Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Preview

Explaining the appeal of a show like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is somewhat tricky. The storylines, characters, and dialogue involved aren't exactly of the highest caliber, but at the same time it's hard to deny their charm. Now Titus and Player 1 are re-creating in Nintendo 64 form the world that Kevin Sorbo's Hercules inhabits, and only time will tell if the irreverent, slightly wacky goings-on in the television show will translate smoothly to a video game.

The story behind the N64 Hercules is one of deception and betrayal. Hera, mother of Hercules and wife of Zeus, has given the old man himself an elixir laced with poison. With Zeus out of the picture, Hercules' sinister brother Ares can now attempt to seize the throne. The heavens are thrown into chaos, creating similar turmoil for mortals the world over. Of course, Hercules is charged with helping them all. Thus begins his quest to wander the land, solving problems whenever he encounters them on his way to stopping Ares.

Hercules actually comes off a lot like Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The two games feature green, forested environments, somewhat similar controls, and even colored arrows that appear over the heads of enemies and nonplayer characters. Of course, these comparisons to Zelda are based on a first look at the game, but Hercules' core gameplay is also fairly comparable. Hercules traverses Gaea's landscape, visiting towns and fighting off bandits while searching for new quests to undertake. He will be joined by allies Iolaus and Serena, both of whom are also playable. Each of the three characters boasts his or her own strengths and abilities, and all can engage in hand-to-hand combat with enemies. Mystical items and a smattering of magic will also aid Hercules and friends in battle.

Hercules surely won't stack up to the grandeur of Zelda 64, but then, no game really could. It should provide some pretty solid adventuring, though, especially for fans of the TV series. Look for the game to release in November of this year.