Uşas

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For other uses, see USAS.

Uşas
Developer(s)	Konami
Publisher(s)	Konami
Platform(s)	MSX2
Release date	1987
Genre(s)	Adventure, Platform
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	not applicable
Media	cartridge

The game of Uşas or Treasure of Uşas as it says on the title screen, is a platform game for the MSX2 with two main characters called Wit and Cles. The name refers to the goddess Ushas.

Each of the game's five stages is divided into four sub-stages ('ruins') and a boss area ('shrine'). All four ruins need to be completed and their respective sub-bosses defeated before the shrine can be entered and the level's boss beat. Each sub-stage or shrine can be entered by only one of the characters at a time. If one of them perishes while attempting to clear a ruin, the other will have to come to his rescue.

Both characters have unique abilities. By touching one of four special 'emotion' icons found in various places within the game, the character will change to the corresponding mood: happy, angry, sad or neutral. Each mood bestows special powers (or lack thereof) and attacks, different for both Wit and Cles. This requires a careful management of what ruin to play with what character in what emotion. Moreover, a happy character has an additional 'secret' power: Cles can walk over gaps and Wit can jump mid-air.

The game has a graphic style that heavily borrows from Hinduism, Buddhism and South-East Asian art and architecture in general. In accordance with this, the game's passwords refer to actual ruins or ancient cities in southern and south-eastern Asia, for example 'Mohenjo Daro' and 'Harappa Ruins'.

In tradition with other Konami cartridge releases of the same era, there are also some possible cartridge combinations.

[edit] Popularity

Although not as popular as earlier releases like Nemesis and Knightmare (mainly because other home computer systems became available at that time), the game was another step in the direction of Konami as the leading MSX software company. Clearing this game needs perseverance, and the artwork is generally considered above average.