We are still waiting on a suitable Amiga AGA emulator with robust recording features before tackling such games.Elvira - The Arcade Game
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Player's Review
Elvira -The Arcade game developed and published by Flair Software in 1991.
"Elvira is awoken by an Old Wizard King and is sent on an unforgettable mission to re-inherit her lost QUEENDOM. During the quest you will help her to conquer ARCTIC EARTH, the FIERY UNDERWORLD and finally the TRANSYLVANIAN ENCHANTED CASTLE. In this challenging game ELVIRA will encounter some of the most STRANGE and EVIL creatures ever seen. Using SPELLS and WEAPONS, and occasional help from an Ancient TRADER, this is a game you will want to play AGAIN and AGAIN"
A conversion of the Amiga game from Flair Software that surprisingly doesn't feel like a rush job or cash in to make a quick buck. I've not played this version before and never got far in the Amiga game thanks to the madness of switch combinations in frozen world. So this longplay is build on looking at maps, guides and other existing walkthroughs.
The game has three levels and the C64 version has the full maze like levels of the original in just 64k! Sure it is missing a lot of the set dressing but the map is complete. The sprites are notably smaller and fewer which is a blessing as you can only fire one shot at a time here. There are fewer treasures and runes to collect but all the spells are collectable. The only real problem is that there are no boss battles at the end of the levels so you never need to use the powerful weapon spells.
At the start you can choose a difficulty level. I played on Hard for the longplay but am not sure what else it changes other than how much damage is taken. The underworld isn't too bad of a level. There is a lot of going back n forth for keys and some annoying enemies but it is the simplest level overall with a couple of different routes to take. Frozen Earth is madness as I've mentioned. The enemies can be annoying, but not much of a threat as there are lots of energy recharge points. However there are a lot of hidden switches and some have to be pressed in a specific pattern else you can find yourself at a dead end or worse, lock your self in a room with no way out. I imagine this level ended the game for many players. The castle level, if your were fortunate enough to get to it is quite challenging. The enemies come in groups and can cause damage quickly. There are no energy replenish stations, although there is some food later in the level.
Overall, the conversion is good, but the gameplay can be overly challenging even if it looks barren compared to the original. The presentation is spot on and a welcome surprise from the title screens and even ending animation. The sfx are a little basic and there is no in game music. However I let any music the game does have play out before moving on. the game doesn't look bad although some areas of the levels could have done with some extra background artwork. The collision detection can be a bit odd but thankfully in your favor as the hitbox doesn't seem to align with the sprites or tiles. It's often simpler to just jump over enemies and jumping over chasms is very forgiving not requiring super precision. The missing bosses is probably the biggest let down as it makes the powerful magic mostly redundant.
00:00:00 Title Screen Music
00:03:55 Fiery Underworld Music
00:06:40 Fiery Underworld Game
00:20:00 Arctic Earth Music
00:22:50 Arctic Earth Game
00:46:35 Enchanted Castle Music
00:47:45 Enchanted Castle Game
"Elvira is awoken by an Old Wizard King and is sent on an unforgettable mission to re-inherit her lost QUEENDOM. During the quest you will help her to conquer ARCTIC EARTH, the FIERY UNDERWORLD and finally the TRANSYLVANIAN ENCHANTED CASTLE. In this challenging game ELVIRA will encounter some of the most STRANGE and EVIL creatures ever seen. Using SPELLS and WEAPONS, and occasional help from an Ancient TRADER, this is a game you will want to play AGAIN and AGAIN"
A conversion of the Amiga game from Flair Software that surprisingly doesn't feel like a rush job or cash in to make a quick buck. I've not played this version before and never got far in the Amiga game thanks to the madness of switch combinations in frozen world. So this longplay is build on looking at maps, guides and other existing walkthroughs.
The game has three levels and the C64 version has the full maze like levels of the original in just 64k! Sure it is missing a lot of the set dressing but the map is complete. The sprites are notably smaller and fewer which is a blessing as you can only fire one shot at a time here. There are fewer treasures and runes to collect but all the spells are collectable. The only real problem is that there are no boss battles at the end of the levels so you never need to use the powerful weapon spells.
At the start you can choose a difficulty level. I played on Hard for the longplay but am not sure what else it changes other than how much damage is taken. The underworld isn't too bad of a level. There is a lot of going back n forth for keys and some annoying enemies but it is the simplest level overall with a couple of different routes to take. Frozen Earth is madness as I've mentioned. The enemies can be annoying, but not much of a threat as there are lots of energy recharge points. However there are a lot of hidden switches and some have to be pressed in a specific pattern else you can find yourself at a dead end or worse, lock your self in a room with no way out. I imagine this level ended the game for many players. The castle level, if your were fortunate enough to get to it is quite challenging. The enemies come in groups and can cause damage quickly. There are no energy replenish stations, although there is some food later in the level.
Overall, the conversion is good, but the gameplay can be overly challenging even if it looks barren compared to the original. The presentation is spot on and a welcome surprise from the title screens and even ending animation. The sfx are a little basic and there is no in game music. However I let any music the game does have play out before moving on. the game doesn't look bad although some areas of the levels could have done with some extra background artwork. The collision detection can be a bit odd but thankfully in your favor as the hitbox doesn't seem to align with the sprites or tiles. It's often simpler to just jump over enemies and jumping over chasms is very forgiving not requiring super precision. The missing bosses is probably the biggest let down as it makes the powerful magic mostly redundant.
00:00:00 Title Screen Music
00:03:55 Fiery Underworld Music
00:06:40 Fiery Underworld Game
00:20:00 Arctic Earth Music
00:22:50 Arctic Earth Game
00:46:35 Enchanted Castle Music
00:47:45 Enchanted Castle Game
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