Rolan's Curse for Game Boy - A Review | hungrygoriya

[@TopSpot123]

That feeling when you enjoy the game review more than the reviewer enjoyed the game. At least the graphics are okay, lol. I love the clear but creative ways you describe things, sorry this one wasn't what you wished it was.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thanks! The graphics are pretty great, which is part of what tricked me in the first place. It looked really polished! I guess you can't win them all.

[@Satiator123]

When you enjoy the review more than you enjoyed the game. Definitely some nostalgia there for me, but not enough to actually play the game again myself 😂.

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

"Go and rock that turkey!" - well, if nothing else, this one has one of the FINEST lines of dialogue ever put into a video game 😁 I think we can all agree on that.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's pretty funny!

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

@Boco Corwin lmao (^-^)

[@hemangchauhan2864]

I really appreciate you for showing physical items in your vids whenever they pop up. Being in India where we never had the luxury of every seeing proper console game boxes until PS2, I really like the manual, trinkets and other things that were contained in older games.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's my pleasure! Original hardware and those other resources are pretty important to me so I'm glad to share my collection!

[@Somarinoa]

“Ghostly balloon” was NOT my first thought when I saw that death animation. 🫣

[@PositronPlays]

Great review! I had both this and the sequel back in the day, Rolan's Curse 2 is a significantly better game as I recall so that may be worth a look!

[@hungrygoriya]

I will get to Rolan's Curse II someday. I hope it's at least a little more polished than this one.

[@RedAuxPDX]

One thing that stuck out to me is that when you are attacking enemies there’s no knock back. Your hit somebody with your little knife and they’d just keep coming. So that makes it nearly impossible to get out of the way I bet! Thank you for the great review and also #teamWand

[@hungrygoriya]

#teamWand for life. And yeah, that's a good point! No knockback for enemies is a big problem here. They just stay on top of you constantly!

[@lordjlo817]

Man, I wish I had this as a kid. My dad and I used to play Gameboy together all the time. Tetris and Football were there big ones we played, but this would've slotted in the rotation nicely. Excellent review, as usual!

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww yeah, the more 2-player games you could've enjoyed, the better! I'd love to see how the two-player works. I was only able to find a death compilation from some folks on KZbin...

[@muhammadmurdock1191]

thank you, it was one of my fav game to play on gameboy back then

[@hungrygoriya]

It's a fun one!

[@dalehoffman]

This is a game I bought when it was new, and I had the same experience as Hungry Goriya, thinking it would be more like other games with this graphics style. However, I never regretted buying it, and actually enjoyed it. The greatest thing about this game was how good the items looked on the old GB system. Some of the items looked so shiny, and you can see that the developers put some time into the graphics, especially with items and some landscape features. When I was a teen, I used to try to draw the items as they might look in real life. Good memories.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad you loved it for what it was. Did you ever play Rolan's Curse 2 or Ninja Taro? I think those had a little more adventure in them but look very similar to this game.

[@the1ucidone]

I love this channel so much.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm so glad! Thank you for taking the time to watch. I really appreciate it!

[@the1ucidone]

@@hungrygoriya You're one of the last great gaming channels on KZbin. Truly your content is what we crave as I have been a fan since your channel started. Excellent work Hungry Goriya. :)

[@hungrygoriya]

@@the1ucidone Well hopefully I can keep making videos for a long time. Thank you!

[@projectmayhem6898]

Thanks!

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you very much!

[@TheMultiGunMan]

This is an absolutely brilliant and awesome review. Keep up the good work and please keep these videos coming.

[@toryficarola]

"GO AND ROCK THAT TURKEY!"

[@snoopyrogain541]

The villager at 2:15 looks like if Pac-Man and the Hawaiian punch guy had a baby.

[@hungrygoriya]

Haha yes, definitely a strange little person!

[@NorrinRaddIITurbo]

I always wondered what this game was like. Good review👍🏻

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks :) Do you think you'll play it sometime?

[@NorrinRaddIITurbo]

@@hungrygoriya If I can come across it I will!

