Alcahest ROM

Alcahest is an arcade-style action game with RPG elements, that plays from a top-down perspective similar to titles like The Legend of Zelda and Soul Blazer, in which the player assume the role of swordsman Alen embarking on a journey to stop the demon tribe led by Babilom, an emperor planning to conquer world with his imperial army and the titular demon god who revived from his previous defeat a thousand years ago. Prior to starting, an options menu can be accessed at the game’s title screen, where any of the four available difficulty settings can be selected or change the controls setup. 

The player traverses through eight stages, populated with an assortment of enemies and obstacles, that are progressed by finding items and power-ups that aid Alen on his quest. Every stage has bosses and minibosses, which must be fought in order to progress further. Alen is capable of attacking enemies using a blade bestowed on him by the Guardians; After specific boss fights, the player gains the abilities of one of the four Guardians (based on the four classical elements). Alen can also charge his blade for a special attack, which differ depending on the elemental Guardian selected. MP is used to summon Guardians in battle.

The player can swap between each Guardian by pressing the shoulder buttons. Alen can also perform dash attacks when running by double-tapping the d-pad, as well as block projectile attack by standing still with his shield. Along the way, Alen meets five allies that join him at predetermined points of some stages. They are the young wizard Garstein, the princess Elikshil, the knight Sirius, the android Magna and the shape-shifting dragon goddess Nevis. Though they cannot be controlled directly, allies attack and use special moves when the corresponding button is pressed. “Special Points” (SP) is required for a partner’s special attack.