Want a wild ride - maybe something a bit different? Then, try Slayers.

Forget about anime this and manga that. Slayers features an old-school RPG engine, populated with zany and sometimes overheated characters - created by its Japanese author. Slayers’ risque and sometimes ribald content is usually foaming and bubbling just under the surface, even while its “heroes” are slashing and stomping bad guys into mush! Those who decided the world craved an English version of this game didn’t dilute the built-in looniness one bit, so be forewarned. You who suffer weakeness of the knees or the constitutions of Chihuahuas in your tummies, either fortify yourselves or stay away from Slayers!

Originally slated as an NES launch, Slayers’s developers recoded for the then cutting-edge SNES. Thus, the resulting product may lack a few bells and whistles found in more recent RPGs, but the story rocks with such force, most will soon be swept into this crazy universe called Slayers. Unless your heads are constructed of granite, once you’re immersed in the story, few of you should notice or even care about the absence of modern fluff. The richness of this game lies not only in its storyline, but a clever, convoluted plot that features a major twist. Drawing masterfully from the unpredictable wackiness and overdoses of humor that define the Slayers culture, this wild ride careens unceasingly from start to finish.

Therefore, Slayers should resonate with its most avid fans and traditional RPG-lovers alike. Game play will be intuitive for experienced gamers. N00bs who are driven to absorb everything Slayers should experience a very small learning curve as they plunge into what will be a familiar ambience. A typical menu driven interface for battles and managing parties should not present any challenges more difficult than text-messaging. The character roster will be familiar to Slayers fans, quite robust and unique in that each fighter possesses a specialized ability. Some of these will render the party invincible at times. Battle strategies vary greatly, whether slugging it out or dropping what feels like a nuke on occasion.

Magic spells are varied but not over-complicated. Players who experiment will discover a few advantages to help them prevail in battle more efficiently. Executing these spells should make all of you Slayers fans feel quite at home.

A fair word of warning however:

The game will present more challenges than seem apparent at the beginning, so prepare yourselves. More than once, the friendly, colorful scenery may lull you into a sense of false security. A slight mistake or miscalculation can be fatal, so don’t expect an easy ride the whole way. This game is not as linear as it appears in the first world, so you may need to wander around a bit as you search for answers. Finally, a nice surprise awaits you hardy players at the end.

All of these attributes together add up to this game’s special charm and the promise of a good play. Slayers delivers!

Most of the menus are done in this release (essentially everything except battle menus), as well as a lot of the monsters, items, spells, etc. So, it’s more than enough to get you started on the game. You know, if you’re the kind of guy who doesn’t need to know what’s going on.

This is Mr. Boyd’s last release for the game, but he’s given permission for anyone to use his patch for their own translation, as long as all credit is given. How neat!