NES Games I Beat #43: Rygar

    

   Rygar is a Tecmo release of 1987. It is an action/ RPG/ platformer that has both overhead and sidescrolling levels. Originally it was an arcade game by the same name and while that version is supposedly much better as many arcades were, this port to the NES is impressive for its time. This is for all intensive purposes an adventure game with a sprawling world and while it’s by no means Zelda, it is still a fine game in its own right. It stands out in many ways from the crowd and while not an overly polished game, there is still a lot of fun to be had.
    Aesthetically, Rygar looks amazing and is themed really well with forests, mountains, palaces, dungeons, caves, and more! All the areas have a unique feeling and while the enemy designs don’t vary much, they and all the other characters including the bosses are very stylized and have an interesting flair to them. When a new area was reached it was always a vibrant change in scenery and thus visual this game is appealing.
    There’s no doubt that the music minus about 2 of the 6 or so tracks is incredible and I had this stuck in my head every moment I wasn’t playing this game. It’s really catchy stuff. The two tracks that aren’t good are inexcusably bad. One of the worst tracks in video game history rests in a palace segment of this game and while it was probably meant to build tension, it’s a four note loop that gives you headaches and prompts you to swiftly mute the TV which is a shame given the variety and excellent music that fills the rest of the game.
In terms of gameplay, it’s pretty simple. Rygar has a disk chain weapon that he throws at foes and that’s it. There are items that can be obtained but their mostly to traverse obstacles in the overworld such as the grappling hook that lets you access a ton of hidden areas and swing over poles. While getting on the hook is a little tricky, it becomes more natural once you’ve done it a few times. The weapon you have may be simple but it really does work quite well and satisfyingly. The enemies can get a little tricky too but if you just jump a lot it seems you’re mostly able to doge their attacks. Also, there are elders in doors that are everywhere that give you cryptic hints that don’t really help much. This sort of mystery could turn some off but with walkthroughs nowadays it’s not a huge issue. The Happy Video Game Nerd (or Derek Alexander) did an excellent video that will get anyone who wants to beat this game started off right.
    This game has some RPG leveling elements as well. In Derek’s video he directs the player toward an area from a later part of the game with a robot that gives off good experience that you can grind for a bit and gain a ton of levels, which are mostly indicated by your life meter which increases with certain amounts of EXP. There’s also an attack or “tone” number and a defense or “last” number which go up after every enemy killed. These max at just over 4000 so a little bit of grinding is necessary if you’re looking to max out. This isn’t really essential though as Rygar is not particularly challenging. If you die, you start at the beginning of the area you were in granted with only three hits left but there are monks around occasionally that refill your health or vials enemies can drop that restore a hit. The game also has a spell system that can boost defense, attack, or recover your life and it can only be filled by finding stars after killing enemies. It’s somewhat helpful but your stars also start over when you die and it takes anywhere from 4-7 to do these spells.
    Overall, Rygar is an enjoyable game. It’s short and while it lacks a password or save function, it isn’t hard and is generous with its infinite continues and relative checkpoints. The action is satisfying, the visuals and music kick ass, and it’s all around just a very fun game to play. Rygar earns a 7.5/10. Great fun little action game.