PS2 Game Review: Rygar - An NES Remake

 This is a pretty well-done 3D action adventure game with the right balance of action mixed with exploration. It is all presented in a third person perspective. You will need quick reflexes to navigate your way around some of the puzzle-like obstacles that you encounter, though most of the combat is pretty basic.You won't fight a very big variety of peon type monsters, and most of those encounters are a little too easy, so they do become monotonous. The story isn't much to talk about, other than you having to fight your way through one location after another and taking out a boss before moving on to the next level.

The boss battles can be quite challenging until you figure out the right time to strike, then they aren’t so bad. I played this game all the way to the end and didn’t have too much trouble defeating any of the bosses until I got to the last one.

Rygar fights with what is called a Diskarmor. It’s sort of like a bigger, deadlier version of a yo-yo, and in this game they are upgradeable. Rygar uses the Diskarmor to fight as well as to move, because he often has to swing from things or dangle over openings while using it like a grappling hook. This makes for some really interesting scenarios when you are trying to figure your way out of an area. The implementation of the Diskarmor really takes the game above being just another action title. In the original Rygar game on the NES, all you did was attack with it.

If you look at some of the screenshots below, you’ll see how great the graphics in this game were for the time period in which it came out. You had giant interactive environments with lush locations that were based off Greek and Roman history, plus plenty of monsters and other creatures to encounter along the way. There’s no questioning that this is one of the best looking games on the PS2, and it’s also noted for being a very bright game with lots of colors.

There is, however, one downside to the graphics – fixed cameras. The camera angle doesn’t move along with Rygar, so depending on where he is standing, you will get the same view until he moves into another pre-designated viewing area. I suppose this was done to help preserve the quality of the graphics, but at times it can be daunting. If you are in combat and get caught in between two different camera angles, it can be rather annoying.

Rygar: The Legendary Adventure was released to mostly favorable reviews from the major gaming magazines and websites, Metacritic.com has its total metascore at 83/100, which is very good. I always thought it would help to kick off a new series on the console, but it never spawned any sequels. In February 2009, a Nintendo Wii version of the game was released with the title Rygar: The Battle of Argus.