REVIEW: Rygar 1986 NES
	By: Tecmo Type: Platform Players: 1 Difficulty: Normal

I have noticed that in the world of NES reviews, there is scarcely little mention of the game Rygar. I am rather surprised, because this is a darn good game. The background story is pretty standard: The hero, Rygar, has the hefty task of bringing peace back to the land of Argool. But that's where the typicality ends. The player’s weapon is an object that resembles a flaming shield which flings out and returns, like a yo-yo. As the game progresses, the point of view alternates from side-scrolling to overhead view. This is, in my opinion, a very unique added feature. The gameplay is like an action game but the player can backtrack to explore previous areas he was not able to reach before. This adds much interest to the game for those players who like to explore and not simply travel forever forward, like in most action games.

The graphics are well-done overall (for the NES, of course), with only a few exceptions here or there.
Now for the music. Honestly, it’s hard for me to have an opinion of the music because it ranges so much, from “very cool” to “what the hell were they thinking?” Several of the songs fit the mood of the game so well that they used to actually scare me when I was younger. But then again, one of the other levels has a musical tune which consists of nothing more than four notes being repeated over and over...and over. This level also happens to be almost entirely in black and white, so it feels as though you’ve stepped back into some primitive era when all the notes in the musical scale had not yet been discovered.
Nevertheless, Rygar is a very fun game overall. It was one of the first NES games I bought and I still play it every so often. So if you enjoy fun action/adventure games with weird monsters like two-headed lions covered in turtle shells, I suggest checking this game out. - Bd 91%

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