80. Cadash (TurboGrafx-16)Cadash is side-scrolling action-RPG for the TurboGrafx-16. At first glance it looks quite similar to other ARPGs of the era: Zelda II, Ys III, Exile. However, Cadash is actually a port, of a Taito arcade game, and is thus designed to be played to completion in a single sitting. This particular TurboGrafx variant arrived in 1991, and was one of the very earliest titles localized by the legendary Working Designs, before they turned their focus towards CD-ROM RPGs with cute anime girls. This is a unique little romp, whose closest contemporary might be Sega's Wonder Boy in Monster Land. The crucial difference being the fact that Cadash is actually a good game.
The story is kept succinct and simple. A princess is captured and the king sends forth a warrior (possibly with a companion in tow) to rescue her. Holding the princess hostage is a Balrog. Yes, straight out of the Tolkien mythos, though "Balrog" is spelled incorrectly in most versions of the game either due to Japanese/English translating, an attempt to avoid flagrant copyright violations, or both. The land of Cadash is one of medieval fantasy, with the appropriate selection of heroes: a fighter, a mage, a priest(ess), and... a ninja? Well, the game was developed in Japan. While the arcade original could support four-player co-op it's been downgraded to two for the TurboGrafx, which is expected. Naturally, all four character classes differ in various ways. The ninja's my personal favorite, and probably the best choice for beginners. He resembles a maskless Ryu from the Ninja Gaiden cutscenes, and wields projectile weapons (namely shurikens) through the entirety of the game. The fighter is your typical barbarian tough guy: strong attack but with a short range. The mage and priestess wield different types of magic (offensive vs. healing). They're weak physical fighters for a long stretch of the game, but by the end become quite well-rounded. Magic is somewhat clunky to utilize. It requires holding down the attack button to scroll through available spells, then releasing the button once one is selected. Most importantly, the characters complement each other beautifully. While Cadash holds plenty of excitement for the lone individual, a two-player run is absolute bliss (especially with the unstoppable ninja and priestess combo).
The game's structured in an interesting fashion. There's a series a five lengthy "levels." Most have a town embedded somewhere within, or, at the very least, a shop. Levels may appear mazelike initially, but all require the character(s) take a singular direct path, with certain sections gated off until key items are obtained. Levels in Cadash also "loop" brilliantly in a circular way, eliminating any egregious backtracking. Towns contain NPCs that shockingly dispense useful advice, as well as the requisite inns and item shops. There're weapons and armor to equip, as well as healing herbs and antidotes. The environments are all pretty striking, even if most of the journey takes place within a series of subterranean caverns. The game exudes a surprisingly "dark" (literally and figuratively) vibe, and I wouldn't blame anyone for mistaking this for a long-lost Castlevania entry. Towards the end of the game there's a twisted "death world" comprised of fire, graveyards, and floors and walls built from the bones of slain wannabe heroes. Awesome.
More compelling than the dry "save the princess!" narrative are the various sub-plots that present themselves along the way. One town must sacrifice a local to a kraken each year to remain at peace. When the hapless girl is rescued she reveals herself to be a mermaid, and begs of you not to reveal the big secret to her adoptive mother. A high cliff is unreachable, until a ladder is crafted from silk from a venomous worm. There's a town full of dwarves adjacent to a forest maze, complete with houses that are too small to enter until the hero discovers a way to shrink in size. A robber's hideout -- and the pathway to Castle Cadash -- can only be revealed once one figures out how to communicate with dogs. These little vignettes are tremendously charming, and prevent the game from falling into "mindless" hack and slash territory. As mentioned, Working Designs is responsible for the translation here. The dialogue is straightforward and acceptable for the most part (this isn't a particularly loquacious game), with some occasional funny lines uttered by choice NPCs. Didn't really need a random Carl Sagan joke tossed into the mix though. Victor gonna Vic.
Controls are a touch stiff, but in a way that feels appropriate given the genre. Unexpectedly, the heroes of Cadash can slash/whip/throw in eight directions. The enemy selection is fantastic, with every sort of weird fantasy creature imaginable making an appearance: slimes, manticores, pig men, cave trolls, skeleton knights, even zombies that slowly disintegrate upon being struck. The graphical style differs quite a bit from the arcade and is ultimately more pleasing to the eye. There's a "soft" and warm look to characters and backgrounds alike; it's as if everything is glowing ever so slightly. The playable character sprites are quite striking, and sport various looks as new armor is obtained. Even the NPCs are memorable, with all sorts of cool outfits. The ladies of Cadash are all super-adorable, even with the limited facial graphics. And, yes, this is one of those games with uncensored 16-bit "bewbs." The soundtrack is alright. Sounds a bit raw, as is the case of many of these old HuCard titles. The laid-back pieces played during those moments of rest and relaxation are best. Meanwhile, the more upbeat action tunes are peppy enough but not especially memorable.
"Arcade RPG" sounds like a strange and contradictory genre blend. As such, there are some odd little quirks found in the Cadash experience. For starters, there are no menus. There's no way to keep track of experience points earned, and a money total is only displayed when a shop or inn is visited. Collected items are used automatically when an appropriate situation arises. This is both a blessing and a curse. It's nice to instantaneously recover HP when it hits zero (thanks, herbs), but consuming an antidote as soon as poison sets in is something of a set-back: some rooms have multiple poisonous enemies and it would be preferable to simply use one antidote after escaping. And the game requires level grinding. Thankfully, experience levels are gained rather quickly, and enemies continually respawn. Those who attempt to forgo grinding shall surely be slain by that first "pudding" boss. The bosses of Cadash hit hard, and it's extremely difficult to avoid their attacks. I personally recommend the Ys III approach: grind heavily and head into each boss lair furiously mashing the attack button. That's usually all it takes, save for those final few skirmishes. Speaking of Ys III, anyone with a modicum of patience will find it extraordinarily easy to overlevel in Cadash, which makes the entire middle section of the game an absolute cakewalk.
Trust me on this grinding bit. You don't wanna die. Because despite it's hefty length, Cadash offers up exactly one life and zero continues. It's a terrifying prospect, but inns are numerous, healing items are cheap, and there are a couple of semi-well-hidden elixirs to be found which restore HP completely when it reaches zero. For these reasons, the first stretch of the game is arguably the hardest, as no shops and inns have presented themselves yet, and while max HP is increased upon a level-up current HP does not rise. One neat feature contained within the two-player mode is the ability to resurrect a dead companion at inns. In this way a more experienced player can "drag" a novice through the game (why yes I do have children that enjoy a round of Cadash).
A first-time player who grinds reasonably and treads carefully (remember, only one life!) will find that Cadash takes a couple of hours to complete. It's just long enough to have me wishing for a periodic password, though it's unreasonable to expect such things out of an arcade port I suppose. Set aside a rainy Sunday for this one, it's a lot of fun. Cadash is essential for all ARPG nuts, but is also straightforward enough to satiate the appetites of "regular" platforming fans as well. When was the last time you saw a ninja and a Balrog share the stage together?