Willow
- HmmI LOVED the movie, but found myself disappointed in this game. I wasn't expecting the game to be the exact same, but the creators of the game took great liberties with the story - the story in here isn't much like the movie. Bavmorda isn't after Elora, she has a different goal in mind. You see all the familiar faces here - Madmartigan, Sorsha, Fin Raziel, Franjean and Rool, and a few new ones that were not in the movie. I have nothing against the new characters, but the story was so different that it was hard to get into.
The gameplay itself is smooth, so I can't complain about that. The items and weapons are a nice touch - this game plays like an RPG with level-ups, increased health and magic to go with said level-ups, different weapons and items, etc. The enemies and dungeons you find here are not much different from other NES RPGs, so if you like games like Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda, you may enjoy this. Really, the only complaint I have is about the story itself, not the gameplay. I'd rate this game 4 out of 5 stars, but the story costs the game one star.
Rating:
- Don't Overlook the Little Guy!Willow is another NES game that is frequently and tragically overlooked, possibly due to its similarity to the Zelda games.However, I would like to point out that the sword swing, as opposed to a stab, makes its appearance here first.The two types of sword attacks (stab & swing) make combat a more strategic affair than similar games.You can come at your enemies from the side with swings, or at a distance with the longer-ranged stabs.
There's a wealth of items you have to obtain for success on your quest, which is hardly unusual.There's more of a fun treasure-hunt feel to the item collection, which is one of the things I like.Some of them are just lying around (usually in a dangerous maze) and just have to be picked up.I recall seeking out a crystal ball allegedly guarded by a fierce dragon.When I finally reached the dragon, he said he was too old and tired to fight me so he just gave it to me!
The graphics are quite nice.I especially like the ring of light that reflects off the top of Willow's blond hair.This even happens underground, where it's...um, torchlight.Yes.All the major players from the movie make appearences.There are even extra characters, expanding the fun.The developers took the feel of the movie and ran with it.It's probably my favorite of early movie-based video games.
I only have a few complaints.One is that data is saved with a password, not a battery.This can be nice, as some older batteries don't work so well anymore.However, the passwords only save exp levels, not points.Even worse, these points are reset whenever you die.So if you accumulate several thousand points and need only 4 additional points to reach the next level but die before you gain them, you now need several thousand (plus 4) points.That can be frustrating.Just don't die!
The second complaint is that an essential item is VERY easy to miss.If you don't speak to a specific person at a specific time, you'll be forced to complete nearly 3/4 of the game without any way to heal yourself in battle.If you advance the plot and then return to talk to this person, he won't give you the item.This doesn't make the game impossible...just incredibly hard.
All in all, very good.Every NES fan needs to play this game.
Rating:
- MY FAVORITE NES GAMEthis game is a simple classic RPG similar to zelda, but with a far more indepth story. the goal is simple, to progress through the map to defeat the evil queen Bavmorda but the game is simply delightful. if you own an NES, this is a must
Rating:
- Absolutely addicting!I agree with my fellow reviewers, it's not incredible, but it is HOURS and hours of fun, challenging scenerios, and great and interesting enemies. I had a blast.
Rating:
- Willow is a must-have for classic RPG fans.This is a fantastic game, based loosely on the Ron Howard/George Lucas movie of the same name. It is like Zelda I, but in my opinion better. Not only is it substantially longer, it really grabbed my attention from start to finish and I never got bored.
The only downside i can remember is that you do have to endure the old "defeat countless easy enemies in order to level up so you can progress successfully through the harder parts" routine - but that's more or less a given for these types of games, unfortunately.
Other than that one flaw, this game delivers hours upon hours of adventure fun! If you like good, long, CLASSIC RPG adventures, this game is definitely for you!
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