Hercules Action Game

Infobox VG
title = Hercules Action Game


developer = Disney Interactive Software
released = 1997
genre = Action Game
modes = Single-player
ratings = Vgratings|ESRB=Kids to Adults
platforms = Playstation, PC
media = CD (1)
requirements = 90 MHz processor, 16 MB RAM, DirectX compatible video and sound card
input = Keyboard, Joystick

"Hercules Action Game" is a video game for the PlayStation and PC created in 1997 by Disney Interactive Software. It was made after the animated movie released in the same year.

Plot

The game follows the same storyline from the animated film. Hercules, son of Zeus, is stripped of his godhood and must prove that he is a true hero in order to regain his immortality, and join Zeus and the other gods on Mount Olympus. To do that, Hercules must pass several tasks and defeat many villains, and at the end, face Hades, ruler of the dead, who is also responsible for Hercules' losing of his immortality.

Gameplay

The game is mainly bi-dimensional, although in many missions, the player can walk to other planes via pathways or stairs. There are ten levels and three difficulty modes: Beginner, Medium, and Herculean. The last two levels are playable only on Medium and Herculean difficulties. There are three rush levels in the game in which the player must run forward through the map and avoid obstacles without being able to stop or fight. The player's health is measured in the energy bar shown in the upper left corner for normal levels or bottom left for rush levels. The energy bar can be increased by picking up Hercules Action Figures and the energy can be replenished by drinking Herculade Bottles found throughout the game. The player's main weapon is the sword, although he can also punch, but this is a much more difficult way to defeat enemies. Weapon powerups, known as Gifts of the Gods, can be found throughout the game, consisting of the Lightning Sword (shoots lightning any direction Hercules aims when selected and fired), Fireball Sword (shoots fireballs that seek out onscreen enemies when selected and fired), and the Sonic Sword (affects enemy targets at close range with a circular sonic blast when selected and fired). There is also an invincibility powerup, found in the game in the form of a helmet, which grants the player a few seconds of invulnerability when activated. also appear in the game, but the player does not fight them.

Technical Notes

The PC version was released in 1997 for Windows 95. Although the game appears to run flawlessly under Windows XP, users with newer graphic cards may experience image distortions with the low game resolution of 320x240. In such cases, players may want to switch the game resolution to higher modes (480x360 or 640x480), but these suffer from the lack of full-screen support. Graphic in PS version is slightly better, there are some special lightning and color effects such as lightnings (like in Medusa's lair), fog simulation (like in Centaurs forest) and fade effects. These effects are not included in PC version, probably because it runs under 256 colors.