Super Nintendo look - Skyblazer

Today's look is at a game that's sat outside my radar for over thirty years. When Skyblazer was the newest game on the Super Nintendo, I took one look, thought "This is by the Hook team, isn't it?" and never paid it a second thought. By Hook team, I'm referring to the 16-bit game that was published by Sony Imagesoft, and not the Irem beatemup. The fact that I had to make the distinction goes to show how ubiquitous the licensed brawler was in the 90s. Anyway, Hook was an extremely "there" game. It existed, I played it but couldn't feel one way or the other about it. Not being disliked - let alone hated - isn't the worst thing to happen to a video game, but I guess I feel differently. When I have a complete non-opinion on a game, there's no incentive to check out its follow-up. None of the "Alright! I'm excited for this!" or "Well... Maybe this will better." to drive me towards giving it a go. 

This is, of course, an exceedingly unfair treatment of Skyblazer. For one, it definitely improves upon Hook. There's ambition, flavor, and a creative spark. Secondly, I like that the development team took a few risks but held back enough so that players didn't have to suffer for them. If I had actually bothered to rent this game back in the day, I would've realized that it sits under the "Perfect Rental" umbrella my millennial ass always mumbles about. Having a world map, stages that can be played (and replayed) in any order, and an almost continuous supply of 1ups massage those delicate parts of the brain. Kararu being just a few wrong moves away from death never bothered me in the least. I still finished my first ever playthrough with nearly two Konami Codes worth of spare lives.

Before we continue, a plot summary is in order. Ready for it? Here:

Okay, let's get on with discussing the game. 17 stages of action-platforming stand between Karura and Ashura. Your job is to navigate his somewhat large hurtbox around all manner of demons and obstacles. I have to get the obvious out of the way early. While the man certainly isn't lacking for talent, practically his entire body is at risk of getting poking by the extremities of everything that has ever wished harm upon him. A lot of the damage he takes is due to incidental contact. This isn't helped by his standing attack - the button most players gravitate to - being less-than-amazing. I don't want to harp on the subject too much, since Karura's jumping attack is the better option for most encounters, but the most straightforward move being the easiest to flub is a strange look. Watching in horror as my skyblazing man whiffs the jab and eats a potentially fatal response is not an experience I can ignore. Still, it's an invaluable move in the right circumstances. Punching enemy projectiles out of the air never goes out of style.

This probably isn't accurate, but still.

Karura's movement is interesting in the sense that it feels very loose, almost to the point of slippery, yet not once (in my playthrough) did he ever unintentionally run off of a ledge. I think I might've even had to be a little more forceful than usual when trying to push him over edges. He's also sometimes not 101% cooperative when climbing onto ledges, but there's only so much I can hold against him. What I'm trying to say here is that platforming is really solid. Moving briskly through a multitude of scenarios feels good. The description "like the wind" keeps bouncing around my skull. Actual flight is limited to a few specific stages, but Kararu has so much float and control in his jumps that I rarely noticed a difference. It's that Hook influence, probably. All this maneuverability pairs nicely with the air-attack. Enemies tend to be squishy too, which gives combat a nice flow. 

Skyblazer's level-design is generally forgiving. Though deaths are sometimes more frequent than in similar games, I can't imagine anyone hurting for extra lives. To add to this, checkpoints are very common, which is good for those rare occasions when it isn't totally clear why a particular action led to death. I bring this up because one of the stages is a basically a series of wind currents over a massive pit. Something that I didn't immediately catch on to is that the gusty corridors that push Karasu left or right don't prevent him from falling. It's one of those trial & error deaths that's easy to write off because it resulted in less than 30 seconds of lost progress. The one section that cost me the most lives was an elevator that's promptly filled with armored foes, notable for being able to deal four points of damage in one strike. Karasu starts every fresh life with four points of health, so... yeah. I'll take the blame for this scenario, since I tried multiple strategies that failed spectacularly, when all that's really necessary is smart usage of the invincibility spell.

Wait, there are spells in this game? Oh, shoot. I'm always writing these damned reviews out of order. Defeated bosses often cough up a new spell for Karasu to make use of. MP restoratives are extremely common, so it's worth experimenting to see how they make the hero's life a little easier. However, since potions aren't liable to drop during a boss battle, I'd often stick to what's practical. There is nothing more practical than the almighty healing spell. Just be mindful that using it immediately after taking damage means giving up the short period of invulnerability. Challenge-seeking players might want to consider ignoring the most practical application of their MP, but that will push the large hurtbox issues to the forefront.

I must point out that Skyblazer tends to prioritize problem-solving over tests of skill. This is most evident in the boss battles, as it's often to the player's benefit to reassess their strategy. Telling yourself, "I'll just dodge harder this time!" isn't going to work. The thoughtful approach to defeating an arch-nemesis varies between requiring multiple stages of setup to just kicking the damn thing and running away. You'll stumble onto these solutions even when you aren't actively trying, and they'll work every time afterwards. By the way, these are observations, not complaints. Considering the fragility of Karasu's existence, I prefer boss battles that test ingenuity over reflexes.

To sum it all up, this is a game that I think every Super Nintendo fan should play. Yeah, definitely an ironic thing for me to say considering I went the past three decades playing every game besides it, but eh... I'll stand by my statement. The adventure is fun, the music is great, and the fact that the dev-team opted for Hindu mythology instead of something tired like Shinto has to be applauded. I won't go as far to say that this game is S or even high A-tier, but surely anyone with an hour-and-a-half to spare deserves to treat themselves.