Ever see a picture of a game and INSTANTLY knew you had to play it?
DO RE MI FANTASY: MILON NO DOKIDOKI *breathes* DAIBOUKEN (Hudson, '96) was the one for me. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to get it. I was buying SNES games left and right, but this title looked SO good it single-handedly inspired me to shift the focus from SNES to SFC. It stars Milon the little fella from
Milon's Secret Castle.
Do Re Mi Fantasy is a side-scrolling platformer, and a very well polished one I might add. There are 7 worlds each with their own theme (the classics, you know, woods, ice, fire, etc.). In each world there are at least 6 levels and then you face 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 and set pieces and satisfying gameplay moments that make you say
"This game freakin' rules" every 5 minutes.
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, dead). The little fella can jump on baddies but this will only stun them. To kill enemies, blow a bubble which will encase them, allowing you a few seconds to approach and pop 'em.
(DRMF reminded me of Mizubaku Adventure AKA Liquid Kids, 1990 Taito)
From world 2 on -- each level has 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 w/o getting the star, you will not be able to fight the boss)
Here are the 7 worlds:
1. WOODS
Basic world to get you acquainted to the game. You may feel a bit uninspired here, but it gets much better later. Highlights include a log ride, falling leaves over a pit which you must time and leap from one to the next, and a SWEET haunted log cabin that is home to some gret set pieces (i.e. the Pinocchio-like dolls with their noses extending out acting as platforms -- ace!)
there's even a mini-game you can play that is Dunk Hunt-esque!
Boss: A Tree-Man that climbs the trunks in the foreground. Very easy.
2. FOOD
Yes, food. The night levels with the
ASTONISHING constellation in the background are flat out amazing. Hudson worked it! A great set-piece is the large pyramid composed by empty wine glasses. Slowly, they fill up... and Milon even reacts to the flowing wine if you leave him standing there. This world also introduces the "forced scroller" level, where the screen scrolls forward and you have to jump from platform to platform.
Remember kids, Milons says... protection is mandatory
Boss: Iron Chef... presents an actual challenge unlike boss 1 but he's still as easy to crack as a day-old fortune cookie.
3. CHURCH
Some creepy odd music in this world. Highlights include a fun bell-hopping stage and a unique level where on/off switches litter the floors (touch any off switch and darkness devours the scene except for the color of the switches and Milon's white pupils)
ay sure bar-hopping's fun... but 'cha really gotta try bell-hopping some day, and I don't mean going from Taco Bell to Taco Bell to death....
Boss: Magician-like creature who floats across the screen above ground... here the boss difficulty starts to really pile on. Battle takes place in front of a theatre stage.
4. WATER
Much of it is on land though, but there are plenty of underwater sequences. When underwater you'll come to quickly hate the spear-throwing frogmen.
Catch some waves dude
Boss: A giant princess whose weak spot is her face -- as you hit the face it slowly degrades to that of a nasty ole frog.
5. ICE
Ah, I love this world. It has some of the game's best graphics and stages and is incredibly fun to play through. 5-3 is a sled stage that absolutely kicks ass. And the sight alone of
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS is super ace.
oooooh, ahhhhhhhh.
Those Northern Lights man... are a sight to behold...
Boss: Gi-normous snowman.... really the first boss to give me big time fits.
6. FIRE
Oh c'mon you knew this was coming. Another fun world to go through. Two separate force-scrolling stages here.
the force-scrollers can be be double tough...
Boss: A sun that transforms into a moon and vice versa. When fighting the sun it will be daytime. Moon night time. Nice touch. Sun is easy and your meal ticket. Moon is the one you gotta watch out for.
7A. TOYLAND 7B. HAUNTED HOUSE
7A.
The toy stages are absolutely stunning in the richness of color they use. The boss of Toy Land is a giant Christmas present, with an ugly head popping out. He fires a barrage of orange fireballs that are very tough to dodge... took me many tries to beat him.
7B.
The Haunted House can be tricky indeed, with traps and spirits lurking about... not to mention a strange Yoda-like leaping nuisance. I guarantee you will be the victim of Sir Bouncy more than once.
Boss: It's back to back fights. 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 come close to beating the final boss. If you can beat her, you get much props. I tried for 90 minutes, and 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 will find yourself backtracking often to restore your health to 3 hits (green suit) before re-facing the boss. Hey it's hard love...
-Infinite continues
-Password system (too bad it wasn't battery-backed). It will start you on the 1st stage of that world, so you have to do all the work again if you quit, say, after losing to a boss and turning the system off. Thankfully the passwords are 4 characters and all numbers, none of this "20 characters, er is that a S or 5" crap
-Hold attack until Milon flashes to unleash an "ultimate attack"
-Different powerups are available and hidden inside breakable items. Powerups include floating shoes, double bubble, bubble gum (if you fall to a bottomless pit Milon automatically blows the gum to lift him to solid ground), etc.
-There is a storyline that unfolds in pictures and text, but thankfully the pictures are self-explanatory when it comes to the game introducing new gameplay elements in each world
-Milon is selectable as a bomber in Saturn Bomberman (Hudson, '97)
IN CONCLUSION...
Do Re Mi Fantasy is an excellent platformer that every serious SNES owner should own. Forget playing it on a keyboard; the game is to be enjoyed on the SNES control pad trust me. It's too bad it didn't receive a domestic release. EGM and GameFan would have whored the game to no ends, I'm sure. And really, Do Re Mi Fantasy doesn't have a tremendous "Japanese" feel, so it's a double shame it was never released here in the States.
Oh well, thanks to a pair of pliers though, any of us can get in on the act. That is... if you can find a copy (I believe they are quite rare) and at a decent price. (I believe they're quite expensive, too)
A terrific gem, period.
---
1-1 Woods
2-3 Love the Constellation
3-2 Bell Hoppin'
4-1 Take a Swim...
5-1 Northern Lights!
6-1 Hot or Cold Milon Does It All
7-1 Toy Madness