What the hell does the Crystal Bell do?

[grolt]

So I just finish the sixth dungeon in GOLDEN AXE WARRIOR, and my prize is the Crystal Bell. Unknowing what it does, I quickly turn to the manual for help. Hmph. No "Crystal Bell" listed. There's an "Ice Bell" though, there must be some sort of localization issue. I'll try that:

Ice Bell Is a magic bell which can work wonders. Try using it whenever possible. You can use this repeatedly.

Gee, thanks Sega, that really narrows it down. I walk around with it for a bit, and sometimes boulders will change a lighter color. Great. Can I then shoot them with Earth Magic? Nope. Um. Thunder Magic? Nope.

Now is it just that I need to upgrade my scrolls before I try to terminate these rocks, or am I missing something else here?

I'm really loving the game so far, its been like WONDER BOY III in that the map is always the same, but with each new power-up new facets of the world become accessible. Yet, at the same time, it's almost going too fast now. I have a feeling I'm really going to have to work for those last few crystals...

[parker619]

the ice bell is used when you are on a screen where there is lava,, using the ice bell will turn the lava to normal land so you can walk across it,, which is going to be quite useful,, but you will keep doing this for everytime u go on to a new screen where thers lava..

and when the rocks turn a different colour if i remember i think there the rocks that you cant hit with the magic and have to hit the ones that didnt change colour.. i think so anyway.

hope that helps

[grolt]

I haven't got to the lava parts yet, but thanks for the heads up there. There was a rock at the bottom of a waterfall that I'm pretty sure was put there to be removed so access could be granted to the canoe. That rock changes color, so I'm assuming all rocks that change color are meant to be broken. But how?

[parker619]

um i think its the earth magic,, the magic that looks like a cloud puff when you use it?

[Stan]

Yeah, it locates rocks you can destroy. Been awhile, but it's either when you update your magic or weapon that you can access these points.

[Sinistral]

If I remember correctly there are different levels of Earth Magic, stronger versions are needed to destroy certain stones.

I'ts been about four years since I played this though. Maybe it's time to give it another go!

[grolt]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I'm going to have at it today, the Earth Magic upgrade sounds right. My one gripe with the game is the lack of an external map like in Miracle Warriors. That's one massive world, and it can get confusing trying to eyeball it or work off some makeshift map online.

[grolt]

I upgraded my Earth Magic, and still there was this pesky boulder in front of a waterfall that seemed so out of place it had to have been broken, but yet I still couldn't do it. Otherwise though, everything went off like a charm, and I had an absolute blast with this game. It was near perfect. The difficulty was just right, and the deaths were never frustrating or unwarranted. The game design though, again, is what makes it the best of the best. Every piece of that world is there for a reason, and with so many upgrades, each unreachable area finally becomes yet another facet of the game.

The story was a little thin, but the game made up for it with a nicely fleshed out final scroll.

Still, all in all, I'd say this game even surpasses Wonder Boy III as the most impressive game in the SMS library. I definitely plunked down a good twenty hours with it, and still I was wanting more. It's amazing, really, what they could fit on that little cart.

There's really nothing else that can be said...the game kicks axe!

[Totoro]

grolt said:

Still, all in all, I'd say this game even surpasses Wonder Boy III as the most impressive game in the SMS library. I definitely plunked down a good twenty hours with it, and still I was wanting more. It's amazing, really, what they could fit on that little cart.

Brave words groit. GAW is one of my favourite games and it's certainly in my top 5 but as good as WBIII?- nah not quite. WBIII is the jewel of the SMS (though I still haven't played Phantasy Star god dammit!!).

Have you played Gollvillius? I think it's quite similar to GAW and nearly as good.

[grolt]

totoro said:

grolt said:

Still, all in all, I'd say this game even surpasses Wonder Boy III as the most impressive game in the SMS library. I definitely plunked down a good twenty hours with it, and still I was wanting more. It's amazing, really, what they could fit on that little cart.

Brave words groit. GAW is one of my favourite games and it's certainly in my top 5 but as good as WBIII?- nah not quite. WBIII is the jewel of the SMS (though I still haven't played Phantasy Star god dammit!!).

Have you played Gollvillius? I think it's quite similar to GAW and nearly as good.

I played Golvellius for a couple hours, but couldn't really get into it the way I did GAW. I should try it out again, but I was sort of put off by the simplistic presentation of the world. Not a lot of originality. I need to finish Ys next though, then I'll take on Golvellius again. Ys started out really great, but started to lose a little momentum during the middle when it was forcing me to level up for hours on end just to get to the next area. For me an RPG has to strike a fine balance between providing freedom of exploration and the rigidity of a story. It's a way tougher thing to pull off than a platformer or a shmup.