating: 8.5 | Landstalker: Koutei no Zaihou GEN
When Landstalker was first released for the Sega Genesis console in the 90'S, it was one of only a few games to score a perfect 100% by the publication GameFan. At the time of its release, it was considered Sega's answer to Zelda: A Link to the Past (for the SNES). Though Landstalker never gained such widespread popularity as the Zelda series, it spawned a couple of pseudo-sequels on different platforms, both of which did not live up to the original. "Ladystalker" was released exclusively in Japan, and "Dark Savior" was released for Sega Saturn. Additionaly, Landstalker is sometimes credited for the spiritual inspiration behind the Alundra series of games released for the Sony Playstation System, too. The gameplay elements are typical of what you might find in any Zelda game; there are dungeons to explore, puzzles to solve, money to spend on upgrades, etc. However, the action in Landstalker is unique, as it features platform jumping in an isometric perspective. Anybody that remembers having to tilt their Atari 2600 controller at crazy angles to get Q-bert to move predictably, understands how much more challenge the isometric perspective can add to an otherwise moderately difficult action RPG. Some backtracking is required to gain access to bonus items scattered throughout the dungeons and the overworld, but this adds a depth of character to the main quest instead of making it seem more tedious. Where this game most excels, is making the player rely on intuition to find those treasure chests that seem out of reach... The clues that are rendered for some labyrinth puzzles seemed a little too vague at times too, but the solutions still remain attainable with some trial and effort. The weakest element, by far, would be that the boss battles were far too easy...the final confrontation barely lasting longer than several bursts of sword swings. But with this drawback aside, I don't think you'll find a better deal for a sub-$10 game in the Game Stop bargain bin. If you liked Legend of Oasis for the virtual console, then it would be worth your while to give Landstalker a try, too.