Written: 9.19.06
Acquired: 7.25.06
Status: Cart only
Price: $28

Ever see a picture of a game and
INSTANTLY knew you had to play
it?

The first time I saw a screen shot
of DoReMi it had me charmed

It single-handedly inspired me to shift
the focus from the SNES to SFC


He's the same guy from Milon's Secret Castle

DoReMi Fantasy is a highly polished side-scrolling platformer. There are 7 worlds each with their own theme. In each world there's a minimum of 6 levels followed by a boss. An overhead map allows you to backtrack. The levels aren't particularly long, but they possess plenty of detail, quirky enemies, excellent backdrops, ace set pieces and satisfying gameplay moments

                              Milon is a great character,
                              full of charm and animated
                              brilliantly. The graphics are
                              OUTSTANDING. The game
                              has a real sense of LIFE to
                              it... you really have to see it
                              in motion to fully appreciate
                              it. Milon can take 3 hits
                              (green suit then blue, red)
                              Jumping on the heads of
                              enemies will only stun 'em.
                              To do away permanently,
                              you have to encase them in
                              a bubble and then pop 'em

(Reminds me of Mizubaku Adventure AKA Liquid Kids, 1990 Taito)

From world 2 on, each level contains
a Musical Star you must find and grab
(usually not that hard, but later on can
become tricky). Therefore, you're forced
to explore the beautiful layouts (if you
finish a stage without getting the star,
you can't battle the boss)



Some are positioned in much tougher places

A look at each of the 7 worlds:

                                         1. WOODS
                                        
                                         Basic, gets you
                                         acquainted to the
                                         game. You may
                                         feel a bit uninspired
                                         but it gets much
                                         better. Highlights
                                         include a log ride,
                                         falling leaves over
                                         a pit where you
                                         must time and
                                         leap from one to
                                         the next....

.... and this neat
haunted log cabin
home to some
great set pieces
such as the
Pinocchio-like
dolls



Their noses extend, acting as platforms

                                There's even a mini-game
                                that's Duck Hunt-esque!

Boss: Tree-Man who climbs the trunks in the foreground. Very easy

2. FOOD

The night levels
feature a gorgeous
constellation in
the background

I just love this atmospheric world. Lots of neat graphical touches, a surreal soundtrack and some bizarre-o enemies to go along with everything else

Launching posts propel
Milon high through the
air... usually bursting a
gaggle of blocks in the
process... as seen here




Just ace!

                                         The larger-than-life
                                         pyramid composed
                                         of empty wine
                                         glasses is an
                                         outstanding set
                                         piece. Slowly,
                                         smoothly, they
                                         fill with wine...
                                         and Milon even
                                         reacts properly
                                         if you're idle!


                                                                             "Remember, always protect yourself!"

This world also introduces the forced scrolling level

Boss: Iron Chef... barely semi-challenging

3. CHURCH

Some creepy music here!
Highlights include a bell
hopping stage and a
unique level where on/off
switches litter the floor
(touch any off switch and
darkness devours the
scene except for the
color of the switches
and Milon's white pupils)


Cling on the curtains to manuever yourself

                                     Notice the cool visual
                                     effect of the curtains

Boss: Magician-like creature who floats around... now the boss difficulty begins to build. Battle in front of a theatre stage

4. WATER

Much of it is on land
though, but there are
plenty of underwater
sequences. I quickly
developed a burning
hatred for those
annoying spear
throwing frogmen...
I suspect you will
too....

Boss: A giant princess whose weak spot is her face. As you pelt away, her true colors are soon revealed...

5. ICE

Ah, I love this world.
It has some of the
game's best graphics
and stages

It's incredibly fun to
play through. 5-3 is a
sled stage that rocks


Ooooh, lovely NORTHERN LIGHTS

                                     The animation is just
                                     off-the-chart amazing!

Milon turns into Sonic!

                             Blow a bubble which freezes
                             forming a block for Milon to
                             hop on. Just brilliant. And
                             yes, it's more slippery than
                             a used car salesman!

Boss: Gi-normous snowman.... really the first boss to give me a good amount of trouble

                                                    6. FIRE

                                                    C'mon you
                                                    knew this
                                                    was coming!

Two fairly difficult
force-scrollers
are spread across
this blazin' world

Boss: A sun that transforms into a moon and vice versa. When you're fighting the sun, it'll be daytime. Moon night time. Nice touch. Sun is MUCH easier than the moon side

                                            7A. TOYLAND

                                            The toy stages
                                            are stunning in
                                            the richness of
                                            color they use

Boss: A giant Christmas present, with an ugly head popping out. He hurls a barrage of orange fireballs that are difficult to dodge... took many tries before I could beat him

7B. HAUNTED HOUSE
The Haunted House can be tricky indeed, with all the traps and spirits lurking about... not to mention a strange Yoda-like leaping nuisance


Boss: Two for the price of one! First it's a giant green farting (I kid you not) creature. Luckily,
he's super easy and perfectable 100% of the time once you learn his simple pattern. Thank
God, because you'll need all 3 hits to have a chance to beat the final boss. You get much
props if you can. I tried for 90 minutes, then finally gave up

Misc. Notes
----

• Slowdown does occur but it's not often nor does it affect gameplay really

• When you lose to a boss or level, you start with 1 hit (red suit). So you'll find yourself backtracking often to restore your health to 3 hits (green suit) before re-facing the boss. Hard love...

• Infinite continues

• 4 character password system (too bad it wasn't battery-backed). PW's put you on the 1st stage of that world, so you have to do all the work again if, say, you quit at a boss battle

• Hold attack until Milon flashes to unleash his super attack

• Different powerups are available and hidden inside breakable items. Powerups include floating shoes, double bubble, bubble gum (very handy should you fall in a bottomless pit), etc.

• The storyline unfolds in pictures and text. The pictures are self-explanatory when it comes to the game introducing new gameplay elements in each world

• Milon is a selectable character in Hudson's Saturn Bomberman (1997)

CLOSING THOUGHTS

DoReMi Fantasy is an
excellent platformer
every serious SNES
fan should own. It's a
shame it didn't receive
a domestic release. It's
terrific, and as someone
once put it perfectly......

"It's as charming as a video game can be"

Graphics: 9
Sound: 9.5
Gameplay: 9.5
Longevity: 7

Overall: 9.5

Double Gold Award