Alundra Retrospective - A Lengthy Retrospective Review on PlayStation's Zelda Contender
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- čas přidán 3. 07. 2024
- Patreon: / abitmorejordan
Twitter: / sowhataboutgame
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Alundra is a masterpiece. An action adventure game inspired by the likes of Zelda, but in many ways it surpasses Nintendo's legendary franchise, but falls short in others. Developed by Matrix Software and published by Sony and Working Designs, this is a lengthy retrospective review and analysis on a cult classic game.
#Alundra #WorkingDesigns #PlayStation1
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:27 A Bit More Jordan
02:30 Working Designs & Importance of release date
05:03 Landing in Inoa
08:08 Tarn Manor & Wendell's Dream
11:38 Olen's Dream & Coal Mine
15:04 Lars' Crypt
18:39 Bonaire's Dream
22:51 The Flail, Desert & Ancient Ruins
29:41 Coastal Cave
32:49 Introduction of Meia & Kline's Dream
36:14 Gilded Falcons & Reptile's Lair
39:02 Giles' Dream & Magyscar
43:05 Sanctuary & Meia's Dream
47:11 Fire Wand & Nirude's Lair & Fairy Pond
51:27 Death of a Friend & Casino & Elene's Dream
58:16 Giles in Trouble Again & Murgg Mischief
01:03:08 Torla & Nestus' Dream
01:06:24 Village Ablaze & Ronan Fight
01:11:00 Navas Dungeon & Lake Shrine & Final Boss
01:18:13 Credit Sequence
01:20:10 Analysis, Review & Retrospective
01:23:14 Matrix Software Legacy & Comparison to Zelda
01:28:23 Ai Generated Pictures for Alundra's Adventure
01:29:39 Thank you to you and the Patreon Supporters
What are your thoughts on Alundra? Did you play it back in the day?
Patreon: www.patreon.com/ABitMoreJordan
Twitter: twitter.com/SoWhatAboutGame
Oh, I played it. I bought it just on the shiny cover/working designs logo. I had the lunar/lunar 2/arc the lad/growlanser generations limited editions and needed then to take more of my money. With the exception of Gungriffon Blaze, they never let me down!
I wish SO HARD that they were still around making sexy CE/LE/anything for today's market.... Maybe give some competition for Limited Run... I feel like they're phoning it in half the time and resting on their laurels.
Also, Let's Get Physical is in my top five "can't ever miss" weekly CZcams.... And I watch a lot of CZcams.
I WISH they would bring this game too the Nintendo Switch as well as the first game you reviewed. Thank you Jordan for the enjoyment.
Borrowed it from my cousin when I was 8 and played it a lot. But uh, I was way too dumb to get through it at that age 😂. I think I reached the second dungeon by pure luck and gave up
Thanks for the fun, in-depth review!🛌😴 The pixel art here is excellent - though I do wish some of the animation was a bit smoother - I agree that they don't make them like they used to. I don't know why you got so much undue flack for some of your "controversial" opinions, and I say this as a huge fan of both old-school and modern Zelda games. So I hope you don't let the haters discourage you.
Good top-down action adventure puzzle games are fairly uncommon, so hearing about any decent previously unknown or forgotten titles in this genre is always appreciated. I've had this game and its sequel on my retro backlog for ages, and you've sorely tempted me to give it an overdue spin. It's nice to know about certain annoyances in advance before diving into a game like this; such as the perspective problems with some of the platforming parts.
My only question is when will your Alundra 2 and Dual Hearts retrospectives be coming out? Don't leave us hanging. You've gone this far, now you've gotta go all the way. 😉
@@chujiwu68 Ha! Depends on a variety of things, mostly what the Patreon votes for. I might put Alundra 2 on the next vote and see what happens. I will get to it eventually though, even if it's not voted for.
Ill never understand why no one will remake this. Its such a phenomenal game. There are very LITTLE things to fix or clean up but goodness the platforming, the music, the story are all phenomenal. I still think of Kleins wolf fight till this day.
