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Light Crusader

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Light Crusader
North American cover art
Developer(s)Treasure
Publisher(s)
Programmer(s)Kazuhiko Ishida
Masato Maegawa
Artist(s)Hiroshi Iuchi
Composer(s)Aki Hata
Platform(s)Sega Genesis
Release
  • JP: 26 May 1995
  • KOR: 22 July 1995
  • EU: August 1995
  • NA: 25 October 1995
  • AU: 1995
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Light Crusader[a] is an action-adventure game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for their Sega Genesis console in 1995.[1] The game was included in the Sega Genesis Classics collections on Steam and other platforms in 2011. It was also included on the Sega Genesis Mini in North America and Sega Mega Drive Mini in PAL regions.

It is similar in gameplay to Landstalker, blending role-playing video game, action-adventure and platform video game elements in much the same way.

Gameplay

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Gameplay screenshot

The game is played from an isometric viewpoint. Players can move freely, jump, and push objects. They can execute simple sword slashes, use four magic elements in different combinations, and use items for various effects. Gameplay is a mix of action, puzzle solving, and platforming for the most part, with the usual role-playing staples like towns, shops, equipment, and spellcasting. The player controls Sir David as he travels through an assortment of dungeons, battling creatures such as "slime", solving puzzles to advance and saving those who were kidnapped. An auto-map feature keeps the focus on action and single-room puzzles, rather than mazes or labyrinths.

Plot

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Sir David is invited to visit Green Row after a recent journey. He has not been there for a long time and was eager to return. However, the king informs David that townspeople have been disappearing. The king asks him to search for the missing people. After finding a hidden stairway in the graveyard, he discovers a large dungeon of many floors underneath the town.

In the dungeon, as he begins to find the missing people, he gradually learns the story of an evil wizard named Ragno Roke, who was angered by the queen's rejection of his marriage proposal. As revenge, Lord Roke has planned to use the kidnapped townspeople as a sacrifice to reawaken the evil demon Ramiah, sealed long ago in the dungeon. As David descends, he passes through a town of goblins, and a guild of wizards who have been operating in the dungeon.

At the end of the game, David confronts both Roke and Ramiah. At this point the townspeople have been rescued, but Roke tells David that his own life would be sufficient to revive Ramiah and sacrifices himself, bringing Ramiah to life for a final battle with David. After a victory, David leaves on horseback.

Development and release

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Light Crusader was developed by Japanese studio Treasure as part of partnership with Sega to develop products for the latter's Genesis console. This four game deal also included Dynamite Headdy, Alien Soldier, and Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen.[2][3] Light Crusader was programmed by Kazuhiko Ishida with support from Keiji Fujitake and Treasure president Masato Maekawa. The game's graphics and art were provided by Hiroshi Iuchi, Makoto Ogino, Kaname Shindo, and Koichi Kimura. Katsuhiko Suzuki was the sound director while Aki Hata and Satoshi Murata composed the music and sound effects respectively.

The project was announced in the spring of 1994 under the working title Relayer.[4][5] Iuchi revealed that in its earliest stages, Light Crusader was planned as an action version of the classic RPG series Wizardry.[6] The staff sought to improve the operability and enjoyment of pseudo-3D graphics afforded by the isometric viewpoint, but this presented challenges. Ishida said that it was difficult to program multiple joints in 3D, while Iuchi claimed that the three-quarters perspective interfered with the performance of the Genesis.[6] Development was delayed when the team started over from scratch at one point. Iuichi estimated that the final build of the game was only 30% complete by the end of 1994.[6]

Light Crusader was Treasure's last title to appear on the Genesis console.[7][8] Throughout 1995, Sega published the game in Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia while Samsung published it in South Korea.[9] In the following decades, Light Crusader has been made available as both a stand-alone downloadable title and as part of several Genesis compilations. The game was released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007;[8][10] as part of the Sega Genesis Classics collection for Steam and home platforms beginning in 2011;[11][12][13] on the North America Sega Genesis Mini and PAL region Sega Mega Drive Mini consoles in 2019;[14] and finally on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022.[15]

