Marvel Land: Aptly Named
OVERALL: 8.5/10

In case you don't like to read, I can summarize this whole review in one sentence: this game is definitely something to marvel at!

Have you ever wanted to play a classic platforming game, but at the same time found yourself wary of playing another copy cat?  If so, this brilliant masterpiece is for you!  I was absolutely astounded to come across this game, and like many of its caliber, my only serious complaint is that it's TOO SHORT!  It seems as though game developers really get a kick out of creating games that make you desire more!

In this lovely gem, you can work your way through four worlds with four stages each (plus a bonus round for each world). The mini-boss games are different from any other I have experienced, wherein each mini-boss is defeated by use of a mini-game.  You don't even have to defeat the mini-boss to move onward, and instead each world victory simply increases Prince Paco's chances with the end battle to save Princess Luxy.

This game must have really been overlooked for the past few gaming generations because I was surprised to find that only two versions of this game were ever made.  The arcade version came out in 1989 and was Japanese, whereas a second version came out in 1991 for the Sega Genesis sporting new names, the English translation, and slightly modernized graphics and music. From what I noticed, the newer game has -slightly- different stage templates and also a more complicated system for defeating enemies, but it holds the same charm as the original. 

In fact, I think that's probably the perfect phrase for this game:  Stunningly charming.

GRAPHICS: 10/10

The graphics in this game are marvelous.  I'm not sure I've ever played a game which was so well put together in terms of sprites, colors, and details.  Thanks to the cutesy art, impressive gaming precedents, and imaginative world, I found myself instantly hooked to this game.  It drew me in from the moment Prince Paco appeared on the screen hopping across the world map, and I was more than eager to start his journey of rescuing the princess!  If I even -had- a complaint about the graphics, it would be that Prince Paco looks rather girl-ish.

Set in a fantastic amusement park, the backdrops themselves are absolutely amazing in every level.  Most stages are set in front of Ferris wheels, looming white castles, and circus tents.  The colors are bright and cheery... and yet subtle enough not to distract from the game -too- much. The result is a very enticing and upbeat atmosphere... on that really succeeds at making a player feel welcome and comfortable within the confines of the virtual world.

For gamers who love little details, there are even bushes which flourish in bright red flowers, a mountain in the background which is always seen as Paco travels around it through the game worlds, and references to other famous Namco games like Pacman and Pooka from Dig Dug. (Truly though, there are easily over a dozen such references in the bonus rounds, during which Prince Paco collects falling stars in a float parade.  Each float is a Namco character from some other well known game.)

Even the sprites are ingeniously designed, ranging from the mole-like followers of the Evil Mole King, to seahorses and jumping cards. I'm going to post some of the sprites here just so you can see how awesome they are.  Behold just a few of the game's enemy sprites:

                 

It's almost impossible to hold any grudge against these adorable creatures, isn't it?!  Although the images are still and pretty clear here, in the game it's hard to appreciate the small things.  For example, although the first image I have provided clearly depicts a mole driving a 'snail car', the mole is almost impossible to see in the actual game due to the tiny screen.  Even the pirate mole, impressively, has a hook for one of his hands (paws?)!!!  

These details are beautiful and totally sealed my impression of the game.  It's clear that the designers of the game really took their time to ensure top quality for their players. 

The sprinting mole just makes me laugh for some reason and I hardly think any game has managed to elicit as many smiles from me.  However, I think my favorite enemy sprite is the giant hamburger.  It's a shame that this image doesn't show his 'eating face' because I guarantee you that it would make you laugh.  The hamburger's glomp is just something everyone needs to behold at some point in their life!

