Psychic World is not a household name by any means. Most titles released only on the Sega Game Gear have long been forgotten. That’s part of the reason I enjoy exploring it’s library so much. I heard a few recommendations for this one, and was looking for something on the platform that wasn’t an easy pick like Sonic. Psychic World turned out to be one of the best games I’ve played in a while. It’s certainly underrated to say the least.
The game begins with quite a bit of story exposition. In the introductory sequence we learn that twin sisters Lucia and Cecile are working with doctor Knavik on a deserted island. What are they doing research on? Well, ESP of course! One day there’s an explosion at the lab and monsters stored there escape but they take Cecile with them. Lucia sets out to save her with the help of an ESP booster device. It’s corny, but pretty detailed for what you’d expect with a Game Gear title. The anime aesthetic is kind of interesting here, but it’s clear who Psychic World was marketed to.
At first glance the game looks like a pretty generic side scrolling platformer. Most titles from this time were, right? At first that’s what it appears to be. You move left/right and can jump and even shoot a projectile. The latter is your only means of defeating enemies. You run and gun through a variety of differently themed stages using psychic abilities just like you’d suspect. By default you start with just a small neutral burst that fires a few inches in front of your character. As you defeat boss characters you gain new abilities, but they’re functionally similar when it comes to dispatching foes.
So why is this one good, then? Well there are a few reasons. Let’s start with the level design. You don’t simply move left to right; the stages have upward and downward progression as well. Some screens have multiple exits on them, and you can take advantage of this to reach power-ups or easier paths. It’s pretty cool, and the levels are thoughtfully designed with a lot of interesting ideas thrown in. What’s really interesting in this game is the ESP power.
You change the ability you’re using by pressing the jump button while holding down on the directional pad. It sounds annoying, but it’s actually nice and functional. In my opinion it’s a decent workaround for the system’s limited inputs. All of your attacks are projectiles. You begin with just a simple sonic boom (think Guile from Street Fighter II) but as you progress new ones are opened up. This includes an ice shot as well as a fire one. They’re useful against particular enemies, but they have other uses as well. For example, fire can be used to melt ice or break particular blocks. The ice shot can freeze water to create new platforms. These can even be powered up.
That’s not the extent of the ESP powers however, but those are the most important ones. Lucia can also heal herself as well as becoming invincible for a short period of time. These drain the ESP bar however, but this can be refilled with power-ups. There’s one more attack, the sonic wake, but it isn’t as important as the fire or ice. I’m really impressed with Psychic World’s complexity with these abilities. There’s a whole lot going on for a portable game. Yes, I do realize this is a remake of a Master System title, but that sentiment still holds.
Level design is where this one excels. There’s a lot of different environmental obstacles to deal with, and although it’s not particularly puzzling I did have to stop and experiment several times to progress. Enemy placement and attack patterns are on point as well. Much better than in something like Sonic the Hedgehog as you’ll often have to pause and figure out the best way to progress. Psychic World is a pretty challenging game, and it requires a little progress to defeat some of the tougher boss characters. I must admit that I did really like the fact that you get new weapons from enemies, but then again, I’m just a really big Mega Man fan.
Psychic World gets a big graphical overhaul here from its release on the Master System. It’s significantly more detailed now, and the colors just seem to pop more. It’s pretty interesting considering the fact that they’re on what is basically the same hardware at heart. Normally I’m not a big fan of any kind of anime aesthetic but here it’s put to good use. The graphic artists were really good at conveying it to simple sprites. The main character definitely looks like your typical female anime protagonist, and I say that in a good way. Enemies also look great. The backgrounds are a little dull, but that’s to be expected. The soundtrack is very limited with just a few different tracks. I like it all, but more diversity would obviously have been welcome.
This was a wonderful surprise. Psychic World makes me sad that I didn’t give the Game Gear a serious shake back when it was pertinent. For a handheld game of this era it has a whole lot going for it. The level design is truly on point, and the ESP abilities are an inspired game mechanic. Psychic World is easily one of the best games available for the Game Gear, and it deserves to be a check point in video game history instead of a cliffnote for a failed handheld.
