Blades of Vengeance

Sign #1 a game sucks: I can barely read the title on the title screen.

Game Data:

  • Review Date: June 8, 2021
  • Release Date: December 1, 1993
  • Platform: Sega Genesis
  • Publisher: Electronic Arts
  • Developer: Beam
  • Genre: ??? Platformer

Anecdotes: OK, I have two words I never want to hear together again: Genesis and Platformer. This is the third one with a heroine (albeit optional in this game) and all of them have been tough as nails. I’m starting to see why Nintendo was kicking around Sega in the 90s. The only thing Sega was getting right was the use of heroines, but this game even gets that wrong.

I’ve already reviewed El Viento and Alisia Dragoon, two platformers starring heroines. I also am covering three games from the Sonic series, which was extremely popular among the girls I grew up with. All of those games had great potential as game that could tap into the girl market and get them wanting to play video games. All of them had the potential to turn into major franchises in the industry. Only Sonic was able to do so. That’s because these games were too difficult for kids to play. There was no feeling of progress when lives and continues would run out and players would have to start over. Annet and Alisia were well designed heroines, but their games couldn’t bring the girls in because of difficulty. Blades of Vengeance has those same problems. Here, they offer the option of a female character, but she’s just as bad as the other characters. She and one of the men only exist as fanservice. There’s also no feeling of progress and no save system.

Sign #2 a game sucks: There are three characters to choose from and none of them are dressed for combat.

Description: Please go over to the tool set and pull out a hammer. Next, pull out a Blades of Vengeance cartridge. Now hit the cartridge with the hammer.

Positives:

  • At least this game has actual checkpoints within the stages. When I died for the 18,000th time in stage 1, the game didn’t put me all the way back to the start. Of course, I ran out of continues and had to start over, but I’ll take the small victories where I can get them.

Negatives:

  • The characters were lifted straight out of Gauntlet. The elf is gone, but the others are still there. There is nothing original about them at all, and just like Gauntlet, the half naked guy can sit on the bench. Let me guess: he’s slow as molasses but hits hard? The woman is probably up the middle somewhere. Please stop me if I’ve said this before.

Screenshots:

Sign #3 a game sucks: The background, the deadly lava, the heroine’s clothes, the enemy eyes, and the HP bar are all the same color.
Sign #4 a game sucks: There is nothing to tell players they can go through closed doors that blend into the background.

Final Opinion: Skip this garbage. No matter what element is discussed, there is another platformer or another game that does it better.

Grade: F

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