100% true👍👍
No I really don’t want a remake. Everything about this game is already really good, especially the pixel art (which they would probably change for 3D graphics). I just want it to be ported so that more people can play it. Maybe a steam port or something.
it doesn't need a remake because the graphics are perfect for the style
Remaster yes. Remake no.
You would trust modern devs with this game? That's a recipe for disaster.
Great video! I was the lead localizer of Alundra, and it remains one of my favorite projects from my days at Working Designs, right up there with the PlayStation versions of Lunar. It sold very well at the time (over 100K copies) and elevated Working Designs into a genuine "double-A" publisher for a few glorious years. Thank you for bringing back some great memories!
Are you the dude Bonnaire was based on? I read somewhere it was a caricature of one of the localizers.
@@ABitMoreJordan Bonaire (whose name was an intentional play on "boner" -- Working Designs at its best/worst!) was just my interpretation of a surfer dude. I grew up on Maui, and I have a surfer-dude tone to my voice, so maybe someone assumed I based Bonaire on myself?
Working design and squaresoft were my go to for games in that era. So many great memories.
That´s awesome! I just couldn´t believe when Bonaire was talking about "a little bit of weed". Had to read that line three times just to be sure I saw correct. You sir, and the rest of the team, made one hell of a game!
I like to express my thanks to you and your team. I had tons of fun with your localised version. Also it was a excellent idea to make the last bosses less beefy, but rather more dangerous as a excellent compromise.
Someone showing love for Alundra? I'm tempted to make a thousand alt accounts just to decimate the like button.
Absolutely love the game, unbelievable how little recognition it's gotten.
It’s definitely a shame. I consider myself very lucky I randomly picked it off the shelf in the shop
@@ABitMoreJordan One of the best purchases you've made to date, i'm sure haha.
Unless you've managed to finesse a multimillion mansion for the same price. Then it'll be a close second.
wasn't Alundra 2 a fucking atrocity? This game SO needs a sequel
As a little kid, my Dad had both Alundra games. I played the 2nd game first, i honestly like Alundra 2. But Alundra 1? Mind bending, wonderful story, and its atmosphere/soundtrack; pure majesty. If my Dad didnt have these games, i would've been robbed of some wonderful memories, and one of the pillars of my personal growth.
Supporting my man Jordan here! Don't be down for the low viewership. It is not easy to cater this very niche audience.
Thanks matey! It’s actually picked up a bit which is nice
My first PS3, backwards compatible, gave up the ghost yesterday. Luckily I can play along on my Vita. I'm feeling very sad about loosing that console, probably the only one ive had from new till death.
I'll miss you old man. But, your soul will live on through the ssd I installed in you a few years ago!
RIP old friend. PS3 2008 (when I got it) - 2022.
RIP! Only consoles I’ve had fail on me was the original Xbox 360. I gave it to a friend and he fix it up but I let him keep it
@@ABitMoreJordan What's funny is my launch PS2 and OG Xbox are still alive and kicking.
You always go that extra mile Jordan, thank you.
Alundra is a legendary and criminally underrated game.
Thank you!
Great retrospective/review! It's always great to see this game get the recognition it deserves! Alundra has got to be in my top 5 games of all time, it's just so good! Not to completely justify the falling barrel puzzle, but I found that if you catch at least one, you can place it partially over one of the other holes they fall in and it will catch another barrel for you. It makes those puzzles SO much easier!
Seems like a neat way to cheese that part 👍 won’t the spike ball destroy the barrels though?
@@ABitMoreJordan Nope! It's literally changed my attitude on that dungeon. It used to be my least-favorite dungeon in the game, but I almost look forward to it now that I can cheese those puzzles!
Thank you for bringing back childhood memories! We spend a lot of time with my brother going through this game. Never finished it though..
The post-game analysis and commentary was legendary. Would love to see this sort of thing in the future.
This has been sitting in my back log for quite sometime. You have inspired me to finally try and knock it out of there. Keep up the good work 🤙
Go for it and good luck!
This was an awesome retrospective video! And I also love how overlookd this game was tbh. A true gem!!!
This was fantastic,, thank you, hope to see you grow quickly and look forward to seeing your next video
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it. Which games would you like to see me cover?
We ❤️ a bit more Jordan!
