Light Crusader

Last updated

Light Crusader
Sega Genesis Light Crusader cover art.jpg
North American cover art
Developer(s) Treasure
Publisher(s)
Programmer(s) Kazuhiko Ishida
Masato Maegawa
Artist(s) Hiroshi Iuchi
Composer(s) Aki Hata
Platform(s) Sega Genesis
Release
  • JP: 26 May 1995
  • KOR: 22 July 1995
  • EU: August 1995
  • NA: 25 October 1995
  • AU: 1995
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Light Crusader [lower-alpha 1] is an action-adventure game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for their Sega Genesis console in 1995. [1] The game was included in the Sega Genesis Classics collections on Steam and other platforms in 2011. It was also included on the Sega Genesis Mini in North America and Sega Mega Drive Mini in PAL regions.

Contents

It is similar in gameplay to Landstalker , blending role-playing video game, action-adventure and platform video game elements in much the same way.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot MD Light Crusader.png
Gameplay screenshot

The game is played from an isometric viewpoint. Players can move freely, jump, and push objects. They can execute simple sword slashes, use four magic elements in different combinations, and use items for various effects. Gameplay is a mix of action, puzzle solving, and platforming for the most part, with the usual role-playing staples like towns, shops, equipment, and spellcasting. The player controls Sir David as he travels through an assortment of dungeons, battling creatures such as "slime", solving puzzles to advance and saving those who were kidnapped. An auto-map feature keeps the focus on action and single-room puzzles, rather than mazes or labyrinths.

Plot

Sir David is invited to visit Green Row after a recent journey. He has not been there for a long time and was eager to return. However, the king informs David that townspeople have been disappearing. The king asks him to search for the missing people. After finding a hidden stairway in the graveyard, he discovers a large dungeon of many floors underneath the town.

In the dungeon, as he begins to find the missing people, he gradually learns the story of an evil wizard named Ragno Roke, who was angered by the queen's rejection of his marriage proposal. As revenge, Lord Roke has planned to use the kidnapped townspeople as a sacrifice to reawaken the evil demon Ramiah, sealed long ago in the dungeon. As David descends, he passes through a town of goblins, and a guild of wizards who have been operating in the dungeon.

At the end of the game, David confronts both Roke and Ramiah. At this point the townspeople have been rescued, but Roke tells David that his own life would be sufficient to revive Ramiah and sacrifices himself, bringing Ramiah to life for a final battle with David. After a victory, David leaves on horseback.

Development and release

Light Crusader was developed by Japanese studio Treasure as part of partnership with Sega to develop products for the latter's Genesis console. This four game deal also included Dynamite Headdy , Alien Soldier , and Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen . [2] [3] Light Crusader was programmed by Kazuhiko Ishida with support from Keiji Fujitake and Treasure president Masato Maekawa. The game's graphics and art were provided by Hiroshi Iuchi, Makoto Ogino, Kaname Shindo, and Koichi Kimura. Katsuhiko Suzuki was the sound director while Aki Hata and Satoshi Murata composed the music and sound effects respectively.

The project was announced in the spring of 1994 under the working title Relayer. [4] [5] Iuchi revealed that in its earliest stages, Light Crusader was planned as an action version of the classic RPG series Wizardry . [6] The staff sought to improve the operability and enjoyment of pseudo-3D graphics afforded by the isometric viewpoint, but this presented challenges. Ishida said that it was difficult to program multiple joints in 3D, while Iuchi claimed that the three-quarters perspective interfered with the performance of the Genesis. [6] Development was delayed when the team started over from scratch at one point. Iuichi estimated that the final build of the game was only 30% complete by the end of 1994. [6]

Light Crusader was Treasure's last title to appear on the Genesis console. [7] [8] Throughout 1995, Sega published the game in Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia while Samsung published it in South Korea. [9] In the following decades, Light Crusader has been made available as both a stand-alone downloadable title and as part of several Genesis compilations. The game was released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007; [8] [10] as part of the Sega Genesis Classics collection for Steam and home platforms beginning in 2011; [11] [12] [13] on the North America Sega Genesis Mini and PAL region Sega Mega Drive Mini consoles in 2019; [14] and finally on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022. [15]

Reception

Mean Machines Sega praised the graphics and unique mixture of gameplay elements. They criticized that the game is often too easy and dull, and compared it unfavorably to The Story of Thor for longevity, but nonetheless gave it a very positive assessment, calling it "A superlative arcade adventure with great playability." [24] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the graphics, but all but one of them gave the game an overall negative assessment, saying that the perspective severely hinders visibility, the combat is clunky, the lack of story makes the game less involving and creates difficulty figuring out where to go next, and there is too much of an emphasis on puzzles. [18] Next Generation said that the game design reflected Treasure's experience with action games, but that the non-action elements such as the puzzles and storyline are overly shallow, and the isometric perspective creates control difficulties. They concluded, "Light Crusader is still one of the more exciting and graphically pleasing Genesis titles that has come out recently, but this is by no means a RPG." [26]

