Difference between revisions of "Sword of Sodan"

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Revision as of 09:30, 5 September 2015

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SwordofSodan title.png

Sword of Sodan
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Electronic Arts (US/EU), Sega (JP)
Developer:
Genre: Action

















Release Date RRP Code

Sword of Sodan (ソード・オブ・ソダン) is a 1988 beat-'em-up for the Commodore Amiga by Discovery Software International. Innerprise ported it to the Sega Mega Drive for Electronic Arts in 1990.

The Sega Mega Driveport uses the same theme and story, but both gameplay and graphics have been strongly altered.

The player has to choose between a male and female sword fighter at the start of the game. The option menu allows to modify the difficulty level (Normal or Easy) and the number of lives.

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up, with gore elements, long before Mortal Kombat further popularized them. B jumps, holding down the button results in higher jumps. It's also used to turn around by pushing together with Left or Right. Down ducks. C swings the character's sword. Combined with Up, Right and Down other attacks are available. Attack strength depends on the current "HIT" value displayed on top of the screen. It decreases when losing a life. A is used to drink potions, but these have to be selected in the pause menu first. Potions can be combined for various effects.

Enemy health is shown underneath the corresponing enemy. Enemies randomly drop potions.

Areas are usually cleared by defeating all enemies and exiting by going to the right.

Attacks have very specific hit zones, e.g. the first enemies you encounter, spear weilding guards, can not attack at point blank range, but their spear strikes outclass the player character. As a consequence, for safe combating on has to jump in and attack at point blank, or stay out of their range and counterattack. As another example, giants can only be hurt by using high attacks.

On normal difficulty, it's vital to stock the correct potions, e.g. giants have very random hit detection and their attacks can't be evaded up close, so it's useful to have invincibility in stock, or at least boost weapon strength

Potions

  • red = increases attack strengh
  • orange = defeats the closest enemy
  • blue = restores health
  • transparent = no effect
  • red + transparent = extra life
  • orange + transparent = flaming brand (stronger sword with fire effect)
  • blue + transparent = temporal invincibility
  • red + orange = flaming brand (stronger sword with fire effect)
  • transparent x 4 = skip stage

Other combinations either have no effect or are poisenous to the player.

Version differences

(Compared to the Amiga version)

  • Most graphics were redrawn and/or scaled down
  • Swordplay is different
  • Stage layouts were modified
  • The wood area is missing
  • The osrtich-like creature in the dungeon stage is missing

Trivia

The game features an undocumented level skip in stage 5 (stage with invisible pits). Don't fall down the first and second pit, but deliberately fall down the third pit. This will skip directly to stage 6.

Physical Scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
57 №112, p72
45 №13, p113
40 №3, p79
55 №1, p81[1]
59 №5, p78/79[2]
73 №6, p48/49[3]
45 №16, p18/19
40 №23, p54
33 №18, p68
Sega Mega Drive
 50
Based on
9 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[4]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
52
[5]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
43
[6]
Console XS (UK) PAL
73
[7]
Cool Gamer (RU)
20
[8]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
57
[9]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
38
[10]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
48
[11]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
88
[12]
Génération 4 (FR)
22
[13]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
40
[14]
Joystick (FR)
45
[15]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)
40
[16]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
40
[17]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
54
[18]
Mega Play (US) NTSC-U
40
[19]
MegaTech (UK)
55
[1]
Mean Machines (UK)
59
[2]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
55
[20]
Power Play (DE)
25
[21]
Raze (UK) PAL
73
[3]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
25
[22]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
45
[23]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
33
[24]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
28
[25]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
78
[26]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US)
80
[27]
Sega Mega Drive
 48
Based on
27 reviews

Sword of Sodan

Mega Drive, US
SoS MD US Box.jpg
Cover
SoS MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU
SoS MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
SoS MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, JP
SoS MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
SwordofSodan MD JP CartTop.jpg
SwordofSodan MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, BR
SoS MD BR Box.jpg
Cover
Swordofsodan md br manual.pdf
Manual
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf, page 81 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf_p81" defined multiple times with different content
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 File:MeanMachines UK 05.pdf, page 78 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachines UK 05.pdf_p78" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 File:Raze UK 06.pdf, page 48 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Raze UK 06.pdf_p48" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 233
  5. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 116
  6. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1991" (JP; 1991-09-07), page 36
  7. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 135
  8. ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 215
  9. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88
  10. ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 103
  11. ↑ Famitsu, "1991-10-18" (JP; 1991-10-04), page 1
  12. ↑ GamePro, "March 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 76
  13. ↑ Génération 4, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 101
  14. ↑ Hippon Super, "November 1991" (JP; 1991-10-04), page 91
  15. ↑ Joystick, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 113
  16. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-xx-xx), page 79
  17. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 94
  18. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "January 1992" (JP; 1991-12-07), page 101
  19. ↑ Mega Play, "February 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 45
  20. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142
  21. ↑ Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 135
  22. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54
  23. ↑ Sega Power, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-07), page 18
  24. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
  25. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  26. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 192
  27. ↑ VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "March 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 44
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