The absurd weirdness of this game overshadows any flaw or aspect it might have.
In a strange alternate Japan, some evil-doer named Zao has kidnapped a princess and it's up to our hero to go rescue her and the the rest of the world. Yes, quite like Mario, but only if Mario's mushrooms were more realistic, if you catch my drift. Our hero, Joe Yamato, will set out into the world to head to Zao's castle and destroy him. One can only assume he takes the strangest path available, because on his way he'll meet living levels, babies turning to puss, monks turning into giant heads or ejaculating spiders and that's far from all.
Now, most of this stuff is rather gritty in appearance, but it's debatable whether or not it should be presented this way. I don't know how giant, puking flesh monsters should look, nor would I want to know. It's strange that they added a lot of details to some things, like oozing monsters, but less on Joe, who doesn't own a face. I suppose you couldn't be a generic Japanese hero with a face. In addition, he's also the silent type. Although in a world filled with nightmarish things and sounds, I'd be mouse quiet too.
The soundtrack and most effects are much in line of the creepiness of the game. Weird, psychedelic sounds emit from your weapons and a grim soundtrack on the background makes every step feel like a foot closer to the grave. But there are one or 2 very annoying sounds. For instance, when you charge a weapon it will make a horrible noise; so much you'd rather do without weapons when you can.
This 2D side scrolling action adventure has similar gameplay aspects to that of Castlevania. There are 7 or so relatively different platform levels, from forests to cybernetic castles. You have some basic spells you use as weapons; even a cleverly altered fire whip. There's also a Hadouken spell that appears almost everywhere the programmers could make a reference to it. Come to think of it, there are a lot of shamelessly "borrowed" aspects about this game. You can platform from stage to stage, whipping foes like Simon. Joe blasts Hadoukens, like Ryu in Street Fighter, in just about every cutscene. One of the weapons summons Shenron, the dragon from Dragonball. And to top it off, the hero looks a lot like a slim Ken from Fist of the North Star.
But what is unique to this game is the stupendous amount of mind-boggling scenes. Just about every stage is filled with the most disturbing things you could possibly start programming into a game. Did I mention the puss babies?
Unfortunately, the strangeness also hampers gameplay here and there. Now, the controls aren't optimal to start with, as they're quite rigid and one-dimensional. A jump is pretty much set in its distance and controlling a weapon takes both time and requires you to jerk around with the gamepad. But when the eternally respawning enemies start popping up, trouble starts. It's sometimes hard negotiating obstacles correctly like that. Also, some obstacles and traps make errors completely unforgiveable and set you back a large portion. But while none of these irritancies are detrimental to the game, there is one aspect that will really grind your gears.
Whether or not you complete this game will all come down to how well you know the 4th stage. Without spoiling too much, every jumping error there will cost you one life and with only 2 extra lives, it will be a hard fought trial and error process.
In the end, this game is a simpler, but loads stranger adaptation of Castlevania. Sidescrolling adventurers might enjoy this game, but so would anyone out to blow their minds. As a key selling point to this game, the absurd weirdness of this game overshadows any flaw or aspect it might have. Admitted, some of the aspects aren't optimally programmed. But that's because some stoned developer was too busy thinking up screeching monks turning into a giant spider-worm hybrid. You understand, right? Good, because I sure don't.