Random Game O' the Day: Act Raiser

[digitalpress]

The official Wednesday random game generator hath chosen this combo strategy/platformer. It's SimCity meets Rastan! A truly unique game that took great advantage of the Super NES hardware scaling as well as its custom sound chip.

You've played it, haven't you? What do you think of the game? How has it held up over the years? What elements did you like best? Least? Did the sequel do the original justice? Give us your thoughts here.

DP Guide sez:

Act Raiser (SNES, by Enix) $10/R2 +
Developed by Quintet. Great game fusing elements of Zelda II and a medieval SimCity. One of the early titles for the SNES that established what it could do, exhibiting Mode 7 effects and colorful graphics. Packaged with a folded map. Action/Platform/Hack & Slash. PERIODICALS: Electronic Gaming Monthly gave this game a 9, 9, 9, and a 9. Released 1991. #SNS-AR-USA.

http://www.digitpress.com/dpsightz/super_nes/actraiser.jpg http://www.digitpress.com/dpsightz/super_nes/actraiser_6.jpg

[GamerNerd]

I've beaten Actraiser & I remember playing it when I had the Super NES. It's where SimCity & role-playing collide.

[Bronty-2]

One of my favorite snes games... and I definitely think it's held up because I only played it for the first time like six months ago. Haven't played #2 so no comment on the sequel.

[Drexel923]

One of my favorite games on the SNES. I think I actually enjoy killing baddies as the angel more so than the action stages. It's definitely one of the few games out there that combines genres and gets everything right. I only wish Dark Cloud was as fun.

[GrandAmChandler]

I've beaten Actraiser & I remember playing it when I had the Super NES. It's where SimCity & role-playing collide.

It makes you wonder why the 2nd Actraiser never was exactly like the first... The formula for the 1st was genious... Any other games like this? Sim/Action? Or is it one of a kind??

[NeoZeedeater]

I loved it. The god sim elements weren't very complex but I thought it was a neat mix. The sequel was pure disappointment though. I didn't mind that they made it a pure action game; I just did not like the way they changed the feel of the action completely.

[s1lence]

This is also one of my all time favorites on the snes. Highly recommend people to pick it up if they havent before.

[vulcanjedi]

Hmm

Great game. One of the dozen games I keep out to play on my SNES when I get bored. And like everyone mentioned, the second one is all action but I didn't think it was that bad of a game :)

VJ

[suppafly]

Great game. It has awesome graphics and a GREAT soundtrack (by Yuzo Koshiro, who also made the music ofthe streets of rage series). I love this game

[SoulBlazer]

Did'nt the random game generator pick this game last year? I seem to recall it allready being done..... ;)

In any case, great game, one of my personal favorites. Nice blend of action and simulation, good graphics, good music, good gameplay, and STILL fun to play today.

[Xexyz]

Actraiser... one of the more sought after SNES titles I'm trying to collect. I really need to find a copy of this and its sequel one of these days.

[tylerwillis]

Played it through a couple of years ago and loved it. Thumbs up for the combination. Never played Dark Cloud 1, but the sequel seemed to be closer to the ActRaiser combination than most other games.

[§ Gideon §]

The musical offering from Cassandora is gorgeous.

[nik]

Awsome mix of simcity, and seeing your world progress, along with saving it as you go along, never really got boring.

[rick weis]

Act Raiser ranks in my top 10 games ever! very well made! not 1 thing bad about that game.

i played this game many times, always trying to beat my high score in people in each town. :)

not sure why they made Act Raiser 2 the way they did! -_-

Rick

[Humanoid]

What I think could be called almost a spiritual successor of this game would be the PC game savage.
http://www.s2games.com/

[Dire 51]

I love Actraiser. It's definitely one of the best SNES games ever made, but - as stated before - the sequel was a major disappointment. It strayed too far from the original, and it seems like it was made unnecessarily hard for some reason.

On the plus side, both games have a great Yuzo Koshiro score. Great stuff there.

