Power Quest Game by Sunsoft/ Japan Supply System Reviewed by The Avardancer Size: 8 megabits (1 Megabyte) Save: Password Released: 1998 Works with: Any version of Game Boy. **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: After seeing this game get very good reviews.. I went and bought it. Hmm. After a completely thorough play testing period and a rigid inspection of the game's smallest aspects... I present you what could possibibly be the most thorough review of Power Quest to date. **************************************************************************** Gameplay Descripion: The back of the box has this to say: "Power Quest features a 1 to 1 fighting bonanza with a story mode thrown in to spice up the action. Choose and arm your own model and pit it against others controlled by the CPU or a friend. Defeat your enemies, Power-up your model and you're off again on your Quest for Power" The game offers three main options really. A Story Mode, VS mode, and a 1P fighting mode. The Story Mode is in fact "thrown in" or rather "thrown in at the last minute to make the game seem a bit RPG-ish and try to draw in all those Pokémon fanatics". Yup, the Story Mode is fairly cheesy and has some pretty silly text translation. Some of the text is inexcusably tacky. I E: "Modeling's the latest craze among kids". The game offers several language options at the beginning of the game. (Why is English and American two seperate options? The text doesn't change in anyway...) The story lacks any sense of originality and is thoroughly cliche. It is also repetitive as you need to fight the same people over and over again to raise enough money to buy upgrades for your model. The basic premise is a little like "Dual Heroes" for the N64; but this game is actually fun. The Story isn't "all that" and really feels rushed. (There's also only ONE town...) The VS mode is a two-player mode; if you have two Game Boy's and a Game Link Cable. (And two copies of the game.) You can play against a friend. If you have a Super Game Boy.. all you need is two controllers. :) It's fairly fun as a Two-Player game.. although there is only about 7 fighters to choose from in the game. :( The 1P mode is an endless match against the other robots in an increasingly challenging fight-a-thon. It's fun and pretty cool. Other than that.. it's one of the better features of the game. The actual fighting is fast and very well made. Similar to King of the Fighters or Street Fighter in design. Liked: Fighting engine is cool. Hated: Story mode is fairly boring and kinda lame. :( **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: Although it is not mentioned on the back of the box... Power Quest features Super Game Boy support! It has a nice frame and some fairly standard color palletes on Super Game Boy. The characters are nice and large' so they are easy to see on an old Game Boy. The fighting screens are nice and colorful. Some fairly good detail and excellent background inside houses/buildings. The people look monochrome still. Anyways the main map screen is "NES Quality"; which is fairly good actually. The game has some places where it could use more color on Game Boy Color. Oh, well. Some of the people in the game look stupid like stupid ugly things. The bot animation is cool. Axe is one of the coolest robots when he wins. Well animated moves too. Anyways, some of the animation is questionable. The character: "Speed" is an obviously female robot and it has some animation that makes it look like it should have been in Dead or Alive. :/ Liked: Umm.. the fighting graphics are top notch with large fighters. Hated: The people you meet are butta-ugly. **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: It's "Euro-Pop"! Okay.. for those unfamiliar with that term. The game sounds bright, perky, and the beat is heavy and could be danced to. It's "blood-sugar" music similar to the music in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of games or to the Streets of Rage series. Confused? Hmm. Think catchy hooks, and riffs. Umm. Euro-Pop! Like Chumbawumba, B*Witched, The Spice Girls, Jellyhead, et cetra. Sort of. Well, anyways... the music is fast and upbeat. Pop it into a Super Game Boy and you'll hear the bass more. Nice and long actually. Like the music in games like Contra: Alien Wars; the games music is "multi-tiered". In other words, the music starts on one riff and melts in to another riff. There's a built-in sound test in the Story Mode that is cool. The songs have names and are very beat heavy. D.J.'s thrive off of the stuff in this game. The beats and flows make the music immpecable and "driven". Try the song "End of War" and "1995"; they are very cool. The basic sounds are well done and appropriate for the on-screen action. You can hear the difference between a blocked blow and one that hits. Nothing monumental or anything. The sound fits the bill nicely and some how sounds fairly fresh and not stale. Liked: Catchy Euro-Pop and well done sound effects. That sound that Axe makes when he wins is totally unique.. Hated: Some of the songs sound like they belong in another game... **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: Okay, so the game isn't original in any respect and the character designs are ripped off of Street Fighter 2 and the King of the Fighters games. Yeah, you read this correctly.. Power Quest is in no way an original game. It has some excellent qualities; but originallity is NOT one of them. The game's story mode seems ill-concieved and should have had more work done to it before the games release. The play control is very smooth and the moves are easy to do. The fighting engine is solid and responsive. The game is completely playable. Although.. if you play a lot of fighting games like I do... you'll feel like you have played this game before.... Liked: The fighting is fun and well executed by the great speed and fluid play control. Hated: Unoriginal to the core; lacks fighters, and seems rushed. **************************************************************************** Improve: More characters, a different system for making money in the "Story Mode." Although, if the game went GBC dedicated, dropped the story mode and added about 15 more fighters, character endings and some more graphic screen filling special moves... it would be most excellent. RIYL: King of the Fighters, fighting games in general. **************************************************************************** Final Words: Power Quest is the best "color" fighting game on Game Boy Color at this moment. A fairly worthy purchase and a nice game overall. The game is for fighting enthusiasts on the go and it fills in nicely. It still feels as if it could use some more work; but that is okay. The game is a nice addition to anyones Game Boy Color collection. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: **** Graphics: **** Sound/Music: ***** Play Control/Game Design: **** Personal Opinion: **** Total: 21 out of 25 Final Score: 84% **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: (Any secrets?)