Thanks! 😊
Great video. I got through it all in one sitting. 😴
Legend as always Darren! 🛌
Keep up the great content Jordan!! Don't be discouraged by dislikes!! It takes a while for a new channel to take off 💋
Thanks Penny!
Awesome video Jordan! 🤘🏻really appreciate the time it must of took to edit this. Look forward to the next one 🛌
Thanks Steve! Next one should be sooner rather than later 😊
great quality video ; Alundra is one of my all-time favorites. Thanks for the video :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the content!!
Thanks for watching Alejandro
Great Vid man!! Wish I had played this one, looks fantastic. Keep on with this fantastic content. Love your work, you are a legend! 🔥
Thanks a lot Peter! Thanks a lot for your support 😊
Great video!
Thanks a lot! 😊
My greatest gaming achievement was beating this game when it came out. I was 11 or 12 and it took me months as i got stuck in the sandy desert area and ended up starting the game again from scratch but I absolutely loved it. I had no guide or help so puzzles eould often stump me for days at a time.
Wow that’s an incredible feat at such a young age
@@ABitMoreJordan thanks, i was pretty determined, its funny i was stuck so long i still remember nany of them and one i figured out with trial and error but whatever it worked 😛
Thank you for this great video 👍
Alundra definitely doesn't pull punches. Going in with a Zelda mindset, it can be frustrating. Idk if it's pointed out (tldw all), but working designs up the enemies' life significantly in the North America release. Which can be a little annoying especially earlier on. This came out at the time where new game+ is still in its infancy stage, so there are a handful of missables as well. Some enemy hits quite hard,, but the game know that not everyone can just GIT GUT. Die enough times, you get access to King Snow's game journalist mode sword.
Completely unrelated to gameplay, but if you're a physical collector, Alundra in North America came in a double jewel case with a paper world map. The disc has some really cool art work printed on. What's interesting is, there seem to be multiple variants of the art work. I have 2 copies, and a friend has his. They all have different art work printed on the disc.
Sweet! Had no idea about that extra sword. I guess I didn’t die enough for it? 😊
I really wanted to watch this, but then you made the game sound so cool that I want to play it first =)
😊 go play it! See you in 30 hours 😉
Wow. This is the most in-depth review of Alundra I have seen in the longest time. I couldn't imagine such an underrated game having a full 90-minute review. I am definitely going to watch this.
Hope you enjoy it! 😛
Great video - I loaded this onto my polymega about a week before all of my classic games and other systems were robbed. At least I still have Alundra.
Ouch that sounds painful man. Sorry to hear that!
Great video. Alundra is absolutely a hidden gem
👍 thanks for watching 😊
I'm loving this new channel and the games your talking about are sum of my favourites. alundra is one of my fave ps1 games I remember taking my ps1 to my nans on the weekends hooking it up to her TV and gaming away keep up the good work and talking about them old school RPGs
Cheers Luke! Next couple won’t be RPGs but I’ll get back to them afterwards 😊
LOVE Alundra! Was a big fan of Landstalker and was psyched there was a spiritual follow up. Great video Jordan!
Thanks buddy! I enjoyed Landstalker. First time I played it properly but it took a few hours to get used to the controls
Excellent video bro! 💪🏿
Cheers Darius! Have you played this one before?
@@ABitMoreJordan a long time ago although I hardly remember anything about it 😅 the only games I truly remember from ps1 is grandia chrono cross and metal gear solid lol
Classic!
Never played these, great to learn more.
Would you be interested in playing it?
Loved the overview, finish this game! =)
😴 I wish I had played more of this back in the day, as I really liked Landstalker on the Sega Genesis. Great work as usual Jordan!
This is like next-level Landstalker. Thanks for watching! 🛌
I watched a review of this game a LONG time ago but I couldn't remember the name of it. After I clicked on your analysis and saw some gameplay footage, I immediately recognized it. Thank you so much for reminding me of this gem!
Do you plan on playing it?
@@ABitMoreJordan Definitely, or at the very least, I plan on giving the OST a listen! :)
Great game. A shame the sequel wasn't a direct sequel. Landstalker was really fun and it's clear to see that some of Landstalker's development team were involved in Alundra.
