Roar of Revenge

While presented as a cross between [b]Rastan[/b] and [b]Faxanadu[/b], there are no RPG elements like the latter; it's a linear game and the inspiration is mostly visual (the character when climbing ladders looks very similar). The whole game looks, sounds, and feels like a title from the later years of the NES, and does it very convincingly, even if I recognized some sprites from the first [b]Swords & Bones[/b], adequately recolored. I'm usually not crazy about CRT filters, but the one used here is pretty good. In a most bizarre choice, the game opens with the heroic barbarian apparently so out of shape, the first of the four relics that will make him able to vanquish evil makes him capable of jumping to begin with! After the initial perplexity, however, playing for a while without a mechanic we take for granted turned out fun, and the level is short enough for the gimmick to not overstay its welcome. The whole quest offers a good variety of backgrounds, enemies, and even situations like underwater levels - although one of them is the most annoying, looking for half a dozen gems between dead ends and instant-death spikes - and even a shmup level clearly homaging [b]Dragon Spirit[/b]. I also liked the three mini-bosses to destroy to restore an ancient aqueduct. Bosses, as in SEEP tradition, are quite easy, including the last few ones; the final boss is no exception, even if visually he is very cool. After the main ending, depending on the number of deaths during a playthrough, there are different post-credit scenes depicting a more or less bright future for the protagonist. While the challenge can get stiff at times, dying less than 10 times for the best ending is not some hardcore achievement either. Overall, it's one of the best games of SEEP's catalogue and, at the time of writing, honestly the one I recommend most along with [b]Katana Soul[/b].