Crystalis is a 1990 action role-playing video game developed and published by SNK for the Nintendo Entertainment System. A port for the Game Boy Color developed by Nintendo Software Technology and published by Nintendo was released in 2000.
The game begins with a young magician awakening from the cryogenic sleep he was placed in by the villains of the Great War before nuclear war rained down in the year 1997. Even though he is unable to recall his name or who he was, he exits the Mezame Shrine and discovers that he may be the key to save this world from destruction. Aided by four wise sages and a mysterious woman, he rises up against the tyrannical Draygonian Empire to ensure that humanity ultimately does not repeat the Great War.
The original NES version has been re-released via the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.
Gameplay
frame|left|Crystalis gameplay, in the town called Portoa
Crystalis is an action role-playing game. so the player character can be moved in eight directions using the control pad. One action button is used for attacking with a sword while the second is mapped to either an equipped magical power or an item from the player's inventory. The start and select buttons bring up the status screen and the inventory menu, respectively. In addition, the player can equip various suits of armor and shields. Defeating monsters allows the player to gain experience points which increases his level thus boosting his health, defense, and attack strength. Though not the final adversary in the game, Emperor Draygon is the ultimate antagonist and the root of all of evil in Crystalis. After defeating his false self, the hero encounters the real one and reveals his true, dragon-like form. After defeating the real Draygon, the hero gains access to the Tower for a final showdown a quality demonstrated even in Crystalis.
Release
The game was released in Japan on April 13, 1990,
Game Boy Color version
Nearly ten years after the game's initial release, Nintendo, with licensing from SNK, re-released Crystalis for the Game Boy Color on June 26, 2000. This version, however, is a significantly different game, exemplified by a different opening sequence. The nature of the Tower's origin and its purpose were fundamentally altered, with the Tower now being a weapon created by the game's antagonist, and the protagonist has been elevated to a hero of ancient prophecy destined to save the world. This collection, including Crystalis, was released in 2019 for Sony PlayStation 4 on March 19, for Xbox One on May 2, and for Steam on June 7. The PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam releases of the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection mark the first time that Crystalis, a game once exclusive to the NES, had been made officially available outside of a Nintendo console.