The Battle of Olympus

The Battle of Olympus

NES cover art
Developer(s) Infinity
Radical Entertainment (Game Boy)
Publisher(s) Brøderbund
Imagineer (Game Boy)
Composer(s) Kazuo Sawa
Platform(s) NES, Game Boy
Release date(s) NES:
  • JP March 23, 1988
  • NA December 1989
  • EU September 26, 1991
Game Boy:
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution 1-megabit cartridge

The Battle of Olympus, originally released in Japan as Olympus no Tatakai (オリュンポスの戦い),[1] is a 1988 side-scrolling historical action-adventure video game developed by Infinity and published by Imagineer for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

There's also a 1993 Game Boy port of the same game that was developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Imagineer exclusively in Europe.

Summary

Greatly similar to the earlier Zelda II: The Adventures of Link, The Battle of Olympus takes place in an ancient Greece which is being terrorized by Hades, the dark ruler of the underworld.[2]

Helene, the girlfriend of Orpheus, is kidnapped by Hades who is holding her captive.[2] A top-down map of Greece shows various dungeons and ancient Greek city-states for the player to visit on his journey.[2] Swords, shields, and crystals help to provide offensive power and defensive strength for the player.[2] Three fragments of love are there to remind Orpheus of his girlfriend Helene.[2] Hades rules his dominion in Tartarus, where his strongest minions live alongside him.[2]

During his adventure, Orpheus needs to meet the Greek gods and gain their favor, starting with Zeus, the leader of the Olympian gods, who encourages the other gods to grant Orpheus powers. These powers are in the form of a weapon, a shield, and other special equipment, among them a harp, which summons Pegasus to carry Orpheus to far locations. As the game progresses, players are exposed to various forms of upgraded weaponry. The player starts off with a basic wooden club. The player later obtains items such as the Staff of Fennel (also known as a thyrsus, which is able to project a fireball), Nymph's Sword, and the Divine Sword (able to project a lightning bolt).

The game features encounters with mythological creatures such as the Taurus, Lamia, Cyclops, Centaur, Talos, Minotaur, Medusa, Cerberus, Stymphalian Birds, Nemean Lion, and also a Siren. Players must fight their way deep into the underworld, fight and defeat Hades, and finally save Helene. Several items depicted in the Greek mythology are acquired, such as the Harp of Apollo, the Sword of Hephaestus, the Staff of Prometheus, and the Sandals of Hermes.

Olympian Gods which appear in the game

Characters & Creatures which appear in the game

Weapons & Items

Weapon / Item Origin Use
Wooden Club Beginning of the game Minimal injury to enemies
Sandals Gift from the God Hermes High jumping and walking on the ceiling
Shield Gift from the Goddess Athena Protection from arrows
Staff of Fennel Given by a mysterious woman after returning her child.
Fire later acquired by meeting up with Prometheus. 		Throwing fire, battling enemies, burning spider webs and thorn bushes in Peloponnese
Harp Gift from the God Apollo Calling on Pegasus at Alters of the Sun, which are scattered throughout the game,
in order to cut short the journey from place to place
Sword Given by a Nymph after defeating the Hydra Essential in defeating the Cyclops
Ocarina Given by the God Poseidon after payment Calling on dolphins in order to cross the sea
Eye of the Graeae Received after defeating the Graeae Discovering hidden caves
Divine Sword Given by Hephestus after payment Throwing lightning
Trojan Pitcher Found in Laconia Storing Nectar in order to fill up power
Moon Crystal Gift from the Goddess Artemis Calling the moon, in the final battle against Hades, in order to see his shadow
Salamander Shield Given by Circe for payment and salamander skins Protection from fire
Bracelet of Power Given by the God Ares for payment Doubling attack strength
Key Given by a man named Kelos Opening a secret door
Ambrosia Acquired by defeating enemies, by payment or secret places Power-up
Bay leaf Acquired by defeating enemies Power-up
Fragments of Love Heart-shaped objects given by the Nymphs Receiving messages from Helene
Golden Apple Acquired after defeating Ladon Reducing the amount of damage received from enemies
Olive Acquired after defeating enemies Payment in exchange for weapons and items
Salamander skins Acquired after defeating salamanders Payment to Circe in exchange for Salamander Shield

References

  1. ↑ Packaging material adds the subtitle of Ai no Densetsu (愛の伝説), which does not appear in the game.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The Battle of Olympus (Game Boy) game overview at MobyGames

External links