I’m interested to check Alundra 2 out for the first time since release. Maybe if I can accept its not a true Alundra game, maybe I’ll enjoy it
I did really enjoy alundra 2, apart from some of the camera angle issues but it is nothing like Alundra
Your patience for this game should have earned you 3000 extra subs. I would’ve quietly put down the controller and buried this game under 10ft of dirt. Your retrospective was enough for me to ever need to play this game. Great retrospective!
Thanks matey!
I dont see why you got downvotes, that was an excellent run through of one of my favorite game series, because I see it as the successor to Landstalker whether it is or not.
I almost consider Landstalker to be Alundra 1 and this to be Alundra 2 😂
@@ABitMoreJordan But then you're missing out Ladystalker!
One of my fave games of all time. Got stuck so many times as a kid, didn't have the internet back then either lol. The Lars crypt grave puzzle you mentioned doing backwards was literally what i did haha
Glad it’s not just me then 😅
@@ABitMoreJordan Fantastic video, keep it up :)
I have no idea how I beat this as a kid. I spent so many days banging my head on the wall. The ice mansion puzzle still haunts me.
Amazing game.
I appreciate the impartial nature of your analysis. There aren't many video essayists who do this, showing their hand way too quickly and then manufacturing their script according to the premise ("X thing sucks and here's why..." type content). There is a great deal to admire about Alundra but the oversights are certainly there. Anyone worth their salt who talks about Alundra needs to mention these issues, so two thumbs up on that one.
I definitely agree Alundra has a problem with items. Even though there is quite a lot of stuff to pick up, the player's incentive to 100% their backpack is weak. I don't agree however on the platforming. While it doesn't always work great and there are some perspective issues, I find the level designers usually don't force the player into too much guessing. If anything, it just gives Alundra its own flavor and the jumps are consistent, though challenging.
Well, the reason Alundra (the character) does not just flat out attack Ronan after Jess' death is because by that point, the villagers' trust is still mostly with the chancellor. It's been established that destroying the statue of Melzas would be considered sacrilege and it is one of the most interesting things about Ronan's character. It's never fully laid out whether he's doing the things he's doing against his better judgement, or because he's utterly fanatical.
Overall, great video. I must say some of your jokes did hit a little too close to the Working Designs brand of humor but other than that, excellent work. Hoping to see the follow-up video on Dual Hearts at some point.
Also I loved the little AVGN reference with the Power Glove.
(Just dropping this Reddit comment here to boost the algorithm, since I liked the video).
Thanks for the in-depth comment o appreciate it! 😊 I think regards to Ronan that’s the one thing that confused me the most about the plot. Was it explicitly said about the statue thing? I guess it doesn’t matter in the whole I just think some small parts of the story could have been smoothed out better rather than taking some leaps.
Alundra has eleven thousand different screens. It came out on PAX when the average RPG of the day had between 1.5 and 2.5 thousand different screens
PSX that should have said 🎮
Still have to play this on my Vita. Great pick Jordan 😊😊😊
You should! 😃
These are so good they have to be fattening. Your delivery is on another level. Great job as always mate.
Ps. Maybe Suikoden 3 one day? 🙏
Thanks! For sure! It’s on my list of games I definitely need to do!
booo Suikoden 3 boo. also boo. Wild Arms 1 is better
I had many of the same problems figuring out puzzles or finding entrances that you described. But I'm happy to say I completed the game (including wasting hours and hours at the roulette). I would gladly play it all over again. Thanks for the memories and thank you so much for this entertaining review and for all the love you give this gem of a game!
This is def a game I want to go back to with a walk-thru and complete finally. Liked it back in the day, but it got back logged, I couldn't remember much and didn't feel like starting over.
Came to show support from the switchup channel. Keep your head up. Don't get discouraged mate.
Thanks matey!
In 2022 and people showing love to a game I played first in 1998 and finished for the first (and not the last) time in 2013... You made my day.
Thank you for the video.
Thanks for stopping by!
This was the second game I bought for ps1 with my allowance back in 97. It taught me to think critically and gave me an appreciation for challenging games that continues to this day. My favorite game.
