The Gamer's Quarter

[JasonMoses]

First, some links. Download La Mulana from AGTP. At the moment, the translation patch is an incomplete update that doesn't translate the game's very important manual. I've uploaded the original patch myself though, so. Download the translation patch here. Then go back and download the patch that's actually on AGTP's page.

La Mulana is the most Konami game ever made. It's the story of an adventurer, Lemeza Kosugi, and his search through ancient ruins in search of his father, treasure, and Konami MSX game cartridges. It was developed by GR3 Project, a group of MSX enthusiasts who created several excellent Java sequels to the MSX versions of Gradius 2 and 3. They took their site down recently, but you can still download all the files they had on their site if you're interested.

On the surface, La Mulana is a spiritual successor to The Maze of Galious, which is an MSX game about traversing a big castle and 10 worlds, which all look exactly the same, looking for items and incanting big boss monsters. That was the original intention, anyway. Along the way, during 5 years of development, La Mulana transformed into one of the most insane and loving tributes to 8-bit video games ever.

Initially, Lemeza controls like a slightly more mobile version of an early Castlevania Belmont. Being an MSX fan-game, his most useful tool is his handy portable MSX, which supports a variety of useful software for mapping the ruins and translating tablets (sold seperately). His starting weapon is a whip, and the most annoying enemies consist of bats and swooping fowl who will knock you around and serve as general nuisances. It becomes very clear early on, however, that the real danger is the labyrinthine ruins themselves. At the beginning of the game, it's possible to accidentally trigger a trap and never be able to escape, and whipping around at random is a surefire way to accidentally hit a holy relic and get zapped by lightning, which is likely to mean instant death if you're at low HP. The enemies themselves, by comparison, are fairly inoccuous, dealing low damage for the most part and generally just serving as annoyances.

More than anything, though, the biggest psychological obstacle facing the player from the beginning of the game is an almost complete lack of knowledge about the game's internal logic. Even worse, the game's manual has a note from the designers in the back which reads as follows:

[dessgeega]

this game was actually the first thing i ever posted to tigsource about. i've been playing through the fan-translation here and there. it gives off that completely tantalizing 8-bit vibe that there are always secrets just beyond your reach. in a similiar way, it's also paced not by arbitrary barriers (though there are those) but by your own growing confidence in your abilities. similiar to, say, zelda (or to an archaeologist exploring monster-infested ruins?), you stick to places you know at first, making gradual forays into unknown - and likely more dangerous - areas, cautiously expanding your sphere of known terrain, backing off when it becomes too much for you. it feels pretty right.
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[Harveyjames]

It's really freaking hard though. It's been a while since I played it, but I remember thinking I might have to level-grind, which is an instant turn-off for me.

[a_plus]

yeah, it's taking me ages to even rasie enough money to buy the ability to save my game!
it does, however, remind me in a very very good way of going to a friend's/relative's and playing their NES games i've never heard of and never making any progress but loving it all the same. i still play legacy of the wizard in that way.

[JasonMoses]

[dessgeega]

there's a pot with ten coins (the price of the save rom) right outside the msx store, if i remember correctly.
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[Nana Komatsu]

[dessgeega]

i never save gta2. i was never compelled to when the game feels so easy to pick up and play.
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[a_plus]

oh, i.... didn't go to the left. i just hopped on into the ruins! things are going a bit smoothlier.

[Dracko]

You don't play La-Mulana. You endure La-Mulana. You endure it like you endure an aikido training session.
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

[Harveyjames]

The same could be said about Deadly Towers and Alien Rape Escape.

[Nana Komatsu]

[Mister Toups]

[a_plus]

oh man, this game is great. i fear i may have irreparably damaged a puzzle, and i hope that it doesn't block my progress later...
this game isn't really as fiendish as i was led to believe. it's difficult, yes, but it's not TOTALLY unfair, and jeez, at least they didn't opt to put a password system in there. i'll probably finish it in a few years, and it doesn't feel like something i am "enduring."

[a_plus]

oh, ya know what? i guess i DID make progress. it's hard to tell sometimes.
also, i can keep dying in this game and still hit "continue." i find i have a hard time doing that with any game anymore, but this of all games keeps me coming back for more deaths!

[Swimmy]

Either I am very bad at these puzzles, or these puzzles are very bad. Somebody tell me which.
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"Ayn Rand fans are the old school version of Xenogears fanboys."
-seryogin

[JasonMoses]

It varies a hell of a lot dependng on where you are in the game. If you're still near the beginning, then it's probably the prior.

[Swimmy]

It was indeed the prior. I was thinking of the tablets as screen clues rather than dungeon clues.

The traps make me afraid to experiment, but the game sure asks you to experiment a lot.
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"Ayn Rand fans are the old school version of Xenogears fanboys."
-seryogin