THE GUARDIAN LEGEND ~NES~ 1988
One boring summer day, I walked over to my neighbor Mark's house. He was in high school. On occasion he would babysit me and my sister. More often than that, I would sit in his room and watch him play the coolest games. Dozens of neat Genesis games that I had no other access to. But on this day, he was playing a Nintendo game that would later steal my heart and become, by far, my favorite game of all time. The Guardian Legend.
There won't be adequate words to convey just how much of my childhood this game represents. The nostalgic affection I have is unmatched. Bury this game with me in my coffin.
The Guardian Legend was an ambitious hybrid. An action-adventure/shoot 'em up mix. Possibly a recipe for disaster. In truth, a recipe for outstanding success. I often wonder if this game passed many people by. I can only hope that in real time, some of you were lucky enough to discover it.
For me, The Guardian Legend excelled on every level. Quality music that touched every emotion. Ominous, uplifting, haunting, and triumphant. Memorable tunes that still dance somewhere deep in my head.
I'm hard pressed to find many Nintendo games of that year with better graphics. The gameplay was entertaining and challenging. Always another room to explore or relentless minion to slay. As expected, you start with nothing and slowly build up your arsenal with interesting and unique weapons. Some proving to be invaluable in the later stages.
And thank Christ for the map.
Entering deeper into NAJU's corridors, you find frantic and exciting levels to blast your way through.
The mood might feel lonely at times, but these Blue Landers are here to help. I guess they'll always be an iconic character to those of us that love this game.
Get a load of these bosses. They're awesome, right? Usually, they're either super easy or super hard. There's not much in between. But the satisfaction I felt back in the day blowing some of these jerks into pieces, was thrilling.
The game finishes off with this memorable beast from hell. And he's no joke. Make sure you choose the right weapon(s) or you'll be in a world of hurt.
If I was forced to find any flaw, it would be that the ending for all that trouble, is sort of weak. However, the ending song remains one of my all time favorites. So, suck it. I like it. And you might just get something if you watch the ending long enough.
I could write all day about the beauty and triumph of this game. It encapsulates everything I loved about gaming. Sitting alone for hours, working my way through a spectacular adventure, with stellar qualities all the way around. The moment the opening tune hits, I'm 9 years old again and back in a state of bliss.
This was my first true love and frankly nothing could replace it. Treat yourself to a playthrough. Let it wrap it's magic around you and become the guardian legend.
