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Crossed
Swords
クロスソード
(1991) |
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The
kingdom of Belkana has been peaceful and serene
since the defeat of the monster Nausizz. But the
evil warlord has been busy, recruiting all of
the monsters of the underworld back into his army.
Once again he is ready to re-claim the throne
and wreak havoc across the land. Our story begins
as two traveling knights wander into Belkana,
looking for food and shelter. Unaware of their
fate, they engage these strange monsters...
Straight away, Crossed Swords doesn't
strike as your archetypal arcade game. The medieval
setting is nothing new, and neither is the basic
gameplay - many will instantly recall The
Super Spy (1990). It's the blending of the
two that makes the difference; along with a cool
2-player co-operative mode that sees both heroes
on-screen, made transparent as to not hide the
action.
In many ways, it is an excellent concept: colourful,
well presented, ingeniously designed, and inexplicably
compelling: the Gold, EXP points and progressive
RPG atmosphere draw you in immediately.
The only issue is that the entire gameplay revolves
around the single ability to foresee if an opponent
is going to strike high or low - within a split-second.
If you can grasp this concept successfully, fine:
you will become engrossed in a rich and unique
arcade adventure, all the way through to stage
5 or so.
But then beware: after that, the enemy's attack
speed becomes so fast that it is nigh-on impossible
to deal with. Chapters 6 and 7 are just downright
ridiculous... Shit - can this actually be done?
It's hard to say... Nevertheless, the game scores
full marks in the originality, atmosphere, and
item management stakes. All these features will
re-appear in the CD-only sequel Crossed
Swords II (1995), who, thankfully, has a vastly
improved game engine and a much more forgiving
difficulty setting.
Not for everybody, but an interesting game nonetheless. |
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Crossed
Swords
クロスソード
NEO GEO |
DETAILS
| Format |
Neo
Geo |
| Released |
1
Oct 1991 |
| Publisher |
ADK |
| Product
ID |
NGH-037 |
| Size
(cm) |
22
x 16.5 x 4 |
| Weight
(kg) |
0.70 |
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Neo
Geo ROM release of ADK's oddball
medieval slasher.
A very weird (and amazingly
difficult) game, but also
one of a kind.
Soft case Neo Geo packaging,
50Mbit cartridge, monochrome
booklet. |
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Crossed
Swords - Sengoku Densyō
クロスソード・戦国伝承
ALPHA DENSHI / SNK |
DETAILS
| Format |
Audio
CD |
| Released |
21
Nov 1991 |
| Publisher |
Pony
Canyon |
| Product
ID |
PCCB-00076 |
| Size
(cm) |
14.2
x 12.4 x 1 |
| Weight
(kg) |
0.10 |
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2-in-1
Neo Geo soundtrack release
featuring the BGM collections
of both:
- Crossed
Swords (1991)
- Sengoku
Densyo (1991)
Includes a reversible booklet
featuring both games' cover
art.
View [back]
for tracklisting.
CD
case, 20-track audio CD, 4-page
monochrome booklet, spine
card. |
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Crossed
Swords
クロススウォード
NEO GEO CD |
DETAILS
| Format |
Neo
Geo CD |
| Released |
31
Oct 1994 |
| Publisher |
ADK |
| Product
ID |
ADCD-002 |
| Size
(cm) |
14.2
x 12.4 x 1 |
| Weight
(kg) |
0.10 |
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The
Neo Geo CD Crossed Swords
remains identical to the cartridge,
and throws in an enhanced
CD soundtrack.
Also, the japanese spelling
of the title has changed:
from クロスソード [Kurosu Sōdo]
to クロススウォード [Kurosu Sūōdo]
'Neo
Geo' stamped CD case, Neo
Geo CD disc, monochrome booklet,
spine card. |
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'Crossed
Swords' and 'ADK' are registered trademarks of Alpha Denshi, Co.,
Ltd.
'Neo Geo' and 'SNK' are registered trademarks of SNK Playmore
Crossed
Swords TM & © 1991 ADK All Rights Reserved
Page content, design & layout © 2008 www.Jap-Sai.com |
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