Sword Of Vermilion Review (Genesis) - BawesomeBurf

[@donaldduck119]

I remember this game winning "soundtrack of the year" in Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) magazine. Memories memories.

[@ericanulph1980]

Probably one of my favorite games of all time. Especially on the Genesis

[@raygowan1968]

This is still one of my favorite games

[@VincentJGoh]

31 is 2^5 - 1, which says to me that they allocated 5 bits to the level limit. They probably decided that level 63 was too many (2^6 - 1), and there's no sense in allocating 6 bits to the level limit if you're only going to use, say, 50 of them. (Fun fact, 31 is a Mersenne Prime, which means it's of the form 2^n - 1)

[@over9000pontiacs]

bro this is the first rpg I ever played/beat when I was in grade 2. awesome video. box art is totally not crappy its retro af

[@16-bitjunkie4]

I love the cheese of 80s box art

[@jhtomguo]

I remember this is one of the very first RPG I played as a kid. Got this gem when I was grade 2 with a non-translated version (well, I couldn't read either Japanese nor English). I couldn't figure out how to get a sword equipped to fight due to language barrier. A year passed with numerous times I tried to get it to work but without success. On my grade 3 summer, I decided to sit down and brute force this shit because I really really wanted to play this game! I got a pen and paper and tried to draw Japanese characters and also recorded everything input I made during the shop and equipment page. I jumped out of the chair when the first time I saw my character had a sword in combat! Anyways, it was the best summer.

[@Coreisus]

Hearing that 31 is the level cap, and the fact its a prime number, tells me that the games' leveling system is based on a specific math equation. Dont ya think?

[@pepelemacho]

I love your reviews Bawesome! It baffles me that you don't have like a million subscribers!

[@BawesomeBurf]

Hahaha well, I don't play the popular games or do clickbaity thumbnails, so I'll never approach numbers like that.

[@pepelemacho]

BawesomeBurf I can make clickbait thumbnails for you if you want lol

[@777shortino]

This was the first game I ever finished. Great game and sound

[@kahnkretefpv7594]

I remember that game and it was super different compared to the RPGs of the day. I've played RPGs since I started gaming and like u said, the combat system was innovative. Not turned based like most were back then, but real combat in real time. I thought the boss fights were sooo epic lol. Looking at now, yes the battle mechanics are barbaric by today's standards, but early 90's it was pretty dope game. Never got to beat it because my cousin had lent me his genesis while in vacation...had to give back the console. Good memories/times from that game. Also first rpg I played where I did mission and lost my entire inventory....wtf!

[@TimChuma]

I remember the UK gaming magazines recommending you get the cable to connect your console to a HIFI to listen to the music for this one.

[@BioPhoenixReviews]

there are parts of this game that i do really like but there is also some things that make it feel dated wish is a shame but overall its not bad. easily the best part is the games music. and now every time i think of the town music i always think of it as the towns 24/7 national anthem and all the guards are like "cant stop dancing to epic tune" because the sprite looks like they are dancing

[@BawesomeBurf]

Haha, it does look they are dancing.

[@Mcfly3077]

The basketball star Reggie Miller wore the number 31, so I imagine that he had something to do with this game.

[@BawesomeBurf]

Lol. Now I want to Photoshop the cover and put him on it.

[@VenomKitetsu]

Been playing this on Switch and really enjoying it. Just love the comfy, old school feel.

[@RPGtourguide]

Great review! I have fond memories of this one. A friend of mine brought it over, as it was one of his childhood favorites. This was probably around my senior year of high school, so I didn’t play it as a kid. And I had fun with it. It definitely has its issues, but something an RPG nit like myself can still appreciate. ;)

[@BawesomeBurf]

Yup, pretty much the same for me.

[@fargoretro]

Great vid covering a very nostalgic game.

[@neosildrake]

This game is simultaniously slow (movement in cities and dialogues) and kind of fast paced (except you still move like a snail) (battles). It has very a high difficult at the beginning.

[@BawesomeBurf]

Yup, it's pretty dangerous to wander too far away from the first town for a bit. A party of 8 monsters can whittle down your HP to nothing very quick.

[@Majora_T]

Woah, that was surreal seeing my NiGHTS stream playing in the background. Kudos on that! Yeah, on first glance, it does look derpy but I'll take your word on its merits. As much as I am a math nerd, 31 does raise some eyebrows. Cheers Burf!

[@BawesomeBurf]

Figured you would get a kick out of that. Level 31 is such a strange random number to end at.

