Overview
Psycho Dream is a sci-fi side-scrolling action-platformer developed and published by Riot for the Super Famicom exclusively in Japan on December 11, 1992. An English version, known as Dream Probe, was planned for release by Renovation, but was cancelled prior to release (although it was advertised and reviewed by publications).
The game's story is set in modern-day Japan and involves virtual reality, as two "Debuggers" (Ryo Shizima and Maria Tobari) must venture into a dreamlike "D Movie" (or "drug movie") to rescue its inhabitant: the young girl Yuuki Sayaka. The D-Movie chosen is the fictional "Haito Monogatari", which involves a dilapidated city infested by various creatures.
The gameplay is similar to some other action-platformers at the time, such as the Castlevania and Valis series. It is known both for its transformative power-up system (as players have different upgrade paths, one for melee and one for ranged) and its lack of extra lives (forcing players to continue from the beginning of the stage when their health is depleted).
It was later digitally re-released for the Nintendo Switch as part of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online service worldwide on February 17, 2021. It is the first time this game has seen a release outside of Japan.
Critical Reception
Electronic Gaming Monthly issued the scores of 5,6,5,5 adding, "...there is a good variety of levels with plenty of nice scenery to look at, but when you play the game you find the power-ups are rather mild and the bosses slow down the game too much".
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