Wizards & Warriors III: Kuros - Visions of Power (NES, 1992)

• Switch between acquired chars/classes on the fly (thief, wizard, the default knight) - Need to join guilds by finding and returning statues (so fetch quests) then passing tests as the knight, which are either short auto-scrolling platformer challenges with teleporter traps, a vertical segment or a more standard platforming challenge (all three have a boss at the end and you get thrown out if you fall into a pit during them). Each class can “level up” two times through this method, except the knight which can do it three times

• Each form/class gains a new ability or upgrade for each test passed: The lvl 1 thief moves faster than Kuros and can pass by a sleeping guard unnoticed, the lvl 2 one can break red windows and open some semi-hidden paths in the caves, and the lvl 3 one can open chests and any door (including some that can only be opened by it) with a magic key plus it’s the fastest form. The lvl 1 wizard is slower but jumps higher and can shoot diagonally to take out beehives in your way, the lvl 2 one has a magic shield to get past force fields/waterfalls, and the lvl 3 one can levitate+jumps the highest. The knight just gains stronger and longer ranged weapons however some of them have to be used for certain enemies and bosses

• Partially non-linear (seems you have to get the thief before the wizard, can get some statues in any order)

• No save and no password save, Not even continues!

• HP is fully restored at the beginning of the test levels and slightly after them

• No map system

• Rudimentary faction system - the wizard gets attacked by townspeople in town and the thief can’t use inns. There are also princesses who will only marry a certain class each (this nets you a gem and a hint about what to do next)

• Can trade two other items for hints from certain NPCs

• Some shortcuts but no teleporters back to town besides one warp to the beginning at one point

• Minor sequence breaking possibilities (the thief can make some jumps that you’d normally use levitation for either by running or by standing on NPCs’ heads)

• Some combat is similar to Zelda II’s except you have no shield here and can’t dash or roll dodge either (one of the bosses can back dash)

• Spongy enemies

• Oddly empty areas overall

• No spells, gear or sub weapons are gained unlike in the prequels (instead some of the old abilities and weapons are tied to the classes and their levels)

• Can’t switch between levels within a class/form (the knight does revert to the sword for the test levels however)

• Some hidden areas teleport you elsewhere when exiting them

• Most bosses are repeated several times with better stats and faster movement

• Minor fall damage

• Can only hold 4 quest items at once, meaning you can’t upgrade your classes if you for example go get the gems from the princesses before fully upgrading (until you trade those items in)

Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review

Influenced by: Possibly Wonder Boy series, Ufouria, Castlevania III, SMB3, Legacy of the Wizard

Influenced: