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Hydlide (Video Game)

 Hydlide (Video Game)
type
TVTItem
 Hydlide (Video Game)
label
Hydlide (Video Game)
 Hydlide (Video Game)
page
Hydlide
 Hydlide (Video Game)
comment
In 1984, the game Hydlide came out on the Japanese microcomputers PC-6001 and PC-8801. Upon its release in Japan, it was hailed as a revolutionary title. It was one of the first ever games in the emerging Action RPG genre, was an Ur-Example of a fully-scaled Wide-Open Sandbox world, and even introduced a Regenerating Health mechanic. These were fairly revolutionary concepts, and for 1984, the implementation wasn't bad at all (compared to other RPG titles at the time); it was quite simply the first game to do what it did, period. The game's success led to ports across multiple other Japanese computer systems, and eventually the Famicom console in 1986, selling 2 million copies in Japan. Its revolutionary game design had a big influence on later action RPG/adventure franchises such as The Legend of Zelda and Ys. However, Hydlide was not released in North America until 1989, when North American gamers played the 1986 Famicom version for the first time on the NES. It is this version that the majority of North American gamers know about.A princess is attacked by the demon Varalys, who breaks her into three fairies and scatters them through the land. One of her kingdom's bravest knights, Jim, sets out to retrieve the fairies and the crystals that will restore her to her original form and allow him to slay Varalys.While the original microcomputer versions sold well in Japan, the NES port later gained notoriety in North America for being terribly outdated in comparison to later, more refined, superior action RPG titles like The Legend of Zelda and Ys... some of which beat the '89 release to Anglophone shores. Compared to those later games, the graphics in Hydlide looked "messy and hard to interpret" in comparison. Unaware of when Hydlide first came out, some North Americans even wrongly accused Hydlide of being "a badly designed ripoff" of either The Legend of Zelda or Ys, when in reality, it was actually the other way around: both The Legend of Zelda or Ys were heavily influenced by Hydlide in the first place. This makes Hydlide a classic example of the "Seinfeld" Is Unfunny trope, with later generations failing to realize just how revolutionary it was for its time.The game received several sequels, including Hydlide II for the PC-8801 and MSX in 1985, Super Hydlide (Hydlide 3 in Japan) for the MSX and PC-8801 computers in 1987 and Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis console in 1989. It was also remade as Virtual Hydlide for the Sega Saturn in 1995. While Hydlide II and Super Hydlide, with innovations such as a Morality Meter and Day Night Cycle, were considered good games in Japan, they became very outdated by the time Super Hydlide released in North America in 1990.For clarity purposes, the original (or the Famicom/NES version) will be just called Hydlide, Hydlide II as Hydlide II, and Super Hydlide as Super.
 Hydlide (Video Game)
fetched
2023-07-30T03:59:44Z
 Hydlide (Video Game)
parsed
2023-07-30T03:59:44Z
 Hydlide (Video Game)
processingComment
Dropped link to ActionRPG: Not a Feature - IGNORE
 Hydlide (Video Game)
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_177a6464
type
Genre Shift
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_177a6464
comment
Genre Shift: Super takes a hard left turn into science fiction around the halfway point.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_177a6464
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_177a6464
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_177a6464
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_1f92e4c6
type
Regenerating Health
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_1f92e4c6
comment
Regenerating Health: The original Hydlide was an Ur-Example of this trope. It introduced a health regeneration mechanic where health and magic slowly regenerate when standing still. It inspired the regenerating health mechanic in the more popular Ys series, decades before the mechanic eventually appeared in First-Person Shooter games with Halo.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_1f92e4c6
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 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_1f92e4c6
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_1f92e4c6
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_27b418da
type
A Winner Is You
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_27b418da
comment
A Winner Is You: When you beat the game, you get a text "Congratulations!" While the player and the princess (you saved) just stand there doing their Idle animations, it then goes to the title screen. Averted in subsequent games which give you proper endings.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_27b418da
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-1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_27b418da
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_27b418da
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_681077c5
type
Wide-Open Sandbox
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_681077c5
comment
Wide-Open Sandbox: This was the Ur-Example of a fully-scaled open world. Unlike earlier role-playing games that used The Overworld concept, the open world of Hydlide was entirely to scale, fully traversable on foot. This would later become a hallmark of The Legend of Zelda.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_681077c5
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_681077c5
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8
type
Guide Dang It!
