Moby Games describes Zeliard as a side-scrolling action platformer with role-playing elements.
Originally published in late 1987, Zerliard is an RPG that ages well all things considered.. According to Wikipedia, it received good reviews for its “personality” if players could handle its difficulty.
The player controls a knight named Duke (not confusing at all!) Garland that travels through the Kingdom of Zeliard to save it from the demon Jashiin. It sports some interesting design decisions such as infinitely tiled stages and a choose-your-own-speed option. There’s also several useful-to-speedrunner mechanics such as enemies that can push Duke through invisible collision volumes.
This game also sports a great soundtrack when paired with appropriate hardware.
BOOSTERS’ TAKE
The game seems to hit all the highs of a finely-aged action adventure. Don’t let the box cover dissuade you. Pop the cork and waft the notes of metroidvania-like side-scrolling, a hint of Zelda 2, and a fine finish of some of the best pixel art you could find in the 80s.
Many thanks to CNeY for creating a map tool to help new runners with routing and visualizing the infinite tiling.
Boosters set records in three categories and a guide was created for new runners to follow.
RECAP INFOGRAPHIC
