Kool Kat Cool: A Kid Mystic: Enchanted Edition Review

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC (Steam)

Sometimes games pop out of absolute nowhere for us to review, and the one we're going to look at today is one of those. Kid Mystic: Enchanted Edition is a re-release of a classic PC Action RPG from 1999, and I went into it completely blind. I thought it looked cute and silly, but had no idea what I was getting into beyond that it was a re-release. It currently is only available on PC, and we're going to see if this game is worth checking out or not. There's really no need for further intro, so let's dive right in!

I'd be lying if I said I had any idea what the story behind Kid Mystic is, but the game itself has a novel-length history all its own. Originally released back in 1999 as Spooky Castle: The Adventures of Kid Mystic, it rose to fame (or infamy) as a budget PC release that you'd most likely find in a bin at an office supply store. It may have had as modest a release as a game could get, but it did pick up a bit of a cult following as the years went on. From there it got another release in 2004 on the developer's website. This time the game was titled simply Kid Mystic, and it added tons more content all around. This release lived on for several more years, and it's now considered the "Classic" version of the game. We now arrive at the Enchanted Edition that originally saw release on itch.io, before also dropping onto Steam. This new release changes things further, making it far more of a proper Action RPG than ever before. It's considered the "Modern" version in this release. You'd think that the latest Kid Mystic would only include that Modern version, but it actually has the other two as well. Not only that, but it even has harder Challenge versions for all of the games too. This review is going to mainly center on the Classic version, but I will get to the others towards the end. The reason for this is simple, as the Classic game gives the best view of what Kid Mystic is. Whether you agree with that or not, this is the definitive package if you can't get enough Kid Mystic in your life.

I may have been exaggerating just a little when I said that Kid Mystic didn't have a story worth mentioning, but that's mainly due to the fact that it's not told to the player in-game. It's my understanding that you're the titular Kid Mystic, and you're out to defeat a Big Bad named Bobby Khan. Bobby Khan is terrorizing the people of Tulipton, and only the Armageddon Sword can stop him. That's the McGuffin you're after, and that's pretty much all you get. It's not a bad set-up all things considered, and my only gripe is that you're more than likely only going to know any of this if you choose to read everything on the game's store page. I'm sure all of these details were only ever mentioned previously in the now-non-existent instruction manual, so we're kind of moving blind in this release. Considering that the game can still be enjoyed without a story, and that the tale of its journey in the gaming world is as wild as it is, I'm willing to give it some slack on this front.

At its core, Kid Mystic is an Action RPG with gameplay being broken down into smaller levels rather than a sprawling overworld. There are four chapters that are essentially small area maps, and these in turn have several smaller rooms within them. Your goal is to collect all the green orbs in each area, and face that chapter's boss. Enemies will come at you not only in the rooms, but also in the overhead chapter maps too. Touching an enemy will take you to a separate monster encounter, and I'll cover those in more detail in just a bit. You can freely travel between chapters, which sort of makes each of them a broken up version of a world map. You can also improve Kid Mystic's abilities through found and purchased items, equipment, and simply by leveling up. It can be hard to find all the rooms and all the green orbs in any given chapter, but the game thankfully has you covered on this front. Not only are you usually not allowed to leave a room you've entered without picking up all of the green orbs found within them, but each room will also be marked with an "x" when they've been completed. The path to the chapter's boss will also typically be closed off until you've completed everything else in the area, so it's hard to ever truly get stuck in the game.

Even though there is something of a bigger map in each area, you'll spend most of your time in the game's many smaller rooms. Some of these rooms are static and required to complete a level, and others come via random monster encounters. You start each room unable to perform any offensive action, as you must pick up an energy orb to be able to fire your standard shot. You can technically use magic at any time, but this uses up your finite MP meter, and all magic must be found over the course of the game. Your standard shot can also be powered up with more energy orbs, similar to how weapons work in a shmup. There are other pickups too, and these include crystals that augment your walking or attack speed, crystals that modify what happens when you attack, potions that restore life or MP, and keys that are used to unlock doors. Most rooms simply require you to pick up all the green orbs to exit, or defeat all the enemies if it's a random encounter, while others have slight puzzle elements to them as well. These are usually easy enough to figure out though, and dying in a room only means you have to retry it from the beginning. You can also go back to any previously cleared room if you want to get more experience or money, but you technically only have to clear the main rooms once to move on. 

