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Great game, if you can keep your sanity, that is.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: July 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game fun and highly addictive, but OH LORD IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!! At times, anyway. Don't plan on finishing this game quickly. It's a lot like Zelda as far as the gameplay goes. The story goes like this : You're a little elf boy named Alundra who has the ability to enter people's dreams and control them. You are on a journey in the beginning, on a ship to some place or other, when a storm comes up and the ship sinks. You wash up on the beach near a town called Inoa, where there seems to be an epidemic of nightmares that are killing off the villagers. Your job is to enter their dreams and confront the demon (or whatever he is) Melzas and his various minions. The gameplay is pretty fun, the enemies and bosses are pretty easy so far. I've only had the game a couple of weeks, so I haven't finished it yet. There are some puzzles that are extremely difficult, so you will find yourself online looking for a walkthrough so you can know what the heck to do. That's not so bad. The part of the game that really ...[stinks] is the jumping. You can spend thirty minutes trying to jump from one ledge to another so you can progress in the game. The distance from one ledge to another is sometimes just a little bit farther away than it should be, or else you have to take time to carefully jump from one pedestal to another without some big iron ball knocking you off. The jump button is very sluggish and sometimes doesn't respond at all, so after trying to make the same jump 50 times you will probably need to go to another room and smoke a cigarette or something and count to 100 so you don't end up destroying your Playstation. Oddly, in spite of this the game is highly addictive. I would recommend it only if you're a very determined soul, however, or if you're a masochist.

Ten times superior to its sad, decrepid sequel

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Rpg's throughout the ages of cmputer and video gaming have come and gone. Many have silently slipped through almost unoticed however this is one of those that manages to remain in the memories of the people involved in the world of gaming oncomputers of all kinds.

When you say the word RPG games such as Zelda, Final fantasy and Breath of fire fly through the air. However this is one game that easily stands up to the challenge that these rpg classics set.

The game takes place in around a village named Inoa, where you play an elf-like character who shares the same name as the game's title. Taking the game mechanics you would find in an RPG like the Zelda series and coupling it with a plot as dramatic as a Final Fantasy Psygnosis and dream matrix made an all time classic here. The story is that Alundra was on board a ship named "the Clark" and it sunk during a storm, washing up on Inoa beach he is nursed back to health and is drawn into a saga that has been plaguing the village inhabitants for some time.

Within this village numerous people are falling ill and dying as a result of dreams being turned into nightmares by a demon named Melzas. The player finds themselves summoned by a guardian named "Lars" (no connection to the Metallica drummer!) to stop this demon. Sounds cliched? In a way I suppose you are correct however the dreams idea is turned into a beauty of its own when you find that Alundra has the power to enter dreams and change their outcome. Thus you find yourself treated to numerous psychadelic images before winding in a usually dark rpg type dungeon where the dreams prisoner must be saved.

Of course this would be of no use to the gamer if there was no gameplay and naturally for an RPG there is tons buried beneath the surface. At first you feel that is a basic and simple rpg, yet later on it is that fact that makes this game such a well crafted piece of genius. The difficulty in this game comes commonly from the difficulty of the puzzles. Expect to have to decipher lock codes, organise a makeshift stairway from nothing amongst the obligatory demon slaying.

The game also boasts some fabulous variation in locale, whether it is the aforementioned dark dungeons, volcanoes and of course large castles expect to find lots to do. What makes this game even better is that it is between the plains of linear and non-linear. While like all other rpgs you are guided by information passed on by the usually passive characters in the village, you find that there are tons of secret locations to uncover within the mammoth quest that is available. If you like the idea of unlocking portals, uncovering life extending gems or new gear expect plenty of variety within the quest ahead.

Of course the game is not perfect. The main flaw with this game is that commonly you find puzzles being basic ones where you have to jump onto switches or simply time the throwing of a barrel and jump into a room. This may sound unchallenging yet it does prove difficult quite often when you find the time limits being incredibly tight. This is plus point in that you have to work at it, yet it is a negative point as you can sometimes fall from these jumps and wind up right at the very start of the puzzle or worse the dungeon.

