Genji Tsushin Agedama

~ GENJI TSUSHIN AGEDAMA ~

NEC

HuCard

1991

Genji is a fun forced-scrolling platform game. The highlight here is the weaponry: Agedama can attack his adversaries with fireballs, tornadoes, wave beams, muscle-bound genies, lightning bolts, and the SUPER SKULL OF DEATH, which causes the action to stop as the playfield quakes and flashes (perhaps reminding one of the full-power blow in The Legendary Axe).

He can also perform a little somersault that has the dual advantage of hurting his enemies while rendering him momentarily invincible (like how "slides" work in quite a few other action games). Boss fights are enjoyable, although I eventually figured out how to use the somersault to cheese my way through many of them.

The soundtrack, which was produced by T's Music, seemed a bit primitive at first, but the melodies grew on me before long. The graphics are bright and colorful, with pretty skies and seas and waterfalls enhancing the usual "grassy" levels, and even the deserts and caves don't look too bland.

The game isn't as fast-paced as New Adventure Island, and its stages aren't as cleverly designed as NAI's. It's painfully short, clocking in at a mere six levels while similar games like NAI, JJ & Jeff, and Monster Lair offer lots more. And the forced scrolling is dropped midway through the fifth stage, making play feel much more methodical until a sweet boss gauntlet that features a warship, the previous bosses, a wizard guy, a bunch of cannons, and a two-form final foe.

For some reason, Genji always seems to be priced at either a reasonable ten bucks or a bloated $30-40. If you spot an inexpensive one, I recommend buying it, as the adventure is fun stuff even if it's short. If you find one that comes with an asking price of $30+, uh, wait until you find a cheaper copy.