Game of the Week - Alisia Dragoon

o1s1n

Rather than go with some well known classic I've come across over the years - I thought I'd pick one from my childhood gaming collection.

Actually, this can be a tribute to my grandparents, who, for some reason, had an amazing ability to buy myself and my cousin games we'd never heard of - which turned out to be brilliant titles.

Flash back to my 9th birthday in 1993. I'd just been given a Megadrive for Christmas 7 months before, so new games were definitely on the cards. Grandparents had bought me Castle of Illusion and my cousin A Link to the Past - so as you can imagine, I had high expectations.

I'd seen Shinobi 3 on telly during the year (the horse level blew my mind), so had been dropping hints to my mam for that. When my birthday gift was unrapped though, I found The Revenge of.

Disappointment soon vanished after a few minutes of gameplay when I realized how great that was.

Anyway, my grandparents dropped up to us in the afternoon we a wrapped gift in the shape of a Megadrive game.

Excited, I tore the wrapping off hoping for more kick ass ninja action.

What I found was this -



A girl on the cover?!

Now bear in mind that I was only 9, so girls were still somewhat icky and I certainly did not appreciate the bountiful lady bits on display. As far as I was concerned, I'd been bought a girls game.

The Revenge of Shinobi had redeemed itself, but this was too far. You cannot buy a boy a girls game for his Megadrive. Hell, I didn't even think there was such a THING as a girls game for my awesome black, sleek Megadrive. How could this monstrosity even exist?

So I feigned excitement in that way only a child can, and put it in the console.

The intro music was great! Oh look, a dragon! Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad...

Then a manga style girl flew across the screen with a girly sound to remind me I'd been bought a girls game.

Game starts – ah, there’s another dragon again! Cool, I can shoot lightning! Maybe this isn’t so bad..music still seems a bit girly though. And why doesn’t she have a face? Ah, the girl isn’t even wearing anything on her legs! I don’t want to see a girl walking around with no trousers on! (I know I know, I’d say the folks were expecting me to be wearing Hawaiian shirts and listening to Gloria Gaynor within the next year)

It’s funny how things progress though. The more I played it, the more I started to love it. The soundtrack would turn out to be one of my favourites ever. It’s really inspired. I know people give the Megadrive’s sound chip some grief for being tinny and a bit soulless, but this is some of the best chip based music I’ve heard.

Anyway, I’m going to stop there as I don’t want to turn this into a review, as it’s not. This is up there with many many other hidden Megadrive gems and shouldn’t be missed. It’s not a hard game at all, so you should be able to get through it without many (if any) deaths.

Here's some of that great soundtrack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC2c-hyoRq8

Brilliant tune on the airship level (a fish one at that, Darius maybe? )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BWHYR0Er_o

Retr0gamer

For a game with Gainax connections, the ending really isn't as big a let down as it should be. johnny_ultimate flame bait mode disengaged.

Pyongyang

The title of this game reminds me of Judy Nunn who played Ailsa in Home and Away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05JYrfbGYAk

unky chop chop

What a game...Fair play.
I love that lightining weapon...Like Turrican but with tits

johnny_ultimate

Retr0gamer wrote: »

For a game with Gainax connections, the ending really is every bit as awe-inspiring and thematically complex as you'd expect

Gainax you say. Interesting *rubs chin*

Can't say I've ever come across this before, but looks great so will certainly give it a gander o1s Video kind of reminds me of Golden Axe but with smoother animation and mechanics!

Jack burton

Very solid game and never really see anyone talk about it

o1s1n

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Gainax you say. Interesting *rubs chin*

There are no characters soiling other characters though, so it may not be your kind of thing

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Can't say I've ever come across this before, but looks great so will certainly give it a gander o1s Video kind of reminds me of Golden Axe but with smoother animation and mechanics!

A few of the backgrounds do have a little bit of a Golden Axe feel alright. This is a much better game though. Annoying how something like this can be totally overlooked by most people while Golden Axe is so widely known.

Jack burton wrote: »

Very solid game and never really see anyone talk about it

It's one of those games I thought nobody had played but me until the internet came along and I saw more copies on ebay!

Hardcore gaming 101 have an article that's a bit on the short side, but is really the only thing I've seen written about it online.

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/alisia/alisia.htm

I see they've ripped that girly before level sprite.



Really interesting actually, as it goes so fast across the screen at the start you only catch a glimpse. Never really looked at it properly.

Oh and I forgot to mention, the original Japanese cover is one of my favourite covers ever. I'm sure if I'd seen it back when I was a kid it would only add to the 'omfg! a girls game!'. Must see if I can find a high res version of that and get a print done.

boomkatalog

Loved that game! Couldn't remember what it was called, thanks op