Soreyuke Ebisumaru Karakuri Meiro: Kieta Goemon no Nazo!!
Ebisumaru's pipe dreamGenre: puzzle - overhead
Publisher: Konami
Year: 1996
System: SFC
Gameplay Score: 4
Gameplay Notes:
Plays like an isometric Pipe Dream. I generally hate Pipe Dream and its clones, but this one has my full attention because of the variety in its gameplay. The pipes (or arrows, in this case) aren't the only obstacle. Rather, environmental elements such as enemies, cannons, and overlapping paths give every stage a unique feel and a new challenge. I also usually hate isometric games because of the wonky controls, but this one gives you the option of selecting your preferred directional controls in the Settings menu. Hurray! The default settings are the ones that make no sense to me, so it's awesome to be able to change them. The controls are otherwise straightforward but again have enough variety to make things interesting. One button rotates the arrows on the grid which make Ebisumaru walk in that direction while another button makes him dash. This game is all about creating a path via the arrows and then time your movement using the dash. Good stuff.
Level Design Score: 5
Level Design Notes:
There's an overworld where you can visit shops and other NPCs who give you advice. Certain spots on the overworld launch you into a set of puzzles which must be cleared one after the next. The levels themselves are awesome. They gradually ramp up in difficulty. I also love that each level includes an optional collectable that adds an additional challenge for those who want it. This reminds me of the strawberries in Celeste. My only complaint is that there's a lives system instead of just having unlimited continues. But hey, that's what save states are for, right?
Theme Score: 3
Theme Notes:
Goemon's world is an acquired taste to begin with, and his sidekick Ebisumaru is another layer of weird. He's Wario to Goemon's Mario. For this reason the theme doesn't really resonate with me, but it's not a deal killer.
Art Style Score: 4
Art Style Notes:
At first I hated the graphics. This is a late gen title so it employs the prerendered aesthetic made popular by DKC, Mario RPG, and others. I find it distracting. I still don't like these graphics in the cutscenes, but during gameplay the graphics look great. I love how easy it is to see the depth and detail in the pseudo-3D environments.
Audio Score: 3
Audio Notes:
The music is like an unholy mix of Goemon and Pilotwings. It's not terrible, but I did turn it way down. the sound effects are typical Konami goodness.
Overall Score: 82
Review ID: 1842
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