GamePro commented that the graphics and music are impressive in parts, but that the game is less challenging and complex than most RPGs, and that the player character maneuvers poorly, "with nowhere near the range or fluidity of movement of Ali in Beyond Oasis." However, they concluded, "In the end, Light Crusader gets a passing grade because of some cool bosses and interesting puzzle challenges." [42] Hobby Consolas commended the pseudo-3D isometric visuals, gameplay, presentation and sound, stating that "Light Crusader fills an important void in the Mega Drive's role-playing game's library; the one that goes from pure role to adventure and nothing else." [29]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ライトクルセイダー, Hepburn: Raito Kuruseidā

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesis Nomad</span> Handheld game console by Sega

The Genesis Nomad, also known as Sega Nomad, is a handheld game console manufactured by Sega and released in North America in October 1995. The Nomad is a portable variation of the Sega Genesis home video game console. It could also be used with a television set via a video port. It was based on the Mega Jet, a portable version of the home console designed for use on airline flights in Japan.

<i>Ghouls n Ghosts</i> 1988 video game

Ghouls 'n Ghosts, known as Dai Makaimura in Japan, is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Capcom, released as an arcade video game in 1988 and ported to home platforms. It is the sequel to Ghosts 'n Goblins and the second game in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series.

<i>Columns</i> (video game) 1990 video game

Columns is a match-three puzzle video game released by Sega in 1990. Designed by Jay Geertsen, it was released by Sega for arcades and then ported to several Sega consoles. The game was subsequently ported to home computer platforms, including the Atari ST.

In the history of video games, the fourth generation of video game consoles, more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era, began on October 30, 1987, with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine. Though NEC released the first console of this era, sales were mostly dominated by the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo across most markets: the Sega Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Cartridge-based handheld consoles became prominent during this time, such as the Nintendo Game Boy (1989), Atari Lynx (1989), Sega Game Gear (1990) and TurboExpress (1990).

<i>Shining Force</i> 1992 video game

Shining Force is a 1992 turn-based tactical role-playing game for the Sega Genesis console. It is the second entry of the Shining series of video games, following Shining in the Darkness. While primarily a traditional fantasy-themed game, it contains some science fiction elements.

<i>Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine</i> 1993 video game

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is a falling block puzzle game developed by Compile and published by Sega. It was released for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive in North America and Europe in November 1993, and ported to the Game Gear in 1993 and Master System in 1994.

<i>Shining in the Darkness</i> 1991 video game

Shining in the Darkness, released as Shining and the Darkness in Japan, is a 1991 role-playing video game for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console. It was one of the first role-playing games released for the system, and was the first in the Shining series.

<i>Landstalker</i> 1992 video game

Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole is an action-adventure game that was developed by Climax Entertainment and released for the Sega Genesis in 1992 in Japan and 1993 elsewhere. Players take on the role of the treasure hunter Nigel as he navigates a three-dimensional world through an isometric viewpoint, solving puzzles and fighting enemies.

<i>Dynamite Headdy</i> 1994 video game

Dynamite Headdy is a platform video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis in 1994. The game follows a puppet named Headdy in his efforts to stop an evil puppet king from taking over his world. Headdy can throw his head at enemies to defeat them and use it to pull himself to various areas and move objects. The player can find a wide variety of "heads" which act as power-ups that provide different effects and alter gameplay.

<i>Gunstar Heroes</i> 1993 video game

Gunstar Heroes is a run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega. It was Treasure's debut game, originally released for the Sega Genesis in 1993. The game's premise is centered around a pair of characters, the Gunstars, in their efforts to stop an evil empire from recovering four powerful gems. The characters can fire guns and perform a series of acrobatic maneuvers to fight enemies across each stage. There are four weapons in the game which can be combined with one another to create different shot types.

<i>QuackShot</i> 1991 video game

QuackShot Starring Donald Duck, released in Japan as QuackShot Gurujia-ō no Hihō, is a 1991 platforming video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. The game was released in Europe in 1991, in North America on December 19, 1991, and in Japan the following day. QuackShot stars Donald Duck and his three nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, as treasure-hunters. The game was influenced by the Indiana Jones film series.

<i>Bonanza Bros.</i> 1990 video game

Bonanza Bros. is a 3D-style, 2D side-scrolling stealth action game developed and released by Sega in 1990. It is one of the earliest arcade games powered by the Sega System 24 arcade system board. It was ported to various home systems, including the Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-CD, and several home computers.

