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Astyanax

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Astyanax is a side-scrolling platform game. The controls are fairly simple: the A Button makes Astyanax jump, the B Button will attack with an axe called Bash, and a combination of up and attack will perform a special magic attack. The game also contains a few role-playing elements, such as weapo...

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Developer
Jaleco

Released on
1990

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Platform

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Astyanax is a side-scrolling platform game. The controls are fairly simple: the A Button makes Astyanax jump, the B Button will attack with an axe called Bash, and a combination of up and attack will perform a special magic attack. The game also contains a few role-playing elements, such as weapons upgrades. It had a unique feature (for the time) of a bar that grows between attacks; the length of the bar determines how much damage Astyanax will do with his next attack. If one attacks rapidly, one’s hits will do little damage, much unlike most games where a rapid succession of hits would all be equally damaging. A very similar system would be used in Secret of Mana some years later.

Astyanax

Overview & History

Released by Aicom and published by Taito for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990, Astyanax is a dark, mythical side-scrolling action platformer. The game's storyline follows Rochester, a high school student from modern Earth who is magically summoned to the surreal realm of Remlia by a princess named Rosebud. Tasked by a benevolent fairy named Cutie, Rochester must rescue Rosebud from the clutches of the evil wizard Blackrose. Unlike its arcade predecessor—which played more like a traditional hack-and-slash—the NES version heavily leans into cinematic storytelling, featuring detailed cutscenes between stages that depict Rochester's psychological transformation and his growing bond with the princess.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Spanning six diverse, biomechanically twisted stages, the gameplay requires players to master precise jumping and strategic melee combat. Rochester is initially armed with a massive battle axe called "Bash." As players progress, they collect magical tomes that upgrade Rochester's weapon into a powerful spear and eventually a sweeping, ranged energy-bladed halberd. Additionally, players can charge up a magic meter to unleash devastating screen-clearing elemental spells provided by Cutie. The pacing is deliberate, forcing players to time their strikes against grotesque, bio-mechanical monsters, floating eyes, and aggressive gargoyles. Boss battles at the end of each stage require pattern recognition and precise positioning on shifting platforms to survive.