22 replies to this topic

[PlayerOneStewy]

Two Game Clubs in one month? Surely not!

Because we haven't pimped Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection enough, the next Game Club is all about Sega's oft-overlooked adventure game, Beyond Oasis. Let's see if this masterpiece from Yuzo Koshiro's Ancient development house stands the test of time.

Get your stories/comments/memories of this game post to the blog/forum/email or voicemail (713-893-8069) by Friday, February 26. We'll be talking about the game in Episode #123.

[I AM JOHN!]

Good thing my copy of SUGC just showed up today!

[eznark]

Awesome, I was hoping this would be the game. Going back into in this weekend (is it a long game?)

[StinkingBishop]

I just got my copy from Amazon. I will give this game a try over the weekend. I had never played it before.

[Chairman Steve]

Beyond Oasis is one of my favorite Genesis games, and I have recommended it consistently to fans of action-RPGs since its release. It's a beautiful game - arguably the best looking game on the console - and it has some of the most satisfying combat in the genre. The puzzles aren't exactly mind-bending, but they perform their part well in giving a brief pause in between fighting packs of enemies.

As for the music... I've always found Yuzo Koshiro to be a little overrated, and this is probably his weakest effort. Of particular note is the castle music, which swells into an explosion of ear-bleeding chaos.

So, aside from a few minor nitpicks, Beyond Oasis is a pretty awesome game, fitting nicely beside Landstalker as a great Genesis alternative to Zelda.

[Turbo-Pubx16]

Hey, new user here.

Is there a hard mode option? This game is easier than Kirby on the NES. The control, animation, and arsenal of attacks is friggin' great, but it's wasted on these weak and stupid enemies.

A few times I think I've done a somersault jump, ending with a downwards slash, instead of the usual jump kick. Anyone figured out exactly how to pull it off?

[PlayerOneStewy]

Hey, new user here.

Is there a hard mode option? This game is easier than Kirby on the NES. The control, animation, and arsenal of attacks is friggin' great, but it's wasted on these weak and stupid enemies.

A few times I think I've done a somersault jump, ending with a downwards slash, instead of the usual jump kick. Anyone figured out exactly how to pull it off?

That's like a forward/back/forward move or something. If you hold the attack button and do different, fighting game type moves with the d-pad you get different attacks.

[RareMonkey]

I haven't played this game in a long time, I hope I enjoy going back to it.

[StinkingBishop]

I just dont know. I tried to give it some time today, but I just dont know.

First, the animation bothers me. I hate how your guys pants move. and it seems slow, and jerky. Not fluid. It bothers me.

Second, the enemies are stupid. If you punch something in the face, it should attack you, not ignore you and keep on its merry way.

Third, I got this sword, and it was nice. Then out of now where it is gone. Can you only use something so many times? Do they wear out? did the game forget you have it?

Forth, I got the the second dungeon, and this skull keeps shooting these fireball at me, and I have 3 total hp items they have collected, with a metric fuckload of SP items. So i have no health, my water princes is no use, since although her tornado attack thing is very useful, every time i send it out she goes away from the enemies. Shouldn't she kinda focus around me, or at least attack around the enemies? Had zero issue with the game until then. 3 tries trying to beat that and i rage quit. Pissed me off. Some one is going to tell me how easy it is, but I could not get it. I cant get at to attack the skull, if i am suppose to, since fireballs are around me all the time, and i cant kill them. I try to hit one,and the other 3 get me.

And finally, Genesis games just don't hold up graphically. Not that it bothers me that much, but you look at Zelda for the SNES and Super Mario for the SNES and they look fine on my Wii.

Maybe I will give it another shot, but I just do not know.

[nocode81]

Awesome!! Just got this yesterday, and I'm looking forward to playing through Beyond Oasis!

[RareMonkey]

just rehooked up the genesis and am now going to start playing throughout the week.

[Turbo-Pubx16]

Third, I got this sword, and it was nice. Then out of now where it is gone. Can you only use something so many times? Do they wear out? did the game forget you have it?

[Kirbutashi]

One of the banes of gaming: durability.
God damn you.

[StinkingBishop]

Um, I was using it, then it was gone, and no longer in my menu. As Kirbutashi mentioned, I guess there was a durability on it. Reading the manual would have helped, but who has time for that:-)

[Kirbutashi]

I gave the game a quick start; restarting from the barreling I did to get the achievement. I thought my speakers were busted when I heard the water sound effect in the castle. Seems like it'll be a fun game, but I haven't really had the drive to keep at it while I've been playing Chrono Trigger.

[nocode81]

Um, I was using it, then it was gone, and no longer in my menu. As Kirbutashi mentioned, I guess there was a durability on it. Reading the manual would have helped, but who has time for that:-)

That's why he circled the number in red. That's the amount of times you can use that weapon (the dagger has an infinity symbol next to it). Also, you were talking about all the sp items you have, but the lack of hp items: if you cast the water fairy, two quick button presses has her cast a heal spell which is very useful. Took me a little bit to discover that, so I can see why you were frustrated at the abundance of sp items (I was too!).