<i>FIFA International Soccer</i> 1993 video game

FIFA International Soccer is a 1993 association football video game developed by EA Canada's Extended Play Productions team and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console in December 1993 and ported to numerous other systems in 1994. It is the first game in the FIFA series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega Genesis</span> Home video game console

The Sega Genesis, also known as the Mega Drive outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan as the Mega Drive, and in 1989 in North America as the Genesis. In 1990, it was distributed as the Mega Drive by Virgin Mastertronic in Europe, Ozisoft in Australasia, and Tectoy in Brazil. In South Korea, it was distributed by Samsung Electronics as the Super Gam*Boy and later the Super Aladdin Boy.

<i>Crusader of Centy</i> 1994 video game

Crusader of Centy is an action-adventure game developed by Nextech for the Sega Genesis. The story centers on Corona, a boy who has just turned 14 years of age and must inherit his late father's sword to fight the monsters that threaten the human race's existence. Gameplay uses an overhead perspective and focuses on exploring, battling enemies with a sword, and solving puzzles. As the story progresses, numerous animals join the hero and aid him. They are used in gameplay like weapons or tools, which often grant passage to previously inaccessible areas. The game received its first official re-release on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on June 27, 2023.

<i>Alien Soldier</i> 1995 video game

Alien Soldier is a side-scrolling run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Mega Drive. Retail copies were released in Japan and PAL territories while in North America it was only available exclusively via the Sega Channel cable service. The story follows a powerful being named Epsilon-Eagle, who after being nearly killed becomes determined to avenge his near death and save his planet. The character has a variety of weapons and moves that the player must master to complete the game. Many gameplay ideas are borrowed from Treasure's earlier Mega Drive release, Gunstar Heroes (1993). However, Alien Soldier puts an emphasis on challenging boss fights with short and easy levels serving as downtime in-between.

<i>Bomberman 94</i> 1993 video game

Bomberman '94 is a video game from the Bomberman series which was developed and published by Hudson Soft for the PC Engine and released on December 10, 1993, in Japan. It was later re-developed by Westone and re-published by Sega as Mega Bomberman on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994 in other areas. The PC Engine Bomberman '94 was later released outside Japan through the Virtual Console and the PlayStation Network.

<i>McDonalds Treasure Land Adventure</i> 1993 video game

McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure is a 1993 platform game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. Based on the McDonald's fast food restaurant chain, specifically its McDonaldland marketing campaign, players control Ronald McDonald in his efforts to retrieve the missing pieces of a map that lead to the location of a buried treasure from a group of villains. Ronald can defeat enemies by using a magic attack and can latch onto hooks with his scarf to reach higher platforms.

