Marvelous is an action adventure game published by Nintendo for the Super Famicom in 1996.
The player controls a party of three 12-year-old boys who are going camping with the school class during their summer vacation on an island. Unknown to them are the secrets of Captain Marvelic's treasure hidden somewhere on the island. A big adventure awaits the boys ...
The game engine of Marvelous looks and feels somewhat like that of Zelda (the SFC one). Graphics and sounds are better than those of Zelda. Because the player is controlling three characters, some aspects of the control may feel unfamiliar at first, but they are quite easy to get used to.
The game interface is equipped with the "search system". In the game, a hand cursor appears when the player presses the A button. When the cursor is placed over certain objects, it changes to a "?". Pressing the A button again brings up a close-up screen. In that screen, the player can check things more closely, or use some team work actions (such as the three boys co-operating to lift a large stone), or use certain items on objects on the screen. Sometimes this leads to a mini-game. Mini-games range from trivial renta (hit-the-button-repeatedly) exercises for a few seconds to more conventional mini-games which may last a minute or two.
The game play is mostly about solving puzzles and completing tasks typical of adventure/role-playing games, such as those in Zelda, Wild Arms, and Lufia 2. Being an adventure game, the element of combat is thin: there are bosses that must be defeated, and there are areas where enemies get in the player's way, but most enemies can simply be avoided, and many areas are without any enemies. Combat, when it occurs, is like Zelda style, with some action elements.
The party of 3 characters, all controlled by the player, involves some marginally interesting concepts. Besides the usual fare that each character has different abilities and uses different equipment, the party members may split up and act individually at any time. This concept has been well utilized in certain puzzles in the game.
One problem in many adventure games, and some "puzzle"-heavy RPGs, is that getting stuck is annoying. A feature of Marvelous which I appreciate very much is the hint system. During the game, the player collects "luck rocks". When the player gets stuck, he can call for Pillac the parrot, and can buy some hints at the price of several luck rocks. With this system, the player can challenge himself with trying to figure out the puzzle without any hints, while if he feels that he is getting stuck, he can call on Pillac and pay for the hints, so that the game progresses smoothly. This is a good system which provides the challenge without the frustration. Luck rocks are also necessary to progress through certain events.
I feel that some events, such as the part where the player plays detective, have "flags" which seem too arbitrary, but the hint system helps out.
One way of thinking of Marvelous is as an RPG or action-RPG but with the (typically) orthodox, repetitive, and boring combat stripped off. Though there is no deep playability per se, progressing through puzzles and events is some refreshing entertainment. This game is recommended to players who can read Japanese, like Zelda, don't thirst after orthodox RPG or ARPG combat, and can get the game at a reasonable price. (I picked up a legitimate [not pirated] copy of this game at HK$30 [approx. US$5], and it was a real big bargain.)
Copyright 31 May 1998 Alan KWAN Shiu Ho
Alan Kwan / tarot@netvigator.com / created 31 May 98