[@Finalzero]

Hello, I just discovered your channel and your videos are fantastic. Please never stop making retro reviews :)

[@hungrygoriya]

That's awfully kind of you to say! Thanks so much for being here!

[@retrogamingknight]

Great review! A lot of earlier GB games are pretty short like this, I think the mentality was you were only going to play for a short time while you're out and about. I imagine that the sequel probably fixed a lot of the wonky things from this one.

[@hungrygoriya]

One can only hope the second one's a bit better!

[@BigBearHgX]

Hey its my two favorite youtubers chatting! ❤❤

[@JanusKastin]

Wow, Roland's Curse. That was the last Gameboy game I ever asked for christmas. When I finished it by lunchtime christmas day, well.... Even if it wasn't the game's fault, disappointed isn't a strong enough word.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awwww :( I can just imagine how frustrating it was to be done so soon. I wonder if this game was "full price" back then. I know prices varied, but still... I'm curious. Have you played it again since then or have you decided to leave that in the past?

[@JanusKastin]

@@hungrygoriya I was like 12 or 13 then. I gave my original gameboy collection was given to a relative who didn't take particular care of it, so they're long gone. I've played it on emulator a time or two in between longer games. It's fine now that I know it'll only take me part of an afternoon to get through.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@JanusKastin Awww :( I'm sorry about your collection. That's so sad! Good that you've been able to revisit Rolan's Curse since then though. I can see myself picking it back up on a trip or something. I don't mind firing up a handheld before bed to unwind if I'm travelling for work or on vacation.

[@natesaibot]

6:57 I really like the music there.

[@hungrygoriya]

The soundtrack's excellent! No surprises there!

[@friskygato]

Hungry Goriya, the gaming messiah. A very thorough review stated concisely. I loved the dry humor. It's always nice to get reviews of games I've never heard of. Looking forward to your next review.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks so much! I have more coming so stay tuned :)

[@thewingedavenger1007]

Excellent review as always! I've never played this one but I definitely thought it was an action RPG. I probably won't bother playing it now that I know what it really is.

[@hungrygoriya]

I would say there are better things out there to play. And thank you!

[@Dedicatedtolivinginthepast]

The screenshots on the back of the box make it look like Zelda link's awakening

[@hungrygoriya]

All lies I tell you!

[@HybridAngelZero]

This is one of those games that I would absolutely pick up at a thrift store for like $5. It definitely feels like an "I'm tired and have minimal brain power right now, but I want to play a game" game. Honestly, it may be worth it for the localization alone. "Thou art awesome!" XD

[@hungrygoriya]

The conversations made me crazy... it's such a mishmash! Olde English, then random modern day stuff... just... pick one!!!

[@HybridAngelZero]

@@hungrygoriya It really feels like it was either translated by one person with literally no oversight, or two people who didn't communicate with each other at all xD

[@hungrygoriya]

@@HybridAngelZero That's definitely the vibe I get as well!

[@EdmondDantes224]

You have a fully boxed copy of Ghost Lion. I'm jealous. That's one of my NES favorites and I only have a cartridge.

[@hungrygoriya]

I was really lucky to come across it in such nice condition like that. I hope you can find it complete someday too!

[@racer4200]

Great review. I'll have to give it a shot.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks! I hope you have fun with it!

[@AL_Talks]

Nice review. I agree in the sense that you presented in how this was done the way that it was due to limitations and being on the Gameboy (easy, short pick up and play bursts) but I can't help but think this is like an Anti-RPG or an unintentional basis for such games. The overpowered (but still quite vulnerable) hero, the lack of world building, the simplistic quest, the unintentional humor from otherwise vacuous NPCs, etc. All that is missing is a meta commentary about the state of the world (but maybe there is one? I didn't play it but it doesn't seem like there was from what you said) I could be projecting though because I just started playing MOON and I'm a fan of others like Wandersong and Undertale. Maybe next time I go on a long car trip up North or down South (or out West) I could play thru this and find out myself. "Go and rock that turkey" - Amazing way to finish, that's how you pack charm and humor into an NPC character IMO

[@hungrygoriya]

I wondered if it might be a parody of sorts as well, but it's hard to say. I can barely find any information on the game outside of what's in the manual and a few walkthroughs out there. I hope you will give it a shot too sometime. It's a bit finicky and tedious in places, but it's still fun if you don't mind a little bit of fuss. And yeah, as strange as some of the NPC phrases were, some of them were cute. I definitely laughed out loud at a few.

