[Rob: YIPE! Bad ownership on the file. Sorry about that if you tried to post! Please note, this information may be dated, please see the main site section for the most up-to-date information available!]Now that I have a fully functional Saturn, I've finally been able to see what the El-Hazard Sega Saturn game is really like.
Generally, it's like an old style text RPG, a box that seems to be talking of where you are / what's going on, generally narrated by Makoto. On that note, it's 100% voiced. (Although all Japanese text and all Japanese voice doesn't really help my inability to read Japanese
)
I think it might actually have been at least mildly enjoyable by an English-speaking El-Hazard fan ... if it were in English. But for me it's more just straight work to get through dialogs and randomly guess on menus to just keep going around the place... oh, and the game itself seems to be somewhat glitchy. And the Ishiel introduction movie causes the worst problems, generally freezing the Saturn (guh?) Heh, I hope I can get through it again, seeing as I'll have to until I replace the Saturn Memory Battery to be allowed to save... (on the second round, I managed to bypass the movie after an everlasting 40 seconds or so of mashing buttons)
Here's what the story seems to be thus far ... (what I'm saying is by no means accurate for sure; I'm basing this on the imagery and past El-Hazard experience)
Nanami walks in on Makoto who's busy working on a project in the science lab at school.
It's the evening, and Nanami is upset at him about something.
[This is deduced by the faces that appear with dialog text and, of course, voice variations; in Wanderes, Nanami was upset that Makoto "missed lunch again" and was supposed to walk her home.]Makoto tries to explain to Nanami what his project is, but only manages to confuse the poor girl. Fujisawa arrives for a brief moment noting something to Makoto.
[In Wanderers, Fujisawa was wondering what Makoto and Nanami were still doing there, and generally told them to get going home.]
Nanami and Fujisawa have left, leaving Makoto alone in the dark science lab with his peculiar devices. Suddenly, an inter-space portal opens up. (Quiet, you know it is)
It's a girl! Makoto nervously makes conversational exchanges with this girl, who seems to be begging him to go to some place named "El-Hazard."
[I could swear on more then one occasion in this dialog, I heard "Fatora" uttered ... maybe it was in my head, but I'm wondering if they renamed Rune Fatora...]This upsets Makoto greatly, but the girl seems to calm his fears and only induce confusion more about this El-Hazard place. Suddenly, in comes Nanami's big brother Jinnai.
Shining a flashlight upon him, Jinnai asks Makoto what in the world he's doing.
[While in Wanderers and Magnificent World the only reason that Jinnai would encounter Makoto is because he needs to bitch about being overthrown as president, there honestly seems to be absolutely no mention of this at all... in fact, Jinnai seems very calm through this whole scene while trying to figure out why Makoto is acting all weird... and I'm pretty sure I hear an Engrish "coo-koo" uttered from Jinnai, in reference to Makoto's rambling. He then leaves the room for a moment...]Makoto turns back to the girl, who now seems angry at him for talking to Jinnai.
[Just my guess, but it seems that Rune(?) is playing MW Ifurita's card in being the girl who's already been there, done that, and is only trying to drag Makoto in. Therefore, her words would be something like "Why didn't you kick his ass before he causes us trouble?!"]In any event, the girl decides to take over the portal, and produce a strength to draw Makoto in ... at this exact moment, Jinnai happens to wander back in. The dialog suggests something like (and I'm not kidding, Jinnai is actually being this nice it seems...)
"Hey, Makoto, I forgot to tell you / bring you something -- WHAT ... ?! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the whole event seems to dramatically alter Jinnai's mind. Suddenly he lunges at Makoto and begins to tackle him to the floor!
[Here's where the now-available MP3 "Everything's Going Crazy!" cues]Then there's the ever-predictable flipping-around shots of everybody getting sucked in through the portal mass to El-Hazard ...
...
Makoto wakes up to find himself in a lush clearing. He questions, could this be "El-Hazard"? He suddenly hears rustling! Who could it be? ... Mr. Fujisawa!
"Where are we?" questions Fujisawa. Makoto isn't really sure, mumbles about El-Hazard, which Fujisawa looks at him crazy-like for even suggesting such an odd thing.
Suddenly, they're surrounded by giant bugs!
Commense Fujisawa's attempt at ass-kicking Bugrom.
But there's too many! Fujisawa cannot keep up! Makoto and Fujisawa are doomed...! But suddenly...
A strange energy blast saves them both...?
Well, it's none other then the priestess of Earth, Ishiel!
Follows is a very long dialog consisting of some key words such as "Shayla", "Bugrom", etc. Ishiel seems confused at Makoto and Fujisawa's long names and titles.
[She questions "sensei" and Makoto's peculiar "Mizuhara Makoto" ... not sure if it's the length or the last-name-first deal that's confusing her]As seen in the ripped video (see previous Saturn post), Ishiel makes Fujisawa blush then ...
... and again.
Could this be Fujisawa's love interest?
Meanwhile, Nanami is wandering the desert, gasping for water...
And Jinnai is picked up by Bugrom...
... with whom he is very pleased to discover he can communicate with, and is brought before Queen Diva...
[I know he does some kind of pitch to Diva, but if it's the impressive "Messenger from God" or the Wanderers cheesy "Do you like destroying people?!" "Every chance I get!" bit, I can't tell...]Back with our heroes, they have arrived at Floristica...
About the time they get there, Fujisawa is getting very irate, and repeatedly yelling about "Sake" (Ah, Fujisawa...)
Makoto is embarrassed by Fujisawa's behavior and can't really fend off Fujisawa's temper, Ishiel is merely annoyed, but compliant to Fujisawa's needs...
They check in to a local Inn, and Ishiel manages to obtain Fujisawa's desire.
And then a conversation of talking, laughing, and drinking commenses.
... to the last drop.
To be honest, I kind of like the Ishiel thing. If they're actually going to get into a relationship of some sort, I'd really like to see it, it'd be an interesting change of pace as opposed to desperate lonely Miz who instantly grabs onto Fujisawa like a parasite. If nothing else, Ishiel instantly priques Fujisawa's male side, and then complies with his alcohol requirement (and as noted, has an obviously enjoyed time with during the drink)
So far, this is all I've really managed to see. After this event, you're given control of Makoto to wander via the Ura Map to one of four locations; the Inn, the nearby Town (shopping area?), the fountain, and the palace (but I could only get to the outside, where stopped by a guard, of course).
This is where the game starts to break off into a puzzle-oriented system, I'm positive of that. Japanese text makes it hard, and then I just got tired ... and lacking a good battery in the Saturn, I'm required to start all over again... so you probably won't see any more updates on this till this weekend.
[Rob: ... there have been more since. Please see main site section and check the news as they come about
]
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