| Introduction
‘The Lost Vikings’ forms part of Blizzard’s ‘Arcade
Classics’ series and along with ‘Rock’n’Roll’ Racing
and the eagerly awaited ‘Blackthorne’, demonstrates
the refreshing direction the veteran software house
has taken regarding the GBA platform. If you’ve encountered
‘The Lost Vikings’ before, it was probably some years
ago on Nintendo’s own SNES. At that time, it was considered
a unique title, although it now remains to be seen if
it still has what it takes to succeed amidst much newer
and technologically advanced titles.
GamePlay
Although the game is best described as a platform
puzzler, the main theme which runs throughout the levels,
however, is co-operation. This is because each of your
three Vikings (Olaf the Stout, Erik the Swift and Baelog
the Fierce) posses very different skills which must
be utilized together in order to succeed. Erik, for
example, can jump and head-butt walls, Baelog can fire
arrows and fight with a sword whilst Olaf has a handy
shield which is used primarily to protect the other
two Vikings.
As such, experimentation is necessary and if done
correctly, will reveal other less obvious uses for the
character’s various tools. Olaf’s shield, for example,
will not only help Erik to gain a little more height
to reach seemingly impossible platforms but also help
him glide down safely from even the highest platform.
Once you’ve grasped the various strengths and weaknesses
of each character’s skills and weapons, it’s time to
put them to use.
The levels themselves are ingeniously designed and
although your objective does initially appear to be
simply getting all three Vikings from point ‘A’ to point
‘B’, you’ll find that doing it is not as easy as it
seems. As such, it’s always a good idea to root out
secret passages, which always contain useful items and
gadgets that will help you overcome the obstacles. You’ll
still have to work out how and when to use the various
gadgets though and the further you progress into the
game, the less mistakes you’re allowed to make. Bear
in mind also that you’ll occasionally have to do things
in a certain order for it to work, which trust me, can
be incredibly frustrating.
One significant update that the developers have seen
fit to include is a battery back-up with an impressive
six slots. I’m sure I don’t have to convince anyone
how much better this is than the dreaded password system.
Control
It’ll take some time to get used to the controls
in ‘The Lost Vikings’. It does, however, have a well-pitched
learning curve and the first few levels are very forgiving,
allowing you to make mistakes with little or no damage.
On the technical side, the collision detection is excellent,
allowing you to get incredibly close to danger without
losing a life or even health. Accurate collision detection
is important in games like these, and it’s good to see
that the developers have paid attention to this detail.
Graphics
You could argue that the graphics and visuals in
‘The Lost Vikings’ are dated, and quite beneath the
GBA’s standard. Since the game is basically an SNES
port, this is expected, although it must be said that
despite its age, the visuals are clear and well illustrated
– which is important, especially in a platform puzzle
game like this.
Furthermore, there is variety, since not everything
in the game is set in the same environment. In fact,
during the course of your adventure in ‘The Lost Vikings’,
you’ll have to travel through several different worlds
including a ‘Space Station’, an ‘Egyptian Tomb’ and
some type of wacky ‘Fun House’.
There’s also some rather pleasing animation from
the three main characters, which are responsive and
occasionally very humorous. Overall, the game is visually
practical rather than outstanding.
Sound & Music
As with the visuals, the soundtrack has been ported
from the SNES original and is actually much better than
I remember. The sound effects too are well above average
and adds nicely to the atmosphere of the title. I know
I’ve said it before, but ‘The Lost Vikings’ represents
an excellent opportunity to purchase a set of headphones
to truly immerse yourself in the game.
Final Comments
‘The Lost Vikings’ is indeed a classic arcade game.
Although the puzzles are devious and challenging, it
is also addictively fun, so much so that you’ll want
to continue playing instead of stopping in frustration.
One thing it does suffer from is “replay value”. After
all, once you’ve completed the 35 challenges, you’re
unlikely to play the game again. Regardless of this
fact though, the first play for me was very satisfying.
Fans of platform puzzle games will enjoy it!
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