Valis IV 1991

Is it still worth playing?

Lena sets out to retrieve a sword and stop a dark world prince who has kidnapped Valna, in this 1991 action platformer for the PC Engine CD. Her sister Amu and Asfal go with her. It never had a Western release. You switch between the three heroes. Lena fights with a sword and a ground slide, Amu throws a boomerang like weapon that flies at odd angles and can double jump, and Asfal is large and can walk through spikes and energy barriers without harm. Each has a spell that charges on a meter, resets when you are hit and has three strengths. There are nine large acts, each of many sub stages, and a hidden hard mode adds two more. Three characters with their own moves and spells still give the acts several ways to be played.