Looking back at the roster of action games on the good old NES, there seems to be many titles which we are all fond of. We have the MegaMan series, the Ninja Gaidens, and many more to name for that matter. But in the crowd of so many, sometimes you miss out on a great game due to the overwhelming popularity of other games. This is the case of Conquest of the Crystal Palace. Developed by Asmik in 1990, this cart has brought many smiles to the faces of those who have crossed its path, starting from mine and moving down the line of all my friends.
The story goes as follows: A dog named Zap, who was held in a curse by crystals, suddenly breaks free from a curse and is now able to talk to the protagonist of the game, a boy named Farron. Zapp reveals to Farron that as a child he once lived in a beautiful kingdom, which was taken over by Zaras of the Infernal Plateau. Now it is up to Farron and Zap to restore peace in their home kingdom.
The package this game brings to the table makes it stand out in a class of its own. The game play in Conquest of the Crystal Palace works for a game of its nature. You start out having to pick out one of three crystals. One crystal increases you life endurance, one gives you the ability to increase your jump ability, and the third increases your weaponry. Once you pick out which one of these attributes you will use, you will be put into battle against all of the monsters awakened during Zara’s takeover. The controls very simple, seeing as you only have two buttons. One button is to use your weapon, the other is to jump. It doesn’t get much more simple than that. There are also weapon upgrades you can purchase from a female named Kim who pops her stand in the game in certain sections of the game. She will accept the money you gather by killing the enemies that get in your way.
The graphics are done very nicely. It's nothing award winning, but it's pleasant and enjoyable to look at.
The sound is great. Nothing makes a game better than a soundtrack that matches the game itself. The tunes once again make you think of the game, something that is sometimes hard to do. When you hear the sound in this game, you’ll know it was written with care, just for this game and this game alone. All developers should take note of this. The score to a game is just as important as the game itself, and titles like Conquest of the Crystal Palace that put that fact in stone.
Planning on collecting NES classics in the future? Well don’t leave this game out of your collection. It will bring hours of enjoyment, guaranteed. The cart may be hard to find, but it’s one that you should not pass up.
