What was the most memorable part of Soul Blazer to you? Please consider supporting me at www.patreon.com/xygorgaming OR through TH-cam membership by clicking the JOIN button above!
This was back when gaming was "less is more" philosophy. Because space was a premium any lore bits you received were extremely important in fleshing out the world. Or maybe I'm just looking at this game through rose colored glasses, I'm probably not the best person to ask how good this game is but is is solid IMO with excellent notes sprinkled all over.
Since you asked for a comment in a nice way and it helps the algorithm: The Seabed of St. Ellis music track is still one of my favorites from that time.
I found this game completely by accident at a local rental place when I was a kid, brought it home just because I liked the box. I fell in love with this idea that you were roaming the world and restoring order to everything, you got a real sense of accomplishment as you finished each section and the sad tune of the town returned to a triumphant song and you now had access to bustling areas full of NPCs that were nowhere to be found when you first arrived. The story is simple, but to my 10 year old brain at the time it was all I needed to keep going. And that fight with Deathtoll at the end, when you had everything you needed to fling unlimited phoenixes at him, it was an absolute blast. Still one of my favorite SNES games even today.
This one is actually a personal favorite of mine; it's honestly a bit hard to put a precise finger on (setting aside simple nostalgia, anyway), but something or other about Soulblazer's setting and style has always struck a chord with me, in a way that even Quintet's other stuff never quite managed. Every time I recall making my way through Leo's painting, the three shrines, the sea floor, the icy slopes, the town models, I unfailingly get the urge to pop in the cart and do it again for the umpteenth time; for me, at least, it's one of those games that defines the unique, impossible-to-duplicate appeal of the SNES back in its heyday.
I remember this one! What a great game. As a kid I got completely stuck in the castle town and never got past it. Some guy was standing on a thing I needed... a paper or something... and wouldn't step off it no matter where I went or what I tried. I think I remember he was asleep? But everything up to that point was great!
Fun game. I really liked the world building and finding out about the people are more became unlocked as I released them from the dungeons. Also, crazy life bars. I hadn't played that many games up until I played Soul Blazer that that seemed to love to have life bars go clear across the screen like that and as often as they did. I don't know why, but it amused me as a kid. Reminded me of the final boss in Act Raiser, but now it was everywhere. lol
This style of gameplay is really satisfying. It really makes you want to completely explore every dungeon just to see what section of the town will be restored. Even when it's just a random person with no real bearing on your progression, it's still pretty fun!
This game is definitely much more than a Zelda clone, who could even say that? It touches similar topics similar to the other ones in the trilogy like reincarnation and the nature of the soul, and has incredibly beautiful dialogue for very minor characters. If I remember correctly there is one bit in which a dolphin recalls having been a human who drowned trying to save his son or something like that, it is much deeper than you would expect for a random NPC in a game like this at that time. It is a beautiful game.
I love this game so much. Really hoping SE gives this the Renaissance treatment like it did Actraiser... except a physical release option would be wicked!
Absolutely love this game. It's one of the few games that I actually replay from time to time. Of course, it being pretty short for an rpg also helps with that.
Yeah, I played through this again around last christmas, and after looking at my clear time, realized it only took about five hours! It felt so much longer as a kid. Still love this game to death though.
I remembered playing this game and Illusion of Gaia and they were one of my favorite games. So much fun. Never got a chance to play Teranigma. Maybe one day.
I love this game, but it almost killed a buddy of mine. Back around 94 or so, he rented it and stayed up way too late playing it. The next day on his way to work he fell asleep at the wheel and wrapped his car around a tree. Only a few cuts and bruises, but I'll always associate this game with that.
This is still one of my most memorable RPGs on the SNES. Although not as good as Zelda, Secret of Mana, or any of the Final Fantasies, I really enjoyed its simplicity and the “permanence of the dungeons” as you called it. That completion really gave me a feeling of satisfaction as I moved forward in the game.
This one is special to me. The music and story moved my child heart so much and the I thought that the underwater world was the most beautiful thing that. I have ever seen.
