1997, October 1. The END DAY.
Crystalis Opening Sequence
I am going to fanboy out for a little bit in this post. I don’t know why, but I have been spending a lot of time thinking about my favorite games as a kid, and Crystalis was hands-down my most played NES game.
I have always felt like this was a pretty underrated game. Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy were the big dogs in this genre, but Crystalis more than holds it’s own against either. Sure, both Zelda and Final Fantasy each have led to long running series. Sure, The world didn’t end in 1997 like the game predicted. The world of Crystalis deserved a sequel! Draygon did nothing wrong! Wait, what?
Nevermind.
Context
The 8-bit era of video games is often viewed with nostalgia by gamers of a certain age (and by certain age, I mean us elder millenials and young Gen-Xers). And for good reason. It was an era when video games were in their infancy, and developers were still learning what was possible with the hardware available to them. It felt like the sky was the limit! RPGs (role-playing games) were arguably one of the most popular genres of the Early Days, and one game in particular that often gets overlooked is Crystalis.
Released in 1990 for the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), Crystalis was developed by SNK and published by Nintendo. It combined elements of action-adventure games like The Legend of Zelda with traditional RPG mechanics like leveling up and a spell system. The result was a game that was both familiar and unique, and in spite of pretty favorable reviews, was written off by many as a lesser quality game than the Zelda games or games in the Dragon Quest or Ultima series. This is a garbage take. Crystalis is beautiful in both visuals and sound. Seriously, the soundtrack is … *chef’s kiss* so good.
Our Destiny is in Your Hands
One of the best things about Crystalis is its plot. Set in a post-apocalyptic world of 2097, where humanity had been pushed to the brink of extinction and literally back to the dark ages, the game sees the player take on the role of a young magician tasked with saving the world from the evil Draygonian Empire and the powerful sorcerer Draygon. The unnamed hero (you!) only survived because they were cryogenically put to sleep, to only be awoken to prevent another Great War. Along the way, you meet a variety of helpful Sages, explore different towns and dungeons, and uncover the secrets of the world’s past.
The game’s plot is engaging, with plenty of twists and turns to keep players interested. The story is linear, and there are several instances where you will be unable to move forward because you have missed something and will need to backtrack to learn more about the swords (more on these bad boys later!) or the world. The post-apocalyptic landscape is covered in mutated creatures to fight due to the THERMONUCLEAR WAR of 1997!
The Grind
In terms of gameplay mechanics, Crystalis is absolutely a joy to play. The controls and combat are responsive, which was not always the case in the Early Days of Vidya Games. The game features a unique system of elemental swords, which you must collect and use to progress through the game. Each sword has its own unique abilities and can be leveled up by collecting certain items and defeating certain enemies. This gives the game a sense of progression and makes the player feel more powerful as they progress through the game.
- The Sword of Wind is the first sword you receive, in the very first village you enter: Leaf. Once powered up you can break down rock obstacles (Ball of Wind) and hit multiple enemies at once (Tornado Bracelet).
- The Sword of Fire is necessary for defeating many ice-based enemies and is found in the village of Oak. You can break down ice walls with it (Ball of Fire) and cause damaging explosions around your character (Flame Bracelet).
- The Sword of Water is useful against fire-based enemies and is found in the Waterfall Cavern. You can freeze narrow waterways to make bridges (Ball of Water) and cause a blizzard to damage enemies around you (Blizzard Bracelet).
- The Sword of Thunder is found in the Cave of Styx and shoots a small cone of lightning in front of you. (3 bolts) Upgraded with the Ball of Thunder, you can shoot a wider cone (7 bolts) and once you find the Storm Bracelet, you can cause major damage to all enemies on-screen.
- Of course, this list is not complete without mentioning the Ultimate Weapon: CRYSTALIS. Forged by Mesia using all of the other Elemental Swords, Crystalis attacks with the power of all four elements. There are no additional power-ups.
The combat in Crystalis is well-executed, fast-paced and fun, with plenty of variety in terms of enemy types and attacks. The game also features a magic system, which allows players to use spells to heal themselves or damage enemies. This adds an extra layer of strategy to the combat, as players must balance their use of magic with their physical attacks. There are also a wide array of magical power-ups and story-specific items to use and discover – statues that calm the tides, flutes that awaken allies and keys of all sorts – even a gas mask that is required to survive some poisonous terrain!
As referenced above, Crystalis utilizes a grind style of leveling up. Periodically you will find yourself unable to compete in a given area, and need to retreat back one zone to kill enemies there and level up. The same is true for the four main bosses of the game – The Draygonian Four.
Crystalis on the GBC
In 2000, Crystalis was re-released for the Game Boy Color, with some updated graphics and a few other changes. While the changes were minor, they did serve to enhance the game’s already impressive visuals, making it even more appealing to players. They also mixed up the order of the final battles, which I did not love but is not a deal-breaker by any means. They updated some of the dialogue with the townsfolk, but not in a way that changes the game in a meaningful way.
The one gripe I have – and others seem to as well – is that the screen size is smaller, making the world feel a little more cramped to traverse. Again, not a deal-breaker, but certainly a complication and limitation of the hardware.
This Will Be a Legend Forever Remembered …
Crystalis is an absolutely an underrated gem of the NES era of RPGs. It has an engaging plot, fun gameplay, and decent replayability to make it a must-play for fans of the RPG genre. It’s not as well-known as other games from the era, such as Final Fantasy, Zelda or Dragon Quest, but it is every bit as enjoyable and deserving of attention. If you’re a casual video game fan looking for a great RPG to sink your teeth into, give Crystalis a spin. You won’t be disappointed.
(all screenshots taken from a gameplay walkthrough by NintendoComplete. Full video: here)