ActRaiser (SNES) [and ActRaiser 2]

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Retro STrife
Posts: 2531
Joined: August 3rd, 2015, 7:40 pm

ActRaiser (SNES) [and ActRaiser 2]

Postby Retro STrife » July 18th, 2021, 1:48 am

ActRaiser! This one has been a long way coming. After years of waiting, I finally played and beat it over the past few months.

I was an SNES kid growing up. So what did I think of ActRaiser in the 90s? Well, I never even heard of it! ActRaiser seems to be pretty well known among SNES retro gamers these days, but I think it was a lot more under-the-radar in the 90s. Either that, or I was just oblivious. It wasn't until seeing the Critic's original ActRaiser review that I was tipped off to the game. I really like unique mixed-genre games and ActRaiser was right up my alley. I had to have it and I bought it like 10-15 years ago. Between school, my SNES in storage, various moves, etc., the cartridge sat and sat and waited for its day to come. But it always remained at the top of my must-play list for the SNES. Well, I finally got around to it. So what do I think?

I love it, and completely agree with VGC's A- score. I had a blast with this game, and got addicted for long stretches. I beat the game too- that's a real testament to the enjoyment, because I don't play many 8-hour retro games to beat them these days. If there was ever a game where you could say "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts", ActRaiser is it. The strategy game is addictive at first--until you realize that there is no challenge to it whatsoever. Eventually you realize that, aside from a few hurdles here and there, your towns will grow and expand unabated. Enemies may destroy your town, but that's ok- we'll just rebuild. In fact, destruction is often rewarded with better buildings and more townsfolk. Then you have the action/platformer sections. These are a great change of pace, but if you examined them in isolation they are way too plain, way too stiff and uninspired, and way too easy. Yet, you put these two elements together, mix in an infectious mood/spirit to the game, and it's like mashed potatoes and gravy. Among the retro games that I've played for the first time in recent years, ActRaiser is near the top and holds up today as well as you could ask for from a 16-bit game.

User avatar
Retro STrife
Posts: 2531
Joined: August 3rd, 2015, 7:40 pm

Re: ActRaiser (SNES) [and ActRaiser 2]

Postby Retro STrife » July 18th, 2021, 1:48 am

ActRaiser 2.. well that's another story. I knew the bad reviews, and knew the strategy elements were cut (the best part of the first game), but I tried to be open-minded. I was impressed in the first level- the action/platforming is a clear upgrade in quality from ActRaiser. Sadly, the game is as difficult as they say and that level was the only one I beat before giving up. With a toned-down difficulty, this could have been a decent enough hack-and-slash, but you can't enjoy what you can't play.


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