NES Alphanumeric! #017: ASTYANAX
2I write young adult science fiction and fantasy stories (Novels: FAIR COIN, THE SILENCE OF SIX), and I love playing 8-bit Nintendo games. But it's hard to find time for both; over the years, I've collected nearly 300 NES games, yet I still haven't played most of them for long—or even once!
POST-STREAM THOUGHTS: I had been looking forward to giving this game another try, and I wasn't disappointed. This time, I enjoyed ASTYANAX quite a bit. In comparison to some of the previous installments of NES Alphanumeric!, it was very playable and very fair. Unlimited continues and a moderate challenge make all the difference, and the large sprites, competent level design and controls, weapon upgrade and magic system, catchy music, and cinema scenes -- especially those cinema scenes! -- make for an overall pleasing package. My only real complaints are the constantly respawning enemies and a few gameplay bugs, as well as the fact that Astanax's jumping is kind of "floaty" and loose; but since there isn't a lot of platforming per se, that isn't as big a problem as it could be. Astyanax also moves a bit slowly. This game moves to the top of my list of games to revisit soon and play through completion.