The second release in MonkeyPawGames’ ‘Retro Rush’ campaign happens to be one of the first hack ‘n slashers ever released for PSOne. Developed by Toshiba Emi and never released Stateside, Lucifer Ring follows the story of Nash, a young warrior looking to stop the evil wizard Blair from opening the gates of Hell with the Lucifer Rings.
As a game, Lucifer Ring is surprisingly addictive with enough challenge to keep gamers interested. Time has not been kind to this title (the blocky, low-res graphics are an eyesore), but the non-stop action and the strange cast of enemies (i.e. giant eyeballs with legs) are enough to compel you to press forward. The gameplay is relatively simple as you rapidly tap the Square button to hack your enemies into pieces. You can also perform a strong attack with your sword by pressing and holding the X button, but you must be close enough to your enemy for it to work properly.
A SP (Spell Point ) Gauge fills as you attack, and once it reaches capacity, you must press, hold and then release Triangle button to unleash a devastating area attack. While a majority of the game is spent hacking and slashing, there are platforming elements during certain stages that add some variety to the gameplay. This involves jumping onto suspended platforms and scaling high, rocky cliffs to find the level’s exit.
During the course of the game, you will find chests that contain weapon enhancements that will increase the power of your sword. This weapon ‘enhancement’ is capable of killing creatures quickly and inflicting more damage on bosses. When your health depletes, small vials of health will either fall from defeated creatures or can be found inside chests. The variety of power ups are extremely limited, but it’s forgivable considering the age of this title.
When you’re not attacking orcs, purple warriors holding clubs and giant eyeballs on two legs, you’re facing off against the game’s oddly unique cast of boss characters. Boss creatures range from an oak tree to a giant red dragon that breathes fire and attacks with its tail, to name just a few. Without the weapon enhancement(s) mentioned earlier, most boss encounters can be a grueling affair that can take multiple attempts to complete.
Lucifer Ring for PSOne is a lost gem that never received a release outside Japan. And while it looks dated, curious gamers looking to experience something unique will find that Lucifer Ring’s gameplay is a stylish collection of action and platforming. Just remember to enable the Playstation 3’s ‘smooth’ ability for PSOne emulation before playing.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Toshiba Emi Limited
Publisher: MonkeyPawGames
ESRB: N/A
Price: $5.99
Lucifer Ring – Retro Rush Campaign’s Official Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| The Playstation 3's 'smooth' feature makes the graphics acceptable. | |
| Sound | |
| Since the game was never released outside Japan, the voice acting is in Japanese with no English subtitles. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Strangely addictive and fun to play | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Lucifer Ring is an odd game that is strangely addictive. If you enjoy classic gaming, this one is for you. | |
