FireStriker for the Super Nintendo was a very pleasant surprise. I was looking for a puzzle game and my search led me to this one. Now, don’t get me wrong. While I enjoy more traditional fare I’m also a huge fan of action adventure games as well, and this one looked like it could scratch my Zelda itch. Two birds with one stone, right? Fire Striker was precisely what I expected it to be. Where it surprised me was with its seriously inventive level design.
The story (yes, there actually is a scenario here) tells of a medieval world where magic exists. Four kingdoms, each based on a different element, competed for a powerful weapon called the Trialight. In the end the Kingdom of Wind won, but an evil archmage, Wylde, sends his four monsters to topple the four countries thus ending the reign of peace. Our protagonist is the last Firestriker (an elite group of warriors who can wield the Trialight). He sets out to defeat the four monsters and bring peace back to the land.
Fire Striker is a video game that’s very easy to describe. Think Arkanoid for the basic outline, but instead of controlling a paddle at the bottom of the screen you’re a knight with a sword. The action is displayed from a semi overhead view, and unlike the puzzle formula on which Fire Striker is based you’re not stuck moving left and right. In this game you can walk anywhere in the play area. This means you’re able to chase the ball to more easily direct it toward destructible blocks, or even just stand at the bottom to play defensively. These are very atypical conventions for the puzzle genre.
As if the premise itself wasn’t unique enough Fire Striker adds even more elements to the formula. The comparisons to the Legend of Zelda are inevitable. You play as a knight who slashes a sword, and the game is presented from an overhead view. As if that wasn’t enough you have a health meter and it’s measured by hearts. Just like in Zelda. Each stage has enemies wandering around and they can only be dispatched by the Trialight. Your sword is useless against them, and if they touch you then you lose a heart. When they run out you die and must start the stage over. This means you’ll have to constantly keep your eye on both your character and the Trialight or you won’t last long.
You’ll find a variety of different items in Fire Striker, but the most useful are the heart recovery icons. You’ll also find a power ball that can be used to fire the Trialight in a stronger blast. There’s even a heart container item that increases your maximum health, but these are only dropped by defeated boss characters or found in bonus stages. Despite this you never feel particularly safe in Fire Striker and the game is always fairly challenging.
Now we get to the additional characters. Yes, Slader is not the only Fire Striker (despite what the game tries to make you think) but he is the only one you start with. Well, unless you count the guy at the bottom of the screen whom you can move with the shoulder buttons. He’s mostly stationary but is your last line of defense, and he actually adds a lot of strategy to the game. Anyway, back to the other characters. These are unlocked by completing levels. They do not have any additional abilities which is kind of lame. To make matters worse one of the Fire Strikers moves super slowly, and you’re required to use him twice in the game. This aspect of the game is a missed opportunity.
As I mentioned earlier Fire Striker really excels in the level design department. All unique elements aside this would still be a solid Breakout clone even if it were a more traditional puzzle game. Every obstacle feels intricately places, and something like a line of unbreakable blocks can completely change the flow and dynamics of a stage. The developers put a myriad of different obstacles and arrangements such that every level feels unique from all of the others. The only exception is the boss stages which are very plain. In these instances you’re facing a difficult fight which more than makes up for it though.
I was pretty surprised to see that Fire Striker has the option for multiplayer with not just two but four different players. You’ll need a multi tap to take advantage of this, of course. There are a few different options, but they’re all competitive in nature. These include soccer-like matches where teams of two compete to knock the Trialight into the opponents’ goals. It’s pretty basic but surprisingly fun and can be quite frantic. The fact that they bothered including a multiplayer mode at all is fantastic. It shows that actual thought and care went into the development here.
Fire Striker is a pretty good looking Super Nintendo game. It’s obviously an early effort, and while the backgrounds and animations are pretty simple the art style is very distinct. The fantasy theme and monster designs would be entirely at home in a role playing game which is an excellent touch. Fire Striker certainly doesn’t look like any other puzzle game I’ve ever played.
The soundtrack is pretty good too. It sort of ditches the fantasy motif by going with something more befitting a rave, or light show. The music fits the action pretty well, and gets the player surprisingly pumped. It’s not nearly as derivative as I expected it would be as the audio has a lot of its own personality. There’s a unique vibe going here, and I dig it.
Nintendo platformers are never a slouch when it comes to puzzle games. It’s easy to see then why Firestriker was overlooked. At heart this is Breakout/Arkanoid, but combined with the Legend of Zelda. It sounds like a strange mix, and it really shouldn’t work, but it does. Firestriker is incredible, highly addictive, and even has a lot to offer for multiple players. It’s plenty reason to dust off the old Super Nintendo multitap (assuming of course you’re one of ten people who ever owned one).
