Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami Released: August 11, 1987 Genre: Action
I’ve been fascinated by the Famicom Disk System ever since I learned of its existence years after the fact. It was nice to learn what the expansion on the bottom of the NES was for and also why the save function in games like Wrecking Crew and Excitebike never worked. Since it never left Japan we missed out on many great titles. But at the same time most of its noteworthy titles became cartridge titles for the West. There are still some hidden gems in its library and Almana no Kiseki is one of them. This hybrid adventure was far more deserving of a US release than crap like Dr. Chaos. There are few 8-bit games like it and it is worth tracking down for those that like unique platformers.
The magical red jewel of Almana has been stolen from the village by a thief, transforming its inhabitants to stone in the process. As the adventurer Kaito you must get it back. There is no sense dancing around it, Kaito looks like Indiana Jones. If you were to show this to the average person it could easily be mistaken for a Temple of Doom game. You spend the majority of your time exploring caves and mines while fighting scorpions and such. The only thing missing is a whip. Thankfully Almana no Kiseki is far more interesting than its likely inspiration.
The game’s claim to fame is its grappling hook mechanic. The hook has its quirks; it fires at a 45 degree angle for one. Once it hits a wall or platform it sticks, allowing you to climb or loosely jump off. You can only have one rope active at a time, so careful use is key. You’ll need to master its use as the game calls on it frequently. It would be easy to compare Almana no Kiseki to Bionic Commando but this actually came first. In fact the grappling mechanic traces back to Konami’s Roc n Rope from 1983!
The game is definitely a trailblazer but like most titles that try something new it isn’t without flaws. The default jump is practically worthless which forces you to rely on the grappling hook. For short distances it is fine. It is the more distant platforms that pose an issue. In most cases you’ll have to jump and release the hook simultaneously but even then it will often fall short. Nailing the perfect line lacks the satisfaction of Capcom’s classic; it feels more like a happy accident than skill.
While it can be frustrating the game does give you a lot of freedom in its use. The levels are massive and wide open, with plenty of branching paths to explore. Since there is no time limit the levels are ripe for exploration. While there are plenty of dead ends there are usually enough rewards to make it worth the effort. Although there is only one exit in each stage you can more or less create your own path with skill. I’ll say this; while it can be frustrating at its best moments this is probably the closest any game came to recreating an Indiana Jones movie at the time.
Almana no Kiseki is a bit high on the difficulty scale. That should come as no surprise as this is a Konami title from the 80s. On one hand I like how large each level is. But on the other hand it is easy to get lost. At many points it can feel as though you are wandering aimlessly. It’s kind of amazing for an 8-bit game in that regard. Enemies spawn infinitely and your resources are finite. While they do occasionally drop extra ammo it is entirely possible to run out. You are better off running from most enemies, especially as most of the weapons are terrible. The only respite is that the bosses are insanely easy with easily recognizable patterns.
Stylistically Almana no Kiseki is very similar to other Konami FDS releases such as Jackal. The game uses a dark color palette which is perfect for the many caves you’ll explore. Thematically while it can be a bit repetitive the extra attention to detail makes up for it. The list of enemies is a bit sparse but sport great animation. The bosses are the game’s visual highlight, large, detailed, and fantastical. The true star of the presentation is the wonderful soundtrack. The extra sound channels of the FDS are put to use to create rich tunes not possible on the stock NES. The only negative is that there are too few songs.
In Closing
Almana no Kiseki is a fun but flawed little gem. The swinging mechanics could have used some work and I wish the level design were tighter. However its issues don’t keep it from being a game that I recommend if you like Bionic Commando. I would have gladly taken this over Laser Invasion but what do I know?
