Hydlide

Cover art of Hydlide
Publisher(s)	T&E Soft
Platform(s)	PC-6001, PC-8801, MSX, Sharp X1, Nintendo Famicom
Release	1984
Genre(s)	Action role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player

Hydlide is an action role-playing video game developed by T&E Soft. It was originally released for the NEC PC-6001 and NEC PC-8801 computer in 1984, in Japan only; an MSX release came the following year. A Nintendo Famicom version was first released under the name Hydlide Special on March 18, 1986 in Japan; three years later, in June 1989, that version saw a North American release by FCI, its title having been returned to simply Hydlide.

Storyline

In the kingdom of Fairyland, three magic jewels were enshrined in the palace to maintain peace in the kingdom. One day, an evil man broke into the palace and stole one of the three magic jewels. Without the third jewel, the two remaining jewels lost their magic sparkle. The magic spell that sealed the power of Boralis, the most vicious demon in the kingdom, was broken. During the turmoil which followed, the last two jewels were stolen. Boralis cast a special magic on Princess Ann, turning her into three fairies, and hid her somewhere in the kingdom. He then let loose a horde of monsters across the land and became the ruler of the kingdom.

Finally, the young knight Jim stood up and took action to restore peace in the kingdom. He bravely made his way into the wilderness in full armour to fight the monsters...
(from rpgclassics.com)

Characters

Jim: Hero
Ann: Princess
Boralis: Villain

Notable aspects

The game is notable for being one of the first ever console role-playing games. The game appears to have been influenced by Dragon Slayer, The Tower of Druaga, and the original Ultima, though Hydlide failed to capture the same attention as the aforementioned titles beyond Japan. It was initially well-received and considered an innovator when released in Japan back in 1984. Some of these innovations include being able to switch between attack mode and defense mode, quick save and load options which can be done at any moment of the game through the use of passwords as the primary back-up, and the introduction of a health regeneration mechanic where health and magic slowly regenerate when standing still. However, the game took several years to release in America, by which time The Legend of Zelda had a more refined, advanced take on the action-RPG formula, thus Hydlide was criticized by American audiences for seeming primitive in comparison. Nevertheless, the game is notable for having an influence on the acclaimed action RPG series, Ys, which for example, uses a similar health-regeneration mechanic. The recharging health mechanic first introduced by Hydlide in 1984 would, decades later, become a common mechanic widely used in many video games.

Hydlide is also infamously known for its repetitive music, which bears similarity to John Williams' Indiana Jones theme. For the Family Computer (NES) version this repetition is understandable, since it is one of the only two RPG/Adventure games made for the Family Computer without bankswitched memory, and the other, Enix's adventure game PORTOPIA Renzoku Satsujin Jiken, has no music at all.

Angry Video Game Nerd

In early 2010, James Rolfe, playing as the popular video game reviewer The Angry Video Game Nerd, reviewed the NES version of Hydlide game and critised most of the game. He criticised the lack of any kind of indication that attacks were doing anything to enemies, the disappointing ending and the password system used to save games. He also noted that the only song played throughout the game is similar to the theme song of the Indiana Jones movies.

Sequels

Hydlide spawned quite a few follow-ups:

• Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness was originally released for the NEC PC-8801 in 1985 and then was ported to the MSX in Japan. No version of the original game was released outside of Japan, but an official English version of the game was released through the Dutch MSX games distribution platform WOOMB.net in late 2006, which can be seen as the first official release outside Japan. The game is notable for introducing an innovative morality meter, where the player can be aligned with Justice, Normal, or Evil. Killing humans or good monsters can lower the player's morality, while fighting only evil monsters can help them increase it. If the player has an evil alignment, the townsfolk will ignore the player, denying access to certain clues, dialogues, equipment, and training. The game also introduced a time option, allowing the player to speed up or slow down the gameplay.
• Hydlide 3: The Space Memories was released in 1987 for the MSX in Japan; a Family Computer version (with the subtitle 闇からの訪問者 = yami kara no houmonsha = visitor from darkness) was released in Japan only, on February 17, 1989. The game adopts the morality meter of its predecessor and improves on the time option, expanding it with the introduction of an in-game clock setting day-night cycles and a need to sleep and eat. Other improvements include the use of cut scenes for the opening and ending, a combat system that is closer to The Legend of Zelda, the choice between four distinct character classes (with the Fighter and Thief being melee, while the Monk and Cleric are spell casters), a wider variety of equipment and spells, and a weight system that will affect the player's movement depending on the overall weight of their equipment. This game was also re-released through the Dutch MSX games distribution platform WOOMB.net in late 2006, also providing for a more sophisticated and full English translation.
• Super Hydlide was an upgraded version of Hydlide 3 released for the Sega Mega Drive. It was released in Japan on October 6, 1989, in North America by Seismic in early 1990, and in Europe by Sega in 1991.
• Virtual Hydlide was a Sega Saturn game inspired by the previous Hydlide games and still developed by T&E Soft. It was released in Japan on April 28, 1995, in North America by Atlus later that year, and in Europe by Sega on December 29, 1995.

References

External links

• Template:StrategyWiki
• Hydlide at MobyGames