Game Review - originally written by Kitsune Sniper

The most sought-after game in the entire Castlevania series, and the one we should've gotten in the first place (I hate you, Konami), Dracula X: Rondo of Blood had multiple secret stages, CD audio, awesome synth music, and animated cutscenes. And the game rocked too!

It's Castlevania on steroids. You don't have the multiple-direction whip from Castlevania IV, but in its place you have an item crash, which is a super attack which changes depending on your secondary weapon.

I'd write more, but I haven't played much of it. But know that it rocks. And that the SNES version has nothing to do with this game. OK, so the SNES version is a retooling, but this is much better.

Game Review - originally written by Gideon Zhi

My initial preconceptions about Hydlide was that the game stank. Upon trying this, they were reaffirmed.

Then I read the docs.

I proceeded to have a decently fun amount of time with a fairly aimless Ys-like game, once I figured out I had to change my character to “Attack” mode for him to actually, you know, hurt the enemies. Then I hit level 3, and half the enemies stopped giving me experience, while the other half continued to kill me in one hit. And I stopped, nearly frustrated back to my initially reserved opinion.

So! In Hydlide, you're this guy Jim, and you run around killing things, looking for three fairies, three jewels, and a big bad demon guy to kill. Hey, it's not particularly deep, but it's an old game, so it's excused. The total lack of any aim is a real problem, though; I constantly found myself going one screen too far in what was apparently the wrong direction, and getting reamed by monsters. Your mileage may vary.