Ed Oscuro wrote:Beyond Oasis
I just saw this post, and am surprised that a Castlevania player would find Beyond Oasis platforming annoying. I beat the game on rank 1 without dying after a few tries (on an actual system with no save states). The controls were always fluid to me, and I almost never missed a special move (there are 2 versions of the somersault kicks BTW) or a moving platform (except in the optional cliffs) once I got used to the timing. While you'll be using the Alt. Knife for 3/4 of the game, all the weapons have their uses too. Bombs are great for destroying groups of enemies while bows take unaware enemies out at long range. I pretty much stick with the infinite Omega sword when I get it. The sad part of the game is that while it may take 10 hours the first time, it's only a few hours long once you know where everything is. I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone managed to complete it in under 1 hour.
Anyway, here are my thoughts on your dislikes of the game:
a.) Listen to the conversations. The story is pretty simple and straightforward. All locations are referenced in general directions (as it should be, with no snooze-mode GPS as in modern RPGs). You regenerate MP after receiving a special pendant. Each special item gives you a special power, in fact, and this tidbit is explained in the manual.
b.) Ledges aren't slippery, but there is inertia after a running jump that you must account for. Once you get used to it, it's easy. There are no pixel-perfect jumps needed (some are strict, but still easier than Castlevania-strict), and platforming as a whole becomes much easier when you have Shade. The only really difficult part of the game with jumps is completely optional.
c.) I can't argue here. The only reason the platforming gets annoying for me is because the platforms don't move as fast as running.
d.) I think the levels are designed well with plenty of secrets and more puzzles than mazes. Enemy reset is pretty standard ARPG fare.
e.) Spikes are later used to prevent you from advancing without switching them off. That's probably why they don't let you advance. Hey, you'd rather have spikes than an endless pit, right?
f.) The spirits are sometimes helpful at taking care of things on their own. It takes no more than 2 seconds for Efreet to wander over to where you are, so it's not that much of a bother to have him light something.
g.) Aiming the spirit armlet is just positioning. As with the axe in Castlevania, I rarely miss.
If you like Beyond Oasis, Legend of Oasis has more of the same with less platforming but more hassle and fighting. I don't think Zelda really compares, but I'm biased against kiddy games with little muppets as enemies.
Finally, I strongly feel that Yuzo Koshiro's soundtrack for Beyond Oasis is excellent but one of the most misunderstood compositions in gaming. My only criticism is that the main castle theme has too much volume disparity. I normally prefer motivating dungeon themes in my RPGs (e.g. the 2 themes in Phantasy Star I are amazing) over dissonant themes but for the latter, I think Koshiro's compositions are probably the best I've ever heard. However, sound quality limitations prevent the soundtrack from becoming a classic. I actually prefer the YM2612 sound chip over the SPC700—Langrisser II is a prime example of why—but for the complex tunes in Beyond Oasis heavily inspired by late romantic and early contemporary classical pieces, I believe that they would've been better served with a more orchestral-sounding chip. I also think Koshiro expected too much from a casual RPG audience. A few tracks feature huge stretches of atonality, and I doubt that's something the vast majority of gamers would be able to appreciate. The big shame is that there was no arrange soundtrack to show Koshiro's genius via a live orchestra.