Soleil – House of the Rising Centy

Remember when the term “Zelda Killer” was tossed around with wanton abandon? When any action adventure game featuring a sword was a “Zelda Clone?” It makes sense that these terms were used because The Legend of Zelda is undeniably one of Nintendo’s biggest draws to their console. So what of these killers and clones? There are some games that are flagrant in their aping of one another. But others still rise above it and become something special all of their own. Golden Axe Warrior is super close to the original Legend of Zelda in many ways, but it’s a solid game and I enjoy it more than the mainline Golden Axe beat-em-ups. Dark Cloud was touted as both a clone and a killer – but it’s a completely different game that just happens to star a boy with a green hat and a sword. So what about the more obscure entries into the Big N’s core 16-bit competitor? Fingers point squarely at Soleil.

At a glance, Soleil surely resembles A Link To The Past. There are thematic and sprite similarities that instantly evoke images of Nintendo’s series. But it’s unfair to label Soleil a Zelda clone. Or at least it’s unfair to simply dismiss it because of similarities. It differs in pace, purpose, and playstyle. Whether or not the developers were inspired by Zelda is beside the point, this game is no mere derivative.

Soleil is called Crusader of Centy in North America, and Soleil is the PAL Mega Drive release. Published by Atlus, Crusader of Centy is about has hard to come by as Ogre Battle (SNES) – maybe harder as I’ve never seen it in person. Soleil and Centy do differ slightly, though it’s just in companion names and some of the script. The Soleil script is said to have less typos, though I think Centy generally has better names for the companions. I’m not marking a preference by referring to it as Soleil – this is simply the version I own having received it as a surprise gift this past December. Soleil is easier to come by than Centy, though it is still a game that demands over the average going price of Mega Drive games.

The game is an overhead action adventure game starring a young lad wielding a sword. Sounds familiar, I guess. But Soleil starts to differ very soon. Early in the game you gain the ability to throw your sword and that will become your primary mode of attack from then on. It keeps range between yourself and the enemy (though it leaves you vulnerable) and the act of charging your sword and throwing it is necessary to activate a good deal of the abilities in this game. The abilities are granted through animal companions who will join you throughout your journey. These are like items in any other game except they have personality and appear onscreen with you. There is terrific variety here: The dog stops enemies in their tracks, the penguin charges your sword with ice, the lion charges it with fire, the flying squirrel allows your sword to bounce off walls, the cheetah increases movement speed, etc etc. Refreshingly enough, every animal is useful and likeable (although you will invariably have favourites). It’s a really unique way to do an item system and gives it a ton of personality.

These animals allow you to progress further and further into the game. The game deviates from the Zelda norm here as well – while Zelda traditionally has more of an open overworld that grants the illusion of nonlinearity, Soleil has a world map with discrete stages. Soleil is absolutely linear but it still manages to remain adventurous. Your journey is still sweeping, you still go to fantastical places, and there’s still a lot to do. Secrets? Of course there are secrets – most of them lead to a sack of money or an Apple of Life (which adds one new life pellet to your life bar). While most of these are no issue to find, some of the secrets are truly arcane. The one post in the fence you can jump through? Or that one other post you have to jump on 31 times to find a money bag? Yeah, they’re not so obvious.

Soleil is packed with many different locations that hit up the usual themes of adventure oriented games but it keeps its own flavour. Dungeons are on the short side but are full of danger and require you to use every ability at your disposal. You will have to think and you will have to act. There’s a fair bit of reflex based dungeoneering so you need to master each animal’s abilities and think with your whole pack of companions in mind – not just your favourites. There are many big bosses in the game, often colourful and certainly dangerous until you learn how to deal with them. I find that they tend too fall a little too quickly, however. These suckers needed more stamina!

Perhaps the early plot of Soleil is its most unusual aspect. A short while into the game you will lose the ability to talk with other humans, and gain the ability to talk with every other animal and some plants. So while you can get chewed out by a squirrel you cannot talk to your mother for the bulk of the game. Your impetus for travel becomes a quest to regain your speech. The story that unfolds with this is one of growth and understanding. These themes prevail through to the endgame, though they admittedly get pretty preachy towards the end. Luckily, this is not enough to detract from the experience. The endgame is also on the convoluted side, however. It won’t be until the very end that things make sense. This game would have benefited from just a little more narrative exposition. If you’re worried about this making it difficult to figure out where to go – worry not – this game is always quite clear on where you need to go.

Personally, I was sucked in. Despite a few issues, this game quickly endeared itself to me as one of the premiere Genesis/Mega Drive games. It’s an experience that is largely unsung on the system. For this kind of game, I’d only rank Landstalker above it on the console (imo, of course). It’s a shame that it didn’t get the exposure it needed in North America and it’s an even bigger shame that barely anyone talks about it now.

I think it’s simply too easy to assign labels to a game. When does a game stop being “Zelda-like” and become “Soleil?” Of course games will be made to resemble another game. Of course games will be made to be direct competition for a certain series. What actually matters, however, is if that game can stand on its own legs and stand tall besides. Soleil is proof positive that you shouldn’t dismiss a game for similarities that might be merely superficial. It plays well, it’s engaging, and it handles a lot of conventions in new and interesting ways and it is just overflowing with flavour. And that’s what counts – Soleil stands tall by its own merits.

Despite the few quibbles I’ve mentioned, Soleil/Crusader of Centy is one of the standout games of the Genesis library. It offers an experience few other games on the console can tout, it tells an interesting story, and you an be bros with a ton of critters. It can be difficult to find, but if you manage to score a copy then it will be well worth the play. And heck :  if you ever see an NTSC copy of Crusader of Centy and YOU don’t want it, you keep a certain salty fish in mind yeah? 😉