Videogame Review, Astal for the Sega Saturn (w/ Refurbished Console and Brand New 6-Button Analog Controller)

Videogame Review, Astal for the Sega Saturn (w/ Refurbished Console and Brand New 6-Button Analog Controller)

This is one of the worst fighting games I’ve ever played.  Every character just sort of bounces around with minimal contact of fists or glittery tricks.  I’m impressed with the artwork- particulars to note are the cut scenes and the wild cartoon styles, even if the graphical is managed for tosses and turns instead of more punches and kicks.  You should know that I’m a huge fan of WWF War Zone for the Nintendo 64.  That wrestling game has brilliant move-sets and all the wrestlers create intense battles with variety and complicated matters at least in the 1st-player, normal matches, along with some fare in cages and hardcore kinds.  But, for this Sega Saturn program (Astal) I’m wondering why the characters seem so lame and silly.  There’s supposed to be forms of demonic possession over Astal’s radar for cracking jewels and splitting trees in purple wood; however, the fighting feels stale and I’m often a sitting duck while enemies (gasp!) bounce at me.  Why are these demons pretending to be bunny rabbits?  This isn’t spiritual power!  Besides, the courses get fairly obvious: walk forward and do something.  I’m honest about the lame characters who claim to have great, spiritual powers when, in fact, they’re more like donuts in a bakery shop.  Even though the buttons are somewhat responsive the move-set available for Astal is terrible.  Sega attempted to give flavor for the characters by presenting windy effects out of breath and flight.  When breathing, or flying, the action doesn’t go at a powerful wind’s pace and instead crawls to an immediate halt of slow fighting.  At times the main character is just standing there as I fail in grappling on to enemies surrounding me and the fantastic wonderlands of dreams are simply funny forms with color.  My Sega Saturn console provides me with great colors and effects that become hazards of dullness by lack of real performance.  I really feel what the story should be about.  Yet, my character is rather a wimp and the little bird is even worse.  I’ll try grabbing fruit and jewels and it becomes a very big hassle in terms of practical flow where there isn’t any.  Why couldn’t Sega just combine breath and flight better?  Stomping/pounding moves are possible although I’m usually not in the right situation to use them for intent of victory.  I’ve gotten pretty far in this video game since the enemies are predictable and that’s why the cheap tricks and poor moves make it sad on my end.  The buttons are reactive until I realize the moves aren’t that dramatic half the time and leave me wanting more.  Little cartoon scenes are beautiful to watch.  Astal is only a theory in story with not much gameplay to speak of.  For a game about demons and monsters, this Sega Saturn game is very boring.