Reception

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Mean Machines Sega praised the graphics and unique mixture of gameplay elements. They criticized that the game is often too easy and dull, and compared it unfavorably to The Story of Thor for longevity, but nonetheless gave it a very positive assessment, calling it "A superlative arcade adventure with great playability."[24] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the graphics, but all but one of them gave the game an overall negative assessment, saying that the perspective severely hinders visibility, the combat is clunky, the lack of story makes the game less involving and creates difficulty figuring out where to go next, and there is too much of an emphasis on puzzles.[18] Next Generation said that the game design reflected Treasure's experience with action games, but that the non-action elements such as the puzzles and storyline are overly shallow, and the isometric perspective creates control difficulties. They concluded, "Light Crusader is still one of the more exciting and graphically pleasing Genesis titles that has come out recently, but this is by no means a RPG."[26]

GamePro commented that the graphics and music are impressive in parts, but that the game is less challenging and complex than most RPGs, and that the player character maneuvers poorly, "with nowhere near the range or fluidity of movement of Ali in Beyond Oasis." However, they concluded, "In the end, Light Crusader gets a passing grade because of some cool bosses and interesting puzzle challenges."[42] Hobby Consolas commended the pseudo-3D isometric visuals, gameplay, presentation and sound, stating that "Light Crusader fills an important void in the Mega Drive's role-playing game's library; the one that goes from pure role to adventure and nothing else."[29]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: ライトクルセイダー, Hepburn: Raito Kuruseidā