What was your first?
@@ABitMoreJordan FF7
Around 27:30 you say that it's random where the barrel drops, it's actually not. Look at your footage for example, you attack the switch from the north and the barrels land in certain positions, you do that again and they land in the same position. If you hit it from another side it will be different, but consistent depending on the direction you hit the switch from. Hard to notice but it isn't random ;)
Yes, exactly.
I am so happy i found you sir Alundra was a childhood fave scared the S*** out of me as a child with the adult themes and dreams. Thank you
Jordan don't be down on this video having dislikes, you have 1.7K followers and yet the video has had over 3K views. Personally I have no idea why anyone would dislike the video in anyway as it was some fantastic work. Maybe they just don't like the game itself you did say it was as hard and as frustrating as F !
Thanks a lot Jay! I think it’s because of the previous thumbnail. I think it’s because I dared compare it to Zelda 😆
@@ABitMoreJordan No, it's because of the humor. I'm really not trying to be mean, I mean this in a purely constructive way, but none of the parts where the camera cuts back to you add to the video. It feels extremely forced, and the humor is, well... cringe. i'm sorry, but it's cringe. Not like "so cringey it's funny" humor, just kinda painful. It feels like you felt like you _had_ to add humor, and the result is jokes and cutaways being wedged in, despite whether the situation or pacing calls for it.
To be fair, most of the worst bits are clumped up at the beginning, which may be making it seem worse than it actually is. The first few seconds/minutes are when you really need to hook people, and will often determine if your audience will watch the rest of the video, and unfortunately, that's where the worst bits are. Again, I really only mean this in a constructive way - I really want to like your content, and it's _really close_ to being enjoyable for me, but the few things holding it back are holding it back _hard._
Dusting off my copy and about to play it again after 15+ years! I loved this game but also never finished it, I’ll have to watch your video in its entirety once I’ve completed it!
Hope to see you soon! It's a tough one though!
This game is unforgiving at times and I’ll be honest, I died at the Lizard Lair too many times and never came back to the game. I’m glad I found your channel and was able to relieve the game to that point and then enjoy the storyline afterwards. The game is dark. Way darker than any Zelda title. I love it. The ending is almost a cliffhanger as we don’t see a resolution to the main character. He just goes on to the next adventure as if it was just a day at the park. The sequel to this game definitely does not follow the same route unfortunately and it’s a shame. Your narration made this 1 hour long video so much fun! I wanna watch more games covered like this! I agree - this game is very original in its own way and I wouldn’t mind if another game like this comes across modern games again. Good talent here. I wanna subscribe to patreon soon 😴 💤🛌😪
love this game. great retrospective. your channel deserves way more subs. 😴
Thanks a lot! Maybe some day....
I'm glad to find this video. absolutely agree with you!! Great game, with a mature sad, and entertained history, I really enjoy this game, a pity it is not known... I think I'm going to replay it (in my 35s ;) )
When was the last time you played it?
@@ABitMoreJordan Good question! Over 8 years ago.... It is funny because when I was younger, I knew the game by heart since I played it about twenty times (no exaggeration). In my youth I knew the game by heart since I played it about twenty times (no exaggeration). and now I hardly remember any puzzle :_ Wish me look!
🛌 💤. Great video Jordan!!! I loved this, even if it took me 3 days to get through it all. :) Already looking forward to the next one.
Thanks a lot matey! Appreciate the clicks and watch time 😃
Thank you professor.
Is that a re-education camp?
