Skeleton Warriors

Overview

Skeleton Warriors is a 2D side-scrolling action game, combining both platforming and fighting elements, along with occasional driving levels, developed by Neversoft Entertainment and released for both the Playstation and the Sega Saturn. The game was based on a kid's cartoon show which aired for 13 episodes on CBS in 1993-1994. Both the game and the tv show were quite unpopular and performed poorly commercially.

Gameplay

Gameplay is split into two distinct parts, the side-scrolling levels, and the driving levels, with the former making up the bulk of the game. The driving levels are interspersed throughout the game, there being only 5 of them altogether, and involve Lightstar climbing onto his hovering motorcycle, "The Light Skybike", and riding it through the valleys of the planet Lumimaire, avoiding obstacles and shooting enemies along the way with the energy from his sword. The side-scrolling levels however involve Lightstar simply battling his way through an environment, the game lacked any puzzle mechanics and was simply straight-up combat, Lightstar would collect power-ups along the way allowing him to use new abilities, in a similar vein to Contra, Lightstar could collect power-ups that would enable his sword to shoot the equivalent of homing missiles, burst fire, spread shot, etc.

The game featured 20 levels in total and boasted the presence of 100 different enemies, there were several enemy types including of course the eponymous skeletons, along with killer plants, birds, bats, dogs, and some other animals. Each of the enemy types had different attacks along with varying strengths and weaknesses. For example the armored skeleton warriors were strong against the prince's sword, however would be instantly killed from a missile attack. Mastery of this 'strengths and weaknesses' aspect of the game was vital to succeed as it had a harsh difficulty level, this being one of the major criticisms of the game upon release.

Story

The game is set on the planet of Lumimaire where two opposing forces, the Legion of Light, and the Skeleton Legion, led by Baron Dark, fight for control of the Lightstar Crystal, an ancient and magical crystal that is vital to the survival of the planet but is also rumored to provide unlimited power to its holder. The Legion of Light, led by the hero Prince Justin Lightstar, along with his allies Talyn, Grimskull, and Ursak, spend their lives defending the crystal and trying to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. However, at the opening of the game, it is revealed that Baron Dark has managed to steal half of the crystal, turning him into an undead skeleton and granting him control of a great army of skeleton warriors, which he intends to use to attack the city of Luminicity in order to gain control of the other half of the crystal.

The game then begins with players taking control of Prince Lightstar, who has to battles his way through the armies of Baron Dark. Along the way he defeats all of the Baron's lieutenants: Shriek, the female skeleton with the ability to emit bone-shattering soundwaves; Aracula, the spider skeleton; Dr. Cyborn, the chief advisor to Baron Dark and scientist of the Skeleton Legion; and Dagger, the Baron's most trusted underling. Eventually, Prince Lightstar makes his way to the Baron's fortress and defeats him in battle, regaining control of the other half of the crystal. In the end sequence, we see the Legion of Light reuniting the two halves of the crystal and bringing peace and light back to the planet of Lumimaire.