This is one game that only the patient should try, if you have a low flashpoint then you may wish to give this a miss unless you can stop the urge to snap the disc! Persevere though and you find in this game a true classic that was slated for being a mere clone, however this is a foolish analogy to follow and is a joy to play from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Just like Zelda

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The formula for this game is simple - Solve one mind-numbingly hard puzzle after another until you beat the game - Simple!

Unlike any of the Final Fantasy, Suikoden, Breath of Fire, Wild Arms, etc..., there is no:

()Random monster battles every 20 seconds.

()Experience points.

()A bevy of party-members to mix n' match and constantly upgrade.

()Complicated and numerous menus to learn and navigate.

The Legend of Zelda of the super Nintendo era is the only game that plays like this one. Why do they not make more games like this one? The game is hard, yet the formula is simple.
You will most assuredly need the cheatbook to get through to the end - it is that hard.
Though the graphics are simplistic by most any standard, they are still well-done and convey what they are intended to; a fantasy world populated by friendly villagers and homey houses. The story is well thought out and interesting, also.
The monsters and bosses are mostly easy - it is the puzzles that will impede your progress.

This game is fun because it really makes you think. The pure unmitigated joy of solving 3 or 4 puzzles in a row w/out using the cheatbook is fantastic! And when finally admitting defeat while stuck at a particulary vexing puzzle, you will read the solution in the cheatbook and then shake your head in annoyance at the simplicity of the answer, and ask yourself 'why didn't I figure that out myself...the answer was so obvious.'

High kudos for this obscure little game and a wish that more RPG's followed Alundra's winning formula of less is more.

Great Fun..

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I bought and finished this game about 3 years ago. And it still stands out in my mind as one of the best RPG's ever. I only give it 4 strz because i'm strict. You might have read this game is tough, because of the puzzles. I didn't find it hard at all. Because i cheated. I had the hint book. I used it every time i got stuck with a tough puzzle. The boss battles are easy, not too easy. Theyre long but fun. If you stink at games, like me, get the hintbook and only use it when you are stuck. That way you can just relax and enjoy the great story and gameplay. Don't worry about being a cheater(Smelly videogame geeks always say that it's wrong to cheat and play the game how it was meant to be played. The Story and the way the game handles it is great. The game places you shipwrecked on a strange island-town. And you feel apart of this little village, like your really living there. You become very familiar with the towns-people and shops, it's great.

An Underrated Display of Genius.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Sadly, as has happenned to many other great games, this game hit the market when it wasn't truly receptive to this manner of a game. Few have been able to truly experience this beautiful title, nonetheless, it has spawned quite a rabid and voluminous fanbase. This game is the Action/Rpg genre at it's best. Be advised to look beyond it's cartoonish graphics because under all that lies a great simple, yet oddly mature, storyline. The puzzles are devilishly well designed and the environments are so engulfing that any one person playing it will surely find it a daunting task to stop playing it. A must buy for any self respecting rpg fan. And a word to the wise, don't even consider the sequel. It was developed by a different team and both the storyline and the feel of the game itself are some of the worst I've ever seen. This is the one game to own if there ever was one!

Swell Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Brilliant puzzles, incredible music, unbelievable story concept; this game has it all! Fun to the point of pain, this game will anger you to insanity, but keep you coming back for more. If you desire a difficult and all-around fun game, give this masterpiece a try.

I can't think of much bad--that's quite good.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is as near flawless as any I can think of. Not only does it offer an incredible challenge (puzzles, platforming, bosses) but it has one of the most memorable storylines ever.

Finally, a true answer to melodrama has been found. Working Designs penned a storyline that was fully based on the concept of melodrama--people die left and right--but it does it in a way that is actually believable. Said drama doesn't seem a cheap attempt to instill sympathy or emotion into the story.

The story is based in dreamwalking. Namely, Alundra is the dreamwalker, the only at the beginning, and has the responsibility of saving many people trapped in potentially, and many times, deadly nightmares. This concept had me hooked from the beginning.

