Elemental Master (Genesis)

Laden the magician’s got problems. His once peaceful homeland of Lorelei has been overthrown by the forces of the diabolic entity Gyra. Worse yet, his own brother, Roki, is playing host to Gyra’s evil spirit. If Laden is going to liberate Lorelei and banish Gyra for good, he’ll need to embark on a perilous quest to become the Elemental Master.

Technosoft’s Elemental Master is a vertical shooter that debuted on the Japanese Mega Drive in late 1990, right between their twin masterpieces Thunder Force III and IV, and is every bit as spectacular as its origin implies. It’s not as celebrated as those contemporaries here in North America, likely due to it being stuck in localization limbo for over two years before publisher Renovation finally brought it to the Genesis in early 1993. One is left to imagine what a standout it might have been during the console’s pre-Sonic lean years. As it stands, its sleeper hit status ensures that original copies will set purists and collectors back a few hundred bucks.

At the outset of his journey, Laden has but a single attack at his disposal: A thin laser-like beam. His first priority is therefore to acquire more firepower. Literally. The first four of the game’s seven stages can be attempted in any order and defeating their bosses will award Laden new elemental weapons he can swap between at any time. Earth, air, fire, and water all have their pros and cons. Fire’s swift triple spread shot is ideal for keeping swarms of weaker foes at bay, for example, while Earth’s slow, narrow blasts can crush heavily armored targets in a single blow. Each weapon can also be charged up to unleash an “ultimate element” effect, generally greater damage over a wider area. These charge blasts are especially useful against bosses.

Blowing away monsters with a variety of flashy magic is Elemental Master’s primary selling point, and I’m pleased to say that it delivers. Laden’s spells feel big and powerful, an impression only enhanced by the fact that they’re not upgradeable. In other words, his default state is equivalent to a fully tricked out ship in your typical space shooter. Taking damage or dying doesn’t strip him of options, either. Every new attack he gains is there to stay. Unless you happen to burn through your initial stock of five continues and game over, that is. There are a handful of additional power-ups to grab, most importantly the potions that expand Laden’s initial four-hit health bar by one (to a maximum of seven), but they feel like the icing on the cake. You don’t strictly need them to clean house.

Given Laden’s blissfully overpowered arsenal and generous health pool, Elemental Master skews a bit easy. I’d say it’s roughly on par with the aforementioned Thunder Force III in this regard. I’m speaking from a shoot-’em-up veteran’s point of view, of course, and this design choice will no doubt be a welcome one for newcomers, casual fans, and even hardcore players looking to kick back and relax for a change. That’s not to say it’s a walk in the park, mind you. More of a walk across blazing chasms, rockslides, and cramped hallways lined with spear traps. Environmental hazards are many and rival the enemies proper in deadliness. Laden is also liable to be assaulted from any side of the screen at any time. Thankfully, he has the ability to shoot backwards as needed. If you are craving more of a struggle, just hold A and press Start at the title screen to access a hidden menu where you can up the difficulty.

Seeing as how this is ’90s Technosoft, the art and music are simply immaculate by the standards of the platform. The dark fantasy art style is implemented brilliantly and the music, well, it’s out of this world. I supposed I should expect no less from Toshiharu Yamanishi. Nobody, and I mean nobody, could make a YM2612 sound chip sing like him. He is responsible for what I consider to be the apex Mega Drive/Genesis soundtrack in Thunder Force IV, after all. Elemental Master’s score as a whole isn’t quite on that level, though I wouldn’t hesitate to call it Thunder Force III caliber. In particular, the tracks “Cursed Destiny,” “Like the Wind,” and “Setting Out” rank among his strongest work.

Elemental Master is, to put it mildly, the best shooter I’ve had the pleasure of discovering in some time. It exemplifies the classic Technosoft formula of top-notch game design, uncommon approachability, and peerless presentation that made Thunder Force a synonym for arcade quality shooting action back in the day. It’s earned itself a permanent spot in my own Genesis rotation, that’s for sure. Whatever you do, don’t let peripheral elements like semi-obscurity or a brutal price tag deter you from mastering this one yourself.