Super Hydlide
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Super Hydlide | |
|---|---|
 Screenshot |
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| Developer(s) | T&E Soft |
| Publisher(s) | Seismic Software |
| Platform(s) | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis |
| Release date |  October 6, 1989 1990 1991 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Input methods | Control pad |
Super Hydlide is the second sequel to the NES game Hydlide, and a port of Hydlide 3: The Space Memories (released in Japan for the MSX and Famicom). The game was made by T&E Soft, makers of the original Hydlide and Hylide II: The Space Memories, and released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in early 1990 in the United States, October 6, 1989 in Japan, and 1991 in Europe. This sequel evidences substantial upgrades to every aspect of the original Hydlide. Interestingly before its release, it was called Hollo Fighter in some Sega advertising material for the Mega Drive.
After the events of Hydlide, Fairyland was all and well until an explosion of flames appeared near The City of the Woods. After that, enemies were everywhere. It's up to the protagonist (Jim) to save the day again.
This game incorporates a 'good/evil character' system. The game has both good and evil monsters. The evil ones attack the player on sight, while the good ones only attack if the player gets in their way or attacks them first. If the player kills a good monster (which gives more XP and gold) points are lost from a statistic called "MF". If the player's MF stat drops to zero, frequent traps will appear across the world. If the player manages to keep it over 100, rewards appear in the form of random items found around Fairyland. This aspect the game was first introduced in Hylide II: The Space Memories.
Another aspect of the game is the weight system. Every item in the game (including money) has a weight to it; the more items the player carries, the slower the character moves. The character also has to eat and sleep regularly; if the player fails to do this, health and strength are lost over time. As consequence of a loss of strength, the player will be unable to cause any damage to enemies or carry more than a certain number of items, will be slowed down marginally, and will become "sleepy" and unable to move without first dropping items.
The Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis version of the game is duly noted for having an exceptionally good quality soundtrack, despite the limitations of the sound technology at the time. From the epic strands of the main theme to the many atmospheric dungeon tunes of the game it is well worth tracking down for the music alone. Some other issues with the game as a whole is that it can be notoriously buggy on occasion, including one frustrating glitch that garbles up on screen text on a frequent basis.