[@oldirtygamer]

I will have to try this one.

[@GuyDude-hk8uy]

1:08 Elemental Gimmick Gear! Now *that* is a deep cut :) You ever play Silver for the DC? Another highly underrated RPG.

[@hungrygoriya]

I haven't played Silver yet. I've heard mixed things about it and currently don't own a copy.

[@DanielSantosAnalysis]

I remember watching a Lets Play literally more than a decade ago on the sequel and I remember it being a lot more interesting compared to what showed in your video, you might want to give it a shot.

[@hungrygoriya]

That's my plan for the future, absolutely! I can't wait to play it, especially if it's more polished.

[@Roofgeese]

Yayyyyy! New vid!

[@lessthankate]

Rolan looks like a good time held back by the hardware. The boxart makes it look kind of like a frantic 2 player co-op game which makes me wonder how it would play if they had leaned into that a little bit. And the North American version can be really pricy (the cheapest cart is going for around 120 on ebay) but Bomberman Quest is Zelda-like adventure with a lot of meat on the stick and well worth checking out if you haven't already. There isn't much in the way of narrative so the Japanese version could be played through fairly easily with a guide explaining what the items do.

[@hungrygoriya]

That's honestly crazy to hear... I didn't pay nearly that for my copy, but I got it a few years ago. And yeah... I wonder if it's just meant to be enjoyed with someone else. It's definitely a unique co-op experience for the genre/time.

[@SaadAzim]

Great video. I'm probably focusing on the wrong thing here but is that a Sailor Moon table cover at 8:40?

[@hungrygoriya]

It is! I've used it in a few other videos over the years too. It makes for a good backdrop.

[@PixelRocket]

Excellent video! I feel like I would have really liked this game if I had it growing up. It may lend itself well to speedrunning...Hmmm.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm curious to know what the speedrun looks like. I can't see there being much RNG...

[@RiotSRetro]

Thought I left a comment. Guess I didn't. This was one of the games that was on my sounds cool check out and maybe buy list. But the more I looked into it didn't seem worth the price because it seems like the 2nd game did everything so much better. Great to hear your views on it! Still causally working my way through Great Greed, it's been....interesting to say the least. Look forward to anything gameboy related you do!

[@hungrygoriya]

Sometimes I start leaving a comment and accidentally navigate away or get distracted, and KZbin doesn't seem to keep a draft... I've lost a lot of messages that way! Good to know that the second game has some shine to it. A few others have said the same so I'm looking forward to that sometime. I definitely have a lot more Game Boy to play, so not to worry. There will be more :)

[@Ragesauce]

I don't know if this would be your genre, but one of my favorite portable games is actually a turn-based strategy game called Heroes of Might and Magic for the Gameboy Color. It's surprisingly fun, the music is catchy, and it plays well. They made a sequel for it that is far inferior to the original, which is such a shame...but the first game is all you really need. If you ever have some free time, I highly suggest trying it out, this is coming from someone who sunk hours into games like final fantasy legends, pokemon, link's awakening, and every other RPG you could think of, and I LOVE this game.

[@hungrygoriya]

Good to know! I'll definitely see if I can find a copy!

[@Ragesauce]

@@hungrygoriya cool, if you like it and decide to throw some gameplay footage up, i'll be the first to watch!

[@codypimp6172]

I remember this game

[@marquisdan7659]

I had a neighbor named Roland once, but his curse was just four letters long and probably couldn't be repeated in this video without raising the age rating.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh dear!

[@first__last]

Despite its shortcomings, it's still pretty impressive for a mere 32 kilobyte game. That makes it one of the smallest games on the system, not to mention 8 KB smaller than the original Super Mario Bros..