The action is reminiscent of Zelda, though it has enough individualism to seem as no rip-off. Through the use of numerous weapons, spells, and items Alundra will traipse through enemy-laden dungeons, solve perplexing puzzles, and unravel the mystery of death hanging over the fragile village, Inoa.

Not much to grip about, aside from a few collision (so minor as to be nigh undectable) problems and some unfairly difficult jumps. The collision may have also been my fault, for the control is picturesque in its perfection--blaming the game for a screw-up is only reflective of your own mistake (in this game, anyway).

The difficulty is considerable, requiring much skillful button manipulation and avid attention. A definite must play for the under-challenged gamers out there.

A fun game that was hard, but you do feel like you accomplished something.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Finishing Alundra was so hard it wasn't as fun as it could have been. I have never played a game where periodically I would think, "well I guess this is as far as I go" so many times.
The director Yasuhiro Ohhori wanted to make a game you could play, not just have a good story line. He wanted a game that the player felt at the end of it, that they accomplished something. I do feel that, and I had two guides to help me! The puzzles where just too crazy hard, and they could have made the jumping easier.

An interesting departure from standard RPG fare!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

When we had a Sega Genesis, I never was into a lot of Role-Playing videogames until I found a game called `Landstalker'. It was a modest RPG by today's standards, but it still ranks as one of my favorites to this very day, so when we upgraded to a Sony Playstation, I searched to see if the game was available for that platform, but with no luck. However, I did turn up a game called `Alundra' that was similar - even the insert booklet paid homage to Landstalker. And though it lacks a bit of the charm, wit, and the renegade free spirit of it's predecessor, it is a fine RPG nonetheless.

This game features an old-school 2D view of gameplay (it's biggest departure from `Landstalker'). The graphics are pretty well detailed, but quite cluttered. On a Sega Genesis these graphics may be impressive, but for a Playstation game they seem a bit archaic. I'm not usually hung up on graphics, but being a bit nearsighted, there are some spots where I didn't even see stairways or spot objects in a room. The sprites are pretty much as you would expect to see them on most SNES or Genesis RPG's.

The storyline is a step up from Landstalker, which had the main character Nigel as a treasure hunter seeking a nice payday. Alundra has a slightly more concrete (yet ordinary) backdrop of him becoming a reluctant hero for the townspeople of a village that is plagued by nightmares. I say `backdrop' because it's not so much a story, but more of a unifying theme by which the collection of adventures (each one is a separate dream) are tied together. And in a major departure from standard RPG protocol, a good portion of Alundra takes place in and around a single town, so there is no globetrotting over all the map. (Not to worry though, it's not nearly as claustrophobic as it sounds).

The biggest advantage to games like Alundra over many conventional RPG's is that it uses a real-time battle sequences. Rather than being whisked away to a separate screen and programming a bunch of battle commands, then watching it unfold, this game features simple battles on the spot by reflexively using your weapon when you encounter an enemy, making them a creative mix of an action game and RPG. Seeing that you only control one character instead of a party, this method plays very nicely. Yeah, it may sound archaic, but it really adds to the game because you have no `down time' during the battles.

Another great aspect to this game is the puzzles that you must solve to progress past certain points. You may have to trip switches, move items, or defeat enemies in a certain order, but there are lots of little puzzles throughout the game. Some are a bit too easy, some are hard, and some require time and patience, but they are all challenging and fun. There are also a few hidden bonuses here and there. If you're intent on speeding through the game you might miss them, but if you take your time, it's usually worth your trouble to search every area that you can. What you find may be of benefit to you during the later stages of the game.

I'd always had trouble persevering to the end of an RPG video game, and this was only the second one that I made it all the way through (Suikoden was the first). The ending sequences and resolution of Alundra were a bit of a disappointment, though the puzzles and battles leading up to it were not.