The sprites are -not- the only thing that make this game so great, though!  As though the flashiness of the graphics weren't enough, the game's graphical mechanics are even -more- amazing.  In particular, I'm talking about the one aspect of this game which garnished it most of its fame: the roller coaster levels.  Some of the more difficult stages consist of Prince Paco zipping through the amusement park on a roller coaster cart.  The scrolling of the game slows down or speeds up appropriately, the carts do not rotate on the track, and Prince Paco always remains upright in the stage.  What does this mean when Prince Paco rides a loop in the roller coaster? The whole background rotates behind him!!!!  This is one of the most amazing things I have seen in any video game, and even the Sega Genesis version didn't attempt this feat, making it unique to the arcade version.



The game as a whole is a stunning visual, pleasing to the eyes, and fun to watch.  Even the variety of sprites, something I find disappointing in most games, is vast; 42 enemies roam Marvel World.  I could never go into every detail that makes the game's graphics so amazing, so I guess you'll just have to try the game yourself, now won't you? ;)

SOUND: 8/10

If there's anywhere this game lacks, it's in the category of sound.  All of the music and sound effects are what one would expect from a game such as this: they're classic, up-beat, and of high quality.  I'd venture to say that the quality was even above average for most arcade games and that the theme song has a right to some fame.  Every tune in the game fits the motif perfectly, and although there aren't many songs in the game, they're put together well enough that it's hard to notice the lack of variety.  In fact, the music feels fresh all the way through the game despite the repetition, and each song is one which you carry with you all day in the back of your mind.... it's just -that- catchy.  This is an impressive accomplishment consider that the music is what a gamer would suspect.

The only -surprising- nature of the sound affects would have to be the enemy's rebuttal to Prince Paco's attacks: a loud squeak.  Strangely, this really just adds to the cuteness of the game for me, and it hardly seems out of place after you hear it the first time.  It really adds to the light hearted nature of the game.  In fact, the music and that squeak are what stand out most prominently in my mind when I consider all the noises in this game.  There are 'flapping' noises when the wing power up is used, water splashes when aquatic enemies land back in the pool they jumped form, and little ting-a-lings when Prince Paco gathers bonus stars or food.  Otherwise, I don't remember a wide variety of sound.  Oddly enough, it suits the game.

That suitability and the fact that the sound is so crystal clear are what warrant my rating.  I don't even think I could do the sound effects any justice by describing them in more detail.  I'll just leave it at this:  You won't feel a need to mute this game, and the music in the back of your mind all day will make you smile.

ADDICTIVENESS: 7/10

As I mentioned earlier, this game drew me in from the very beginning.  Even the title screen was attractive and caused me to be excited about starting the game.  The more I played it, the more I wanted to, and it was extremely saddening to finish the game after 16 short stages. I almost wanted to shake the computer screen while shouting "More, more!" but luckily I refrained and kept my dignity.

Yet another nice aspect of this game is the challenge it provides despite the extremely short stages.  Usually in a scrolling game, I get frustrated after just a few deaths and I quit the game.  However, Marvel Land was so addicting that for the first time, I kept playing and playing... even after having to start the whole game over a few times!  The game was just -that- good.  Additionally, Prince Paco is built like a pansy.... one touch and he falls apart.  He dies so easily that past experiences would have had me quitting after the third time of starting over.  Still... despite short levels and easy death... I played on.

So if the game was so attention gripping, why did I rate it with a 7/10?  Well, in my eyes this game has -very- little replay value.  The number and position of bad guys stays the same, the stages do not change, and even the pattern of falling stars in bonus stages does not vary.  In short, nothing is variant and every aspect of the game is fixed.  Now, that being said, it's nearly impossible to get every possible point in the game. Therefore I could possibly see highscore fanatics playing the game two or three times to try and increase their scores.  There are also secret warping areas which allow you to skip levels, so someone might want to try finding all of those.  Otherwise, there's no point in playing again unless it's purely to enjoy the games aesthetics.