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh what a neat bit of trivia!

[@MosesMedinaE]

This was great! It really motivates me to go back and reexperience stuff or explore for more. Actively going through newer stuff, Grandia 1 and Ni No Kuni. Thank you for the vid and content. 🤙

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm stuck deep in retro all the time at this point. Newer stuff doesn't appeal to me as much for some reason and the aesthetic of this generation just keeps sucking me back in!

[@MosesMedinaE]

@@hungrygoriya I completely understand! Though I do play modern stuff, my go to are PS1/Saturn Era and previous generations. That's my sweet spot. I do personally feel that it's a case of "they don't make em like they use to". I look forward to your next video and insight.

[@philmason9653]

Sometimes I'll see this game mentioned somewhere or see ads for it looking through scans of old magazines and think "Dang, why didn't I get that back in the day?" Thanks for this review, you've put those idle thoughts to rest, lol. It seemed like being really short was the bane of many a GameBoy game back in the day, rpgs included. As an adult it's fine, but it's why my GameBoy collection was really small back in the day. It often didn't seem worth using a birthday or Christmas present slot on, and the carts were generally priced too high for any saved up allowance. It's too bad, because it could have been a fantastic hide-out-in-your-room rpg machine otherwise. Kids who grew up with the GBA & DS really lucked out in that regard.

[@hungrygoriya]

You know, I've heard that Rolan's Curse 2 and Ninja Taro are much better games in this engine. They're apparently longer and much more fleshed out, but Rolan's Curse was unfortunately a big disappointment for me. I've played some really interesting Game Boy games and I'm always surprised at how long some of them are! Great Greed is a good example of an RPG that completely blew my mind with its humour and complexity.

[@retronartz1268]

This looks like a game I would’ve loved if it wasn’t so simple

[@hungrygoriya]

I agree wholeheartedly. A little more polish on this one and a little more depth would've gone a long way to make this much more memorable. It's a shame!

[@expsharevideogames]

Man that whole not being able to attack at all while moving at all sounds really inconvenient and frustrating. Honestly the fact the game is only 3 hours long is probably the main thing that makes me consider actually playing it one day since it sounds pretty underwhelming.

[@hungrygoriya]

So underwhelming! I hope you'll have a good time with it when you get to it.

[@Satiator123]

I never completed this game, but I did pick it up and play it from time to time. There was nothing very exciting about it, but it wasn't horrible either. And it was a Gameboy game, so it served its purpose and killed some time when needed.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, I think you nailed it. It just is. Nothing wrong with that!

[@Shamazya]

The villages would drive me up a wall! I don't necessarily need villages to give me tangible benefits like items or hints but they need to give me some reason for being there. Minor sprinklings of lore is totally welcome! I'm the kind of player that really doesn't like missing out on lore or secrets and so I'll often interact with literally everything in the hopes of uncovering something.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm definitely the same way, and these villagers wore my patience pretty thin, haha

[@PragmatikReviews]

Farmable items that can stack seems pretty great, but the possibility with just being underpowered at the end is disheartening. Looks to have all the cuteness of Dragon Warrior though! Leave it to you to find stuff I've never heard of

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, it's totally disheartening! I think you can walk back to previous areas at least so you're not locked into an unwinnable situation, but it's just tedious!

[@candmmi]

I will always love video game bad guys that just walk into you and try to occupy the same space as your character even if they have a weapon 😂

[@hungrygoriya]

Haha such bullies!

[@interghost]

Nice review as always. Not a game Ive heard of but defo one I would had picked up as a kid. I like the look of it, but with all those flaws Im guessing it would be super annoying. Although, as its also quite a short game I would had liked to play this as my younger self as I was terrible at completing games lol Thanks for the review x

[@hungrygoriya]

It feels tedious more than anything else. It feels more like a work in progress rather than a finished game in some aspects. It's short enough to beat now too, if you feel so inclined!

[@INFPGamer]

Great soundtrack indeed.

[@PenDreamt]

Faxanadu! Oh such a fun game. Rolan's Curse - marry anyone you want at the end, it's fantastic lol.

