Equinox is an action adventure puzzle video game developed by Software Creations and published by Sony Imagesoft for the Super NES. A sequel to Solstice (1990) for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Equinox depicts Glendaal saving his father Shadax, the previous game's playable character, from the imprisonment of Sonia, Shadax's apprentice. The player acts as Glendaal, exploring 458 rooms in eight underground dungeons. The player collects 12 blue orb tokens while solving puzzles, killing enemies, collecting keys, navigating platforms and blocks, and battling bosses. It continues Solstices isometric puzzle game style, with a greater emphasis on action adventure and the Mode 7 overworld map.
Development of Equinox lasted from 1990 to 1993 and beyond the game's completion, due to difficulty running the graphics on all minor variations of SNES consoles. Brothers Ste and John Pickford were responsible for the programming, design, and visuals, and Solstice composer Tim Follin returned to work on the music with his brother Geoff. The game was released in February 1993 in North America, in November in Japan, in January 1994 in Australia, and in March in Europe. It was critically acclaimed for its graphics, sound, atmosphere, gameplay, potential lifespan, and for the extremely high challenge level of its puzzles. The isometric perspective however, garnered a more mixed response. Some critics found it an intentional puzzle design aspect, and some dismissed it as a technical flaw, while others said the puzzles created from it were cheap.
Gameplay
left|thumb|Glendaal in a dungeon room attacking ghosts, with two collectable tokens on a pile of wooden log platforms. Equinox has the [[isometric projection|isometric arcade adventure style of Solstice.]]
Similar to its predecessor, Solstice (1990), Equinox is an isometric arcade adventure puzzle video game featuring elements of platform and RPG, such as using a menu screen to swap items and weapons.
Equinox garnered critical acclaim upon release. GamePro gave four perfect 5/5 scores for graphics, sound, control and fun factor, describing it as the combination of the best tropes of several genres into one original game. In 1995, Total! ranked it 97th on its list of the "Top 100 SNES Games".
Reviewers exclaimed Equinox stood out in the SNES library of mostly platformers and shoot-em-ups. In addition to a slower pace, atmosphere, and requiring a mixture of critical thinking and quick wits, the biggest reason was its 3D isometric perspective. Detractors wrote the issue was especially noticeable with the collision detection of enemies, joking that the foes were surrounded by a big invisible forcefield of death.
Critics reported being heavily absorbed, involved, and addicted to Equinox.