Sega Nerds

A look back: Landstalker

by Hudson on September 4th, 2007

Keep in mind this is like, a minute into the game.

Welcome, one and all to this, a look back at Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole. What? You say you’ve never heard of Landstalker? Well get in line, brother. In line for an explanation of what sort of a game it is, and whether or not it’s worth the price of admission on the Virtual Console, that is! Ha! Ha ha… ehhh. Sorry folks, it’s been a long day. Let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?

Building a (better?) adventure game

Rotate viewpoint 45 degrees left, give the man a green cap. Maybe something about an ancient, mystical treasure? Maybe? Just putting that out there.

At first glance there’s no denying what Landstalker looks like. Elfish looking hero, dungeon exploring, fairy that follows you around… alright it’s Zelda, okay? Landstalker looks like an isometric Zelda. And to an extent, that’s a pretty accurate depiction!

To an extent!

However, for those that give it a closer look, Landstalker shows itself to be a bird of a somewhat different color. Active platforming, rather than equipment gathering, is the name of the game, with players navigating an isometric cavalcade of dungeons and not dungeons in search of treasure. In fact, throughout the game your basic equipment remains essentially the same as far as gameplay is concerned.

No auto jump for you, son. You’re going to have to push a button to cross that chasm if you plan on getting your hands on some golds. No, really, they call money “golds”.

The isometric perspective, for better or worse, defines Landstalker. It makes the game much more suited to a platforming play style, one complimented nicely by the puzzle solving elements that become more devious as you progress.

Unfortunately the perspective can also be an incredibly annoying roadblock when it comes to the more tricky platforming segments. Just watch the intro sequence and try to figure out how the hell our man Nigel can jump from platform to moving platform without falling to his death.

A conveniently placed raft saves our hero from a watery grave.

Ultimately Landstalker offers up some of the best and worst of the isometric perspective in gaming. Its innovative and interesting level design carries with it frustration that sometimes reminds one of why an old-fashioned top-down perspective was so prevalent. Still, Landstalker has lost none of its pep in the years since its release, meaning for eight bucks you could do a lot worse.

(Plus about thirty seconds into the game someone uses the words “jibber-jabber”)

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POSTED IN: News, Nintendo Wii, Retro, Virtual Console