Right from the get go one can see that the game was trying to break away from beat 'em up convention. The perspective of everything happening on screen is from a much more overhead view rather than seeing everything from the side. It works quite well and allows for a lot more freedom of movement than other games in the genre. Instead of being on that constant march from the left side of the screen to the right, players would guide their character left, right, up, and down.
Granted, quite a lot of time was spent going from the bottom of the screen to the top. However, going in these other directions made the levels feel larger and more natural when compared to the much more simple, linear experience one would get when traversing the stages of most other beat 'em ups.
Also, the game was a looker. Around this time, Konami was making some very pretty games, particularly for the arcade. Their sprite work could be quite detailed and they were using rather bright colors in many of their games. The result were games whose visuals really popped off the screen and caught the attention of those passing by, enticing them to drop a quarter or two into the game and give it a go. Gaiapolis was one such example of this thanks to the high fantasy settings and anime-inspired character designs.
Another thing that the game did to set itself apart from its competitors was to implement some basic RPG elements. Characters would gain experience whenever they defeated an enemy, leveling up once they had gained enough, as well as occasionally coming across a new weapon that they could use that would make them stronger. Also, there was a surprisingly fleshed out story, especially for this being an arcade game. After each stage, there would be a simple cut scene with some portraits and dialogue text as the characters discussed their situation and what to do next. It wasn't much, and Gaiapolis certainly wasn't the only example of this happening in arcade beat 'em ups as Capcom was experimenting with similar ideas in games like The King of Dragons, but adding these aspects to the game resulted in a greater sense of progression than what one might have found in other comparatively simple games of the genre.
The story itself is simple enough. The Kingdom of Avalon has been destroyed by the Zar Harc Empire, and now Prince Gerard Himerce wants to take revenge for what happened to his kingdom. If players aren't all that keen on vengeful princes, they have two other characters that they can choose to play as. First there's Elaine, a half-human and half-fairy who looks an awful lot like Nei from the Phantasy Star games. Alternately, one can go with the dragon warrior Galahad if they prefer. They all handle a little bit differently, but not by a huge amount.
It's interesting to note that this also made the game fairly long as far as what one would usually find in an arcade. Gaiapolis clocked in at over 60 minutes to complete, and probably closer to an hour and a half for most people. By arcade game standards this is an eternity. Most of these things would take 30 minutes tops someone to beat, and, really, taking longer than that could feel like one was becoming pressed for time, or at least instilled a slight fear of missing the bus or appointment. Gaiapolis was pretty darn massive by comparison. In order to address this, Konami included a password system whereby players could jot the thing down and pick up from where they left off at another time. Granted, password systems can be pretty obnoxious as anyone old enough to remember those things can attest to, but it was a huge help in getting through this game without being stuck in the arcade for hours on end.
Of course, the big question with a game like this is, "How's the beating things up part?" To which one would have to answer, "About what one might expect." It's not the most exciting response that could be given, but it is accurate. Trudging through any given level, players smash their way through wave after wave of Zar Harc cannon fodder, which aren't all that difficult if one makes even the slightest effort to avoid being swarmed. These guys largely feel like an opportunity to get some experience points and hopefully level up, giving players a greater sense of accomplishment, rather than any kind of serious opposition.
On the other hand, the bosses themselves are where players will really feel like they've done something important. These enemies were quite large and usually had a decent amount of mechanics. One would have to make a point of learning their patterns of attack and adjusting accordingly. For their time, these were some pretty neat fights.
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| The NES version of the game in all of its 8-bit glory. |
Unfortunately, Gaiapolis never received an official home port. Konami was very hit and miss in terms of which arcade games they gave ports to, generally leaning toward the miss side of things. Unexpectedly, though, a team of Taiwanese pirates (the coding kind, not the swashbuckling Yee-har-ar type) took it upon themselves to make a bootleg version of the game for the NES. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but here we are. The game isn't completely horrible, which is nice, and it does make for a quaint novelty, but one can't help but wonder why they didn't opt for the SNES at least if they were going to put themselves through all that work anyway. Other than that, the game has largely faded into the mists of time outside of Elaine inexplicably becoming an unlockable character in Konami's equally obscure Battle Tryst.
So, there we have it, Gaiapolis. One more of Konami's classics that far too many people are either forgetting about or never knew existed in the first place. The game is well worth trying out for anyone curious. It's an enjoyable enough beat 'em up and a reminder of when Konami was still one of the dominant forces in the arcade.