😂
Eyyyy been waiting for this. Whens azure dreams boss
Probably around Christmas time I would think 😂
Great retrospective! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this game until now, seems amazing! And I hope Scott survived that Hunter 🤔 😴 💭
I tried to find him on Twitter but to no avail, I think the Hunter got him
@@ABitMoreJordan we could always ask his arch-rival, the Gatherer
I'll add this to my list
Nice! It’s still available cheap on PS3 and Vita digitally
@@ABitMoreJordanI do have it on the vita, but it's even cheaper on a steam deck. I want to finish this video but I also want to play through it first so I've bookmarked it to come back to. I have really been enjoying this series. The suikoden video helped me remember where I left off in my save and saved me hours of having to start from the beginning
I love this game. My mom was never a big gamer, but the one game I remember her playing when I was a kid was Alundra--and I would watch her play through one dungeon each night on the couch before bed. Trying it myself as a kid, the game was really really hard like you touched on in this video. Despite that, the difficulty had combined with nostalgia and has lead me to return on countless occasions to play through and beat the game again and again. One game I picked up in recent years that somewhat carries on the spirit of Alundra would be Crosscode, which you may want to check out if you're interested in a more light-hearted, futuristic game with the beautiful pixel art, soundtrack, and puzzle depth from Alundra combined with far more polished combat as a newer game. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Thanks for sharing your story! 😊
40:06 Just walk behind Giles all the time, and then jump and equip bomb as you are in the air (you won|t stop walking, and Giles won|t go any further backward). Then jump again, throw bomb mid-air and let the boss suck himself to death. Happy to say I figured this out by myself when I was 12. My life peaked early, unfortunately.
It reminds me of landstalker. I just beat that game last year for the first time in about 27 years.
I really enjoyed playing Landstalker for the bonus video. I didn’t finish it, but what I played I could see something special
@@ABitMoreJordan it just had a special spot in my heart as a kid and I decide I was gonna finish it last year. I'm grateful for your content man. Definitely has made my switch collection so much better. Please keep it up!!
Thanks Trevor it means a lot. Was a bit downbeat with this video since it already has more dislikes than both the previous videos put together. Made me question the whole thing...
@@ABitMoreJordan World where everyone can dislike everything just: because. I love these videos. All games from your channel were the ones that I liked/loved in the old days. PS1 was the second truly available console (after NES clone) in my country. And the one most approachable for the "young" me🐧.
As for the videos - are amazing for me. But... Judging by other YT channels that tend to have niche games ... Will have lots of dislikes... Because why not...😑 Keep up the great work!
@@ABitMoreJordan The reason for the dislikes is that you said this game is better than Zelda, Nintendo fans don't like that.
Thanks for beating and reviewing this game, so I don't have to 😅 This game is tough as nails, never got through it as a kid. Always loved the graphics and gameplay though!
Didn't realized this before, but CrossCode actually kind of reminds me of Alundra with its environmental puzzles. Good stuff
I’ll have to try Cross Code at some point!
Crosscode is the only other game I know where the puzzles are this hard.
@@ABitMoreJordan you have to, it is a glorious love letter to the SNES action rpg era. You will love the shit out of it
Commenting for the algorithm. Slowing grinding through the vid. 1h 1/2 is quite beefy 😂
Thanks buddy! Appreciate it! 😆
I had this back when it came out but never finished it. Even back then, I had a bit of a backlog. 😂
Me too! My dad bought a new game every week pretty much
Me dreaming of Alundra: ✨😌✨
Good dream! 💭
Great commentary, this game is so nostalgic for me and like you, this game stumped me as a kid. I’d love to play it nowadays though, gonna have to sort that out!
Get it sorted! I think it holds up really really well. As long as you don’t mind no hand holding
@@ABitMoreJordan dunno if you’ve played them but games like the Witness and Baba is you have amazing puzzles and I think I’d get into the ones featured in this game!
I remember renting this 3 times from blockbuster. Absolutely phenomenal game.
Totally agree 👍
48:02 - I laughed A LOT here. Yeah, I enjoy that kind of joke. You've got yourself a subscriber!
I love this game, but boy, was it hard. It terrifies me to this day. At 7:48, just the mention of the words "Tarn Manor" made me have flashes of my time in Vietnam.
But I left the pc on and came back to watch the rest.
Love these videos, can you make more videos on retro RPGs please? How about Chrono Trigger or any of the Final Fantasy games or any retro RPG as these are great to watch!
Sure! I plan on doing a longer game then a short game. I'm only doing two shorter games in a row (Jackie Chan and Silent Hill) together since the Patreon vote was a draw. But there'll often be a JRPG every month or two.
😴 This is my first time even hearing about this game but it certainly was fun living it vicariously through you!
