Official Website

Platform: PlayStation 2

Genre: Action

Number of Players: 1

Okay, how about a quick show of hand, who remembers Rygar? That looks like round about 10 people. Seriously though, most old school gamers certainly remember the man with the shield. This was back in the days when the arcade was actually a cool place to go and not filled with games that were three years old at the very least. It’s been well over a decade though since Rygar has seen any action. His last real appearance was back in 1990 on the now defunct Lynx portable. Prior to that, his adventures had been ported over onto the Sega Master System and of course, the original Nintendo Entertainment System. These days though, retro gaming is all the rage, well sort of anyway. It’s not necessarily bringing back the original version of the game so much as it is breathing new life into them, and if games like Asteroids and Defender can get new, prettier versions, then why not Rygar?

For those unfamiliar with the game, Rygar of course is the hero of the story and a brave and mighty warrior who has fought valiantly for the Roman Empire. Recently, the Roman’s have recently has success in their conquest of the Egyptian Empire, and on a small island known as Argus is where the man known as Rygar lives. However, during the celebration to reward him for his valor in the recent Roman battles, vile creatures disturbed the ceremony and kidnap the beautiful Princess Harmonia. A sworn and devoted warrior of the Empire, Rygar heads out in search of the princess, faced with challenges that even he cannot imagine.

For those of you who do in fact remember the Rygar of yesteryear, this isn’t the same game that you might recall. Originally, the game was done as a side scrolling action adventure title; it was a dark way when 3D didn’t exist. However, Rygar now takes a step beyond his former glory and enters into a fantastic world beyond the simplistic 2D styling that once hindered him. And why not since plenty of other titles have successfully, and even unsuccessfully, managed to make the transition. Mario, Donkey Kong, the Belmont clan, and even Samus have undergone a huge facelift, and Rygar isn’t’ going to be left out in the cold.

Taking full advantage of what can be done with 3D, Rygar undertakes quite an adventure in the ancient Roman Empire. The graphics are gorgeous, comprised of detailed pillars and coliseums, as well as many lush exterior locations. Many of these are fully interactive as well, allowing you to destroy pillars and statues in order to gain power-ups and many other much needed icons. And now that he exists in a 3D environment, Rygar has many new and unique things that can be done with his shield.

Initially, Rygar begins with but a single Diskarmor. For those that don’t already know, the Diskarmor is both a weapon and a shield that Rygar has attached to his arm and is capable of, obviously, offense and defense. Now, he has a variety of combo moves that he can perform as well as swing his Diskarmor, and even throw it. But, as he proceeds on his quest to save the Princess, a very familiar theme indeed, and put a stop to the efforts of dark forces to revive the dreaded titans, Rygar will gain more power. Eventually, you will be able to summon guardians that will attack briefly, and while that’s all well and good, what’s even better is the ability to build up your shields.

Occasionally, Rygar will find stones that will help build up the power of the shield. This alters quite a few things. First off, the attack power increases, but so does the available slots for Mystic Stones, one of the nice touches of the game. You see, you’ll find various stones through the course of your journey that can be added to the Diskarmor for various effects. You can increase your defense and attacks, widen your attack area, or even have the option of critical attacks. However, these handy little additions are hidden and finding all of them isn’t going to be easy. You’ll need to gain new abilities, such as stomp and tackle, in order to get them all.

The Hades Diskarmor isn’t Rygars only weapon though, and he’ll be given others as he adventures further. Ryagr will also pick up the Heavenly Diskarmor, another chain linked piece of gear that is used mainly as a weapon that is swung, with very devastating effects. The last Diskarmor that Rygar will obtain is the Sea Diskarmor, a weapon that isn’t swung, but instead is made for quick close combat. Switching between the three different weapons is as simple as hitting R2 or L2.

One of the single most impressive things about Rygar though isn’t the game play or even the games jump into the new millennium, but it’s the soundtrack. Performed by the Moscow International Symphony Orchestra, Rygar features a very lush and beautiful score that rivals many other games. While it may not be up the same level of excellence that we’ve heard in game like Final Fantasy, it’s much better than the often-horrendous scores that plague many games, and a good soundtrack can help out any game and take it from being average to being stupendous. And if you just can’t get enough of the music, the tracks will open up and become accessible from the main menu, as will some of the games conceptual artwork and even the cut scenes.

But, with all the improvements, Rygar still lacks a few things. Often times, the game tends to be a little confusing on just what and where the next objective is. It’s not even on the map, and although someone in a cut scene may have mentioned that you need to go here or do this, it’s really a case of trail and error before you find the right location. The voice acting is just plain bad, especially Rygar who sounds far too stale and monotone to really be impressive or threatening. Also, the cut scenes can’t always be skipped, which gets highly annoying when you have to watch it again, for the second time, or more in some cases. Also, the game is very short and can easily be completed in around four or five hours, or even quicker if you’re going through again.

In the games defense though, there is a lot of things to find in terms of the Mystic Stones, and plenty of menu extras to open up, including the One World option that allows players to select which of the games stages they would like to play through, and then gives them a rating depending on speed and combos. It might be a very eye pleasing title, but some players may be a little disappointed, especially if they are expecting a lengthy adventure. Still though, it does show what Rygar could become, and often times, like when Capcom released Onimusha, the first title is often just a simple test to see how fans take to it. With any luck, we’ll one day see a new Rygar adventure with a much longer storyline, and even more in-depth game play. If nothing else, Rygar is at least worth a rental, especially for those that can remember the original, and I’m certain that there will be gamers that will find the appeal of the title, and be impressed enough to purchase it. It’s definitely a perfect game, but it’s also not a bad attempt at reviving a classic.

 -mike-