The first thing you notice is the stunner of an opening cutscene. The animation is so fluid and colorful that it rivals anime FMV intros on the Playstation 1, and the world it establishes is an instantly unique take on the classic Arabian Nights stories. You play as Prince Ali, a treasure-hunting teenager who stumbles across a magical Golden Armlet. This relic gave a long-dead wizard his power, and unfortunately you are informed by that same wizard’s spirit that the armlet’s evil counterpart has also been activated. Ali returns home to find that his father’s kingdom is being invaded by dark forces, and what starts out at a reconnaissance mission rapidly turns into a struggle for the future of the island of Oasis.
It’s a good premise, though plot is definitely on the back burner in this game. The focus is on exploration, combat, and puzzle solving, with the story and characters existing as a plausible foil for the action. And that’s okay, because those mechanics are deep and refined enough to make the six-hour playtime far too short. Ali has a range of weapons to use – bows, swords, bombs, a knife – and each has its own techniques, properties, and uses. The system is a blast to mess around with, and supporting your weapon set are four elemental spirits, one for each of the classic elements.
There’s a water sprite who can freeze enemies, pound them with waterspouts, and douse fire. There’s a flame genie that can crush heads and turn into a bomb. There’s a plant creature than can chew up gates and dig for treasure, and a mysterious ghost that can save you from falls and protect you from damage. It’s almost unbelievable that so much content and so many different distinct gameplay elements were in one game as far back as 1995 on the consoles, but it’s true, and it makes Oasis a strong sell, whether on the original hardware or the Wii VC. Back in high school I started an obsessive guide to the game, and if anyone wants to argue that Oasis is shallow, just go check it out. You can’t write a guide that fanatically long about a shallow game.
Incidentally, these mechanics are presented amidst some of the richest and visually striking 16-bit landscapes I’ve ever seen. Does it sound ahead of its time? I think it was, and in many ways the game still hasn't been copied or improved upon. Its sequel/prequel, Legends of Oasis, tried hard but was ultimately mired in the folly of late 90s design fads (prerendered sprites) and the desire to one-up the original game (more stuff is not always better). Honestly I wish Ancient Co. would return to this IP. The modern company is essentially a fractured group of game mercenaries hiring themselves out a game at a time, but while they’re still around there’s hope. The digital distribution trend of recent years certainly opens up a new arena for a third Oasis game to do well. I would love to see a true sequel to Beyond Oasis on XBLA at PSN, but short of that I’ll keep retreading the original.
One thing that's worth noting is the amount of flak this game takes over its soundtrack. People's complaints range from it being boring to actually offensive to the ears; it's a gripe I just don't get. My guess is that the laid back orchestral OST is just not what people expect when they see Yuzo Koshiro in the credits. They expect, of course, rolling breakbeats a la Streets of Rage or neo-Asian synth rock a la Shinobi. But would those styles really fit in a world about magic and sorcery, daggers and monsters? Of course not. Still, I'll admit that the themes Koshiro used were mostly forgettable, especially as 16-bit tunes go or even compared to his work in ActRaiser. Take my word for it that they're better than what he put out for Legends of Oasis.
As my original cartridge disappeared a long time ago, I play this one on NeoGenesis v25 for the original Xbox. Madmab's done a great job with the skin on this one. Check out my Progear post for links that will take you to a download. Once you're done with the game, send Koshiro and company a letter. They seriously need to dig this one up.
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