I feel like not enough attention was focused on the world unlocking aspect which had a lot to it, and made destroying every enemy group very satisfying, and likewise gave added motivation to re-explore earlier areas for the sake of completion and unlocking some more secret areas. Basically, every little thing you do adds to the world in a very literal way which is quite satisfying, especially when you come back later with new abilities to finally let you destroy the monster generators you had to pass by in the past. It makes you really want to explore the worlds thoroughly.
I've not heard of this game until now. Thanx 4 this. Now I've got to get me some SB action adventuring. Love playing Zelda-likes, and a couple come to mind that I've played which are Beyond Oasis, and Alundra.
I remember playing this younger but could'nt think of the name, now Illusion of Gaia it does resemble i got to the last boss and got wrecked on it. still love this genre of games, the maps and puzzles are sometimes hard but fun. don't make em like they used to.
Hi Xygor, great channel you got here. Found a bunch of Final Fantasy content here in your channel :) will you be exploring the Dragon Quest series as well?
It's been years since I played and finished soul blazer... The thing that sticks out to me the most is how much I hated the area that you had to go inside a miniature town or something. Loved the game just that part stuck with me for some reason
I would love a sequel for this game. No 3d, no updated graphics. Use the same art style and graphics and make a sequel. I know its part of another series I just want a 2d top down sequel to this.
I. . .never really thought of Zelda when I played this game. I really liked the story and usually I don't like linear games but I really like it in this game. I've passed it a few times, I highly recommend it.
I remember playing this as a kid -- mostly with Game Genie cheat codes enabled because at the time, we weren't (or at least didn't feel) good enough to play it normally DESPITE being good enough for Mega Man, DKC, Legend of Zelda....
With any luck, the Actraiser reboot will bring a host of amazing Quintet titles back into the limelight and make me not hate S-E with a passion anymore.
People often consider Illusion of Gaia a part of that unofficial trilogy but isn't it a more straightforward action RPG without any of the town building elements?
Some games leaned too heavily on the Zelda influence and suffered because of it (Crusader of Centy). Soul Blazer did enough differently to not only avoid ridicule, but also be a damn good game.
I fire this game up like once a year and play through it. Fun straight forward game that only takes a few hours to beat and is one of my favorites as a kid.
That's weird I was just thinking about this game off and on in my mind for last week! I used to have Soul Blazer I had beaten the game in year 2000 and I'm thinking about reordering this game off eBay. I love the soundtrack of this game although at first it seems mediocre but it grows on to you quickly. This RPG is definitely a Quest worth looking into!!!! So yes, give this game a go round I'm going to have to order it again soon, I just now subscribed 🙏🏻☯️🧘🏻♂️🗡🔥
I'm not sure about it's songs sounding like Smokey Robinson, but this game--along with Lagoon (funny you should mention it)--have THE best music of any game I've played--and I've been playing video games since Pong. Well, okay, maybe second to the original Castlevania, but it's a close second. I'm kind of on both sides of the fence on this one: don't really like the tracks with the funky bass (although it's amazing that they were able to get that sound out of the SNES), but the rest of the tracks are pure gold. Decades ago, I had forgotten the title and tried to track it down for years, but all I could remember about the gameplay was some squirrel in a forest that managed your inventory (?), and a toy factory level (Dr. Leo's lab?). Finally, Al Gore invented the Internet, and I was able to Google the title--only to discover the game had been in my SNES collection the whole time! Was a fan of Act Raiser as well, but not so enamored of the action sequences, just wanted a city-builder somewhere in-between SIM City and Act Raiser. Ah, the memories....
Graphics were ho-hum. I remember playing this after illusion of gaia, toward the end of the SNES' life. Somehow made me nostalgic while I was still in the retro era.
I would say it is better than Zelda, at times it puts the player into a moment where they have to think about the situation unlike Zelda. It's a lot more harder but the world building is amazing for Soul Blazer~ I would personally love it if you go with the retrospective with story-telling with all the games you've reviewed. I would love your perspective~!
Can someone tell me why he always refers to Quintet as the developer instead of Enix? For this game, and several of Enix's games that he has made videos on, he always says Quintet. Why wouldn't Quintet be on the box instead of Enix?
@@Xygor I believe you. Its just weird that they don't advertise it. Like Konami is all over the games they make. Squaresoft and SquareEnix always had their names in a prominent spot too. Most games its obvious who the dev is. I guess quintet was on the back of the box somewhere.
