Sword of Sodan

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a game by Innerprise Software, Inc.
Genre: Platformer
Platform: Sega GenesisGenesis
Editor Rating: 6.3/10, based on 4 reviews
User Rating: 8.5/10 - 4 votes
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See also: Hack and Slash Games
Sword of Sodan
Sword of Sodan
Sword of Sodan
Sword of Sodan

Hack and slash fanatics rejoice! Sword of Sodan is out for the Genesis, and it's slice and dice time! Zoras the malevolent wizard has zapped your pop, King Pallas, and claimed the throne for himself. As one of King Pallas' two surviving heirs, the task has fallen to you to reclaim your father's kingdom. Sword of Sodan is a seven-level, gory, horizontally-scrolling, fight-to-the-death game designed for gamers who don't like to read instruction manuals before getting down to business.

This one-player game imitates the best sword 'n sorcery arcade games perfectly -- including the realistic grunts and groans and the large, colorful characters that gush blood when they bite the dust.

Pick a Potion, Any Potion

Naturally, there's a little more to S of S than slicing up enemies. Occasionally, colored potions appear that your character can pick up and drink. Potions come in four colors and combining them produces different results. A little experimentation goes a long way in Sword of Sodan.

ProTips:

  • Combine the red and the purple potions to gain a free life (up to nine lives maximum). Build up your lives during the first three levels.
  • Drinking four purple potions simultaneously enables you to warp to the next level. Use this trick to warp past the Zombie Graveyard. It works until you reach the Foyer of Castle Cragganmore.
  • To avoid pit traps in the Foyer, look for a slight discoloration on the floor. That's where the pits open.
  • In the Foyer, avoid the first two pits but deliberately jump into the third pit to warp to the next level without taking any damage.
  • You can never carry more than four potions at once -- you have to use them to get more.
  • Use one of each colon potion simultaneously; you'll die instantly and receive an anti-drug message.
  • After defeating the Flying Bugs in the Underground Passage, move to the far right of the screen, kneel down, and thrust your sword to the right. You'll kill a wizard coming from the right side before he has a chance to damage you.
  • You can walk on the lava pits in the Underground Passage it you use the blue and the purple potions to create a shield.

The Mark of Zoras

What would an adventure game be without an ultimate evil? Sword of Sodan has one of the baddest villains to ever slime his way into a Genesis game. His name is Zoras, and he makes Darth Vader look like a Boy Scout. Zoras appears in two forms, a large "Jabba the Hut" type creature and a human. Either way, he's deadly.

When Zoras first appears in the City Streets, he can't be hit. Don't waste your time hacking at him, go after the flying bug that accompanies him.

If you're looking for a real brain-buster, find another game. But if it's blood and guts you want, Sword of Sodan could be your cup of plasma.

Download Sword of Sodan

Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

Game Reviews

An evil wizard has cast a once peaceful land into one riddled with demons, zombies and waves of murderous soldiers. You have the sword of Sodan, the most powerful weapon on the planet but can you compete with the countless enemy that you will encounter? Grab health potions and the flaming sword as you battle through 7 grueling levels of hand-to-hand combat!

  • Machine: Sega Genesis

In many ways, Sword of Sodan is no different than a score of other action-adventure games. After all, it's not unusual for a videogame to feature a hero who must topple a wicked ruler to claim the throne that's rightfully his. It's also not unusual for the hero to hack his way through waves of henchmen and demons to reach the evil overlord.

It is unusual, however, to see a game in which each sword thrust is accompanied by a spurt of blood and a grunt of pain, or which graphically depicts the hero decapitating his enemies. In that regard, Sword of Sodan is one of the most violent arcade-style games released so far for the Genesis.

The story centers around Shardan and Brodan, the children of a slain king, who must avenge their father's death in order to save their land from the evil sorcerer Zoras. You can play as either Brodan (the son) or Shardan (the daughter).

Since there are only three ways to use your sword in Sodan, it doesn't take long to master the basics of combat. Magic potions you find along the way add a bit of strategy. When taken singly or in combination with other potions, they provide you with various power-ups - such as a shield, a flaming sword, or an extra life.

The real attraction of Sodan is its graphics. The characters feature lifelike detail and shading, and they're more than a third of the screen tall. The background scenery, particularly in and around the city, is rich with color. One creature you encounter is so colorful that he looks like something from a psychedelic record cover of the 1960s.

But it's the explicit combat that will probably gain Sodan the most notoriety. When you land a blow, you actually bloody your opponent. When you lose a life, your character collapses with a shriek and pours forth rivulets of blood. And the scenes in which you behead giants end with heads rolling across the floor.

A few more styles of attack and a greater variety of enemies would give the game more depth. But despite those shortcomings, Sword of Sodan is a beautiful and challenging game that could (for better or worse) introduce a new level of realism in videogames.

  • Levels: 5
  • Theme: Action
  • Players: 1
  • Difficulty: Average

The popular PC version has been translated to the Genesis. This cart has all that a swordsman would like, lots of techniques, plenty to kill, and BLOOD! A slasher's delight!

Snapshots and Media

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

Other Games by Innerprise Software, Inc.