To summarize, some die-hard RPG purists may miss the multi-character interplay or the strategic battle sequences that are the norm for RPG's. But Alundra is a fine game in its' own right, and a pretty distinctive one too. Its' cast, story (oops, I mean `backdrop'), and action are all centered on keeping the player involved and interested, rather than being flashy. If you're an RPG fan and would like a break from mega-monster bosses, casts of 6 to 100 playable characters and long, tiresome battles that only serve to obscure the story, then Alundra is one of the most refreshing departures that you'll ever find.

Alundra best 2d Zelda style Japanesse Anime Roll Playing Game of all time! info for amazon copy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: October 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Well for starters I'll just say if you liked the 8bit & 16bit Zelda games and the 8bit golden axe Sega master system game you will love this, it has one of the most captivating plots and 2D graphics that games of this kind have ever had while 2D graphics are nothing new and the likes of older consol and dos games the psx one manages to hold the oldskool look of RPG graphics like Zelda and the earlier final fantasy games but with more attention to detail and realistic proportion of characters bodies (no exaggeratedly massive head on tiny bodies etc) there is a bunch of secret stuff within the game like extra weapons to find and items you must collect to gain access to the other weapons to add to the inventories regular amount of six: miners bombs, sword, ball and chain mace, bow and arrow etc and a couple of magical weapons I wont mention as it is fun to find out for your self. also each weapon is upgraded at certain intervals in the game and you can then execute more than one kind of attack with each weapon. One of the things i liked most of the action side of this game is that it is more interactive and reflex oriented than other roll playing games like Final Fantasy (round based where you choose one of the tabs for what you want the character to do attack, magic, item etc, and then sit back and watch them attack without having to use the controls to execute the move) where as in Alundra you walk around and talk to people in the same mode as you battle. there is an action button and when you are standing in front of a person you press it to talk and otherwise this action button will execute a slash attack or shot attack etc for fighting enemies as you come across them or to cut down grass and smash rocks etc to find goodies or alternate routes across the land. also unlike most RPG 's you can jump (adds a bit more interaction in the action side and exploration of areas in the game). There are also magical spells you will find as the game progresses which makes the mystical mediaeval fantasy theme (common among RPG's) more apparent not to mention the fact that this lad Alundra can enter peoples dreams whilst they sleep. All in all an awesome RPG one for every fan of the hack and slash style game play I gave it 99/100 when I first played it as I was stuck on one puzzle half way through the game when i first bought this game and at the time I didn't have the internet to search for walkthrough guides but if you are reading this then I think its safe to say that you, like my self are probably a member of an internet provider thus giving this game a whopping 100% rating.

Also if you have played this and for a strange reason have read this review up to here and can agree with allot of what I have said then I urge u to say what I am about to say. I think it is with in the interest of a wide range of fans out there of the hack and slash 2D anime style RPG's that even though we are in the generation of Xbox, Psx2, Dreamcast and Gamecube as well as highly advanced PC engines there is still a wide range of fans for the marketing of 2D anime games like Alundra, I mean Alundra in its own right is a down right masterpiece and even though new consoles want to boast their 3D graphics and all, the 2nd dimension shouldn't be neglected as far as hack and slash RPG's are concerned, and for younger players the platform genera also should have a bit more 2nd dimensional attention, when all is said and done Japanese anime cartoons are still reeling of at an alarming rate so what's the hold up with 2D RPG's especially now that we have awesome technology, just think about it not only can the 2D graphics be enhanced a whole lot the game worlds can be even larger and the special effects of spells and cut scenes would be mind blowing. If you are a die hard Alundra fan like myself spread the word. Lol.

Also I would like to add that if you liked Alundra and are thinking of getting Alundra 2 do a bit more research on the second one because it is nothing like the first, For one Alundra isn't even in it and 2nd its a 3D game so if u were looking forward to the same old beautiful looking graphics of the original then be sure to steer clear of Alundra 2.

Hello there amazon.com I know near the end I'v added some dribble about how it would be nice if there were more games of this style out there, I hope and would apreciate it if u would post this on your site as it may help more games like this come about, sorry about the double save of this review as i had'nt noticed your terms of conditions until now and i spent quite a while wrighting this review so i sent this copy to let u know my thankfullness should this appear on your site.

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