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Alundra
Background Data
Published By: Working Designs Developed By: Working Designs Released: 01 - 01 - 1998
Barcode: 7 35366 00553 5 PSRM: See Variants Below ID Tag: SLUS-00553 (See Variants Below)
CDs: 1 Players: 1 ESRB: Teen (Comic Mischief, Mild Animated Violence)
Accessories: Memory Card (1 Block, up to 4 Saves), Analog Size: 498 Meg Digital Press Rarity: 3 out of 10


Description / Review
What happens when you take the creative team responsible for the Genesis cult favorite Land Stalker and serve them up 32-Bit style? You get one of the most frustratingly fun and truly hardcore Action/RPGs you will ever happily suffer through; Alundra.

Working Designs brought the game over in 1997, and did a fantastic job in keeping their gag humor in check. The game itself is set up exactly like the Nintendo classic The Legend of Zelda, except there’s a lot more jumping and mind melting puzzles involved. In fact, these are some of the most difficult dungeons ever created for the system. False turns, hidden passages, unbelievably blind leaps of faith, all mixed together in a world with little depth perception. That visual error aside, it’s a damn beautiful game with great 2D animation and fun Full Motion Video sequences. The world map alone is worth the price of admission, as you could spend hours trying to track down every last treasure chest and golden falcon.

The game's battle system is in real time, open environments. There are no menus sans the one you use for items and a weapon change. Most combat is performed flawlessly, but there will be issues with some of the bosses. As usual, Working Designs wreaked havoc on the health levels of several key boss fights, causing these encounters to last a LOT longer than should be legally allowed.

More importantly, and this is where most will turn away; Alundra is one of, if not the most cryptic role playing created when it comes to providing clues to your next move.

Just make sure you have a few extra controllers. You will break a few of them in frustration.

 Enclosures
All copies of Alundra shipped with a very nice double-sided map. One side was a general view of the starting area. The other side provided a screen-captured map of the city you lived in, complete with descriptions of your neighbors and step-father. It was printed on a rough textured paper.

Pictured Below is a 'complete' Alundra.

                     

Trivia
  • For those of you who took a look at the above CD Image and went, "WHoa, that's not my disc," here's why. Alundra sets the PSX record for most variants with 9 different CD covers, and 9 back insert variants. So far we're 8/9 in the CDs and 6/9 for the inserts in the tracking down department.


  • The CD / Insert Relationship:
    • SLUS-00553 / PSRM-008940 = Cover Image / Crystal Dragon
    • SLUS-00553a / PSRM-008941 = Fire Dragon / Fire Wraith
    • SLUS-00553b / PSRM-008942 = Castle / Rock Lord
    • SLUS-00553c / PSRM-008943 = Bonaire / Steps of Inoa
    • SLUS-00553d / PSRM-008944 = Alundra & Girl / Reflection Pool
    • SLUS-00553e / PSRM-008945 = Face Shards / Map of Country
    • SLUS-00553f / PSRM-008946 = ????? / ?????
    • SLUS-00553g / PSRM-008947 = Kline / ?????
    • SLUS-00553h / PSRM-008948 = Septimus / ??????

    You can view these covers in the Variants Section below.



  • This game has been nicknamed the 'closest thing to Zelda PlayStation owners will ever get.'


  • There are two known versions of the game (v1.0, v1.1). Only differences are minor code changes. You can determine which version you have with a GameShark type device.


  • Packaging actually mentions the Sega Genesis by name.  


  • The Euro name is The Adventures of Alundra


  • Two Strategy Guides were made for the game. One by Working Designs and one by Prima. Pictures coming soon.

   

Greatest Hits
The game was never released as a Greatest Hit.		 Variations / Misprints
Working Designs supposedly released nine different versions of the Alundra artwork. Pictured below are 8 of the 9 CD covers, and 6 of the 9 inserts.

The inserts match up to the CD covers via the PSRM number. On the inserts, they are located on the bottom right corner. On the CDs, you can find them In the uppermost top of the disc, as it is the very last thing you read from the Copyright Information.

                   

(C) Game Rave 2004/05. All Rights Reserved. Game Rave is a (C) of Jason Dvorak.