Valis: Legends of the Fantasm Soldier - PC Engine CD [ Longplay ]
8Valis: The Fantasm Soldier is a 1986 action-platform video game originally developed by Wolf Team and published by Telenet Japan for the MSX, PC-8801 and X1 home computers. It was later ported to FM-7 and PC-9801 computers, while an almost completely reworked version was also released for the Family Computer, followed by remakes for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and PC Engine Super CD-ROM², and a version for mobile phones as well. It is the first entry in the eponymous series. It stars a Japanese schoolgirl teenager named Yuko Asou, summoned into becoming the Valis warrior by wielding the titular mystical sword to protect Earth, the spirit realm and the dream world Vecanti from demon lord Rogles. Through the journey, the player explores and search for items and power-ups, fight enemies and defeat bosses to increase Yuko's maximum health and atrributes.
Programmers Masahiro Akishino and Osamu Ikegame began planning on a side-scrolling action game featuring a customed delinquent heroine, an idea originated from Sukeban Deka, to compete in a contest sponsored by Japanese computer magazine LOGiN. Tentatively titled Shoujo Furyou Densetsu, the project was kept secret within Telenet until the company learned about its existence but continued as their next release. However, development was discontinued after a Telenet superior came to inspect and expressed disliking towards the graphics, ordering writer Hiroki Hayashi to take action and fix the project, leading to the conception of Valis. Akishino and Hayashi used Ikegame's work on Shoujo Furyou Densetsu as a basis to introduce their own story and character ideas, which were based on a unfinished personal novel Hayashi wrote prior to development and used as reference for the plot and worldview. Hayashi was responsible for the designs of Yuko and Reiko Kirishima, both of whom were main characters in his novel.
Valis sold well, being listed as one of the top three best-selling games in 1987 rankings. However, critical reception has varied depending on the version; the original MSX release was met with mixed response, with critics praising the audiovisual presentation, cinematic cutscenes and frenetic gameplay but criticism was geared towards its difficulty. The Genesis remake carried average sentiments from gaming publications, with comments regarding its slow pacing, short length, low difficulty and repetitive gameplay. The enhanced PC Engine Super CD remake was received more favorably from reviewers, but its lack of additional options and occasionally unresponsive controls were seen as negative points. The game was supplemented with manga adaptations, an anime short by Sunrise, albums from King Records and Wave Master, and doujinshi books. It was followed by Valis II (1989), Valis III (1990), and Valis IV (1991).