[@Trepidity]

Got it with my Genesis one Christmas.

[@Ikouy]

I remember being introduced to this game with a real life version years here on KZbin back in the day but only got around to playing it recently on the Genesis collection. Personally I found it pretty addictive because it is an RPG that really doesn’t make me plan out how to proceed. As long as I get an area map I know I’m going in the right direction. Though I also opted for a run with no reliance on combat magic... The level cap also has an experience of 999,999 and I got through the last 400K in about two hours. I believe the level cap is there to keep the game difficult since some bosses deal damage based on other attributes that don’t reflect the defense rating. My only complaint is that the game is scripted in a manner where it is possible to miss out on certain events and items.

[@MrEdrftgyuji]

Towards the end of the game, enemies start rarely dropping stat boosting items. So it is possible to push your stats above what they would be at the level cap.

[@an3582]

I remember playing this back in the day on my cousins Genesis. I loved it but was a bit disappointed in the boss fights. I wish people romhacked this to make it worthy of a replay.

[@pepelemacho]

31 is a good age to be? For some reasons I find it akward when RPGs level cap is like 20, maybe I just like the level up sign popping up a lot because I feel achieved idk

[@mattirealm]

This was actually the 2nd or 3rd RPG I played. I think the first was Dragon Warrior I, and then Final Fantasy I, then this. It isn't great, but I have strong nostalgia towards it. I played all of these games when they hit the states, back in Middle School. Some people dog on the music of this one, but I like it. The boss battles are pretty fun and the grinding gets a lot more fun with that "boomerang spell." When you get that, you can clean up those fights easy. It's not bad!

[@IJens-ge3ei]

One of my favourite games ever made. Classic. Thank you for the video.

[@over9000pontiacs]

Hey dude this is the first rpg i ever played too! I was in 2nd grade in 96 when i played this i was totally obsessed. Bosses were hard and took me forever i didn't really understand grinding i only remember getting to the part where you score a princess lol

[@darrylbrostrom4633]

Same here...first one I played and beat!

[@mikeflyers77]

I loved that game. Played it when it came out when I was 12. I have a lot of consoles but nothing before sega dreamcast but it's on the ps4. It's called the sega genesis collection. Thank for the content.

[@hotdoggington6962]

Great review! 🍻

[@BawesomeBurf]

Hey thanks!

[@PaulGirdlestone]

Stick of Truth's 15 level cap is the weirdest I have seen. And you can reach it about half way through the game without any grinding at all.....

[@cookieskoon]

I always loved this game. It was my first not-Sonic Genesis game when I retroactively got a Genesis (in childhood we had a Nintendo/Snes, so I missed out on Sega stuff). I wish it was more widely appreciated and remembered.

[@BawesomeBurf]

It's not perfect, but I still enjoy it since it was my first RPG.

[@cookieskoon]

@@BawesomeBurf When I tell people they should give it a try, I always say, "Look at it through the lens of 1990. Final Fantasy IV had not yet set the bar, and neither had Link to the Past." :)

[@GameplayandTalk]

Good review. I can see this one having been decent back when it was new, but it seems like it hasn't aged terribly well.

[@BawesomeBurf]

Yup, that's pretty much my opinion on it, although I still may play it occasionally because it was my first.

[@shredguitarob]

I love this game! I just purchased the hint book, just to have haha. Really cool.

[@StephenImmanuelEnoch]

You didn't talk about how to get the sword of Vermilion. Be careful you don't throw it away early on when it's not usable. What about the most powerful weapon thats cursed but with an item to remove it, it is worthit.

[@BawesomeBurf]

I don't remember if I even got those in my playthrough. It's been a couple years since I played it. I'm sure they make things easier, but they probably don't fix the issue of getting surrounded by 8 enemies that are way faster than you. If I do decided to run through this one again, I'll be sure to seek those out.

[@rylotech907]

I wanted this game when I got a Genesis to get more of what I fell in love with after Final Fantasy I on NES. Ended up getting both Vermillion and the Genesis at the same time. I was quite young so the disappointment was pretty hard to swallow. Then not too long after that Final Fantasy II came out on SNES . This how i learned to start hating myself before the teenage angst years. Not until Shining Force did Genesis have an RPG capable of capturing my full attention. Sword of Vermillion is is like parts of Shadowgate, Dragon Warrior, Zelda and Altered Beast were redesigned to be more frustrated and then thrown together for the ultimate suckfest. I hate this game.

[@BawesomeBurf]

Haha, completely understandable. I only enjoy it for nostalgic reasons, but can definitely see why others would have problems with it.

