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[Kaachan]

Holy hell this game is brutal (and so good!)

I went in with the mindset that this was going to be one of those Zelda-like games but realised pretty quickly that this game has a much darker theme (for instance someone lures out a child in the night and proceeds to break her neck??) and is a lot more harder. Yeah, you play as an Elf boy who got bombs, arrows and there’s literally a glove that allows you to pick up heavy boulders aaand there’s even vessels that you collect that feels exactly like a heart piece. But this game feels wholly unique

The satisfaction of solving a puzzle is quickly extinguished when you realize that there’s an even harder puzzle waiting for you in the next room. The lack of restoration items makes it extremely hard to fight your way through a dungeon low on health. Suddenly get hit by a fireball and die. If you didn't save your game frequently (which you could only do at specific rooms) you’d have to start over from all the way back on an earlier save

But the hardest part was jumping! All those frame perfect jumps. Me and my mister was playing on emulator so we could reload every other second like a thousands times but to play it on console with no instant saves and reloads. It must have taken days to complete some of the segments

I just cannot fathom the thought of kids in 97’ being able to finish this game on their own. It must have taken yeeears. I loved the journey but whew, was it a hard one

Feel free to share your experience with this game or a similar experience

 

[buenoblue]

. I love Alundra. One of my favourite ps1 games. I never owned or played a Zelda back then so it was all new to me. I wanna say I completed it but my mind is fuzzy. Great game though.

 

[Operations66]

I actually finished Landstalker on Genesis, perhaps my greatest gaming accomplishment. (Or maybe it was finishing Ghouls & Ghosts.) Landstalker was Sega’a answer to Legend of Zelda, except it was much harder.

Zelda felt like a kid’s game in comparison. Then again, Nintendo was mostly for kids.

Alundra is the sequel to Landstalker, right? No wonder it's hard.

 

[Strider Highwind]

When I was a kid there were certain games that made me feel like the man when i beat them. Alundra is one of em lol

 

[Mr Hyde]

One of my all time favorite games. I was 16 years when I first played it back in 97. Bought it on release and expected something in the vein of Zelda - both in challenge and thematically in terms of lore and gameplay. But as you say, it was a lot more different than Zelda in terms of story and world building. Alundra is darker and deals with more mature themes, that's downright evil sometimes.

And the challenge is something else. Internet wasn't really a thing for me back then so I had a hard time finishing this game. Got stuck a lot, especially on the damn puzzles. One of my earliest memories of frustration is when you need to be transported by the whirl winds in the desert. It's something that is never really explained (or it was told in some cryptic message, I don't remember) but it was infuriating to get stuck here. The fortune teller keeps telling you to go the desert but you can't advance unless you figuring that shit out. I think I solved it by pure luck.

Anyway, I beat the game and have done so a couple of more times over the years. It's a game that's stayed with me to this day. I think I love it more and more for each passing year. It's such a wonderful experience. It's a great adventure, with a cool story, lovable characters and some tough bosses. It's a shame no good sequels came out of it and that it never became a franchise, but nothing can take away the great quality of the first game. Alundra has truly stood the test of time. At least it deserves a re-release of some kind.

 

[ChazAshley]

Man Alundra, I remember seeing this intro video on a demo disc (I think) and thought it was THE game I had to get. Was lucky to get an original copy. Loved it. Hated the puzzles (ice pillars.....). Would love to play again but if I ever do, it'd be with a guide.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

I actually finished Landstalker on Genesis, perhaps my greatest gaming accomplishment. (Or maybe it was finishing Ghouls & Ghosts.) Landstalker was Sega’a answer to Legend of Zelda, except it was much harder.

Zelda felt like a kid’s game in comparison. Then again, Nintendo was mostly for kids.

Alundra is the Saturn sequel to Landstalker, right? No wonder it's hard.

Man Landstalker was brutal, I don’t know how I had so much patience when I was younger lol. Awesome game. IIRC Alundra is kind of a spiritual successor with a lot of the same people working in on it, but isn’t connected to Landstalker.

 

[existensmaximum]

I actually finished Landstalker on Genesis, perhaps my greatest gaming accomplishment. (Or maybe it was finishing Ghouls & Ghosts.) Landstalker was Sega’a answer to Legend of Zelda, except it was much harder.

Zelda felt like a kid’s game in comparison. Then again, Nintendo was mostly for kids.

