In the video game world Sony is most well known for their Sony PlayStation console. Most gamers don’t realize that the company that brought us the world’s most popular hardware was hard at work publishing and developing software long before the release of their home system. Unfortunately not a lot of it is well known; none of these games ever became franchises, and they never made headlines. A lot of them were duds to be honest, that is except for a forgotten release called Skyblazer. I never had any exposure to this title; I do remember reading the back of the box in a rental store and passing up on it. The only reason I recall this is because the distinct cover has stuck with me throughout the years. Nonetheless the game routinely shows up on various hidden gems list around the internet, and after watching a few videos I decided that I had to add it to my collection. Fresh off of completing the title I must say that I made a huge mistake not checking it out when I had the chance; Skyblazer is one of the few true hidden gems on the Super Nintendo.
The game’s story is somewhat based off of Eastern mythology. Rather than playing as an animal with ‘tude (as was commonplace in this era) you instead play as a human who is the decedent of the sky lord. The game begins with the evil god Asura who kidnaps a princess turned sorceress, and it’s up to you with the aid of an old man (who gives tips and carries along the story as you play) to not only rescue the princess but the entire world for that matter. It’s a pretty basic ‘damsel in distress’ story but at least the developers steered away from the furry mascot route that so many others took in this era. Skyblazer is a side scrolling action platforming game. You view the action from the side as you guide our hero Sky through a variety of different stages (17 in total) fighting enemies, solving minor puzzles, and slaying bosses along the way. The game makes use of an overhead map ala Super Mario World wherein you select the stage you next wish to play, and can even replay ones you’ve already completed. There really aren’t many secrets here, and for the most part the game is pretty linear, but it’s a nice touch that makes the game feel less claustrophobic.
 |
| One of the many impressive boss fights. |
Unlike Mario and Sonic our hero Sky can’t defeat foes by merely jumping on them. It’s best to avoid this tactic altogether because you take damage from this. Instead our hero strikes foes using a basic punch move which repetitive use of results in a three hit combination ending in a kick. There aren’t really any power ups, and instead Sky gains abilities from special moves he learns as you progress the story. Unlike the standard attack these moves drain your magic meter (which is replenished by collecting green potions) and they offer a myriad of different effects. These mostly involve shooting projectiles in a variety of different patterns, but Sky also gains access to a healing move which proves super helpful throughout the duration of this quest. The special moves spice up the gameplay considerably and help to keep things fresh from start to finish. And last but not least Sky can scale walls, and you are often required to do so in order to proceed. This enhances the platforming elements somewhat, but can be frustrating because you fall when hit by an enemy.
Stage designs are one of my favorite aspects about this game. The developers came up with a myriad of different ideas, and while they represent a stark contrast at times, it all comes together into a cohesive package. You have your standard platforming stages with a focus on combat to start. These are mixed up with a variety of different elements including trees you can climb by jumping up them, quicksand, platforms that both roll when stepped on and also those that move, disappearing blocks, etc. Then you have the water based stages. These are functionally unique from in most similar titles and are based on water currents that push you along in any which direction. This represents some of the biggest puzzle segments in the game because you need to activate switches in order to change them. You also have some stages that are played similarly to an old school shooter where the screen scrolls automatically while you fly around the screen shooting projectiles at enemies. The most impressive sequences however are the bonus areas. These are played from a behind your character 3D point of view making extensive use of the mode 7 hardware, and though you can’t really die here it’s still a nice mix up.
 |
| One of many uses of the Mode 7 engine in this game. |
While it’s a far cry from something like Ninja Gaiden Skyblazer still offers up a decent challenge. The platforming in particular can be rather tricky. You’re often required to hang from and climb walls while dodging enemies and projectiles, and one hit will knock you loose which can set you back a fair ways. The disappearing block sections are particularly brutal and they last only for a fraction of a second in most cases. Thankfully a fall from these isn’t instant death, but it sure can get annoying fast. Another area of the game that can be tough are the boss fights. This also happens to be one of the game’s strong points. The developers were obviously big fans of the mode 7 scaling and rotations because many of them use this in creative ways. It’s seriously impressive, and though they often took me more than one try I really enjoyed the boss encounters in Skyblazer.
Skyblazer is very on point when it comes to graphics. Not only is it vibrant and colorful (but not overly so) but it features some really well done sprite work with high quality animations and a myriad of different effects. The falling rain in a select few stages is pretty wonderful to look at, and there’s some pretty impressive parallax scrolling in many of the in-game areas. Some of the boss encounters lack background details but this is because they’re rendered using the SNES’ mode 7. This allows for some out of this world rotations (one of the entire boss arena’s spins around) and is quite a site to behold even now in modern times. Overall the game is a fantastic looking Super Nintendo release, and is technically sound with few to no slowdown or flickering. The soundtrack on the other hand is a little weird. The composer, Harumi Fujita, played off of the Eastern themes a little too hard for my tastes. It all sounds very East Indian which isn’t a bad thing, but given the hardware’s bleeps and blips it can be a bit jarring at times. Nonetheless the music fits; I’m just not a very big fan of the soundtrack.
I’m not quite sure how this one was so overlooked. Side scrollers and platforming games were a the height of their popularity. It just seems that this one didn’t get any advertising which is a shame because it’s one of the best games that came out in 1994. Skyblazer is an extremely competent game with great level design, good graphics, and unique character abilities. While it’s unlikely to ever be revisited I would jump on an HD remake, or an even less likely sequel in a heartbeat. Unfortunately we’re not that lucky.