[@rylotech907]

@@BawesomeBurf Right I get it, The first 3 American FF games are staples of my childhood and i still love them, money was so hard to come by at 10 years old so the regret of paying 54 dollars for this game and never getting 1/10 of my moneys worth out of it when i should have just saved and waited still haunts my dreams lol

[@TheGameGrinder]

I spot the edge of an Opeth logo : D Great review! I never played this one, but always thought it looked pretty neat growing up, but once I learned about it, figured I'd probably just pass on it. I'd nab the cart if I got it for cheap enough though cause why not?

[@BawesomeBurf]

Or you could just check it out on one of those Sega compilations, if you have them. And yes, that is an Opeth logo.

[@TheGameGrinder]

Indeed!

[@LeoLeo-tx4uy]

can someon e please write me if the seek option is of any use?

[@David_Alvarez77]

Yes, the seek command is used in a few places. First, in Deepdale, there is a secret healing spot in the water in town that you use the seek button to heal up for free. Also, more importantly, you use the seek command to search for and obtain certain late game items that are hidden in ruined towns, such as Rafael's stick or Titania's mirror. You can also use it when people por items lie before you in dungeons for a bit of flavor text.

[@TSPH1992]

Currently playing this one on steam. It's much better than playing a modern interactive movie sim

[@CynicalGamingBlogTerry309]

It's as if the developers had planned to make several completely diferrent games and just smushed them together.

[@BawesomeBurf]

That could be possible.

[@FightingWarrior]

I love this game, it was my first RPG

[@silvermusicbox3476]

i grew up playing it. i liked it but its been way to long. still looks ok

[@BawesomeBurf]

I think it's ok as well, but many others don't really care for it.

[@dietrichdietrich7763]

I am learning all about classic RPG's to study on my own. It sounds like the Sword Of Vermillion was underslept on.

[@dietrichdietrich7763]

It had many potential ideaS that didn't form right. More alluding illusion than full on game experience.

[@markovidovich284]

I really enjoyed this game. Like Phantasy Star 2 it came with a strategy guide that pretty much ruined the challenge for me. The box art really should have just been the title screen and the boss fights, although easy, looked amazing at the time. I wish there was a sequel which took all the feedback into account.

[@shootinthebreeze1880]

The sega classics complain is the best way too play this (or on an emulator) the save stats and rewind/fast forward definitely helps with the games manutany, it’s still one of my favorites on the genesis, though if someone was looking for the genesis best action rpg, i would lead them towards landstalker, since its both on the same collection, as well as being under $50 gor a complete in box copy if you want it physical, crusader of centi os the obvious best pick for the best genesis action rpg lol, but im pretty sure it’s never been rereleased and a physical copy can run you a couple of hundred dollars

[@AndrewInterviews]

Excellent game with excellent memories!!!

[@camdendexter]

I felt like the shop music was more akin to a Phantasy Star track than anything, but this predated Phantasy Star IV by a few years and shares no composer credits.

[@michaelsmulkowski5088]

I got the Genesis for this game.

[@x-destinygunblade3683]

its not bad i am more final fantasy player but its nice to see where rpgs came from

[@BawesomeBurf]

I definitely prefer the classic Final Fantasy games, but this one can be fun.

[@luisalves1706]

I like it alot.

[@randomgamer-st1ie]

Music in first town is the only redeeming quality of the game.

[@IzludeTingel]

i remember my friend playing this, but it was ancient times lol. for years i was like, "what's this one game where you fight these blobs and they go bwaaahhh when you kill them?" (well turns out all the monsters do that), but yeah, lol. no one could ever tell me :P i was too young to have paid attention to the name of the game.

[@nike80nl]

It was first released on the sega master system. Back in the days it was the best Game i ever played 👌. I can still enjoy it today 👍. It's a great classic

[@BawesomeBurf]

You sure about that? Because I was unable to find any info about a Master System release.

[@nike80nl]

@@BawesomeBurf Sorry, i was so sure that i played it on the master system 😂. I had a lot of consoles back then. I was wrong 👌. It such an old type of gameplay,so i figured i played it on the master system..

[@MaelstromExceptions]

Playing the game now on the sega portable, I enjoy the game but one thing I don't like is during battle, you must hit the enemies in a certain angle correctly, otherwise you keep getting banged by mobs, Absolutely annoying as hell. I am an old timer, its decent, I am still very early in the game but I like it.