Glad you enjoyed it 😊
At 1:20:10 a silent minute for the late Yoshitaka Tamaki, the character artist and designer for Shining Force and Land Stalker.
For anyone watching, if you haven’t tried this game, IT IS A MUST PLAY. Played for the 1st time this past year and beat it today. It’s only $5 on the PSN via the PS3 if you still have one. So many shocking and tragic and emotional moments that I did not expect in a game like this.
Also it’s so satisfying when you figure out the final boss’ movements, effectively making him unable to lay a finger on you (and then laying waste to him with the fire book).
And then there’s that great closing cutscene. Makes me wish Alundra were a 90s anime.
Glad you had a great time with it!
I played this when it was released (I got frustrated and quit on the ice pillar puzzle in Kline's Dream), came back 8 years later and beat it, and I'm still playing today in 2023 (currently at Nirude's Lair). Loved the review and it's my favorite game I left on the back burner and would eventually complete without a guide. Definitely a top 10 game overall imo. I like this slightly more than Link to the Past and much more than Ocarina of Time (I like it, but it just turned off that it overshadowed Alundra's greatness to some extent).
I think I do like it more than A Link to the Past too. Slightly. And I love aLttP
@@ABitMoreJordan Just beat it again and on July 4th! One nuiance that always bothered me about the ending is when Alundra and Meia are walking infront of the giant treehouse waving at a huge crowd of murg waving back. Did I miss a scene where they established peace with the murg or was it presumed they were naturally peaceful when not under Melzas' and Zazan's control and why do I instantly think of Sean Penn from Fast Times at Ridgemont High whenever Bonaire speaks? xD
also wanted to add that the trick with the spike balls/barrel dropping section is that the barrel will fall the furthest from your current position so for example, if you're near to the 3 o'clock position, a barrel will always fall at 9 o'clock. You just have to jet in the opposite direction.
Thanks for the video! This doesn't sound like my kind of game, at least not anymore. Back in the day I probably would have played this game with my mom, and enjoyed figuring things out. Unfortunately, now due to lack of time and a lack of patience (I've gotten grumpier in my old age), I just can't get through games that are really tough. I have too many other games and stories I want to get to. But this sounds really interesting and I'm glad you had a chance to revisit! 😴
Thanks Jennifer! I’m trying to regain my patience, I think modern games have made us get complacent. But this was a real test! 😆
@@ABitMoreJordan not gonna lie, could 100% use more patience!!
I was about to ask if you would ever do a video on Dark Savior on the Sega Saturn and then saw you are doing a video on Landstalker, the spiritual prequel. Both are amazing games. I never knew that Alundra was developed by some Climax devs. Interesting.
I should take a look at Dark Savior sometime. I wonder if Saturn emulation is decent these days
@@ABitMoreJordan Last I tried, it seemed to have come a long way since the early days. I didn't spend too much time with it though to do a test though. I really wish that the Saturn was not so prohibitively expensive to collect for.
@@ABitMoreJordan I think the best bet for playing Saturn games is buying an optical drive emulator like the MODE for the Saturn. It is a bit pricey, but if you are at all interested in the Saturn, it will work out much cheaper in the long run and no fiddling with possibly janky software emulation. I am tired of having SS optical drives failing on me, and I am being priced out of the SS game collecting market anyway, so I am going to save up and go this route.
Loved this game, even though it was very difficult at the time. I remember first being on that ship at the beginning for 20 mins not knowing how to get off or progress the story.
Ha! The first big puzzle of the game. I remember being a bit confused at first too.
Oh. The drunk guy is called GUSTAV?! Was that Alundra's prophesying my very own future?
🌛Couldn't find a decent emoji. This is trip down memory lane. I wish I had the time to play this again.
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Alundra is literally the 2nd best Zelda like of all time, after A Link to the Past. What a soundtrack. SOme of the best dungeons and toughest puzzles in the history of video games. And a great dark storyline. It's a Link the Past meets high fantasy Nightmare on Elm Street
More Jordan!
A lot more! 😊
Nice coincidence, game sack just did a whole episode on working designs.
