Developer:

Publisher:

Genre:

Players:

Release Date:

Astal is your typical 2-D side scrolling platformer. It's the story of Astal and his quest to save Leda, the girl Astal loves, from the evil demon Jerado. The game begins with a nice little FMV introduction, describing how the world Quartilia, Astal and Leda were all created by the goddess Antowas and the turn of events that set the stage for the game.

Astal has 15 different levels and a variety of enemies and boss characters to fight. The game is also two player compatible for those who would like to play with a friend. Astal is you basic platformer in the strictest sense, there is nothing new that this game brings to the genre, and if you are looking for a game that will provide you with revolutionary gameplay, you won't find it here.

Graphics: 9/10

The graphics in Astal are pretty impressive. The game makes good use of the Saturn's 2-D capabilities with plenty of parallax and line scrolls. The color pallete that is used is breathtaking, you will not find many games that look this good from an art standpoint.

Sound: 9/10

The music in Astal is easily some of the best that you'll here in a video game. The quality of the music is perfect, and it sets the mood of the game perfectly. The sound effects and voices are also very clear and well done.

Control: 8/10

The game controls very good. All of Astal's moves are completed with ease, and very rarely will you blame a death on the control of the game.

Gameplay: 6/10

As stated earlier, Astal is a very basic platformer that brings nothing new to the genre. Astal's moves are pretty bland and boreing, and besides some jumping sequences that might cause some trouble, the game is very easy.

Overall: 7.5/10

Astal combines luscious graphics and beatiful sound with very basic gameplay. Astal is not a bad game, nor is it that good. The only thing going for it is that it's the only 2-D platformer for the Saturn right now. If you're a fan of the genre, go check it out.