Developer: Iguana Publisher: Sunsoft Release: 06/94 Genre: Action
The Pirates of Dark Water. This one is a blast from the past. Prior to reviewing these games I had long since forgotten about this cartoon. The series was intriguing with a dark premise that was atypical for children’s cartoons at the time. As much as I liked the show I did not watch every episode, or I should I could not. The time slot seemed to change every few episodes until I lost interest and I assumed it completed its run. But looking it up the show was cancelled before it reached its end. That means this solid Sega Genesis game is the closest we will probably ever get to a satisfying conclusion.
The world of Mer is in ruin. The once prosperous planet is now under siege by the dark water, a living black substance that consumes everything it touches and expands every day. The legends say that if the thirteen jewels of Rule are recovered they have the power to turn back the dark water forever. This task falls upon Ren, the prince of the once great kingdom of Octopon and his allies who seek to assemble the jewels before the pirate Bloth can use them for nefarious ends.
Both the SNES and Genesis versions of Dark Water conclude the story in their own way. The Sega game feels more complete as it is very story heavy. Just about every major character in the series appears at one point or another with either quests or information. Even if you know nothing about the show this game will fill you in on the world and its happenings. Some might say there is too much story as it is told through giant reams of text. I will admit at times it made my eyes gloss over. But that is not a flaw; I appreciate the effort especially for a licensed game.
All three of the main characters from the show are playable although the differences between them are slight. Ren is the most balanced but suffers from short range due to his broken blade. Tula is the fastest but weakest. Ioz is slow but kills most enemies in one hit. Aside from that there basic abilities are identical. Everyone can double jump and has a projectile weapon. If you do not like the current character you can feed Niddler ten watermelons to switch at any time.
Each level of Dark Water is massive in size with hidden rooms, traps, and items in practically every corner. Usually there is more than one path to the next section which is awesome for those that like freedom. Most levels have a set objective or a NPC that requests certain items before you can pass. Most of the time you will find these items like gold coins and keys as you progress. But as the requirements increase it becomes annoying. You will have to comb every corner of each stage, walking through walls and making blind leaps of faith to meet the criteria to move on. I suppose it encourages exploration but it could have been done better. The myriad number of issues the game has also does its novel best to discourage you as well.
It’s a pretty big world with many distinct regions which is a treat for fans of the show. But for every good idea put forth the game’s slip shod execution holds it back. The hit detection is problematic. I’ve watched enemy’s ignore multiple attacks in a row which is compounded by the fact they attack in groups. There’s a heavy emphasis on platforming with multiple routes to the end at times. But once again there are elements that make this seemingly easy gaming staple a chore. Enemy placement is dubious and the most common occurrence sees you falling off a ledge due to knock back. It’s possible to end up in a death loop as the game returns you to the same platform too.
The difficulty in Dark Water has two phases. For most of the game it is incredibly easy. You can find extra lives easily with a little exploration and sometimes three at once! Every third enemy or so drops life restoring food or hearts making it easy to stay at full health. You can keep a fully supply in reserve as well. Alongside the various potions you will breeze through the first half despite the bad hit detection. But the second half feels cheap as the game relies on gotcha moments and too many instant death mechanics for my liking. Seriously its reaches the point of absurdity and I refuse to believe it was not intentional. This is the reason you can rack up so many 1-ups, because the back half eats them up. It does not ruin the game but is annoying enough to bring it down a notch.
In Closing
The Pirates of Dark Water is a good game in spite of its few rough spots. It would be easy to write this one off as it is obscure. But Sunsoft and Iguana put forth a lot of effort making this better than it has any right to be. The production values are great, the quest is long, and the gameplay is solid. With a tuning pass Dark Water could have been excellent. But it will have to settle for solid and there is nothing wrong with that.
