Author Topic: 2022/10: Crystalis (NES) - zagato blackfist  (Read 9108 times)

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Offline JonLeung

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2022/10: Crystalis (NES) - zagato blackfist
« on: September 30, 2022, 09:47:15 pm »

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to zagato blackfist's Crystalis (NES) maps.

"1997, October 1, The END DAY." So begins the premise of Crystalis. The Great War has ravaged the planet.  Animals have mutated.  Science and technology are shunned because they were responsible for mankind's downfall, leading to a revival of magic and sorcery.  A magician named Draygon combines his powerful magic with forbidden technology in an attempt to take over the world.  You play a hero of the Great War, but with no memory upon awakening from suspended animation.  Will you be able to find the elemental swords and combine them into the almighty Crystalis to take down Draygon?

25 years ago would have been "The END DAY" as explained in the game's opening sequence, but the Great War thankfully didn't happen then, so why not use this anniversary as an opportunity to recognize the mapping of the NES classic?  zagato blackfist has dissected this 8-bit action RPG for us to fully appreciate - shop prices, treasures, and hints written on some of the maps.  This is an above-average size for an NES game - you won't get lost in the various mountains and caves, nor the fearsome Goa Fortress.  zagato blackfist has also mapped the Game Boy Color version!

So to recognize the effort put into scouring the post-"END DAY" world, zagato blackfist's Crystalis (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for October 2022.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2022, 03:04:39 pm by JonLeung »

Offline JonLeung

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Re: 2022/10: Crystalis (NES) - zagato blackfist
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2022, 09:55:17 am »

The actual gameplay portion happens 100 years after that date, so 2097 (the same year as X-Kaliber 2097 and One Must Fall 2097, in fact), so we're 1/4 of the way there!  75 years to go!  The healthiest of us might live to see that date.

Crystalis is like Ultima VI: The False Prophet... a game I really like, but am unsure if I have ever actually beat without cheating in some way.  I almost never replay games (life is too short and I have a backlog of new experiences I want to play) but Ultima VI and Crystalis I probably wouldn't mind making an exception for one day.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2022, 09:33:56 am by JonLeung »

Offline dark_lord_zagato@yahoo.co

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Re: 2022/10: Crystalis (NES) - zagato blackfist
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2022, 06:04:47 pm »
Speaking of END DAY, Nintendo Power issue 100 (September 1997) featured a top 100 list of the best games of all time. Crystalis was in 59th place, still ahead of several other great games. The article mentioned the impending nuclear war that was supposed to take place next month, and advised the reader to "wear lead underwear" to protect the next generation, I guess.



This is one of my favorite games and it was a pleasure to map it.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2022, 06:35:17 pm by dark_lord_zagato@yahoo.co »