Thandra no Daibouken / Whirlo (SFC) (1992)
Developer: Namco

Review by Faididi and Co.


Rolling Thunder with a pitchfork


Story: Excellent

Namco's Thandra no Daibouken (Whirlo) is a prequel in the Valkyrie series, and it tells the story of the green farmer guy before he meets his sword-swinging friend. Thandra's troubles begin when his son becomes afflicted by a plague set upon the land by an evil sorceress. Setting out with little more than his trusty pitchfork, Thandra must find the magic crystals that will help him obtain a cure for his boy.

For a game of its genre, the cast of characters is huge, and the story steadily expands into an engaging mini-epic. Not only does this prequel reveal the origins of various figures in the series, but it also shows how Thandra touches the lives of many new characters in memorable ways. He'll help a maiden find her true love, recover a musical instrument for a lad whose talents lie outside what his dominating father demands of him, aid an eccentric queen in discovering her equally odd date, and even rescue the son of another worried parent. These struggles revolving around the themes embodied by the hero lend an unusual depth to the game's world, and they prove that the most enjoyable tales aren't always told by turn-based RPGs.


Gameplay: Average

Playing very differently from the Valkyrie games, Thandra no Daibouken is a single-Player side-scrolling action platformer. Our hero leaps over pits and fights bad guys across several stages, each consisting of multiple areas. The story is mixed seamlessly into the gameplay, where characters meet and trade dialogue as Thandra reaches certain scenes. His quest is quite lengthy, and his progress can be recorded with passwords.

This prequel's story-driven nature clearly shows in its interesting level design. Instead of always simply reaching an exit, there are plenty of times when Thandra must cross back and forth within the same area to accomplish special tasks. He may need to retrieve a missing key item, exterminate pesky bugs that are harming tree roots, work with another character to overcome an obstacle, or identify a particular member of a group with only the help of a few clues. These creative and varied tasks let every chapter stand apart from the rest, and they make this action platformer unlike any other before it.

The problem, however, is that Thandra no Daibouken is also ridiculously difficult. Unlike in Valkyrie no Densetsu, our hero gets wasted with a single hit here. Worse yet, he'll be forced back to the beginning of the area, as checkpoints are pretty much nonexistent. Coupled with the unfriendly controls, the needlessly unforgiving gameplay tends to bring back the bad memories of the original Rolling Thunder.


Controls: Poor

While the basic movements aren't an issue, performing the special moves is a pain in the ass. The charging-up process for the high jump can't be canceled once started, yet charging for too long will cause Thandra to become paralyzed. The long hop is unnaturally swift but prevents him from doing anything else (including attacking) until he lands on a surface, meaning there's no way to cut it short to avoid smashing into bad guys or plummeting into pits. The awful spinning attack demands absolute precision, because missing with it will cause Thandra to tumble uncontrollably onto the ground. If he crashes into a wall with it, he will also wind up stunned, giving the bad guys every chance to beat him to death.


Graphics: Above Average

Ironically, the game maintains the cheery, storybook-like visual style of the past installments. The characters are drawn bright and colorful (even though a lot of the animations are of Thandra becoming incapacitated or getting slaughtered). The backgrounds are pretty, and one of the most impressive-looking scenes is the Trial of Faith, with its many beautiful celestial motifs.


Audio: Excellent

The audio work is top-notch, too. The pitchfork attacks thrust out with forceful effect, and our hero slams into walls with a loud, shattering bang. The music reuses some of the great tunes from Valkyrie no Densetsu but features several new pieces that share the same rich, adventurous inspiration.


Overall: Average

If not for its brutally challenging nature and its unfriendly controls, Thandra no Daibouken would've been a fantastic prequel to the Valkyrie games. That's a terrible pity, because this action platformer has a fantastic story, attractive visuals, and wonderful music.


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