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8
comment
Guide Dang It!: There is absolutely no clue at any point what you're supposed to do in any of the games.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_7ea8f5ce
type
Knight in Shining Armor
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_7ea8f5ce
comment
Knight in Shining Armor: Jim.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_7ea8f5ce
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_7ea8f5ce
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_7ea8f5ce
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_8af721f7
type
Joke Item
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_8af721f7
comment
Joke Item: Numerous useless items in Super Hydlide, including the Sega Pack, which can be found in chests or lying invisible on the floor. It even says "It's a joke." when you try to use it.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_8af721f7
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_8af721f7
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_8af721f7
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_970c790a
type
Big Bad
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Varalys, the final boss of the original. He's reduced to the Dragon in Hydlide II and Super, with a dark crystal in the latter and Kaizack in the latter taking the role of Big Bad.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_970c790a
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_970c790a
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_970c790a
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_a98aacd1
type
Posthumous Villain Victory
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_a98aacd1
comment
Posthumous Villain Victory: Subverted. Kaizack mentions that with his death, the universe too will die. This does happen, but then the universe comes back anyway, implied to be because of the fairy. Kaizack would likely be ticked off at this if he were still alive.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_a98aacd1
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 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_a98aacd1
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_a98aacd1
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ad22fa80
type
Apocalyptic Log
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ad22fa80
comment
Apocalyptic Log: When you board the spaceship in Super, you find a log from its crew detailing their slow transformation into mindless monsters at the hands of Kaizack.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ad22fa80
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ad22fa80
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ad22fa80
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b6f33a21
type
Rainbow Speak
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b6f33a21
comment
Rainbow Speak: The intros for the first two games do this to point out the most important characters and plot points.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b6f33a21
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b6f33a21
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b6f33a21
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2
type
Aerith and Bob
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2
comment
Aerith and Bob: In a world containing the likes of Varalys and Kaizack, our hero is simply named Jim.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ba894df1
type
MoralityMeter
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ba894df1
comment
Morality Meter: Hydlide II was one of the first ever games to feature this mechanic. The game introduced a morality meter where the player can be aligned with Justice, Normal, or Evil. Killing humans or good monsters lowers the player's morality, while fighting evil monsters increases it. If the player has an evil alignment, the townsfolk will ignore the player, denying access to certain clues, dialogues, equipment, and training.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ba894df1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ba894df1
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ba894df1
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bc0ad0c0
type
Money Spider
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bc0ad0c0
comment
Money Spider: Played straight in Super, all monsters leave behind gold regardless of it making sense.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bc0ad0c0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bc0ad0c0
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bc0ad0c0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bef696dd
type
Mind Screw
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bef696dd
comment
Mind Screw: Super goes all the way in the second half of the game, where you're in space fighting robots and finding computer data, not to mention the final battle where it's revealed that the game's Big Bad is in the fact the creator of the entire universe!
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bef696dd
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1.0
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bef696dd
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_bef696dd
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ee828827
type
Wizard Needs Food Badly
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ee828827
comment
Wizard Needs Food Badly: You must eat, and eat regularly, to survive in Hydlide II and Super. Hydlide II was, in fact, one of the first games to feature this mechanic, after Panorama Toh.
 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ee828827
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 Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ee828827
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 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Hydlide (Video Game) / int_ee828827
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Hydlide (Video Game)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Hydlide (Video Game)
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A Winner Is You / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Auto-Revive / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Blackout Basement / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Darkness Equals Death / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide
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Hydlide (Video Game)
 Hydlide (Video Game)
hasFeature
In-Universe Game Clock / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Japanese Video Games / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Karma Meter / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Port Overdosed / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Rainbow Speak / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Save the Princess / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Scoring Points / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Sprite/Polygon Mix / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Stating the Simple Solution / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Super Title 64 Advance / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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The Goomba / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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The One Thing I Don't Hate About You / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Video Game Geography / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Wide-Open Sandbox / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide (Video Game)
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Wizard Needs Food Badly / int_11abb73e
 Hydlide
sameAs
Hydlide (Video Game)