The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang is a quirky little Action-RPG filled with visual puns, and it's just down-right interesting in concept. I recall playing this as a small child, and I didn't quite understand the mechanics of an RPG at the time, but I loved it nonetheless. Being able to replay it as an adult, I was still enthralled by its fresh ideas and childish nature. Now that I am much older and have earned more experience with RPGs (yes, pun intended), I was able to enjoy the game far more than when I was a child- at least, for a little while. Although the game has many fun and unusual references to discover, it falls short of greatness. I love the combination of RPG elements and real-time strategy, as I find the intensity superior to the traditional turn-based tactics of most earlier games of the same genre. However, when I say the game falls short, I literally mean that it falls short; play it for a few hours, and you are bound to understand what I mean. As much as I love rambling on with introductions, I think that it's time we got down to the actual elements of the game itself. All aboard the review train!


Graphics: 7/10


The graphics in this game are slightly better than what one would expect from a normal SNES game. The colors are bright, the environments are vivid, and the characters have a hint of an anime-style nature. Despite the game's age, and being developed by an indie company, the 3-D and isometric visuals came together quite nicely. I was impressed by the choice of enemy and character sprites, as they seem to compliment each other nicely. Simply put, the graphics are more of what one would expect from a PSX game, so they were a good step ahead of their time.


Sound: 7/10


There are many SNES games well-known for their musical scores and sound effect compositions, and this one doesn't fail to deliver. Most of the music is orchestrated, and helps give the player an emotional connection to the environment. The scores were well-placed, and fit the scenery nicely; one can actually picture what the scenery would sound like if it were music. Personally, the tracks are something I could see myself listening to outside of playing the game. The sound effects are on par with the actions that they represent, and interfere very little with the quality of the music. Everything comes together as it should, and I have to say that it was more than what I ever initially expected from a title of this capacity.


Addictiveness: 6/10


It is definitely an attention grabber, but the lack of a personalized experience combined with linear gameplay is a major disappointment. I constantly found myself both wanting and expecting more out of everything, from the items and attacks, to the bosses and areas to explore. There was far too much left to the imagination, and details concerning the entire plot of the game were often spread so thin, I would forget what I was even doing, and why. There are enough key elements in the game to keep the player attentive throughout the entire journey, but unless they are a die-hard fan, I doubt that it would be a title they would pick up and play again many times over.


Story: 7/10


This is the real meat of the game. The plot is nothing extraordinary, and centers around a young vampire named Spike McFang, who sets out to save his future kingdom of Batland from a power-hungry leader bent on controlling the surrounding island countries. Although the average save-the-day plot is something to be expected, the setting and characters are somewhat of an oddity. The protagonist, Spike, is a vegetarian vampire prince who learns his battle techniques from a middle-aged, male fairy. His arsenal of attacks consist of throwing his hat, spinning his cape, and doing magic card tricks. For some peculiar reason, he is unharmed by sunlight, and feels the need to drink the juice of tomatoes which fall from the corpses of his enemies (whom have been cape-slapped to death) in order to stay healthy. The health meters of the enemies are represented by cloves of garlic, as opposed to the tomatoes that represent Spike's. And it comes as no surprise that many of his mortal-enemies are some type of alien garlic race. Did I mention that the main antagonists are ninja kitties and a zombified zombie? Seems legit.


Depth: 4/10


This is where everything rips apart at the seams. As I had said previously, the game literally falls short. There are a handful of bosses, several dozen enemies, and you can learn around a dozen card tricks from the get-go. There are only three pieces of equipment (you only upgrade your top-hat), and items to be discovered during your adventures are virtually non-existent. The maximum level obtainable is only 16, which can be achieved about an hour or so into the game. However, the biggest let-down of all is the length of the game. It's not hard to finish this game, and see everything it has to offer within the course of around three hours. As you play and enjoy yourself, don't be upset when you suddenly realize that it was over before it began; after all, I warned you.


Difficulty: 5/10


As simple as the game may be, don't be fooled by the difficulty. Sure, you can mostly destroy everything in your path by the time you reach maximum level, but getting there can prove to be difficult. Because there are so very few levels to gain and hats to uh... upgrade, the power of Spike as well as your enemies can vastly differ from one advancement to the next. Most enemies produce very little experience; in contrast, the need for said experience tends to grow exponentially with each level. I wouldn't be surprised, if well over half of the time you spend playing ends up being dedicated to grinding. Even if your level remains on-track as you progress throughout the game, some of the bosses and enemies can be, for lack of a better word, overpowering. You will find yourself relying a good deal on card tricks for health, as most raw resources are hard to come by. Just be grateful that those giant, bouncing coins usually carry... coins. Yeah, totally legit.


Overall: 6/10


In the end, it isn't the most spectacular of titles, but the humor and cartoonish fashion of it are enough to keep one playing until the last battle. It may be short, but it's worth the time, and even moreso if you are looking for a gratifying little adventure to pack into your busy schedule. I would rather a decent game be short and to the point, then to drag on with countless hours of gap-filling gameplay. When I consider the low budget that the indie company who made this game had to work with, I'm delightfully impressed. If you are looking to waste a bit of time and enjoy a few chuckles along the way, then The Adventures of Spike McFang is for you.