References

  1. ↑ "Light Crusader". SEGA. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  2. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (6 March 2006). "Maegawa Talks Gunstar". IGN . Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Sega staff. "名作アルバム -『ガンスターヒーローズ』- P4" [Class Album - Gunstar Heroes - Part 4] (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  4. ↑ Mean Machines staff (May 1994). "MegaDrive Preview: Relayer". Mean Machines Sega . No. 19. EMAP. pp. 102–3. ISSN   0967-9014.
  5. ↑ Sega Magazine staff (April 1994). "Treasure Showcase: Relayer". Sega Magazine . No. 4. EMAP. pp. 74–5. ISSN   1360-9424. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Editorial staff (January 1995). "From Treasure To You: Development Staff Special Interview トレジャーからあなたに 開発スタッフ 特別インタピュー". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 64. SoftBank Creative. p. 39. OCLC   852214170. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Rose, Paul (2 June 2022). "Gaming History with Mr. Biffo: The Mega Drive's Forgotten Treasure Trove". Wireframe . No. 63. Raspberry Pi Foundation. pp. 36–7. ISSN   2631-6722.
  8. 1 2 "ライトクルセイダー" [Light Crusader] (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  9. ↑ Game Champ staff (September 1995). "멀티미디어의 삼성전자" [Multimedia of Samsung Electronics]. Game Champ (in Korean). No. 34. Jeu Media. p. 1. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022.
  10. ↑ McElroy, J (31 December 2007). "Bubble Bobble, Top Hunter, Light Crusader come to Virtual Console". Engadget . Yahoo Inc. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Light Crusader". Steam . Valve Corporation. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  12. ↑ Bhatti, Ibrahim (14 March 2018). "Sega Mega Drive Classics, featuring over 50 iconic games, hits PS4 on 29th May". Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  13. ↑ Wales, Matt (30 October 2018). "Sega Mega Drive Classics gets a December release date on Switch". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Sega staff (5 June 2019). ""Mega Drive Mini" "SEGA Genesis Mini" Preloaded Titles Update! All 42 titles revealed!!". Sega. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  15. ↑ LeBlanc, Wesley (17 March 2022). "Nintendo Switch Online: Sega Genesis Titles Alien Soldier, Super Fantasy Zone, And Light Crusader Now Available". Game Informer . GameStop. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  16. ↑ "Light Crusader for Genesis". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  17. ↑ Automatic, Rad (August 1995). "CVG Review: Mega drive whizz-kids Treasure are back — can they continue their uninterruptred run of success? - Light Crusader". Computer and Video Games . No. 165. Future Publishing. pp. 62–63.
  18. 1 2 Baran, Andrew; LeFebvre, Mark; Desmond, Mike; Parus, Scott (November 1995). "Review Crew: Light Crusader". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 76. Sendai Publishing. p. 42.
  19. ↑ Whitehead, Dan (8 December 2007). "Virtual Console Roundup - Light Crusader, Rolling Thunder 2 and Cybernator". Eurogamer . Gamer Network Ltd. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  20. ↑ "Raitokuruseidā (mega doraibu) - famiutsu. Komu" ライトクルセイダー (メガドライブ) - ファミ通.com [Light Crusader (Mega Drive) - Famitsu.com]. Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 337. ASCII. 28 April 1995. p. 32. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  21. ↑ Salmon, Mike (November 1995). "Genesis - Review - Light Crusader". Game Players . No. 77. Signal Research. p. 90.
  22. ↑ Wilton, Pete (September 1995). "Reviews - Mega Drive - Light Crusader". GamesMaster . No. 33. Future Publishing. pp. 56–57.
  23. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (28 January 2008). "Light Crusader Review". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  24. 1 2 Gus; Steve (August 1995). "Megadrive Review - Light Crusader". Mean Machines Sega . No. 34. EMAP. pp. 62–66.
  25. ↑ "News - Light Fantastic". Mean Machines Sega . No. 35. EMAP. September 1995. p. 13. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2015. We goofed with our Light Crusader review last ish. Instead of the paltry 80% we scored it, it should have read 89%. That was down to a production error.
  26. 1 2 "Finals - Genesis - Light Crusader". Next Generation . No. 12. Imagine Media. December 1995. p. 195. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  27. ↑ McFerran, Damien (8 December 2007). "Light Crusader Review". Nintendo Life . Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  28. ↑ Menier, Marc; Homsy, Richard (September 1995). "Megadrive Review - Light Crusader". Consoles + (in French). No. 46. M.E.R.7. pp. 98–100. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  29. 1 2 Herránz, Sonia (September 1995). "Lo Más Nuevo - Sega Mega Drive: Light Crusader - La Última Gran Aventura De Sega". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 48. Axel Springer SE. pp. 88–90.
  30. ↑ Kagotani, Yuriko (September 1995). "Test - Mega Drive - Light Crusader". Joypad (in French). No. 45. Yellow Media. pp. 78–80. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  31. ↑ Bannert, Robert (October 1995). "Spiele-Tests - MD - Light Crusader". MAN!AC (in German). No. 24. Cybermedia. p. 68. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  32. ↑ Schneider, Ulf (November 1995). "Test Mega Drive - Light Crusader". Mega Fun (in German). No. 38. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 73.
  33. ↑ Pottier, Christophe (September 1995). "Tests – Megadrive – Light Crusader". Player One (in French). No. 56. Média Système Édition. pp. 88–91. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  34. ↑ 超絶 大技林 '98年春版: メガドライブ - ライトクルセイダー (Special) (in Japanese). Vol. 42. Tokuma Shoten Intermedia. 15 April 1998. p. 886. ASIN   B00J16900U.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  35. ↑ "Reviews - Mega Drive - Light Crusader". Sega Power . No. 71. Future plc. October 1995. p. 57.
  36. ↑ "Mega Drive – ProReview: Light Crusader". Sega Pro . No. 49. Paragon Publishing. September 1995. pp. 60–61.
  37. ↑ "Hyper Mega Express for 16bit User - ライトクルセイダー". Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). No. 6. SoftBank Creative. 1 June 1995. p. 131.
  38. ↑ Montón, Raúl (September 1995). "Mega Drive - Review: Light Crusader - La Vida Es Un Acertijo". Superjuegos (in Spanish). No. 41. Grupo Zeta. pp. 98–101.
  39. ↑ The Light Lion (September 1995). "Le Labo: Mega Drive - Une Croisade En Son Et Lumière -- Light Crusader". Top Consoles (in French). No. 5. Pressimage. pp. 74–77. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  40. ↑ Hara, Tetsuhiko (October 1995). "Mega Drive - Reviews – Light Crusader". Video Games (in German). No. 47. Future-Verlag. p. 104.
  41. ↑ "Reviews - Genesis - Light Crusader". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine . No. 82. L.F.P., Inc. November 1995. p. 92.
  42. ↑ The Unknown Gamer (January 1996). "Light Crusader". GamePro . No. 88. IDG. p. 138.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.