[@hungrygoriya]

Are you thinking of Great Greed with the marriage thing?

[@WiLLiW_oficial]

Love this Show! And did you notice how amazing is the Rolan's Curse 2 box cover art?

[@hungrygoriya]

Rolan's Curse 2 certainly looks like a step up in many ways!

[@ajpiskel]

@@hungrygoriya I don't know if you've gotten a chance to play it in the last year, but Rolan's Curse 2 is quite a few steps up, but I'd caution any large expectations. I think it's a very good game for what it is, and it is quite an improvement over the first game, but overall it is a much more simplistic experience compared to certain other gameboy titles, like Final Fantasy Adventure.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@ajpiskel I haven't played Rolan's Curse 2 yet! It's been in my collection for a while now but I've been focusing on other stuff at the moment. I'm looking to get back into Game Boy soon enough so maybe that'll be up next. Have you played Ninja Taro? I played it a couple of months ago and it was an okay time!

[@ajpiskel]

@@hungrygoriya Yes! I had a good time with Ninja Taro. It's another game that has pretty fun gameplay that I wish was just a bit more polish or just a bit more too it. It's fantastic as part of a showcase on the type of games on gameboy that really drew me in to the system!

[@aaronlyttle775]

The combat is similar in Ninja Taro, which I understand has gotten very expensive since I had it as a child, but Taro has the benefit of (1) a broader story, rather than chapters and (2) the ability to store items

[@hungrygoriya]

I've had my eye on Ninja Taro for a few years and the prices just keep climbing. Hopefully I'll find a copy for a reasonable price some day! That sounds wonderful.

[@aaronlyttle775]

@@hungrygoriya I searched my childhood bedroom for my old copy to no avail

[@hungrygoriya]

@@aaronlyttle775 :( I'm sorry

[@TheReNesance]

Nicely done, and thank you for reaffirming that I will never play this game. If only I had your patience, because it did look cute.

[@hungrygoriya]

At least your patience wouldn't run out before you finished this... it's too short!

[@TheReNesance]

@@hungrygoriya Don't challenge me.

[@adamlee3789]

Hey baby! Glad to have you back. Keep up the good work, do you take requests?

[@TheDemonking82]

I absolutely loved this game and part two behind terminator 2 judgement day and home alone 2 this was my most played game.

[@hungrygoriya]

Right on! It's a good time passer!

[@BloominOnion1]

I recognize that intro music.....Faxanadu?

[@hungrygoriya]

That's it! It's one of my favourite games.

[@marcst3199]

It looks like Final Fantasy Adventure at the First glance. no wonder you were dissapointed, I would have been too

[@hungrygoriya]

Totally! I still have to play Final Fantasy Adventure for myself, but I've seen a good deal of it played through friends and I'm really looking forward to that one sometime.

[@snookers5123]

I bought this one back in the day at a Blockbuster entirely because of its cover. Then I learned that they had a no return policy.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh no! Did you finish it the same day? Someone else said they had that experience at Christmas and it was sad to read :(

[@7thangelad586]

Both of these are fantastic games! I’m always on the hunt for undetected Game Boy hits :) I ran across a similar one called Ninja Taro that’s definitely worth a shot!

[@hungrygoriya]

I've heard great things about Ninja Taro but it's also a bajillion dollars! I keep hoping for the price to come down but it never seems to. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[@7thangelad586]

@@hungrygoriya If you want to try a range of different types, you could also play Altered Space, Knight’s Quest, or Mysterium. Apologies if you’ve already reviewed them. I discovered this channel not long ago, and I’ve been watching a few videos off and on.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@7thangelad586 Oh goodness, no worries! I haven't heard of two of the three on your list. I'll look into them! I'm always looking for new experiences, so this is very helpful. Thank you!

