RetroGameClub #4 - DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's Quest

[Sayo]

The concept behind this thread is quite simple, one (or more) game(s) are chosen and you are all invited to play till completion (or at least as far as you can) and we use this thread to discuss the game and anything relating to it.
The deadline for this current thread is that of 14 days or two weeks given that the holiday season is right around the corner and people might have less time to play.

• A game is chosen (suggestions are encouraged)
• It can be a game for any retro console or computer, if it's something like a modern port or decompilation that's okay too
• Preferably lesser known titles instead of something everyone has already played
• Play the game till completion or at least as far as you can get in the game
• Use any means to play the game, be it emulation or real hardware
• Links will be provided, preferably from CDRomance, if the game is not available there, I can curate it for CDR.
• If you are using save states or similar, please be honest and disclose it

For this fourth entry of Retro Game Club, we will be playing DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's Quest (DoReMi Fantasy: Milon no Doki Doki Daibouken) for the Super Famicom, an action adventure side-scrolling title developed by Hudson that never left Japan. It serves as a sequel to 1986's rather infamous Milon's Secret Castle but do not fret, for this is a much more straightforward experience. Featuring drop-dead gorgeous visuals and tight controls, this is surely one of the quintessential hidden gems of the SFC.

• DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's Quest can be downloaded from RGT here DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's Quest (J+English Patched) SNES ROM

Some links of interest

• Hardcore Gaming 101 article about DoReMi Fantasy
• DoReMi Fantasy's soundtrack on Youtube
• A guide for DoReMi Fantasy from GameFAQs

This game is basically the cutest sh*t ever and if you disagree, then you have no soul

 

[ATenderLad]

This is a pretty fun kind of thread, I dig it.

I spent a couple hours playing, on Snes9x the game crashes after the fourth boss. That happen to anyone else?

 

[dropsmegamega]

I played this one a few years ago. It's too early for me to replay it, but I really recommend it. I love the OST too, its by the same composer of the bomberman series.

 

[Najjoom]

good idea, sadly DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's Quest is not a game i want to play or interested in but i will try to participate if a game i am interested in comes up.
for suggestions here are a couple of games
Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye on PC DOS
Faselei on Neo Geo Pocket Color

 

[Sayo]

This is a pretty fun kind of thread, I dig it.

I spent a couple hours playing, on Snes9x the game crashes after the fourth boss. That happen to anyone else?

Hmm, that's odd. I am testing the game with Mednafen and no crashes so far.

I played this one a few years ago. It's too early for me to replay it, but I really recommend it. I love the OST too, its by the same composer of the bomberman series.

Oh it's the Bomberman composer? Nice

good idea, sadly DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's Quest is not a game i want to play or interested in but i will try to participate if a game i am interested in comes up.
for suggestions here are a couple of games
Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye on PC DOS
Faselei on Neo Geo Pocket Color

I'll take those suggestions into account, I might run a poll for an upcoming thread.

 

[Sandisc454]

This game is sick! I don't usually play Platformers, but this game is pretty fun so far. I think the visuals are great and I love the music! If it wasn't for this thread, I don't think I'll would tried this game out on my own so thanks for this, Sayo!

 

[ATenderLad]

Hmm, that's odd. I am testing the game with Mednafen and no crashes so far.

I tried getting through again, softlocks during cutscenes kept happening on Snes9x. Switching over Bsnes, was able to finish the game.

...which was tough! I feel like the hitbox for the player is a bit wider than the sprite, kept getting poked by things I was sure I avoided. Also this game has strange movement, it feels like you move faster if you shoot while jumping, or better yet shoot and jump forward at the same time, like Mega Man X with the buttons swapped around.

The animation is darling, I particularly liked one level later on that has high, blustery winds that Milon changes his walking and jumping animations for, hair blown around and struggling to keep their hat on. Some of the level design is fun too, it's very similar to Kirby in places but that's hardly a negative.

Might be the end of the praise, sadly. The performance plummets at times, and most of the last three worlds are played with noticeable slowdown. Between that and your already slightly sluggish movement, you'll take a fair few hits and deaths that don't feel like your fault.

Progression is a bit weird too, you unlock abilities that you practically never use, the weirdest being the POWER to push one specific kind of block, which you only see in a handful of levels. and only ever one block at a time. The ability to aim up or at an angle would have been a damn sight better appreciated!

I'm not sure what the music theme was going for, other than finding notes and instruments music doesn't play much of a role (and none of the in-game music is memorable, the final boss theme is a snooze), you're told to use a Magic Harp to seal away the villain but it's just an androgynous evil witch, and the harp doesn't actually make an appearance in the fight or the ending.

A small tip to anyone else who plays it, you can charge your attack, it's slow and not noticeably powerful or anything, but unleashing it does give you i-frames. The wind-up is too long to use against most enemies, but it's a solid option against the last boss, particularly their homing projectiles phases.