Elf
| Developer: Nirvana | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Ocean | Sound: |
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| Year: 1991 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Platformer | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
6/10 | |
It’s the (completely unheard-of) tale of an elf on a mission to save his girlfriend, who’s been kidnapped by an ugly demon-wizard…
This old-school platformer, featuring static screens and reasonably intuitive controls, sends you scurrying across a sprawling land to pick flowers, hoard random items, and obliterate a wildly mixed-up menagerie by hurling fireballs everywhere.
Amidst densely packed backdrops (which, personally, I don’t consider a flaw), endless swarms of critters appear from all sides of the screen. But it’s not a matter of shooting everything that moves—the ending even rewards you for sparing the “cute” creatures (those harmless ones, anyway).
Exploration plays a significant role, letting you roam freely in all directions—occasionally even delving into the background through depth-based passages. The worlds are so vast you’ll probably want to sketch out maps on paper. Just a suggestion.
One touch I particularly enjoyed: when you die, a gravestone pops up from the ground, sometimes releasing your ghost—which, naturally, attacks you. Charming, isn’t it?
Lastly, much like in Dizzy, you’ll encounter a host of eccentric characters, with whom you can trade items to open new routes. Shops also make an appearance, letting you purchase spells to enhance your abilities as you progress.
Points in favour: three different endings, a save option, and support for a second floppy drive. However, you’re still forced to choose between music and sound effects… Some traditions never die, apparently.
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