One of the all time faves just played it a month ago thanks for the video about it. The first world boss gave me fits when I was younger lol now hes pretty cheap I forget which game the same said boss was a secret boss in does anyone remember?
I rented Soul Blazer as a teenager and remember really liking it. I didn’t buy it because I had gotten pretty far into it from renting and times were tough for my family. Now I can’t remember a thing about it. 🤷♂️ But now I’m hoping for a remaster or remake. If we all buy Actraiser Renaissance then SE will redo the rest of the Quintet games so get downloading guys!
I wouldn't hate a remake. That said, actraiser did some stupid things with theirs..... what the hell was that art??? I'd like a 2 parter, an enhanced port with QoL adjustments and a full blown remake with enhanced AI and hazards, and combat gameplay changes to survive the suped up baddies. Things like dodgerolls feints and all the stuff we've come accustomed to in this era. But definitely 2 versions. Ideally in the same package, but if buy both if they were reasonably priced
I like your channel. Has s retro feel to it. Back when TH-cam vids on video games were either avgn inspired, stupid fuckin gimmick, or straight up review. You is the latter. 🤟🏻💯
It's not a Zelda clone. I hate when people making these cliché to the games that kinda looks same, but it's not. It's like comparing Contra and god awful Megaman games.
wait so your calling this game "Soul Blazer" a Legend of Zelda Clone? no..... sadly no..... you forget, That YS known as a lot series from Faxanadu and other titles were long made from the 80's PC Engine even before LoZ! so to say that Soul Blazer is a clone of Zelda, dude get your facts right. 2nd: YS is like the older Brother of Little Brother Zelda. So just about any Different Genre title of adventure game can come out and not easily be seen as such a f cking clone get your facts right.
What was the most memorable part of Soul Blazer to you?
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🐸↗️🚮↘️part
This was back when gaming was "less is more" philosophy. Because space was a premium any lore bits you received were extremely important in fleshing out the world.
Or maybe I'm just looking at this game through rose colored glasses, I'm probably not the best person to ask how good this game is but is is solid IMO with excellent notes sprinkled all over.
The World building part as you push through the dungeons , felt like opening a box of chocolates on my first playthru .
Since you asked for a comment in a nice way and it helps the algorithm: The Seabed of St. Ellis music track is still one of my favorites from that time.
I found this game completely by accident at a local rental place when I was a kid, brought it home just because I liked the box. I fell in love with this idea that you were roaming the world and restoring order to everything, you got a real sense of accomplishment as you finished each section and the sad tune of the town returned to a triumphant song and you now had access to bustling areas full of NPCs that were nowhere to be found when you first arrived. The story is simple, but to my 10 year old brain at the time it was all I needed to keep going. And that fight with Deathtoll at the end, when you had everything you needed to fling unlimited phoenixes at him, it was an absolute blast. Still one of my favorite SNES games even today.
I loved how adding people to the town helped solved problems other villagers had. I didn’t get that town building fix again until Dark Cloud on PS2.
This one is actually a personal favorite of mine; it's honestly a bit hard to put a precise finger on (setting aside simple nostalgia, anyway), but something or other about Soulblazer's setting and style has always struck a chord with me, in a way that even Quintet's other stuff never quite managed. Every time I recall making my way through Leo's painting, the three shrines, the sea floor, the icy slopes, the town models, I unfailingly get the urge to pop in the cart and do it again for the umpteenth time; for me, at least, it's one of those games that defines the unique, impossible-to-duplicate appeal of the SNES back in its heyday.
I remember this one! What a great game.
As a kid I got completely stuck in the castle town and never got past it. Some guy was standing on a thing I needed... a paper or something... and wouldn't step off it no matter where I went or what I tried. I think I remember he was asleep?
But everything up to that point was great!
Catchin' up on Drunkfriend podcast and just listened to your episode. Keep up the awesome work!
Thank you! Those guys are great!
