Developer: Arsys Software Publisher: Asmik Release: 07/15/94 Genre: Beat ’em up
The Super Famicom library is a treasure trove of overlooked games. While everyone fawns over the numerous Square Enix RPGS that never left Japan there are countless gems like Denjin Makai, King of Demons, and Rendering Ranger, games that I am sure would have found an audience if someone took a chance. But then there are the ones that miss the mark. At first Battle Zeque Den looks like a winner. The production values are high and the mechanics are sound. But dig a little deeper and you will find numerous flaws that ruin the experience. This could have been a contender with a little more work.
The world is on the brink of disaster. A prophecy states that when the sky and earth fall the world will come to an end as mankind tears itself apart through conflict. The first sign of this omen is the collapse of the spirits of light and darkness, which has come to pass. But the same prophecy states that the earth will answer the heaven’s cry. Three martial artists gifted with elemental powers embark on a journey to restore the balance and find the cause of the impending disaster.
Battle Zeque Den has three playable characters; Rufu, Kairu, and Hamusu. Each is aligned with a different element that informs their attacks, of which there is a decent variety. This is the one area most brawlers falter so I am glad the game excels for the most part in this area. Each character has a different move set that makes playing them a unique experience. Most special attacks are performed using simple button combinations. There is a simple RPG like level up system in play as you gain experience depending on the number of enemies you defeat and the manner in which you do so. This increases your maximum health to help with survival. It sounds complex but in practice it is standard.
The most immediate aspect of Battle Zeque Den you will notice is its graphics. Battle Zeque Den is easily one of the best looking beat em ups for the SNES. The art is absolutely beautiful and stylistic with nearly every stage flush with detail. Rain effects and subtle shifts in time of day help establish atmosphere as well. The sprites are massive for the genre and have good animation as well. This looks every bit the late generation title that it is. The large sprites do come with a heavy cost. Certain special moves cause the game to slow to a crawl and you only face two enemies simultaneously. Unfortunately this impacts the game in a negative way.
Battle Zeque Den takes place on a single plane. Although it is uncommon in the genre it works. However the large sprites make this a problem. You have little room to move around which does not feel great, especially as the game stops scrolling with each encounter. They try to get around this by adding platforms and varying terrain. All characters can double jump but these do not make the game play feel any better. As such you only fight two enemies at once which present pacing issues. Each enemy is very resilient and can take punishment. The game throws waves and waves at you and it becomes tedious regardless of the good fighting system. By stage three it nearly becomes unbearable. With the limited enemy roster you will have seen everything it has to offer midway. No amount of light platforming can make up for it either.
The game is very difficult and frustrating too. To make up for their lacking numbers each enemy is strong and deals a ton of damage. It feels like three or four hits are enough to kill you at lower levels. Health restoring food is not common and restores so little most of the time it is an insult. You can adapt hit and run tactics to cheap them out but considering how long the stages are it grows monotonous fast. Oddly enough the bosses are easy, especially if you save magic. Rufu’s fire magic can almost kill a few of them in one round. In spite of Battle Zeque Den’s flaws I still enjoyed it somewhat. If a few numbers were tweaked it could have been solid.
In Closing
I wish Battle Zeque Den were better. It had the making for a classic title in the genre. But it falters in terms of the all-important polish. The game is fun in short bursts. But once you reach the midpoint its pacing issues become prevalent and kill the fun. I do not regret playing it but will also never do so again.