STORY: 7/10

According to the story, an Evil Mole King decides that he's not happy with being the ruler of the underground, and decides he wants to have power in the above ground as well. Marvel Land has always been known as a source of peace and happiness, so where a better place for the disgruntled king to start?  He kidnaps Princess Luxy and three fairies, releasing his minions into Marvel Land which happens to be... an amusement park.  It's up to Prince Paco (which is 'peace' in German, if I remember correctly) to defeat the Evil Mole King, rescue the princess, and save the day!

In order to do this though, Prince Paco must first rescue the three fairies by defeating mini bosses, and the fairies reward our prince with 'trident crystals'.  These crystals are used as weapons against the Evil Mole King during the last battle to rescue Princess Luxy.

While it may not be all that original, the charm fits the game.  Even most of the bad guys seem to follow the whole 'mole' theme, and the 'happy land' amusement park ends up being an amazing part of the game without being cheesy.

DEPTH: 8/10

Although I'm still hugely disappointed in the fact that the game only has 16 levels, I'm also majorly impressed with the design and variance of things to see in Marvel Land.  I don't think I've ever played a game that manages to cram pack so many enemies and pathways into such short levels, and without overwhelming the gamer.

The lack of levels and the boss mini fights are mainly the reason I can't rate this any higher.  I adore the fact that the mini-bosses are defeated through the use of mini-games, but the games chosen require no skill or thought.  Basically, the game either does all the work for you with slots, or you have to mash buttons at the fastest rate possible. Only the battle against the Evil Mole King is slightly challenging.

DIFFICULTY: 8/10

For such short levels, Marvel Land certainly manages to be a difficult scroller.  The first two levels aren't so bad and allow you to adjust to how things work, while allowing you to get into a mode of play that suits you.  I think I had to restart 3 times before I was able to stabilize my play.

However, round 3 is when things get a little more serious, with the introduction of roller coaster levels and a bottomless screen that results in death if you fall off the platform.  From there on out, the levels get a little more crazy; more enemy sprites fill the area, more platforms fall from underneath you, rotate, or swing back and forth.  Spikes cover areas hard to avoid, some areas require you to crawl through them, and yet other areas have double coasters in which you must decide which coaster you will ride so as not to die.  (As a fun little detail, you have to duck beneath the signs on the roller coasters!)

The game gets crazily complex and I couldn't love that characteristic more.  You can even decide if you will take higher paths or lower ones, and thus end up with a few different experiences while playing.  Unfortunately, Prince Paco dies after one hit and only has three lives.  Like the Mario games it seems to have taken its inspiration from, Marvel Land also has checkpoints though, and when Prince Paco dies, he re-spawns at the last checkpoint.  

Still though, the frequency of bad guys combined with Paco's frailty certainly causes the game to be a difficult one.  It's almost something to have a laugh about: a game with such adorable graphics which causes players to rage-quit (or at least, I so imagine).









Overall, and in all honesty? I originally rated this game as a 9.5 and still feel as though it deserves that score.  It was only as I began to write the review that I dropped that number to more accurately reflect the mathematical average of the categories.  I would most definitely place this game in my top five however, and I feel very sad for anyone who misses out on this game. Give it a shot and tell me what you think!



I adored it.















































  Graphics 10   Sound 8   Addictive 7   Depth 8   Story 7   Difficulty 8

Overall 8.9    Graphics 10    Sound 8    Addictive 7    Story 7    Depth 8    Difficulty 8

Marvel Land: Aptly Named   Singelli
OVERALL: 8.5/10 In case you don't like to read, I can summarize this whole review in one sentence...
  Graphics 10   Sound 8   Addictive 7   Story 7   Depth 8   Difficulty 8
      Review Rating: 4.3/5     Submitted: 02-22-13     Updated: 03-02-13     Review Replies: 3

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Jordanv78 03-03-16 - 01:17 PM
 I always felt like the arcades was a weird medium for "platformer" games, but this game is decent I guess. A mario clone.
SuperCrash64 03-04-13 - 04:17 PM
 this is the game of the day whoopie jk lol