If you were asked to name the best console for 2D gaming in the late 90s, which one would
come to mind? Well, I think it's more than fair to eliminate the N64 from the start,
and chances are you'd probably go with the Sega Saturn, which has a reputation for its
great library of 2D games. Titles like the Sega-developed platformer Astal, and Atlus'
action RPG masterpiece Princess Crown, are some of the most gorgeous-looking games I've
ever played, and are prime examples of what the system could do with sprites. Additionally,
the extra dedicated 2D processor and RAM expansion slot helped beef up the look and performance
of 2D games made for the Saturn.
In my opinion, however, Sony's PlayStation is definitely a contender, as it was also
host to some really great 2D games. Most of the best 2D Saturn games weren't released
in the West, but received more exposure abroad, mostly due to the ease of importing games
for the system. The PS1, on the other hand, had a very strict regional lock-out policy,
and many of the gems for the system are much less well-known than its 32-bit rival's. I've
already talked about a few great 2D games available for the PS1 with this series, such
as the shooter Gunners Heaven and the beat 'em up Nekketsu Oyako, and today I want to
bring up another one--the 1999 action platforming game, The Adventure of Little Ralph.
Developed by the relatively obscure New Corporation and also known by its Japanese title, "Chippoke
Rarufu no Daibouken," the game has a graphical and gameplay style that is highly reminiscent
of the classic side-scrolling games that came before it. The story revolves around the titular
Ralph, a young man who lost his parents at a young age, and was brought up in the town
of Casua with another orphan named Luticia, who has the mysterious ability to use magic.
Under the threat of a terrible army of blood-thirsty demons, humanity is truly in its darkest hour.
Ralph, quite the able swordsman, sets out to confront this menace to defend his town
and Luticia, and word of his prowess makes it all the way to Valgo, leader of the demonic
horde. Valgo takes it upon himself personally to encounter the young man, but before any
actual fight can ensue, the demon general uses a powerful spell that transforms our
hero into a young, defenseless child. Before a killing blow can be struck, Luticia uses
her magic to protect Ralph, and is kidnapped by Valgo and his minions for some unknown,
nefarious purpose. Ralph, left utterly defeated and without hope, is suddenly visited by the
Holy Sword, a sentient weapon of legend who is said to appear only during times of incredible
crisis. The sword beckons the boy to take hold of him and save the damsel Luticia, and
thus the Adventure of Little Ralph begins.
This game uses a very simple control set up, with only the d-pad and two face buttons being
put to use. The square button performs a sword attack, and X makes Ralph jump. Holding down
the square button will charge up a swing attack, which functions much like kicking a turtle
shell in Super Mario Bros., since it knocks foes away and kills anything in its path.
This move can be used to hit projectiles back at certain enemies, too. Ralph can also perform
a downward strike, similar to Link in Zelda II for the NES, by holding down the d-pad
and attack button while jumping. Both of these attacks are essential to master if you want
to progress through the game in one piece.
Most bosses are fought as Little Ralph using this control setup, but there are several
key battles where the power of the Holy Sword returns him to his original, adult form. In
these sections, gameplay is radically changed, and fights are played out like the classic
2D fighters of yesteryear--which is awesome! If you've ever played Street Fighter II, you'll
immediately be familiar with the controls, though you only have to deal with two attack
buttons, one being fast and weak, and the other being slow and strong. There are no
time limits, so victory is achieved only when your opponent's health bar is completely drained.
Even though these fights are but a small portion of the overall game experience, there's a
surprising amount of depth to the fighting system and A.I.
Ralph will travel to a great variety of locations on his adventure, and each level is distinctly
its own, with no two areas looking alike or playing the same way. A neat little touch
in The Adventure of Little Ralph is that transitioning between levels and stages is seamless, as
the screen never blacks out and Ralph just moves from one area to the next. This gives
the impression of one large game world and makes the quest seem truly tireless and urgent--no
down time like the popular heroes of other games--get up off of your asses and kill some
things! Each stage has a set starting and ending point, but often times in between these
are branching paths to explore which may or may not be so apparent. The background artwork
is quite fantastic, with a lot of nice graphical details placed all throughout the game. To
only talk about a few of the levels, there's the introductory town stage, which is a large
sprawl taking place inside buildings and outside on the streets, as well as on the rooftops
high above the city. There's a lush forest level that's home to beautiful waterfalls
and intricate Mayan-style temples that culminates in a heart-pounding, underground mine-cart
ride through fire and brimstone. As is pretty standard for platformers, The Adventure of
Little Ralph has an ice level, where you'll find an exquisite, icy stronghold complete
with slippery floors that are hard to keep your footing on. Finally, I'd like to mention
an Egyptian-themed pyramid level inhabited by mummies, walking hieroglyphs, and jackal-headed
gods, which is preceded by a desert complete with ancient ruins and enemies that look like
they're straight out of--OH MY GOD!