I heard they were working on a WD episode. I didn’t think it would be so soon
DREAMING EMOJI!!
It sucks when games get labeled the "X killer," because they usually offer their own unique spin but because they're compared to a longstanding series, they fail. Also see Dark Cloud.
What was Dark Cloud supposed to be the killer of?
@@ABitMoreJordan Zelda as well
I was a massive fan of Dark Cloud and I don't really remember that comparison. They're nothing alike really.
Playstation Magazine had a cover that said "Zelda Killer?" When it came out
Everyone always talk about this game, yet everyone forgets the one that came before. Landstalker! Also a really hidden gem of a game.
I played it for the bonus video. Fascinating game!
Amazing video. 😴🛌
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Greetings from Trinidad!
Great review !
Did you ever release the Landstalker video btw ? Also another one of my favourites and definitely a series that should have continued , Alundra and Dark Savior notwithstanding.
I absolutely loved this game as a kid, and even today. It's a shame that they don't make games that are this dark and challenging anymore... Well, they kinda do, but those are all Souls-likes which don't appeal to me at all... I just want to see a good, dark Zelda-like game that doesn't pull any punches with its story, the same way Alundra doesn't hesitate to deliver gut-punch after gut-punch.
Totally agree!
I very much enjoyed this and sorry to hear about all the down votes. I have a love/hate relationship with this fucking game. I purchased it on the day it was released and rage quit it multiple times the first few months and still haven't finished it. That said I'm glad you covered it and now watching your video I am glad to see where it went and will no longer wonder if I should go back in (I will not).
Haha glad I could save you some time
I only made it to the 3rd or 4th dungeon by age 11/12, i always loved this game but it was just too hard for me.
I just fired it up recently and and im loving it all over again, i just beat the final dream sequence and keep finding myself wandering the overworld because I dont want to rush toward the ending.
Alundra is easily the best top-down Zelda game ive ever played 💁♂️
Another game I played the hell out of, brutally hard but such a great game regardless. Hated the ice block puzzles the most, some of the jumping was annoying. But the story was so good and didn't pull any punches, got some real emotions from this.
Tip - that barrel falling puzzle in the desert? You can leave a barrel over one of the holes and it'll catch another barrel which falls on top of it. The spiked balls will just go through.
With Chernobyl Kirby, you've almost got the technique (at least mine). The only thing you are missing is that you should jump and then throw the bomb, that stops you being pulled towards him during the throw animation. Makes the boss trivial but it takes forever.
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chin up jordan. fuck the haters. you put out great content.
Thanks Jason!
What? I thought Legacy if Kain was the direct competitor to the Zelda games!
☺️😃😉
I should get to that some day!
@@ABitMoreJordan cool! Best series for me... Especially watching YT and reading about the cut content and playing beta/alpha builds...
This game is awesome. I own it on the ps1 and bought it digitally on my vita. I completed the game and it was pretty hard but one of my favorites. I would love for this game to resurface but keep the over view or even a switch physical release 🤔. Great video can't wait to see your next review. Have you played HOB on the switch? Its a zelda like game as well. No physical copy but its on the eshop.
A Switch physical version would be 😚👌
Oh how I understand you
I Love TES Oblivion yet I have never completed it cause I just spent so much time screwing around
Same with FF XII
It's my favourite in the series and bought it when it came out on the PS2 but there was always some game that came out that my friends were playing that I had to keep up with
Finally completed it on the switch last year
I could say the same with Morrowind. One of my favs but never completed the main story
@@ABitMoreJordan that's what makes Elder Scrolls such a great series
So many side quest that eclipses the main story
Such a rich and living world that you can roleplay in so many diverse ways that the quests become background
So many hours Role-Playing as a vagabond committing petty crimes just to have a place to sleep and feed my skoma addiction 😂
@@ABitMoreJordan also 😴
I love REcord of Lodoss War :P
I never played this game. I heard of it and seen it. I should give it a try. Also idk if you ever played Brave fencer Musashi but it would be awesome to listen to you playing and reviewing the game thx the time you spend on this💤
Great suggestion!
Yes, i haven't completed it either
It’s long and tough!