Fun game. I really liked the world building and finding out about the people are more became unlocked as I released them from the dungeons. Also, crazy life bars. I hadn't played that many games up until I played Soul Blazer that that seemed to love to have life bars go clear across the screen like that and as often as they did. I don't know why, but it amused me as a kid. Reminded me of the final boss in Act Raiser, but now it was everywhere. lol
This style of gameplay is really satisfying. It really makes you want to completely explore every dungeon just to see what section of the town will be restored. Even when it's just a random person with no real bearing on your progression, it's still pretty fun!
This game is definitely much more than a Zelda clone, who could even say that? It touches similar topics similar to the other ones in the trilogy like reincarnation and the nature of the soul, and has incredibly beautiful dialogue for very minor characters. If I remember correctly there is one bit in which a dolphin recalls having been a human who drowned trying to save his son or something like that, it is much deeper than you would expect for a random NPC in a game like this at that time. It is a beautiful game.
Look bro, I appreciate your enthusiasm n' stuff. But this is a Zelda clone, mkay?
@@fervcorsica3358 your lack of enthusiasm won't win any arguments
egh its a good game, not sure its better than zelda.
@@jonathont5570 I don’t think anyone said it was better than Zelda, just that it was more than a Zelda clone.
I love this game so much. Really hoping SE gives this the Renaissance treatment like it did Actraiser... except a physical release option would be wicked!
I remember spending many weekends playing this game as a kid. This was one of my favorite games to rent.
I played this along with Gaia and Terranigma last year for the first time , loved all three. Hope we get remasters !
Absolutely love this game. It's one of the few games that I actually replay from time to time. Of course, it being pretty short for an rpg also helps with that.
Yeah, I played through this again around last christmas, and after looking at my clear time, realized it only took about five hours! It felt so much longer as a kid. Still love this game to death though.
Actraiser, soul blazer, dark cloud 1 and 2...cool “rebuild the world” concepts.
I remembered playing this game and Illusion of Gaia and they were one of my favorite games. So much fun. Never got a chance to play Teranigma. Maybe one day.
I love this game, but it almost killed a buddy of mine. Back around 94 or so, he rented it and stayed up way too late playing it. The next day on his way to work he fell asleep at the wheel and wrapped his car around a tree. Only a few cuts and bruises, but I'll always associate this game with that.
how old are you?
@@neggaballs3840 95 years young!
@@Dorelaxen holly shit? did you serve in ww2?
The friend would be, at a minimum 43 years old today. If he was 16 when he played the game in 94. I don't think you're 95.
@@astrotrain3332 Aww, ya got me.
One of my all time favorite games. The soundtrack and world building are so good.
I feel in love with this game when I downloaded it on my Pi system.
This is still one of my most memorable RPGs on the SNES. Although not as good as Zelda, Secret of Mana, or any of the Final Fantasies, I really enjoyed its simplicity and the “permanence of the dungeons” as you called it. That completion really gave me a feeling of satisfaction as I moved forward in the game.
This one is special to me. The music and story moved my child heart so much and the I thought that the underwater world was the most beautiful thing that. I have ever seen.
I feel like not enough attention was focused on the world unlocking aspect which had a lot to it, and made destroying every enemy group very satisfying, and likewise gave added motivation to re-explore earlier areas for the sake of completion and unlocking some more secret areas. Basically, every little thing you do adds to the world in a very literal way which is quite satisfying, especially when you come back later with new abilities to finally let you destroy the monster generators you had to pass by in the past. It makes you really want to explore the worlds thoroughly.
I've not heard of this game until now. Thanx 4 this. Now I've got to get me some SB action adventuring. Love playing Zelda-likes, and a couple come to mind that I've played which are Beyond Oasis, and Alundra.
Speaking of Alundra, previously on the Genesis there was an isometric Zeldalike called Landstalker....
I remember playing this younger but could'nt think of the name, now Illusion of Gaia it does resemble i got to the last boss and got wrecked on it. still love this genre of games, the maps and puzzles are sometimes hard but fun. don't make em like they used to.
I loved this game. The painting world really struck my imagination as a kid.
Ode to Lisa (Lisa's Song) is my favorite music from the game. The one you used for the latter part of the video.
Hi Xygor, great channel you got here. Found a bunch of Final Fantasy content here in your channel :) will you be exploring the Dragon Quest series as well?
Thanks! Eventually, yes!