I guess this would be the most appropriate time to mention the difficulty of the Adventure
of Little Ralph. It's a tough game that will put your reflexes, patience, and gamer credentials
to the test--but without ever feeling unfair in the process. Control is tight and nearly
flawless, and while there is a tad bit of trial-and-error necessary when playing for
the first time, it's ultimately the skill of the player that determines success. Ralph
will die from just a single hit, no matter how big or small it may be. There are so many
paths to death on this adventure--take a quick look with this brief montage: The Many Deaths
of Little Ralph!
Well, if you ever wanted to see a small child die in a number of horrifying ways, now you
know there's a game out there to meet your sick, twisted needs. To help cut down on the
death toll of our little hero, there are a number of power-up items that can be picked
up to make the journey more bearable, but not by much. There's a blue sword that extends
attack range slightly, a red sword that adds a fire shot with each slash, a familiar-type
character who follows Ralph around and aids him by plopping out little explosives in a
small arc, and a shield which will create an orb that absorbs the damage from a single
attack. In addition to these, there are a lot of other items that will increase score
or lives. Unfortunately, any death results in the loss of all collected power-ups, so
don't get too attached or too dependent on them. Thankfully, the frustration factor is
cut down quite a bit due to the surprisingly generous amount of checkpoints the game returns
you to upon dying.
In total, there are 8 levels in The Adventure of Little Ralph, with the option between two
difficulty modes, normal and easy, as well as a few nice bonus features. Easy mode allows
Ralph to take one extra hit from the start of each life, and in the ice level, there
is a pair of boots you can find that negates the slippery effect of the floors. However,
I would strongly suggest you play on normal from the start, as reducing the difficulty
has one major, deal-breaking catch. Easy mode ends the experience early, at level 5, and
completing it rewards you with an unsatisfying, mediocre ending. You are also denied access
to what are arguably the three best levels of the game and an interesting plot twist.
The game is set to "easy" by default, and must be changed in the menu--make sure you
do this before starting up a new adventure.
Playing the game for the first time took me about three hours to complete, all on one
playthrough and on the normal difficulty setting. A good chunk of that time was spent struggling
against the final boss, as well as a certain section of level 8, which is host to some
of the most demanding platforming maneuvers I've ever seen. There's an unlockable 2-player
versus mode that allows you and a friend to duke it out using adult Ralph and any of the
fighting game-style boss characters, which probably won't keep anyone's attention for
too long, but it's nice that the developers included it. For score junkies, you can always
check your game records--things like how long it took to clear certain stages and how many
continues you used up doing so. And finally, you can switch the game music from the normal,
PlayStation-sounding tunes to a PSG sound mode that replicates the noises found in old-school
computers and consoles.
This option in addition to the graphical style and tough-as-nails gameplay certainly show
that The Adventure of Little Ralph was hip to the retrogaming revival way before the
modern indie gaming scene. A little late to the party, eh?
All in all, this game is amazing, one of the PlayStation's best, and I can't recommend
it enough. I'd definitely rank Little Ralph up there among great people with "Little"
in their names, like Little Mac, Little Richard, and Lil' Kim. But unfortunately, it's quite
a rare game, and if you want a physical copy, be prepared to shell out a lot for it. As
one of the more pricey PS1 titles, you'd be very lucky to pick it up for under $100 used.
However, there is a way to play the game for cheap, and LEGITIMATELY, which is to download
it on the Japanese PlayStation Network. It's only 600 yen, or roughly 6 US dollars, so
find a way to add funds to a Japanese PSN account and play it that way if you must.
You can also download a few other great rare titles there too, like L.S.D. Dream Emulator
and Rakugaki Showtime.
Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this episode of Import Gaming FTW!, and as always, thanks
for watching.