Alundra is the Saturn sequel to Landstalker, right? No wonder it's hard.

I think you're referring to Dark Saviour on the Saturn, no? Regardless, I love Landstalker - easily one of my favourite games of all time!

 

[protonion]

The best 2d Zelda clone ever.

Amazing story telling. I esp love how the game justifies Jess' creation of new items for you.

Huge number of unique dungeons. They must be 15+. Incredible puzzles.

God tier soundtrack.

One of the best endings ever. The final 10 seconds when the theme kicks in give me chills every time.

An unrepeatable masterpiece.

Time for another replay!

 

[Xeaker]

Good game, and sad that there are no games like that anymore in the last 10+ years

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

I have to get back to this game lol

 

[cireza]

Got feed up very quick of constantly begin stuck in walls or whatever because of a fucking pixel.

Landstalker was Sega’a answer to Legend of Zelda

It was not developed by SEGA, and every adventure game out there does not have to be an answer to Zelda... Furthermore, Landstalker was quite different from Zelda. It had a linear progression and was story heavy, with a lot of text. Fantastic game.

 

[Kaachan]

Good game, and sad that there are no games like that anymore in the last 10+ years

I feel like I already miss this game

 

[Kaachan]

The best 2d Zelda clone ever.

Amazing story telling. I esp love how the game justifies Jess' creation of new items for you.

Huge number of unique dungeons. They must be 15+. Incredible puzzles.

God tier soundtrack.

One of the best endings ever. The final 10 seconds when the theme kicks in give me chills every time.

An unrepeatable masterpiece.

Time for another replay!

That passion! Love it

Makes me happy to see how much Alundra means to some of you, and I couldn't agree more for that matter. It's a great game

 

[Midnight Bliss]

I actually finished Landstalker on Genesis, perhaps my greatest gaming accomplishment. (Or maybe it was finishing Ghouls & Ghosts.) Landstalker was Sega’a answer to Legend of Zelda, except it was much harder.

Zelda felt like a kid’s game in comparison. Then again, Nintendo was mostly for kids.

Alundra is the Saturn sequel to Landstalker, right? No wonder it's hard.

crusader of centy was segas answer to zelda and dark savior was the saturn landstalker game

 

[CosmicComet]

It was a trash game disguised as a good game.

And all because the obscure ass nonsensical puzzles at times. You can solve things without even knowing how you solved them. A random nondescript tile may have to be stepped on to open a door that you didn't know had to be opened that way.

I'm positive it was one of those games impossible to finish the first time without a guide.

 

[Kaachan]

I'm positive it was one of those games impossible to finish the first time without a guide.

It sounds impossible but if there are people out there who actually managed to finish it without a guide I need to know who they are

Like how old they were, how long did it take? Because if it was me it would have taken years. Heck, I'm not even sure I would have managed

 

[light2x]

(for instance someone lures out a child in the night and proceeds to break her neck??)

So it's based in reality? Thanks for recommending. There aren't enough games like this especially retro games that are grimdark.

 

[fart town usa]

I think you're referring to Dark Saviour on the Saturn, no? Regardless, I love Landstalker - easily one of my favourite games of all time!

Yea, Dark Savior is the isometric action/turn-based fighter. It's a weird game for sure. Cool art style though.

OT - Alundra has been on my radar for years, I've only ever played through a bit of it. I did play through Landstalker as a kid, great game but hard to go back to.

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

One of my fave PS1 games and one of the first ones I mentioned as needing to be added to the PS+ Premium Classics collection when it was initially announced, I won't hold my breath on that though, glad you're enjoying it.

 

[Kaachan]

One of my fave PS1 games and one of the first ones I mentioned as needing to be added to the PS+ Premium Classics collection when it was initially announced, I won't hold my breath on that though, glad you're enjoying it.

Missed opportunity if they don't. Alundra deserves a PS Classic spot!

 

[cireza]

crusader of centy was segas answer to zelda

You do realize that this was not developed by SEGA. It wasn't even published by SEGA in the US lol...

And Soleil is a linear, story driven game. Not much in common with Zelda, except for the top down view...

 

[FunkMiller]

Yep. Loved this game. Cant remember if I ever actually beat it though.

 

[GymWolf]

Always been shit with puzzles so i was locked into that graveyard puzzles with the candles for like a week.

Tha intro was pure fucking hype.

 

[Kaachan]

Cant remember if I ever actually beat it though.

That’s what I keep hearing about this game