I HAVE THE POWWWWWWERRRRRR!!!!
OK, had to get that out of my system. If you're familiar with this community at all, you know seeing bwwd on the box means quality. He-Man is no exception. This game is just about as perfect as you can get, except for a couple of minor issues (that bwwd himself points out).
If you were a fan of Masters of The Universe or Filmation cartoons, you’re going to be in bliss from the get-go. The game loads up with a pixel perfect playback of the classic He-Man & MOTU opening, and it only gets better from there. Music, sound effects, colors, settings, and characters, all of it will make you feel like you’re in an episode. Eternia is presented as a vast open world map, letting you choose which stages to play as you try and repel an invasion by Hordak. It’s all done with high-definition original art that will make you believe Filmation itself is back in business. Seriously, the presentation defies description until you experience it for yourself.
Bwwd didn’t forget the gameplay either. It’s a fast-paced combo-oriented system with tons of aerial strings and juggles. There’s plenty of stage interactivity too, with lots of traps, varied terrain, and set pieces. On occasion you’ll even get to participate in one of He-Man or She-Ra’s cartoonish feats of strength. If that’s not enough, some stages are SHUMP and collection style affairs where you ride iconic mounts like Battlecat and Skysleds.
So why “only” a four star? There are a couple of chinks in this Power Sword, which as mentioned earlier bwwd himself is quick to point out. This was one of his earlier forays into original art, and it shows a bit. While most animations are smooth, character movements are very unnatural. It’s especially noticeable in transition from one pose to another. They also almost never deviate from the same viewing angle and it often feels like you’re playing with marionette puppets. Related to this, almost everyone in the roster plays the same. There are some unique traits scattered here and there, but for the most part you’d be hard pressed to tell any mechanical difference between He-Man, Skeletor, Man-At-Arms, Teela, or anyone else. I’d expect parity for game balance, but not identical play styles.
I seriously doubt most players will mind too much though. The overall experience is still amazing. This is how you do fanwork – creativity, effort, and affection for the source material. Download now and thank me later!