Probably my favorite SNES game. I still go back and play it when the mood hits
This looks awesome, definitely playing this
one of my favorite games of all time
Getting to the final boss without the final weapon was a rude realization that I had missed some things haha
One of the best intro tunes in any videogame ever!!
Isn't it great?
@@Xygor Still blows me away how well it still holds up after so many years. Great channel btw.
It's been years since I played and finished soul blazer... The thing that sticks out to me the most is how much I hated the area that you had to go inside a miniature town or something. Loved the game just that part stuck with me for some reason
I would love a sequel for this game. No 3d, no updated graphics. Use the same art style and graphics and make a sequel. I know its part of another series I just want a 2d top down sequel to this.
Yeah unlike that terrible Actraiser Renaissance...
I legally changed my name to Soul Blazer 20 years ago. Yes, I was high.
I. . .never really thought of Zelda when I played this game. I really liked the story and usually I don't like linear games but I really like it in this game. I've passed it a few times, I highly recommend it.
I remember playing this as a kid -- mostly with Game Genie cheat codes enabled because at the time, we weren't (or at least didn't feel) good enough to play it normally DESPITE being good enough for Mega Man, DKC, Legend of Zelda....
With any luck, the Actraiser reboot will bring a host of amazing Quintet titles back into the limelight and make me not hate S-E with a passion anymore.
Great review as usual!!
Thanks a bunch!
I didn't knew this game,
thank you for this video
Glad you could discover it through the channel!
i tried playing this on my snes as a kid but it went over my head
People often consider Illusion of Gaia a part of that unofficial trilogy but isn't it a more straightforward action RPG without any of the town building elements?
Some games leaned too heavily on the Zelda influence and suffered because of it (Crusader of Centy). Soul Blazer did enough differently to not only avoid ridicule, but also be a damn good game.
I remember not being able to get the final gear back in the day before walkthroughs so I couldn’t beat the final boss
Xygor bro i fucking love your videos. You literally review every game i grew up on and I wish I had a friend like you growing up to play these with
Thanks sir! Many more to come!
Definitely on the same level as Zelda. Especially when you factor in that it led to illusion of Gaia (time)
I fire this game up like once a year and play through it. Fun straight forward game that only takes a few hours to beat and is one of my favorites as a kid.
A few hours wow
Automatic like for SoulBlazer. Would love a SoulBlazer Trilogy release. Rumor is the Terranigma team is pushing for a re-release. Fingers crossed.
The only soul blazer I know is that time I made a bong out of my nikes
Massive points for the stoner pun.
One of my favorite games of all time!
It's a good one! Did you like Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma also?
Amazing.
Still looks visually appealing.
That's weird I was just thinking about this game off and on in my mind for last week!
I used to have Soul Blazer I had beaten the game in year 2000 and I'm thinking about reordering this game off eBay. I love the soundtrack of this game although at first it seems mediocre but it grows on to you quickly. This RPG is definitely a Quest worth looking into!!!! So yes, give this game a go round I'm going to have to order it again soon, I just now subscribed 🙏🏻☯️🧘🏻♂️🗡🔥
I'm not sure about it's songs sounding like Smokey Robinson, but this game--along with Lagoon (funny you should mention it)--have THE best music of any game I've played--and I've been playing video games since Pong. Well, okay, maybe second to the original Castlevania, but it's a close second. I'm kind of on both sides of the fence on this one: don't really like the tracks with the funky bass (although it's amazing that they were able to get that sound out of the SNES), but the rest of the tracks are pure gold. Decades ago, I had forgotten the title and tried to track it down for years, but all I could remember about the gameplay was some squirrel in a forest that managed your inventory (?), and a toy factory level (Dr. Leo's lab?). Finally, Al Gore invented the Internet, and I was able to Google the title--only to discover the game had been in my SNES collection the whole time! Was a fan of Act Raiser as well, but not so enamored of the action sequences, just wanted a city-builder somewhere in-between SIM City and Act Raiser. Ah, the memories....
Is it worth playing this if I already played Illusion of Gaia and Terrangima? Seems like a prototype of Terranigma.
For sure!
OMFG ty so much I haven't been able to remember the name of ActRaiser since like 1993. Hey Mag-Max is a thing
I loved that game. The biggest thing was the choice you make, at the end 🥰
The GUI gives me Actraiser vibes
Same developer, I guess that makes sense!
