Stone Protectors (a hidden Gem)

06-10-14 10:13 PM

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tornadocam

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Today's I'm reviewing and critiquing Stone protectors. This game is actually a hidden gem (no pun intended).

Story: 9
The Crystal Kingdom is ruled by Princess Opal who guards the powerful stones. One day Zok an evil dictator attacks the Crystal Kingdom. The Kingdom's defenses do their best but cannot hold back Zok's powerful army. Opal summons the power of the stone to find the Stone Protectors. The Stone Protectors are troll like figures with their own skills. Cornelius the team leader is a samuari with skills in swords, Angus is a solider and inventor his skills are weapons, Chester is a pro wrestler, Clifford is a rock climber, and Max is athletic. However, Zok gets one stone and has his mind on getting the other stones by wiping out the Stone Protectors. The Stone Protectors must go through Zok's world, battle his forces and defeat his huge army to return the stone to the Crystal Kingdom.

I really liked the plot of this game. The makers really showed creativity by having a kingdom made up out of Crystals. I felt like the plot did a good job introducing the main characters in this game. The plot to this game was different. In most games you have somebody getting captured and having to rescue them. Here the Princess does not get captured which at the time this game was made was different. Instead you have to save and retrieve the Crystals. I really liked how this game offered something different in its story line. I give the plot to this game a good solid 9/10

Graphics and Controls: 8
The graphics in this game were very good. I like how the crystals seem to shine in the background. In addition, the mines, the volcano pit and the forest all are very colorful. Every stage just seemed to have the perfect colors to the background. The color of the stone protectors match well too. The sprites are the most part nice as well. The only thing is sometimes it looks like the Stone Protector's eyes are rolling. I do not know if it was meant to be that way? Either way having the eyes roll after finishing a stage is not very good in my opinion. Some of the Stone Protector's look like they are grinding their teeth, I guess the makers of the game wanted to make them intimidating or seem like they are in pain.

The controls in this game were for the most part very good. However some of the Stone Protectors seem to be sluggish. Cornelius and Angus play pretty well, but Chester, Clifford and even Max seem to be sluggish at times. Again, I do not know if that is how they are supposed to be, but I found it to be annoying especially during fights. Also at times it seems like the game is trying to lag a little bit. The lagging is minor but still I hate lags. So, the graphics and controls do have some issues but they are okay. I give them a good 8/10.

Sound and Music: 9
The sound in this game was very good. The music fits the stages very well. When going into the volcano level the music was a gloomy tune. The forest level and mine levels had very good music as well. I also liked the sounds the Stone Protectors make when hitting enemies. Cornelius's weapons sound like they are cutting enemies. Angus's weapons make a boom sound as his weapons are mostly war weapons. The enemies weapons have boom sounds too. No matter if it is an enemy or a stone protector when either one is hit with a fist or kick it makes a pow or cracking sound. The only thing that keeps the sound in this game from getting a perfect score was every one in a while there is a tingle in the sound. Still, I give the rating a solid 9/10

Addictiveness and Depth: 8
This game has a good replay value to it. The player can chose among 5 Stone Protectors to play through the game with. Each protector has his own strengths so it is fun to play through the game with a different protector.

The depth in this game is very good. Being able to chose among 5 protectors is quite nice. It also adds depth to the game. As I stated, it is fun to play through the game with a different stone protector. In addition, their are crystals to collect among the stages. Moreover, this game is quite long as they are about 10 levels to complete. At the end of the day I give the replay and depth value of this game a good 8/10

Difficulty: 9
The game really shines on its difficulty. The difficulty varies depending on who you chose to play through the game with, but even then this game is a brutal game. Cornelius requires lots of skills and even some luck to play through with. Cornelius being a samuari/ninja requires him to get close to the enemies to do damage. Angus has it a little easier as his weapons can be long range such as bazookas, mortars and pistols. However, this game is so brutal in so many ways. One of the things that makes this game so brutal is the enemy placement. This is after all a beat em up type game. Enemies will hit you from behind as well as jump in front of you. Before you know it you can have a screen full of enemies that you have to beat up to proceed. The bosses in this game are not easy either. Zink, several others and Zok are very tough and powerful. The enemies attacks do a lot of damage when they hit you. Getting shot or burned does a lot of damage no matter who you play through the game with. Also some enemies will not attack you but still the crystals you have collected. Basically, loosing lives is a given in this game. So, this game will require lots of skills and some luck to master.

As hard as the game is, the makers of this game do decide to try and help you out a little bit. They are lots of extra lives in this game. It is like they are saying we know you are going to lose a lot of lives in this game so we are going to help you out. Also, the game does have power ups lying on the ground that can boost your attacks. Sometimes weapons can be picked up and used. Still, this is a difficulty game and as a result I give the difficulty a good solid 9/10.

Overall: 8.8
This game is a forgotten gem in my opinion. This game did have some success but it was overshadowed. Stone Protectors came out in 1994 the same year Mega Man X2 and Donkey Kong Country came out. Mega Man X2 and Donkey Kong were the two biggest for the SNES in 1994. Both titles sold several million copies. So, it was no wonder Stone Protectors was overlooked. To be honest, I did not know this game existed till a few years ago. I played this game and I really liked it. Everything a good game has this game has. Stone Protectors features a good story, decent graphics, decent sound, decent depth and very good difficulty. If you like being challenged then this is a good game.

On the other hand, this game is not in the same league as Mega Man, Donkey Kong or Mario. Those series are huge blockbusters and are special in their own way. Those three series are know for very high quality in just about every category. Not to mention they are made by well known companies that have huge market capability. Stone protectors does sometimes have its issues. They are a few minor issues in the graphics & controls, and sound.

Still that should not stop anyone from enjoying this game. If these minor things do not bother you then this is a great game. I really enjoyed playing this game and I'm glad I discovered this lost gem. I think this game could have done better had it not been overshadowed. I wonder if the makers of this game knew that Mega Man X2 and Donkey Kong Country were such huge hits that they rushed this game out on the market. If you are looking for a fun game to play then play this game. You will soon discover why this game is a lost gem. Would I recommend this game? Yes I would recommend this game. I had a good time playing it. I give Stone Protectors a good rating of 8.8. It is time for this lost gem to finally get its time to shine.