That being said, great game so far. The difficulty ramps up once you get to the castle on the next island.

EDIT: One more thing. You can dash if you double press in that direction (Streets of Rage style). Really useful if you need to get somewhere quickly. You're getting frustrated to easily man, stick with it!

Edited by nocode81, 26 February 2009 - 12:32 AM.

[RareMonkey]

man i hate durability, it really sucks. Well I guess just need to conserve when to use those things (bosses only most likely). But I have been enjoying the game so far.

Edited by RareMonkey, 26 February 2009 - 02:56 PM.

[PGmighty]

I'm just passed the water shrine (where you get the trophy for the PS3 version of S'sUGC), and what I'm noticing right away is the colors of the game. They're plain-jane primary so far. I hear this game get compared to Zelda a lot, but what Zelda has is stylistic use of color. The strategic hues complete with translucent fog is why Nintendo's effort still holds up. Despite that, the brawling gameplay is solid (complete with death cries right out of Street's of Rage). But I could have used a little less clunk in the D-pad initiated moves.

I'm raring to play more, though.

Also, is the Game Club for this weekend or next? I'm getting conflicting info from Greg and CJ.

[Kirbutashi]

Can anyone attest to some the stuff later on in the game? I don't really think that I'll be getting all that far honestly.
I'm sure I'd be more into back in the day, but I'm not really feeling it. SUGC is just collateral to get a game I want from Gamefly at this point.

Its not you, its me.

[Reivax]

I sorta feel the same as you Kirbutashi. I'm still going to attempt to play a little more tonight.

[Turbo-Pubx16]

man i hate durability, it really sucks. Well I guess just need to conserve when to use those things (bosses only most likely). But I have been enjoying the game so far.

If you put a decent effort into exploring for secrets, your weapon menu should fill up pretty quickly. Why do you guys hate durability so much? It would be nice to get a new sword every once and a while, but the point is the dagger is that it forces you to get in close, with the trade-off being you get some awesome combos. Try to think of the weapons as the lead pipes and pistols in your typical brawler, only you can store them away.

I feel like I could be a huge apologist for this game, but frankly I got bored about two-and-a-half hours in. The game has RPG elements but you have no influence over the growth of your character, and the lack of money reminds me of Quest 64. It also has brawler elements, but 16-bit brawlers aren't that fun without co-op (Streets of Rage is a good game, made great when you're screaming at your partner to stop accidentally hitting you and DON'T EAT THAT TURKEY THAT'S MINE). The main character has no charisma and it's easy to forget there's a villain even when he's on the screen talking. So in short, even if the brawler and RPG elements work very well together, unfortunately Beyond Oasis doesn't have the best elements of either genre. Maybe my biggest problem with the game is that it never challenges me to make specific choices; whatever I decide to do, --whether it be chuck bombs, shoot arrows, do dagger combos, use the spells-- the game is so easy that anything will work in almost every situation. That's what fundamentally seperates it from a good Zelda game.

I'll just leave this here:

Hit B over and over rapidly- Flurry Combo
Forward Back Forward B - Flip Combo* (Thanks Greg)
Three-Quarters Circle B - Sweeping Slash* (Hits low, great against snakes and legless Zombies)
Forward Forward B - Running Slash
Forward Forward Forward B - Running Stab*
Full Circle Forward Back Forward B - Tripple Flip Combo* (Hard to pull off, but powerful)

*You can either press B at the end of the input, or hold B and do the input, then release B

One more note, I believe that the jewels you pick up increase the power of your familiars.

[PGmighty]

OK, I've changed my tune a bit on this game. Once I learned how to activate, use and put away the familiars it got interesting. The way the water fairy was summoned in the gargoyle fight on the pirate ship was creative. Summoning the familiars by utilizing the scenery (i.e. torches and puddles) is completely original. What's not original are the giant beetles that flip over when attacked with bombs, or the spike panels that thrust forward when you enter their line of sight. While the gameplay is completely different, the cut and paste attitude the developer had with aspects of Zelda is bizarre. Bizarre is actually a good word to describe this whole game... did anybody find that bonus room with the race track complete with wall of prizes?

I was hoping to beat the game tonight, but the giant Geodude boss I fought and finally killed took it out of me for the time being. I'll leave my analysis with praising whoever designed the zombies--torching them was a definite highlight. And did anyone else get a MGS 3 vibe from watching the fish turn into shiny fish-shaped health pickups when they expire bouncing around on land?

One more note, I believe that the jewels you pick up increase the power of your familiars.

Sonic, I could have used this information upfront.

[nocode81]

I'm liking this game (even though I haven't played it in a few days), but there is almost no charm in the game at all. I think that is really what it lacks in comparison to a game like zelda. The king tells you where to go next in literally one sentence exchanges, and the music is terrible. I do like the gameplay though, it really does remind me of Streets of Rage in the way it plays.