Hydlide: Remaking history

When it burst onto the scene in 1984, Hydlide really was like nothing else. It possesses arcade-like action combat, similar to the sort that would end up beloved in Falcom’s Ys and then combines this with an open world setting, where players are free to wander wherever their heart desires and their skills allow them to survive. Realising that kind of ambition’s still considered a notable achievement today, never mind decades ago. Examining it today as the product of a specific point in time—noting the bits that appeared to be inspired by Namco’s Tower of Druaga, or the bits that would go on to influence an entire generation of RPGs—is all very well and good, but certainly not a requirement. Hydlide has worth beyond being the hobby’s history homework. It’s an exciting no-nonsense experience that drops me right in the middle of goodness knows where and in immediate danger, an endless stream of slimes wibbling in from all sides. They will kill Jim if I don’t do something about it, and if…