References

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  1. ^ "Light Crusader". SEGA. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  2. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (6 March 2006). "Maegawa Talks Gunstar". IGN. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ^ Sega staff. "名作アルバム -『ガンスターヒーローズ』- P4" [Class Album - Gunstar Heroes - Part 4] (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  4. ^ Mean Machines staff (May 1994). "MegaDrive Preview: Relayer". Mean Machines Sega. No. 19. EMAP. pp. 102–3. ISSN 0967-9014.
  5. ^ Sega Magazine staff (April 1994). "Treasure Showcase: Relayer". Sega Magazine. No. 4. EMAP. pp. 74–5. ISSN 1360-9424. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Editorial staff (January 1995). "From Treasure To You: Development Staff Special Interview トレジャーからあなたに 開発スタッフ 特別インタピュー". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 64. SoftBank Creative. p. 39. OCLC 852214170. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022.
  7. ^ Rose, Paul (2 June 2022). "Gaming History with Mr. Biffo: The Mega Drive's Forgotten Treasure Trove". Wireframe. No. 63. Raspberry Pi Foundation. pp. 36–7. ISSN 2631-6722.
  8. ^ a b "ライトクルセイダー" [Light Crusader] (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  9. ^ Game Champ staff (September 1995). "멀티미디어의 삼성전자" [Multimedia of Samsung Electronics]. Game Champ (in Korean). No. 34. Jeu Media. p. 1. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022.
  10. ^ McElroy, J (31 December 2007). "Bubble Bobble, Top Hunter, Light Crusader come to Virtual Console". Engadget. Yahoo Inc. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Light Crusader". Steam. Valve Corporation. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  12. ^ Bhatti, Ibrahim (14 March 2018). "Sega Mega Drive Classics, featuring over 50 iconic games, hits PS4 on 29th May". Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  13. ^ Wales, Matt (30 October 2018). "Sega Mega Drive Classics gets a December release date on Switch". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  14. ^ Sega staff (5 June 2019). ""Mega Drive Mini" "SEGA Genesis Mini" Preloaded Titles Update! All 42 titles revealed!!". Sega. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  15. ^ LeBlanc, Wesley (17 March 2022). "Nintendo Switch Online: Sega Genesis Titles Alien Soldier, Super Fantasy Zone, And Light Crusader Now Available". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Light Crusader for Genesis". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  17. ^ Automatic, Rad (August 1995). "CVG Review: Mega drive whizz-kids Treasure are back — can they continue their uninterruptred run of success? - Light Crusader". Computer and Video Games. No. 165. Future Publishing. pp. 62–63.
  18. ^ a b Baran, Andrew; LeFebvre, Mark; Desmond, Mike; Parus, Scott (November 1995). "Review Crew: Light Crusader". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 76. Sendai Publishing. p. 42.
  19. ^ "Raitokuruseidā (mega doraibu) - famiutsu. Komu" ライトクルセイダー (メガドライブ) - ファミ通.com [Light Crusader (Mega Drive) - Famitsu.com]. Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 337. ASCII. 28 April 1995. p. 32. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  20. ^ Whitehead, Dan (8 December 2007). "Virtual Console Roundup - Light Crusader, Rolling Thunder 2 and Cybernator". Eurogamer. Gamer Network Ltd. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  21. ^ Wilton, Pete (September 1995). "Reviews - Mega Drive - Light Crusader". GamesMaster. No. 33. Future Publishing. pp. 56–57.
  22. ^ Salmon, Mike (November 1995). "Genesis - Review - Light Crusader". Game Players. No. 77. Signal Research. p. 90.
  23. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. (28 January 2008). "Light Crusader Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  24. ^ a b Gus; Steve (August 1995). "Megadrive Review - Light Crusader". Mean Machines Sega. No. 34. EMAP. pp. 62–66.
  25. ^ "News - Light Fantastic". Mean Machines Sega. No. 35. EMAP. September 1995. p. 13. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2015. We goofed with our Light Crusader review last ish. Instead of the paltry 80% we scored it, it should have read 89%. That was down to a production error.
  26. ^ a b "Finals - Genesis - Light Crusader". Next Generation. No. 12. Imagine Media. December 1995. p. 195. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  27. ^ McFerran, Damien (8 December 2007). "Light Crusader Review". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  28. ^ Menier, Marc; Homsy, Richard (September 1995). "Megadrive Review - Light Crusader". Consoles + (in French). No. 46. M.E.R.7. pp. 98–100. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  29. ^ a b Herránz, Sonia (September 1995). "Lo Más Nuevo - Sega Mega Drive: Light Crusader - La Última Gran Aventura De Sega". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 48. Axel Springer SE. pp. 88–90.
  30. ^ Kagotani, Yuriko (September 1995). "Test - Mega Drive - Light Crusader". Joypad (in French). No. 45. Yellow Media. pp. 78–80. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  31. ^ Bannert, Robert (October 1995). "Spiele-Tests - MD - Light Crusader". MAN!AC (in German). No. 24. Cybermedia. p. 68. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  32. ^ Schneider, Ulf (November 1995). "Test Mega Drive - Light Crusader". Mega Fun (in German). No. 38. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 73.
  33. ^ Pottier, Christophe (September 1995). "Tests – Megadrive – Light Crusader". Player One (in French). No. 56. Média Système Édition. pp. 88–91. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  34. ^ 超絶 大技林 '98年春版: メガドライブ - ライトクルセイダー (Special) (in Japanese). Vol. 42. Tokuma Shoten Intermedia. 15 April 1998. p. 886. ASIN B00J16900U. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  35. ^ "Reviews - Mega Drive - Light Crusader". Sega Power. No. 71. Future plc. October 1995. p. 57.
  36. ^ "Mega Drive – ProReview: Light Crusader". Sega Pro. No. 49. Paragon Publishing. September 1995. pp. 60–61.
  37. ^ "Hyper Mega Express for 16bit User - ライトクルセイダー". Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). No. 6. SoftBank Creative. 1 June 1995. p. 131.
  38. ^ Montón, Raúl (September 1995). "Mega Drive - Review: Light Crusader - La Vida Es Un Acertijo". Superjuegos (in Spanish). No. 41. Grupo Zeta. pp. 98–101.
  39. ^ The Light Lion (September 1995). "Le Labo: Mega Drive - Une Croisade En Son Et Lumière -- Light Crusader". Top Consoles (in French). No. 5. Pressimage. pp. 74–77. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  40. ^ Hara, Tetsuhiko (October 1995). "Mega Drive - Reviews – Light Crusader". Video Games (in German). No. 47. Future-Verlag. p. 104.
  41. ^ "Reviews - Genesis - Light Crusader". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine. No. 82. L.F.P., Inc. November 1995. p. 92.
  42. ^ The Unknown Gamer (January 1996). "Light Crusader". GamePro. No. 88. IDG. p. 138.
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