[Crush Crawfish]

Actraiser is a freakin' fantastic game. The hack 'n slash & Sim elements mesh surprisingly well, and both parts are equally well done. The music score is absolutely phenomenal as well.

Oh, would anyone happen to have an mp3 of the song from the 1st level (fillmore) lying around? I'd be eternally grateful for it. I know of the SPC players that let you listen to SNES soundtracks, but I'd like to burn it to a CD. Thanks! :)

[Bratwurst]

Might I divert your question to this thread (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=38629&highlight=winamp+spc)Mr. Crawfish.

Never tried the game before today but I have known about it for a long time. It seems like Nintendo Power was always mentioning it.

Anyhoo it's fun and I'm glad I finally got around to trying it. My only complaint is that the controls are a bit cludgy but being that it's an old game and I'm only now just trying it, it's minor.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

ActRaiser was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to get a SNES so bad way back in 91. Could you blame me though? The game was without a doubt the most beautiful thing I've ever seen on a home console at that point. In fact, I highly doubt no jaw was left dropped after seeing the minotaur Knight boss at the end of stage 1. Classic stuff.

[Richter Belmount]

meh havent beaten it >.> got a crappy battery in the cart. Awesome game though , love mostly anything from quintet.

[kainemaxwell]

I've beaten Actraiser numerous times but for me, its still one those games I really have fun playing every few months or so, beaten or not.

[lendelin]

Actraiser and its sequel are a great example what distinguishes a good game from a great one which can be still played today and is enjoyable. The great balance of the first game between gameplay, graphics, and sound wasn't achieved in the sequel because merely ONE gameplay element, the sim aspect, was subtracted. The sequel was suddenly off balance.

The first Actrasier was refreshing and unique because slight simulation aspects were combined with very good hacknslash action. It worked because the action sequences suddenly made sense: you know why you fought, against whom, and what the purpose of the game was. The story wasn't told in CGIs, it wasn't told merely by a text at the beginning of the game or in stereotypical fashion on the box or manual; the underlying story was played, not told.

As soon as the gamer was over the clouds, getting instructions and advice to create a world, he became familiar with the world, got rewarded, and got incentives to play further. To be in the "skies" meant freedom, overview, security, and being in control -- an ideal balance to the tense action sequences. The story was incorporated into gameplay. A recipe for a great game.

This sim aspect was icing on the cake and made the game ecxeptional. The game had good action sequences, but nothing extraordinary. Lush, detailed graphics, impressive boss characters, but at the same time the movement of the protagonist was stiff, and the boss fights didn't require a lot of strategy. The music, however, fit perfectly. The big orchestral score matched the tasks of a great hero on a mission from 'above.'

The sequel had all the graphic and audio bells and whistles of the first game; but without the sim aspect only very good hacknslash was left. Even the heroic orchestral sound, maybe even better than in the prequel, didn't make much sense without the 'higher' purpose to fight. The protagonist became earthbound and heavy, which made the stiff control more noticeable.

We played the missions, but without the sim aspect we didn't play the story. One missing gameplay element changed the delicate balance between them.

[Tatsu]

I can just agree with the general prais for the game. I've played it some years ago and loved it, unfortunately I've just lend it from a friend so long time without gaming. About a month ago I got a boxed card and now I'm happy. I need to get into it again but it will be worth it.

The combination of the action stages and the build up of the cities is just brilliant, everything fits together just perfect and I can't understand why nobody releases a similar game (ok, there are the Dark Cloud games but that's it). The second Actraiser game is very different and not as half as fun. Some kind of platformer with a very high diffulty level if I remember right. I also have it but haven't touched it for a looooong time.

[DigitalSpace]

Actraiser is one of my favorite SNES games. I play through it at least once a year.

Here's a fun fact: Actraiser was one of the arcade games available for play in Nick Arcade.

[Flack]

Here's a funny fact. I never really got into this game, but I've seen it dozens of times. Why? Because it starts with the letter "A", and therefore appears at the beginning of every single SNES emulation list. :)