Sweet Home (English by Gaijin Productions) Review by: Bloodpump - 9.4/10
One of the unsung greatsSweet Home is a Famicom game that unfortunately never made it around these parts, but it isn't hard to figure out why. For its time this was graphic. This was really graphic. This was also the best RPG (IMO of course) released on the Famicom/Nes. Yes, I know someone out there is thinking 'Final Fantasy' or 'Dragon Warrior', which are both certainly more important titles, but I argue that while those games are great and definitely landmarks, they aren't as entertaining as this one. The gameplay in those are rather slow and both require monumental amounts of grinding, while this one doesn't. Yes, there's still a little bit of grinding in this but it really isn't painful.
That, of course, could be a reason why some people won't like this one as much as the classics. They're stuck to the conventions of the general Nes RPG and change, unfortunately, is a scary thing for them. No offense intended. This game is about as unconventional as a Nes/Famicom RPG gets. The game, of course, also has elements of survival horror and strategy woven into it, but it is primarily a RPG.
Graphics (9/10)
The graphics in this game look amazing. The cutscenes are done well and the monster designs are delightfully grisly. The game is appropriately colored in a darker tone, which helps elevate the atmosphere the game is trying to give off. Of course, its not the best Ive seen on the system (I'd give that honor to Battletoads probably), but its certainly up there.
Sound (8/10)
Game sounds great and the music, albeit not exactly catchy, is nice. Like the graphics it sets the tone for the game, although I don't think it does as well of a job doing so.
Addictiveness (10/10)
I found the game to have a very high level of replayability, something that its contemporary counterparts lacked. I think the big reason for this is the fact that I don't have to grind my ass off in this, but it could also be the whole party organization aspect or even just the fact that this looks so much more different then the others. Whatever the case happens to be, I know that I can play this anytime and have a lot of fun with it.
Story (8/10)
The story is, like everything else in the game, unconventional, and is based on the film of the same name (Yes, this is a movie adapted game, don't let that scare you off). You are a party of five that goes into a haunted house and ends up being trapped in there. Your primary objective is to find out how to escape, while also studying the frescos. Sounds simple enough, but the story has quite a few twists that I dare not spoil for anyone whose interested in trying this out.
Depth (8/10)
The game isn't as long as a lot of other RPGs, but it more then makes up for it in the sheer amount of things going on in it. The game never has a stale idea or never gets boring. There are a few multiple endings (Depending on who/how many in your party survives), and a various amounts of ways to die.
Difficulty (7/10)
The games fairly difficult to first time players. The fact that, unlike the conventional RPG, you are not able to revive dead party members is definitely a scary thought, and the puzzles in the game can get tough, but keep your cool and think well and you should be able to get through the game without running into too many brick walls.
In conclusion, I found the game to be rewarding and very fun. I highly recommend RPG or Survival Horror fans to give this game a try, or even fans of the more unusual games.
Graphics
9 Sound
8 Addictive
10 Depth
8 Story
8 Difficulty
7