Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

The syndicated TV series may have crossed the river Styx to the rerun underworld, but his adventures live on in Titus' wisecracking adventure.

Aside from dark oddities like Konami's Hybrid Heaven, the adventure pickings on the N64 front have been admittedly pretty slim since Zelda 64. But that has changed now that Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is in Blockbuster stores as a rental only. Publisher Titus plans to ship the game to retailers this holiday season.

Hercules is a vast adventure worthy of the original epic hero, with puzzle and RPG elements balanced by real-time fisticuffs. Players get to mentor Hercules, Iolaus and half woman/half horse Serena through dozens of levels ranging from the rocky plains, towns and snowbound passes of ancient Greece to the deities' home on Mount Olympus and down to the murky netherworld of Hephaestus' forge.

HTLJ uses a Zeldaesque smart A Button for grabbing, kicking, talking and performing other functions, depending on the situation. Besides his majestic fists and roundhouse kicks, Herc wields four magic attacks: rock, fire, lightning and ice. Iolaus swings a pike and Serena takes out distant enemies with her bow and arrow.

Far from your typical musclebound hero, Hercules must solve puzzles, collect items and glean information by interviewing mortals and immortals alike. The screen text we beheld nicely captures the show's tongue-in-cheek humor, as Herc and friends swap surprisingly sharp one-liners.

The backstory has Hercules dashing to the rescue after his sullen half-brother, Ares, grabs power from Zeus. Tied-died togas and other decidedly un-Greek anachronisms stood out in the now-canceled TV series like the blue-plate special at a swanky restaurant. Game developer Player 1 looks like it, too, is willing to play fast-and-loose with the historical facts, dressing luv goddess Aphrodite in a cheesy gown worthy of a B-actress on Oscar night.

Hercules: The Legendary Adventures shows plenty of ambition, which is always a welcome quality in these unheroic times.

Source:

www.nintendo.com

STORY

Zeus, the almighty ruler of Olympus, kingdom of the gods, fell ill after drinking a poisoned elixir Hera prepared him. Ares, God of War, sees his chance to seize his father's throne. He unleashes the dreaded Titan Mnemosyne from its eternal slumber. Hercules is the only Olympian to notice the evil scheme his half brother, Ares, has come up with . Olympus' fate is now solely in the legendary hero's hand. His quest will take him all over ancient greek empire.

DESCRIPTION

In the days of ancient Athens, when the Greek gods had plagued the mankind with great suffering and peril, only one man dared to challenge the might of the gods. That man was the legendary hero, Hercules.

With tremendous strength and a tender heart, Hercules vowed to help the people in their quest for survival. While Zeus, Hercules ' father, has taken ill, Hercules ' brother Ares plots to take the throne of the kingdom. With the gods unwilling to help the people of Greece, it is up to Hercules to save them from their suffering.

The game begins with the training of the mighty Hercules by his master Cheiron, the Centaur. This starts the exciting and epic journey of Hercules as he sets out to save the world. Along the way, Hercules needs to use reason and strength to complete his varied and challenging tasks.

There are a variety of worlds in the game and three different characters to play depending on the location and the tasks: Hercules, Iolaus, and Serena. Each character possesses different unique abilities that help the player advance through each world. Hercules uses his godly strength and magic abilities based on the four elements - Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind. Iolaus uses a staff and moves lightning fast. Serena's training with her bow and arrows make her suited for distance attacks. The three will encounter fierce enemies like the evil Cyclops, Minotaurs, Satyrs, and countless Bandits.

Play as Hercules or one of his friends in this exciting journey. Save the people from the wrath of Ares and restore the peaceful balance between the gods and the people of Greece.

FEATURES * Take control of the legendary heroes Hercules ; Iolaus, his childhood friend and Serena the Golden Hind as they travel the land in search of magical artifacts to stop Ares from completing his diabolical plans. * Use each character's unique attributes to complete your quest : Hercules' legendary strength allows him to pick up various objects to hurl at his enemies - including other stunned opponents ! Iolaus' nimble nature allows him to reach place inaccessible to others. And Serena's accuracy with a bow makes her ideal for taking out opponents at long range. * Twelve unique fully 3D worlds to explore in ancient Greece. Journey from the sunny seaside town of Porticus to the snowy mountains of Alpsius. Explore the bandit-overrun forests of Traycus or heavenly Mount Olympus. * Fight for your life against mythical terrifying monsters such as the Minotaur and the Cyclops and more.

Source:

titusgames.com