[@IlkerDeth]

yes indeed the music was extraordinary compared to the rest of the game, almost as good as e.g. the music from Gargoyle's Quest (brilliant game) by the way I looked into the sequel of this game Rolan's Curse 2 it is brilliant, not comparable with this first installment the second game is far more developed and advanced if you don't know it you must give it a try, it has the potential to become one of your favorites

[@hungrygoriya]

Good to know! I have the sequel but just haven't had a chance to play through it yet. Thanks for letting me know about its awesomeness!

[@IlkerDeth]

@@hungrygoriya anyway I love the stlye of the second installment. It has a very unique way that I did not encounter in any other action RPG I played so far

[@MrVariant]

0:20 New games are like this too lol some are obscure. Tough to find anything on the secret of varonis. I had to upload some stuff myself for a youtube copy, like treachery in beatdown city ultra remix as it is postgame dlc, which vids only have the base game. Super ultimate fighters gives tons of smash bros links too. 1:44 the game functions and you wished it was longer. Not really bad compared to broken stuff today that crashes or auto finishes (suicide squad kills the justice league) let alone fft level difficulty spikes/balance inconsistency

[@hungrygoriya]

It was just okay. I hoped for more, and it felt a bit flat for my expectations, but it was fine for what it was.

[@MrVariant]

@@hungrygoriya I'm good with average. Ff7 remake and rebirth bastardized everything

[@hungrygoriya]

@@MrVariant I haven't played the original yet. Sorry the remake disappointed you!

[@MikeDolanFliss]

Multiplayer?! Wow, that was a surprise at the end there. Ahead of its time! Would that make it a spiritual ancestor of secret of mana? I wonder whether modern PC emulators might make Rolan's Curse a bit more interesting with easier multiplayer than the crazy "hold your gameboys (you can already barely see!) close to each other for an extended tethered session." Interesting review!

[@hungrygoriya]

I don't know if it'd be at all connected to Secret of Mana but definitely a trailblazer in the multiplayer RPG genre! It'd be nice to see people try this multiplayer with modern PCs versus doing it the old fashioned way!

[@starofjustice1]

I remember enjoying the second one a lot more.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, I'm very much looking forward to Rolan's Curse 2. I also picked up Ninja Taro recently which looks very similar!

[@stepheng8061]

Idk about this game but it plus the frog for whom the bell tolls inspired my favorite game links awakening

[@hungrygoriya]

I have a reproduction of that one hanging around somewhere that I still need to play sometime.

[@emilioa.2365]

I used to love this fkn game. A neighborhood guy found it and was like here kid.

[@hungrygoriya]

Lucky!

[@Goati_]

that Wand of Uzi looks a lot like a microphone...

[@hungrygoriya]

This is suddenly a Kirby game!

[@purplebeard806]

How did you get it to run in colour? Isnt it Black and white?

[@hungrygoriya]

I played it on the Super Game Boy. It has some different colour palettes that you can apply, and I find this reddish one is much nicer than black and white or the traditional green.

[@MotherKojiro]

I did enjoy my time with this, but mostly for its weird structure; it was almost like an action-oriented board game, for lack of a better way to describe it. The sequel is a more traditional Action-Adventure, from what I remember, but it's been a long time since I've played it.

[@ZEKESPILLEDINKMUSIC]

So, this game is basically a half baked Legend of Zelda clone: especially with that sword attack.

[@hungrygoriya]

Well, not really? It's not open world, there are no dungeons, there are no puzzles involving special items, nothing to collect like the triforce, etc. Other than a person swinging a sword, there's not much in common in my opinion.

[@ineptsparrow]

It is a gorgeous game though!

[@hungrygoriya]

You bet! It's part of the trickery that lured me in.

[@Aqua.man045]

Imo this was the best gameboy game of 1991 even better than FF adventures and FF legend 2.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad you had such a nice time with it. I haven't tried FFA, but the FFL games I've played, while fun, have their fair share of problems too.

[@ichigokarasu]

Due to the colors of the packaging, I have always associated Faxanadu with Thousand Island salad dressing. 😆

[@hungrygoriya]

Hahaha oh no... I haven't had that in years! I should probably try it again sometime... I don't even remember what that flavour is! Poor Faxanadu's weird colouration! It's pretty unappealing!

