The game gives valid reasons to use both which is pretty cool. There are two attacks a wide swing and a more powerful stab. As you gain levels Willow becomes more proficient with each one. These weapons have different weights that affect the speed of their swing. During the game Willow will wield a variety of different swords. In a nice surprise there is some nuance to combat. In some ways that probably helped it as it has a good base to start with without any licensed baggage. Apparently Willow was an unrelated title that the license was grafted to. Granted it is not as if we get to see a lot of it in the movie to begin with but still. Willow fights with a sword and shield and the game world barely resembles the movie. Aside from a few key characters from the movie the game bears little resemblance to the film. Willow is a hidden gem that still gets overlooked today and is one of the better action RPGs for the system in the US.Ĭalling Willow a game based on the movie is a bit disingenuous. Which is a shame as their sole movie licensed title for the NES is pretty great. And while they tackled licenses of all stripes they mostly shied away from movie arena. Next to Konami, Sunsoft and Nintendo they also probably have the highest hit ratio in terms of their releases. Want to learn more about Willow? Check out the following resources.Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Released: 1989 Genre: Action RPGĬapcom was one of the most prolific NES developers. A password system let’s players pick the game up where they left off.Ĭlick the links below for more information. Like in many RPGs, there are towns and dungeons to explore, as well as an overworld that connects areas. Shields that protect the hero from damage and useful items are also scattered throughout the adventure. Players will find plenty of spells that heal Willow or harm his foes that include the Healing Ball and Thunder magics. Leveling up will also increase the speed at which the player swings swords. Willow’s Action RPG mechanics come into play as the player will level up as he defeats enemies, gaining more HP and MP in the process. The action uses a top down perspective and is 2D like the majority of NES titles. The game adheres to the story of the film rather loosely, but players will still see familiar characters and concepts from the motion picture.

The eponymously named hero, Willow Ufgood, is tasked with protecting a baby who is destined to slay the evil queen Bavmorda. Willow is an Action RPG based on the George Lucas movie of the same name, which was released a year prior to the game.

Willow nes game map