Developer: Mega Cat Studios
Publisher: Mega Cat Studios
Platform: NES, SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis
Tested on: NES
Little Medusa (SNES) – Review
We are no stranger to danger, and we aren’t shy to show our love for retro games, or those that inspire themselves on old school titles. In the past we have reviewed games that are still being developed for old school consoles, such as the NES, SNES and Sega’s Mega Drive/Genesis system. To do so, we are lucky enough to actually work with actual cartridges, which is not only fun to actually dust off our old consoles, it’s also very impressive to see developers and publishers actually make use of dated hardware to create a completely new game. After our Log Jammers review, we return to Mega Cat Studios’ NES, SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis title, Little Medusa, after being provided a SNES copy of the game. While the game is out on all three aforementioned platforms, it does have different art on all versions.
Story
It has been centuries since the brutal Titans have been sealed and the Olympians have taken over the throne on Mount Olympus. The world of the gods is peaceful and they live together in harmony, and even have children, dubbed the Little Olympians. You will play as Artemiza, the successor of Zeus himself but Fiora, and evil goddess turns you into a Medusa, making you unrecognizable for those closest to you. While the gods are out looking for you, Fiora frees the Titans and abducts the rest of the Little Olympians, taking the throne for herself. It’ll be up to you to prove your worth as a descendant of the gods themselves.
Overall the story is a nice touch to the game, and the decent intro properly sets the mood. During boss battles, small dialogues will appear, but for the most part you’ll have to do with the nicely animated introduction.
Graphics
The SNES version of Little Medusa actually possessed a very fun graphical style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Zelda games, due to the top down perspective of the game. The game itself uses themed levels, which makes one color stand out in the world you’re currently in, often corresponding with said theme. The character models are neatly designed and are using the SNES’ capabilities to the fullest extent. Sadly, there aren’t that many enemy models, which is a shame, as the game actually thrives off its appearance, and it actually teases you with its graphical prowess, hoping there’s more to come.
Sound
The music is perhaps a bit more monotone compared to releases such as Log Jammers, but seeing that this game is a puzzle title, it actually is for the best. You’ll have a fairly quiet backdrop, which is more meditative but it does get a bit on your nerves after you’ve tried a level for the umpteenth time. This is mainly due to the lack of variation in the game’s soundtrack. The sound effects are properly done, but there’s not that much outside of a few attack noises, and the sound of you inevitable dying, over and over again.
Gameplay
Little Medusa is a puzzle game, that does have some action segments in it. From start to finish, you’ll be turning your enemies to stone, to use their entombed carcasses as building blocks to build platforms over water or other substances you cannot traverse. You can do this by waiting until your enemy lines up with the line where you need a building block, then petrify them, and then shove them towards the desired location. Keep in mind, you can only shove them in straight lines, so you might sometimes need your other ability, namely the ability to place rocks, in order to guide them properly.
The game will have enemies with different abilities, and you’ll always die after one hit. While the puzzle levels are often straightforward, it’s the boss battles that spice things up. You’ll only need to hit the bosses with a petrified baddie around three times in order to beat them, but being able to shove a petrified enemy against a moving target might prove to be trickier than you think. Nonetheless, this change of pace is very welcome and amusing, as it creates a certain variety which is certainly a breath of fresh air after a few harder puzzle levels.
Gamers that are absolutely sure of their skills can try out the Olympian mode, which is pretty much the super hard version of the game. You’ll still go through the same levels, but you will have to do without any continues, so all the lives you get when starting the game will be all you get. This mode is certainly not advised for new players, or those struggling with the game’s puzzles. Nonetheless, it’s a fun mode to see how far you get with only one batch of lives.
Conclusion
Little Medusa is a tough as nails puzzle game. Nonetheless, the game is fun, entertaining and it does feel like a great title that could have been in the SNES’ original library of games. The developers designed different versions of the game, namely a NES, SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis version, so if you have any of those old consoles lying around, this game might be a great chance to dust them off, and buy yourself a new cartridge based game.
Little Medusa (SNES) - Review,
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