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Romancia

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Romancia is a side-scrolling action-adventure. The player moves left or right across the screen (with a few exceptions), killing monsters and finding items. Items are key to progressing, as many are required to solve context-based puzzles like a graphic adventure game. For instance, the player ch...

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Developer
Compile

Released on
1987

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Action

Publisher
Tokyo Shoseki

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Romancia is a side-scrolling action-adventure. The player moves left or right across the screen (with a few exceptions), killing monsters and finding items. Items are key to progressing, as many are required to solve context-based puzzles like a graphic adventure game. For instance, the player character is tasked with taking medicine and using it to cure many of the sick villagers, as well as purifying the local well.

The game’s lack of statistics or other RPG trappings is what originally earned it the “Dragon Slayer Jr” title. Rather, the player has a simple health bar to represent their character’s status and much of the game involves simple hack-n’-slash action gameplay.

Romancia

Overview & History

Released by Falcom in 1986 and later ported to the Famicom by Tonkin House in 1987, Romancia (subtitled *The Tale of Vandergiltis*) is an eccentric, notoriously punishing side-scrolling action-RPG. As part of Falcom's esteemed *Dragon Slayer* series, it pre-dated *Zelda II* in its blend of platforming and open exploration. Players control Prince Phpleton, who shrinks in size and must journey to rescue the kidnapped Princess Selena from the tyrannical dragon King Greed while navigating the fractured kingdom of Romancia. Despite its vibrant, fairy-tale aesthetics, the game earned a reputation for its opaque puzzles, strict time limits, and sudden, unfair deaths.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard linear platformers, Romancia tracks bizarre stats including your "Manners" and "Love" meters alongside traditional health. If Phpleton acts rudely to NPCs or loses too much love, the game drastically shifts, altering enemy aggression and NPC dialogue. Movement relies heavily on jumping, ducking, and wielding a short-range sword. Combat requires precise positioning because enemies deal massive contact damage and knock the prince backward, often into bottomless pits or spikes. Players must collect specific magical items, trade keys for lore, and manage a weight-based inventory system that limits how many treasures Phpleton can carry simultaneously.