My Played Video Games Review: Super Valis IV for the Super Nintendo

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Valis IV is an action-platform video game developed by Laser Soft and published by Atlus Software in 1993 for the Super Nintendo. It is the fourth and final main entry in the Valis series. The previous titles were released on the TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine and Sega Genesis.

I already played and posted about Valis III for the Sega Genesis. So I played this sequel just to continue and know what has happened to the lead character of the series, Yuko, who started the trend of sexy anime school girls being featured as controllable heroes in video games.

Cool Super Famicom box cover art for Japan. (Image source)

The Story

A young red-head woman named Lena has the Celestial Valis Sword bestowed upon her by the now Goddess of Valis, Yuko Ahso. Lena must defeat Gallagher, the evil King who is trying to destroy Dream World and all who oppose him and his forces. Lena knows what she must do in order to protect her land and sets off on a journey to confront the evil King and destroy him once and for all.

Cartridge and manual of the game. (Image source)

The Graphics and Sound

The graphics are fine when the game came out. Each level is distinct and different from the last. I liked how they used scrolling in the background to make the levels seem more 3D. Overall, the graphics are colorful and attractive. Also throughout the game are little anime pictures telling the story. They are well-drawn and look great.

The music is quite good. Every level has a nice tune playing in the background. The music really gets you tuned in to play. The sound effects range from okay to decent. It is all pretty generic, but they fit the game and do the job.

Gameplay video sample of Super Valis IV on the Super Nintendo. Watch in 360p for near TV resolution of that time.

The Gameplay

You get 3 characters that you can change from at any time, Lena, Amu, and Asfal. Lena is the new Yuko. She has the most powerful attacks and is the best character for fighting bosses. Amu is faster, has a double jump, and is better for high jumping segments. Asfal is big and slow, but he is immune from lasers or spikes, making him ideal for some dangerous situations. He’s also the only playable male character in any Valis game. All characters have unique magic that slowly recharges over time. You need to know when to use each character’s spells during any situation.

Playing the game is knowing which character is best for each given situation. The levels were designed with this in mind, making this game needing more gameplay thinking than the previous titles.

Replay value is mediocre. There is nothing damn cool to unlock even after beating hard mode which you can get by way of a cheat.

My Verdict

Super Valis IV might be worth a closer look if you like 2D side-scrolling action games that provide you with a nice challenge. And anime fans might like this title due to its charm and artistic value. An above-average game overall, though pretty standard but kind of charming.

Play it on the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom or play it on a proven emulator.

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