@@Xygor Totally!
Graphics were ho-hum. I remember playing this after illusion of gaia, toward the end of the SNES' life.
Somehow made me nostalgic while I was still in the retro era.
For me it's all about the music and the NPC's. In this game they don't really feel as hallow as they do in LoTP.
I would say it is better than Zelda, at times it puts the player into a moment where they have to think about the situation unlike Zelda. It's a lot more harder but the world building is amazing for Soul Blazer~
I would personally love it if you go with the retrospective with story-telling with all the games you've reviewed. I would love your perspective~!
The graphics are excellent, and rather unique which is also nice.
this game looks awesome, switch has to port more games onto their online store
Hell yea great video bro 😎
Soul Blazer... a surprisingly dark game that's the first game in an unfinished trilogy.
No unfinished. I cover both other games soon!
Can someone tell me why he always refers to Quintet as the developer instead of Enix? For this game, and several of Enix's games that he has made videos on, he always says Quintet. Why wouldn't Quintet be on the box instead of Enix?
Quintet did develop the game, Enix published it
@@Xygor I believe you. Its just weird that they don't advertise it. Like Konami is all over the games they make. Squaresoft and SquareEnix always had their names in a prominent spot too. Most games its obvious who the dev is. I guess quintet was on the back of the box somewhere.
Its almost a building simulator so yeah its much more than a zelda clone also has more feeling to it
I enjoyed this game. It's a good introduction to the adventure genre. Saying all the Deathtoll is the most 90s wanna be hip name ever.
I think it’s more appropriate to call it a ys clone, since it’s creators also created ys.
One of the all time faves just played it a month ago thanks for the video about it.
The first world boss gave me fits when I was younger lol now hes pretty cheap I forget which game the same said boss was a secret boss in does anyone remember?
Illusion of Gaia, if you collect all (50?) of the secret stones throughout the game.
@@Stratelier Thanks Brodie I felt like it was either Terranigma or IOG 🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
Better than Zelda 3. Had a legit storyline.
I heard that Granstream Saga was also part of the trilogy yeah?
Not part of the trilogy, but it did borrow some elements and was made by the same company. I will cover this in my series retrospective.
I rented Soul Blazer as a teenager and remember really liking it. I didn’t buy it because I had gotten pretty far into it from renting and times were tough for my family. Now I can’t remember a thing about it. 🤷♂️
But now I’m hoping for a remaster or remake.
If we all buy Actraiser Renaissance then SE will redo the rest of the Quintet games so get downloading guys!
I wouldn't hate a remake. That said, actraiser did some stupid things with theirs..... what the hell was that art???
I'd like a 2 parter, an enhanced port with QoL adjustments and a full blown remake with enhanced AI and hazards, and combat gameplay changes to survive the suped up baddies. Things like dodgerolls feints and all the stuff we've come accustomed to in this era.
But definitely 2 versions. Ideally in the same package, but if buy both if they were reasonably priced
Enjoyed Soul Blazer more than Zelda.
Looks great
I like your channel. Has s retro feel to it. Back when TH-cam vids on video games were either avgn inspired, stupid fuckin gimmick, or straight up review. You is the latter. 🤟🏻💯
Please do FF9 timeline
Great game 😄
I really like restoring the towns in this game.
ff6 outro music.
It's not a Zelda clone. I hate when people making these cliché to the games that kinda looks same, but it's not. It's like comparing Contra and god awful Megaman games.
Guess you’re not a big fan of funk then?
Also this is an actual action rpg and ZELDA IS NOT (that was for those misguided souls that think it is)
Act Raizzzzer was the best.
wait so your calling this game "Soul Blazer" a Legend of Zelda Clone?
no..... sadly no..... you forget, That YS known as a lot series from Faxanadu
and other titles were long made from the 80's PC Engine even before LoZ!
so to say that Soul Blazer is a clone of Zelda, dude get your facts right.
2nd: YS is like the older Brother of Little Brother Zelda. So just about any
Different Genre title of adventure game can come out and not easily be seen
as such a f cking clone get your facts right.
Dark Souls zero