Developer: Athena Publisher: Activision Release: 01/92 Genre: Action
Even though it was pretty late in the system’s life cycle 1992 really was an incredible year for the NES. Even with the Genesis and SNES hitting their stride there were many late gen classics released. Some of these are classics like Bucky O’ Hare and Dragon Warrior IV. Plenty flew so far under the radar most still don’t even know they exist. Activision’s Sword Master is a nice little hidden gem that has some of the highest production values on the system and gameplay to match.
It’s kind of creepy how much Sword Master resembles Castle of Dragon. They both have nearly the exact same premise, levels, and even mechanics. Even the protagonists and their animations are almost identical. But where the NES port of that game was pretty bad overall Sword Master is pretty damn good. It can be frustrating at times, especially toward the end but all in all this is a pretty unique game for the NES.
Like the game that inspired it Sword Master places a heavy emphasis on combat. Your knight can perform a surprising number of attacks and moves considering the controller. Aside from standing and crouching stabs you can perform a stronger overhead swing. You can hold your shield up high to block attacks and projectiles as well. Technically you can perform leaping attacks but your jump is so weird it is not worth it.
Power-ups are few but noteworthy. The only item that drops are red bottles restore minimal health. Enemies give experience points that at max will permanently extend your life bar. Experience also has another function though. After the second level you gain a magic cane that transforms you into a magician. You start with one slow and weak fireball spell but gain new ones after every level. These spells use up precious experience though. While the mage form seems cool I found it practically useless. Using experience to power magic puts a cap on how long you can use it. Most spells either need to be charged or are so easily avoidable you are better off exploiting boss patterns as a knight.
Sword Master has the appearance of an action focused adventure but in truth is more like an extended boss rush. Aside from the brief sections where you can kill bats for health all battles are one on one duels against boss level monsters. While it may sound limiting considering this is the NES it is anything but. Every new enemy has their own unique attack patterns and quirks which makes these fights fun. Button mashing simply does not work and is the fastest way to get killed. Learning the subtleties of combat and when to dodge, block, and attack is incredibly fun if a bit challenging. But while it may seem impossible at first it is very much manageable.
To break up the inevitable monotony of consecutive boss battles Sword Master has platforming segments. Personally I’m not fond of these for a number of reasons. The weird ass controls are decent enough for fighting, platforming not so much. The narrow ledges surrounded by invincible enemies will lead to constant deaths that you cannot afford. One of the most important techniques, the falling jump, is hard to pull off consistently. Unfortunately, it is mandatory for progression. I did not like the platforming in Castle of Dragon and I don’t like it here. This would have been a much better game if it were left out.
It should come as no surprise then that Sword Master is extremely difficult. I mentioned that combat may seem impossible but is manageable. I never said how long it takes to get to that point. The game’s balance is all over the place. Health power-ups are not common and the game isn’t shy about placing three or four boss battles back to back. The last level alone has nine consecutive fights! That is simply insane! Survival necessitates near perfect play which requires a hefty time investment. With limited continues and no passwords it will take some time to see this to the end. I will warn you not to expect much from the conclusion.
The production values of Sword Master are incredibly high and it stands alongside many other late NES games as a technical showcase. Every level features at least one layer of parallax scrolling but many go two or three layers deep. This is insane for the NES; most 16-bit games don’t go that far. Character animation is smooth and the game has a varied cast of large enemies. The only weak link is the music which is simply forgettable.
In Closing
If it weren’t for the ridiculous difficulty Sword Master would be more fondly remembered. As is it is a good game marred by heavy drawbacks. While I like it I also have a hard time recommending it; the degree of patience and practice required will be too much for most.
