A muscular barbarian with a sword in hand hacks his way through hordes of monsters, leaps across chasms and climbs ropes toward a dragon boss – if you loved Conan and fantasy in the 1980s, Rastan by Taito was exactly what you were craving.
Rastan, released in the second half of the 1980s, was one of the first arcade action platformers to bet on a dark fantasy theme and a barbarian-style hero. At a time when arcades were ruled by shooters and beat 'em ups, Rastan offered movement across rugged levels with an emphasis on melee combat, jumping and vertical exploration.
The core of the game is swordfighting. The hero swings his weapon horizontally and diagonally, taking out snakes, skeletons, winged demons and other vermin. Along the way you collect temporary upgrades and alternative weapons – fire or lightning swords, protective items – that change your fighting style until their effect runs out. The levels alternate between castle interiors, caves and outdoor scenery and culminate in a battle with a mighty boss.
For its time, Rastan impressed with large, detailed sprites and colorful, atmospheric environments that painted a harsh fantasy world. The hero's movement animation and sweeping strikes lent the combat weight and swagger. The music underscored the adventurous mood and pulled the player ever onward.
Rastan ranked among the titles that helped establish the fantasy-flavored action platformer as a distinct direction, and it inspired a number of later games in a similar spirit. It saw ports to home computers and consoles, although the quality of the conversions varied depending on the capabilities of the given hardware. In the context of Taito's rich arcade history, it belongs among the titles that fans of the genre fondly remember as one of the first proper digital trips into a realm of swords and sorcery.
Why play: Classic barbarian fantasy in pure arcade form – swordfighting, jumps and bosses in a world any Conan fan will fall in love with.
Game 48 of 258 for Arcade