[@gameboydadtm37]

I haven’t played Rolan’s Curse, but I played part 2. From what was explained they’re both kind of the same Rolan’s Curse 2 seems to have just added a bit more to the game play like replay value. Rolan’s Curse 2 was a good game, but not a great one and not worth the price it goes for now.

[@hungrygoriya]

I have the second one kicking around but haven't played it yet. I'm sad to know it's more of the same. I'll still give it a shot some day though.

[@gameboydadtm37]

@@hungrygoriyaI mean they did make it a little better they fixed some things. You just have to play it. Hope to hear your opinion about it one day.

[@japanimationman4442]

Just got off work to find a new Goriya review! Nice! Shame the game was a bit of a letdown. Guess we can't win 'em all.

[@hungrygoriya]

My high hopes crashed down in a blaze of glory, but it was still an experience nonetheless.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

I'm sorry you played thru this entire game! It must have been frustrating. The sequel is better but still not great. There were many great games on the Game Boy, including several RPGs I played back then and still love, but I have to admit it was a mixed bag. Some of the adventure experiences are just lackluster. I would go with Crusader Of Centy, Neutopia, Willow, Alundra, or even Beyond Oasis for a good 2D action adventure RPG. They have engaging worlds and have that adventure feel I just find it frustrating when I can't interact with the world and combat is slow and clunky. It kills the vibe for me. I want to be transported. I want to be the hero. If the world is static and lifeless, why do I care about saving it and why do I want to spend time in it? Link's Awakening, the best Game Boy game, has a charming and mysterious world that drives you to spend more time in it. Pokémon has an interesting and distinctive world with quirks and history. I could go on. I grew up playing handheld adventure games. You can do a lot. This game just missed it. I feel like it was a cheap release to cash in on the action RPG trend and it sucks that people (especially kids) who were looking for an epic adventure just didn't get it

[@hungrygoriya]

I've played all of the games you mentioned except for Alundra and Beyond Oasis, so looks like I still have some cool stuff to experience yet! Link's Awakening is something I played for a long time throughout my childhood and adored it for all the reasons you mentioned. I liked exploring it, getting to know its lore, and the whole narrative of that one drew me right in. Rolan's Curse was pretty superficial compared to many things I've played, but it's still fun for what it is if you don't take it too seriously or expect too much from it. Nobody would've known that going in back when it was new, unfortunately.

[@Sarlagon]

The soundtrack and somewhat the atmosphere is what made this game for me when I was kid. Beyond that, wasn't very good.

[@hungrygoriya]

This pretty much sums it up!

[@plateoshrimp9685]

I kinda like that illustration of the monsters. Sort of like a crappy version of Vaughn Bode. But in a good way.

[@hungrygoriya]

I also love it! When I first read the manual, it was something I knew I wanted to include in the review.

[@sanny87]

Shame the game was bad. The music sounds really good and I quite like the graphics.

[@hungrygoriya]

It was just really superficial! I like a little more depth in my action games!

[@burntsauce9136]

For some reason i read that narration screen in Morgan Freeman's voice. 😂

[@hungrygoriya]

He's a great narrator!

[@ZBR_ProXP]

Go and rock that turkey!

[@hungrygoriya]

I did it!

[@PowerPandaMods]

Hmm... a lot of the criticisms you have for the combat in this game are things that I felt when playing Golden Axe Warrior. Never face a monster head-on. Use the axe whenever possible so you can attack from the side. Pressing a new direction forces you to take a (large) step, so it's hard to position yourself correctly. If you are complaining about those on THIS game, but not Golden Axe Warrior, then it must be bad.

[@hungrygoriya]

I had a feeling someone might mention Golden Axe Warrior, and here we are! So I think the difference there is that at least you're fast enough to get out of the way, sometimes. The combat's definitely frustrating in that one, no question, but it had so much else going for it that it didn't overshadow the whole experience. Did you know that it's possible to pivot in one square in that one? I had no idea the whole time I played, but it would've made things a lot smoother had I known.

[@RyumaXtheXKing]

Everybody talks about Rolans curse but no one remembers Ninja taro!

