Maximo: Ghosts to Glory
PlayStation 2
Nostalgia Factor:
Although Maximo seems to be forgotten by most gamers, there was a lot of buildup for it when it came out in 2002. I remember seeing it all over the game magazines, and getting super hyped for it. It was promoted as a next-gen 3D spiritual successor to the Ghosts 'n Goblins series. I was always a huge fan of that series. As a result, this is one of those rare instances where I went out and purchased a game right away. Normally I wait for games to hit the bargain bin, but not this one.
My memories of the game are very limited. I only played through the game that one time, back in 2002, and then I never picked it up again. So it's been a good 23 year gap between playthroughs. I was essentially a different person back in 2002. I was living with my girlfriend Colleen. I remember playing this game with her nephew Yoshi when he would come over to visit us.
What do I remember about the game itself? I remember the first few levels. I remember the game being difficult. I remember that I did, in fact, beat the game. I remember kind of having a good time with it, but I don't remember it being a particularly standout title at all
How would I feel about the game 23 years later? Surprisingly good, actually! It is much better than I remember. Keep reading for my full thoughts.
Story:
This isn't really a game you play for its story. Controlling Maximo, you must rescue four sorceresses that have been imprisoned by the evil Achille. Once you've rescued them all, you take the fight to Achille's doorstep. Defeat Achille, rescue your girlfriend, and the game is over.
Gameplay:
I admit, I was not super stoked to return to the game when I first fired it up. As vague as my memories are, I remember the game being difficult. It's not that I like to shy away from a challenge or anything, but I only get an hour or two to play games every day. I don't want to waste my time on something that's just going to piss me off the whole time. Luckily, Maximo did not do that. The game almost immediately won me over.
Let me explain how the game works. It is a behind the back 3D platformer. Controlling the titular character, you use a sword to fight enemies. You have a standard strong and weak attack. You can jump. You can double jump. You can duck. You can block attacks with your shield. Heck, you can even throw your shield at enemies. As you play, you are constantly picking up power-ups that "buff up" your character.
There are five main worlds, each with a central hub filled with stages you can pick from. Think of the hub for each world as the castle from Super Mario 64. Before you can access the hub, however, you must complete one stage first. Then, you can pick which order in which you'd like to complete the rest of the stages. Beat all the stages in a world, and you gain access to a boss character, who you must face in battle. Defeat him, and you move onto the next world.
Stages are filled with gold coins, which you can use in the hub to save your game and fast travel between worlds. You also collect blue spirit whisp things, which give you ancient coins you use to continue when you run out of lives. There are also armor and character upgrades you can purchase in the game from kiosks. Enemies drop items and coins all the time. You'll find each stage is filled with hidden chests and locked doors. You are constantly picking up keys to open these things, which often lead to armor, money, or health items. So what I am trying to say is that there is a lot to pick up and collect. I don't remember the game being so packed with content, but it is.
The game is a major challenge, but not in an unfair way. Most of the difficulty comes from taking hits when melee attacking with your sword. Enemies can block and counterattack if you aren't careful. Many fights require much more of a tactical approach, similar to something you'd see in a Dark Souls game. I hate to make that comparison, because I think it is a lazy comparison that too many people make when going back and playing old games. But I think it is appropriate here. I've played a LOT of retro games, and this is probably the one that made me think of Dark Souls the most. This is not a typical platformer like Crash Bandicoot or Spyro. You have to approach sword play and combat from a more cautious angle. If you don't put an effort into defense and blocking, you are going to have a bad time.
While most enemies like to fight hand to hand, other enemies throw projectiles at you. Again, you always have to be on the lookout. It always seems like you are side stepping danger every direction you turn. Perhaps the thing that is the most "unfair" is the fact that enemies just pop up out of the ground with little to no warning. You can think you have a clear path to the level exit when BAM a whole bunch of skeleton guards pop up and attack before you can even react. You always have to be cautious in this game, or you aren't going to have a good time. I suppose this keeps in line with the original games.
The other major challenge comes from the platforming difficulty. The game is filled with bottomless pits that kill you instantly. Lives aren't easy to come by in this game, and you have to pay coins to save your game. So again, if you aren't cautious, you are not going to have a good time.
Once I figured out how the game works (the jumping, the combat, the level structure, etc) I really began to enjoy it. It had me hooked for sure. I would spend my hour or two of free time a day obsessively playing this game. When I was babysitting or at work, my mind would often turn to Maximo and how much I wanted to just cancel my obligations so I could play it some more. To me, that is the sign of a great game. Something that occupies your mind even when you aren't playing it.
Graphics:
This game still looks great, despite the fact that it is 23 years old. I love the world of the game, with its cemeteries, swamps, crumbling castles, frozen shipwrecks, and your trip to the Underworld towards the end of the game. It is a very well-realized fantasy/medieval setting. You fight ghosts, skeletons, zombies, and all kinds of creatures that would fit right into a Halloween themed game. Not that this is a Halloween game, but it does share a lot of common themes.
The world is 3D and fully explorable. Everything looks pretty sharp. There was never a moment where I thought "that hasn't aged well." It's not the most gorgeous or beautiful game ever. It is definitely a PS2 game. That said, it looks perfectly fine to me. If they ever decide to remaster this game with today's technology, they could really make it look incredible.
Sound:
This game has a really good soundtrack. I can still hum the main level theme even though I finished this game several days ago. It has stuck with me. The stage music fits perfectly with the medieval fantasy setting. They managed to craft a fun, cartoonish land full of magic and monsters, and the music lends it much authenticity. While it is reminiscent of the music from the original games in the G&G series, for the most part it does its own thing. I never thought that the music sounded lazy or recycled. It doesn't rely on nostalgia for the series. It's good on its own!
You do hear a remixed version of the Ghosts n' Goblins music play during the end credits. That was a treat. I guess this makes it more than just a spiritual successor. This cements it as an actual entry in the series, right?
Overall:
I'm still shocked at how good of a time I had with this. I came into it with little to no expectations, and I came away from it thinking WOW, that was a really good game! I was hooked from the minute I first picked it up. I'd play it all night, I'd play it when the kiddo was at school, I'd play it on my lunch break. I couldn't get Maximo out of my head. I can't say that many other games I have played recently have had my attention like that.
Maximo looks good, it sounds good, and it is the perfect level of challenge for me. For casual gamers, it can be a bit on the tough side. And I went through some rough patches too. But for the most part, I thought the challenge level was just right. It never teetered over that edge of being too frustrating. And that's because the game is a fair difficulty. You don't get screwed over left and right by cheap deaths. When you die in this game, 9 times out of 10 it is because you weren't being careful enough.
This game gets an easy recommendation from me. If you've never played Maximo before, you need to run out and play it now. I do understand that this won't be for everyone, though. If you come into this thinking it is going to be some cutesy platformer, you are going to be in for a huge surprise. I loved it, though, and I can't wait to check out its sequel (which I have never played) at some point in the near future.
THE GRADE:
A
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