[@BawesomeBurf]

Yeah, combat can be annoying if you get surrounded by 8 enemies. Not much you can do to avoid taking damage.

[@mrdante361]

Where is sorcerers kingdom? No body talks about it

[@reloadpsi]

This game was trying to pull off a more real-time take on Ultima (the dungeons and the instanced battle screens are straight out of Ultima III, IV, and V) but it doesn't quite stick the landing. The combat really needed more time in the oven because it could have been the highlight of the game. Instead it's just a stat check pretending to be something more than that.

[@shawnjasso832]

This game is asome.

[@shayoko6]

You know...i had no idea there were RPGs like this on the genesis... about the music. this is just something to think about kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5CWlWSuZ7uDrs0 i prefer the standard turn based RPG so i'd pass on this. at least they attempted something other than another side scrolling beat em up.

[@lazykyuubi4300]

Sorry. The second town is called "Parm?" Like the CHEESE!?

[@David_Alvarez77]

Parma, from which the cheese originates, I think. A lot of the town names are from real cities, places, or people in Europe, such as Parma (Italy) or Cartehena and Malaga (Spain), or Walting and Wycliff (Britain) etc.

[@godchi1dvonsteuben770]

So no comment on how in the beginning it when you get touched you automatically die and go right back to the town? With this happening it makes progress virtually impossible in the beginning, you have to play every encounter perfectly every time or you lose half your money and go straight back to the beginning. This to me is a fundamental flaw in the games overall design. How can one be expected to fight eight of those jellies without a single one ever touching him once, and do it numerous numerous times? How can one be expected to get sent back to the town over and over and over again, just to go try to get through the same area they just got sent back for attempting? This alone is enough to make the game not worth playing once, let alone replaying again in the future. I'm going to keep trying to struggle through it for awhile, but I very much predict I'm going to end up putting this game down before ever making any real progress, and this is coming from a seasoned RPG player, of many a decade.

[@godchi1dvonsteuben770]

You mentioned WAY more flaws, then qualities, in your review. So why should we play this? Btw, it's also on the Nintendo Switch.

[@SirenoftheVoid]

Yea it does seem rather bad but graphics are somewhat decent. Music is ok but i felt the sword animation looked clunky.

[@BawesomeBurf]

Yeah, it is clunky looking, and the attack range isn't the greatest either.

[@anmishel]

i play this game to (in 1990) and it was my 1 rpg to %) im from russia

[@BawesomeBurf]

Nice!

[@godrulzthe602]

Never run in an RPG. I get running in this game, cause it could be a waste to cure the poison effects.

[@adambanon3263]

You get irritated and bothered a little too easily it seems. I loved this game.

[@BawesomeBurf]

Perhaps I do lol, but at the same time, I wish they spent a little more time ironing out the game's flaws. An RPG where the best option most of the time is to run is not good game design. I still enjoyed it, but I can see how many others would not.

[@adambanon3263]

@@BawesomeBurf yeah you're probably right. I think the nostalgia had a strong effect on me

[@markovidovich284]

@@BawesomeBurfI didn’t mind that part. If you were low on life or if you wanted to progress quickly you could flee. I kinda miss RPGs where you had to farm for hours for experience or gold.

[@Gamerdude535]

Wow not being able to use magic in boss fights is boring sounding lol

[@KawaiiSoulB42]

blocking or dash HA lol you are funny guy

[@riddlewrong]

This game is just plain not fun. It's super repetitive. Every new place you go to has the same old story: The town's citizens are all acting weird. Talk to all of them. Sometimes you need to talk to all of them twice! Eventually, one of them sends you to a cave. You go there and get the quest item to cure them and come back and... go to the next town. Oh, hey.. everyone in this new town is weird. And the only way to fix it is to go to a cave with a quest item in it. Gee, what are the odds? They copy/paste this literally 15 times with only minor variations. When you talked about how much you ran away from battles, you weren't kidding -- this game throws so many random battles at you that you sometimes get out of a battle and take just ONE step and get hit with another one! Even for the time it was released, it wasn't a great game.

[@Clandestinemonkey]

All the comments here saying this was your favorite game are from bots. It's all obvious now it's an AI that comes through videos and says whatever you posted is their favorite. This game was such hot garbage even when I was 8 years old playing it I knew it was a fucked up buggy mess and I was so glad I was only borrowing it because if it ate months worth of allowance I would shit myself.

[@randycruel]

"XBONE" is lame and so is Xbox hate.

[@BawesomeBurf]

Not hating on XBox, just thought XBone was a funny name. I own a 360 and really like it.