[@hungrygoriya]

I wish I owned a copy to play. It's so expensive :(

[@HaLP-halp]

11th! I confess I haven't watched yet. But ima gonna Edit: ok I watched. Small ghostly balloon, huh?

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, the little balloon reminds me of a game called Avenging Spirit where you're a ghost going between different people to take over and fight with. Ever see that one?

[@HaLP-halp]

@@hungrygoriya doesn't ring a bell, no. But im yet to disagree with any of your opinions. My favorite Goriya video of all time is Miracle Warriors fyi. Your review did that game justice as well as my fondest childhood rpg moment. Those were the good ol' days when imagination still had a place in gaming.

[@rookwall8697]

I remember buying and playing this game as a kid and I was so disappointed and angry I wasted my mom's money on such a kusoge.

[@hungrygoriya]

Have you ever heard of Ninja Taro? It's made in this same engine I think, and it's the game you hoped this one would be.

[@rookwall8697]

@@hungrygoriya That title completely blipped on me as a kid and I had to look it up now, and I can see it running on a slightly improved engine. That said, I loved Rolan's Curse 2. Never did beat it cause I was jumping around so many Gameboy games at the time, especially Sword of Hope 2. Just wish I had the foresight to keep these carts, cause the merchant in me would have banked.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@rookwall8697 Rolan's Curse 2 is one I still need to play. I've been looking for a copy of Sword of Hope 2 for years and years now, but the price just keeps going up and up :( Maybe some day I'll luck into one! Sorry you don't have your old games anymore.

[@rookwall8697]

@@hungrygoriya I know you hate backseating (I've stumbled into your streams from time to time), but if you ever get RC2, it's a little charming if very minimalist story. There is a party system, the inventory system is improved and the combat is faster. Course all sequels are improved blah blah blah, but it left a impression on my younger dumber self haha.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@rookwall8697 I DO hate backseating, haha... thanks for checking the streams out! I have been wanting to play Rolan's Curse 2 but I was so disappointed in the first one that I need to work up the desire to. This is heartening!

[@toryficarola]

This game looks as archaic as the first Dragon Quest but not as tightly executed.

[@hungrygoriya]

I was about to type that it's not as archaic as Dragon Quest because you don't have to select stairs to use a staircase, but then I remembered there are no stairs. And there's no exploration in a tiny, dark 3x3 view like you get in that game either... they're apples and oranges!

[@markasscop]

always a shame when nice looking games fall short

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, it was a bit disappointing. A little more depth in places would've went a long way for me.

[@charleybarley7148]

I was so disappointed with this game. I think it's because somebody told me it was basically "Link's Awakening." Umm, no. The expectations were through the roof.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad I was not the only person who was tricked by hearsay or the back of the box :(

[@Njuregen]

This game not feels like anything you'd replay at all and there better game boy rpgs, though it is barely an rpg.

[@hungrygoriya]

I think it serves its purpose best as a distraction from reality for a while. There's really no depth to it.

[@oldirtygamer]

Got first comment!!

[@BigBearHgX]

The second game was far better!

[@BigBearHgX]

Also the sperm when you die had me cracking up as a kid!

[@hungrygoriya]

@@BigBearHgX I still need to play the second one. That little sperm ghost happens in another game... I think Ninja Taro maybe?

[@BigBearHgX]

@@hungrygoriya I've seen it in a few places, you can't convince me that was an accident

[@nickk3077]

This game seems like such a missed opportunity.

[@hungrygoriya]

I think with a little more depth, I would've loved it.

[@JeffreyOsb]

Both Zelda and Final Fantasy Adventure are much better games in this genre for the Gameboy.

[@hungrygoriya]

Totally. This one felt more like an appetizer compared to the multi-course meal both of those games you mentioned are.

[@nintendofan707]

AVGN needs to review this turd.

[@brycedoubleu]

yikes, you seem to play different games than what’s actually there.. atleast in your strange explanations

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh? I just talk about my first-time playthroughs of the games. I'm not sure what you mean.