426 - The Krion Conquest

In this episode of NEStalgia, the hosts Mike, Sean, and Joe dive into 'The Krion Conquest' (originally known as Magical Kids Doropy), a 1991 NES game developed by Vic Takai that serves as a striking Mega Man clone with a magical twist. The game follows Francesca, a young witch summoned to battle an alien robot empire called the Cryons, using six magical powers from the start—unlike Mega Man’s progressive power acquisition. While the game’s core mechanics echo Mega Man’s structure, it diverges significantly with its central innovation: the broomstick, which acts as a movable platform and navigation tool. The hosts praise the game’s clever level design and tutorial integration but criticize the broom’s overly complex and frustrating mechanics, which dominate gameplay and disrupt flow. They also highlight the North American version’s brutal difficulty—lacking continues, checkpoints, and health refills—making it far harder than the original Japanese release. Despite its flaws, the episode acknowledges the game’s ambition and potential as a hidden gem, though ultimately deeming it not essential due to its punishing design and lack of polish. The hosts reflect on broader themes like localization choices, gender representation in 90s gaming, and the evolution of game design tropes, particularly the magical girl archetype and mecha piloting narratives in Japanese media. The episode concludes with a lighthearted yet pointed critique of the game’s missed opportunities: frozen enemies that could be platforms, a poorly implemented Phoenix power-up, and a lack of meaningful boss weaknesses. The hosts agree that while the game is not worth playing for most, Mega Man fans should experience it to appreciate the nuances of proper power-up design and level progression. They also tease the next episode—'Peter Pan and the Pirates'—with a humorous nod to potential copyright issues, underscoring their ongoing commitment to exploring overlooked NES titles with both reverence and playful skepticism.