The Game Boy has one of the biggest libraries of any platform ever released. With this astounding ocean of software there’s sure to be a few gems that few have ever heard of. The Game Boy is also one of the easiest platforms of all time to import for because it’s region-free. Unfortunately you’re going to need knowledge of the Japanese language if you’re looking to play something heavily dialogue based such as role playing games or text adventures, but for platformers the barrier of entry is very low. This is where Miracle Adventure of Esparks comes in to play.
I’ve never so much as heard a mention of this game, but I randomly stumbled upon it for sale and despite the higher than usual price I figured it might be worth a look. Miracle Adventure of Esparks might not be one of the best games the platform has to offer, but it’s definitely worth a look if you can get it for a low price. Today I’m here to take an in-depth look at this rare release.
Upon booting the game we’re treated to a decent opening animation sequence. We see here a star in the sky as it shatters into six different gems, and our protagonist (I assume his name is Esparks) stands atop a cliff overlooking a looming castle where these talismans fall down to. Between each stage we’re subject to a short dialogue sequence, but I for the life of me cannot tell exactly what’s going on. Either way, it can’t be THAT important, and so let’s move on to the gameplay.
The Miracle Adventure of Esparks is a side scrolling action platformer. You play as the title hero who must run and jump his way through six different stages. In the beginning you’re armed with only a sword, but the beams fired from it with each thrust represent your primary method of attack. You have two different projectile trajectories; one that shoots a single burst forward at a fast rate, and a slower triple shot that also fires diagonally. You also have a charge up blast, but this is limited and you must obtain a particular item in order to use it. This fact seems a little redundant.
Espark also has the ability to jump, and you’ll frequently need to take advantage of this skill in order to get past many of the more intricate platforming sequences. Many stages feature blocks that you can stand on, but that fall shortly after you land on it. You also have platforms that disappear and re-appear where you must get the timing right, and this aspect reminded me of Mega Man in the best way possible.
In the beginning of the game I found this concept was executed rather poorly. Falling from these dropping platforms has little risk with it. You’ll wind up at the bottom of a pit, have to climb your way out, and try the platforming sequence again. This repetition, paired with the fact that Esparks moves at somewhat of a snails pace, makes these sequences one of the most annoying parts of the game.
The protagonist moves with ease, and has just the right amount of momentum. The gameplay isn’t slippery in the least, and because of this the platforming works rather well. This is a fairly easy game to be honest. You have a generous life bar at the bottom of the screen, and only once or twice was a boss character able to completely drain it. It’s not a cakewalk, but the fact that you don’t instantly die when you hit spikes, and the lack of endless pits makes this a pretty forgiving release. It’s also pretty short to be honest.
What I really like here is the variety in level design. The first stage is fairly straight forward and a little basic, but the second introduces elevators and moving girders to keep things interesting. Best yet, the third stage mixes things up in a big way by introducing the first aerial level to the game. Here you ride atop the back of a dragon through a sky based stage. Pressing either the jump or up button makes your reptilian friend flap his wings which gains you altitude. Your primary weapon is retained through this sequence, but these aspects almost make Espark feel like a two dimensional shooter title.
The diversity is refreshing for sure, and the fifth stage sees the triumphant return of our dragon friend. What also helps to keep things fresh are the bosses. These encounters are very well done, and quite different from one another. Each of these enemies features specific weak points that often change as they take specific amounts of damage. My favorite boss encounter is at the end of the second level where your foe splits into three different parts making it much more difficult to avoid. This encounter took more planning on my end than usual.
The power-ups on the other hand are a little boring here and only come in a few varieties. One restores Espark’s health, another stocks you with a charge up blast, the third grants you temporary invincibility, and the final one gives you a computer controlled ally that flies around and strikes on-screen enemies for you. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the latter of these because things can become confusing on-screen with the clutter that comes along with having an A.I. helper. He should have been much smaller. These only appear at specific areas in the stage which makes them a little predictable on repeat plays, but whenever you do get them they’re a welcome sight.
Some sections of the game pretty much force you to use the charge up shot, in particular, the second dragon sequence where enemies are just out of reach without it. It’s a little lame, and I often just took the hit because this power-up is highly useful and not particularly common. Also, Espark seems to change his appearance at a specific part in the game and loses his sword. It’s a little odd, and I don’t know if it’s a new character you take control of or not; if someone understands Japanese please let me know. I’m sure there’s an in-game explanation somewhere.
This release doesn’t push the Game Boy particularly hard. It was released the same year as Super Mario Land 2. In my opinion doesn’t look quite as nice as Nintendo’s title. Still, for a third party effort on the original Game Boy it’s not bad. The protagonist retains a very nice anime style that shines through even despite the limited sprite details. The animations are also very well done. The main character moves with a decent number of frames, and the enemies look nice as well. The dragon is the most impressive visual effect as the wing flapping motion is smooth and surprisingly detailed.
On the technical side the developers also did a great job with the engine. There’s a little flicker and slowdown, but to be honest it’s hardly noticeable because it’s a seldom occurrence. The soundtrack is decent. Nothing particularly sounds out, but the music is fitting and even a little catchy. It’s not something I would listen to every day though.
The Miracle Adventure of Esparks is a pretty decent platformer, but there are a few things working against it. For starters, it’s a platformer on the Game Boy. This wouldn’t be a problem except for the fact that it’s a little difficult to track down due to it only being released overseas. The higher than usual price tag is also a deterrent at around thirty to forty bucks for just the cartridge. Still, this adventure is a fun one, but it’s short lived and a bit derivative which makes the price tough to deal with. It’s still worth playing though.