All in all, Kid Mystic has a fairly simple gameplay loop that isn't without its charm. Some rooms are challenging in all the right ways, and just about all of them have some sort of silly pun or joke to them when you enter. My only gripe with them has to be the fact that Kid Mystic's skills all reset to zero once a room is completed. You can fully power up your speed and attack in a bigger room, but have to do all that again the second you enter another. This makes for some annoying sections, especially when you get forced into random battles over and over again. You can run from these encounters, but it's not recommended. Part of me understands why the gameplay is like this, but I also can't help but wish that the developers either went full Action RPG, or full on level-based action instead of the mix we get here. It is what the game is known for though, so it's something you're just going to have to get used to no matter what version of the game you choose to tackle. I ultimately got to the point where I knew all the gameplay quirks like the back of my hand, but I can also see how this might put off some players.

I could go on about the item and equipment system, or the fairies that you can pick up that grant special abilities, but those are pretty self-explanatory in-game. I think what's more important is to discuss what makes each of the other gameplay modes different over the Classic one. If you want a harder, simpler version of Kid Mystic, than the 1999 Version is for you. This one feels far more level-based, and has fewer of the RPG mechanics that are in the other re-releases. It's also significantly more difficult, and has aged like fine milk in my opinion. It will probably be nostalgic though for all those who played it 25 years ago. The Modern Version actually might as well be a completely different game, and I can't help but wonder why it wasn't just messed around with a bit more to make an outright sequel. This version has modified areas, items, and a totally different levelling up system than what's found in either the Classic Version of the 1999 Version. Instead of things progressing along a pre-set route, you now have the ability to place points into a skill tree. This was admittedly a lot of fun, but it also felt out of place considering how simplistic everything else in-game is. I also don't think that it makes the game any easier, and can in fact lead to a more difficult experience if you build your character in a non-optimized way. I was not able to try out any of the Challenge modes for this review, but I honestly don't think I would want to anyway. I wouldn't call Kid Mystic a hard game in any of its versions, but it is a very old one. The idea of playing a more difficult version just isn't something I find palatable, but the options are there for anyone interested.

Kid Mystic may not be the game I was thinking it was going to be when I first picked it up, but it's grown on me over the hours I've put into it. It has a charming visual style that makes me wish I played it in my youth, and the vocals samples and quips had me chuckling more than a few times. The music is pretty good too, and I even dug the wonky 3D-style cutscenes that bookend the game. There's also a ton of content here, and a lively, if small, community for the game if you want to dive in deeper. You get a lot for the very reasonable asking price of $14.99, and the game is still getting regular updates. These updates mainly involve balance issues and bugs, but it's always a good thing to see a developer so active post-launch. I don't know if I can give it the usual blanket recommendation, but this is a must-buy for fans of retro games in general, and computer RPGs in specific. Those who remember playing that 1999 version way back in its original release will also want to snatch this one up, but I think that’s a given. Grab it now so you too can be Kool Kat Cool! See you in the next one!

Check Out Kid Mystic: Enchanted Edition on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3531250/Kid_Mystic_Enchanted_Edition/

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Story: B+
Gameplay: B
Graphics: B+
Music/Sound: B
Value: B

Overall: B

Pros:
+ A fun retro Action RPG that truly plays like nothing else.
+ The visuals capture the late-90s 3D aesthetic perfectly. This is a nostalgic trip even for those not already familiar with the game.
+ Though some parts have aged rather poorly, the overall humor of the game still lands for the most part. Kid Mystic the '90s mascot that never took off.
+ Comes with several ways to play the game, and is the perfect package for those who were fans of its previous versions.
+ Still gets regular updates from the developer, and there's also an active (if small) fan community for the game.

+/- Kid Mystic's "Kool Kat Cool" line reminds me a bit too much of the Cool Cat movie character.

Cons:
- There are core parts of the gameplay, like having to rebuild skills over and over again in each room, which just aren't all that much fun.
- Can be pretty challenging and repetitive. I don't even want to know what the Challenge modes are like.
- Might not appeal to those who aren't fans of retro releases, or who've never heard of the original.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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I love everything about this CD cover!

#KidMystic