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Join demigod Sphinx and his pal the cursed mummy in their quest through ancient Egypt.
September 14, 2004 | 10:00 PM PSTby: Matthew Green
Travel back in time to the days of ancient Egypt, a time when demigods roamed the land, evil gods were plotting unspeakable horrors, and the dead walked through the darkness in search of treasure. Visit the majestic city of Abydos, catch fiery armadillos in bags, and travel from place to place through a series of portals with the aid of lost amulets. Developer Eurocom and publisher THQ allows players to experience all of this and more in the action/adventure/puzzle Nintendo GameCube title Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy. Fans of Egyptian mythology (and/or TV's Stargate SG-1) take note!
Features
And You Are...?
There have been many video games that have tried to lay claim to the Zelda throne over the years, and here we have yet another valiant effort. THQ/Eurocom's Sphinx and Cursed Mummy is an intriguing adventure; an adventurous romp through the mythology of ancient Egypt with a healthy dose of magic, danger, and an undead mummy that gads about madly. Combining some of the best aspects of Star Fox Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Wario Land 3, Sphinx follows the adventures of the half-man/half-lion demigod Sphinx as he journeys across a fantasy-inspired Egypt in an attempt to figure out just what evil horror is being unleashed across the land. If the story has a weak point, it's that the instruction manual and opening section of the game fail to adequately set up just what horrible fate is looming ahead thanks to the evil god Set, a shocking betrayal, and an ancient prophecy. Instead players are simply thrust into the tale, almost as if audiences are supposed to know who Sphinx and his foes are automatically. Perhaps returning to characters such as Mario, Link, and Fox McCloud time and time again spoils gamers; we know their origins, their exploits, and their personalities thanks to years of timeless adventures. Sphinx and friends are new characters, and as such it would have been nice to be properly introduced to them here. As it stands, the game’s promotional website does more to explain the storyline than the opening scenes of the game itself. As the game progresses it’s easy to see what Sphinx’s next task is, but it’s not always clear how retrieving a jewel fits into the overall plot.
Sphinx is divided into two distinct sections of gameplay: a traditional action/adventure mode in which Sphinx runs, jumps, and swings a mean sword at all who stand in his way and a action/puzzle mode where the mummified prince runs through the cursed castle in which he has been imprisoned in search of various items and artifacts that can be teleported to Sphinx for his use. After acquiring both a sword and energy-based shield in the opening section of the game, Sphinx's world opens up and he is able to come and go across the land as he pleases while gathering new weapons and completing objectives. Sphinx's gameplay is standard "Get Item A to open Door B that leads to Boss C that guards Treasure D" material and should be familiar to anyone who has played a Legend of Zelda or Metroid game in the past. Sphinx will often pass by blocked passages, locked doors, or items just out of reach in his travels, prompting a return visit once he has the needed ability to unblock or unlock the path.
Meet Sphinx.
For example, after traveling from Abydos by boat Sphinx comes to a large island that has been cursed. While the island itself is wide open for exploration, there are six Eyes of Ra mounted on poles near the dock that shoot laser-like energy beams whenever Sphinx gets near them. Even though Sphinx (and you) can see the various treasures and caves at the other end of the island, those Eyes and their powerful bolts block the path. Eventually Sphinx gains the ability to destroy the Eyes, although to do so he must approach them from behind. So how does Sphinx get behind them? On goes the sequence until eventually Sphinx can successfully destroy the Eyes, although that just opens up more tasks to complete. The challenge comes from not only figuring out how to complete the current task, but also finding out what the next task entails. The "overworld" parts of Egypt are large, spacious, and full of side-quests, while the "dungeon" regions are loaded with switches, levers, and buttons that must be pushed in order to open the way to the next room. Most of Sphinx's puzzles come in symmetrical pairs; in order to open the way forward Sphinx will have to not only pull the lever on the left side of the room (which is guarded by monsters and more puzzles), but also the right side.
Features
- Play as demigod Sphinx and his undead pal the cursed mummy
- Two aspects of gameplay: traditional action/adventure and action/puzzle
- Explore a vast overworld full of colorful characters, amazing treasures, and tempting side-quests
- Vivid visuals bring the fantasy recreation of ancient Egypt to life
- High-quality animated cinematic scenes move the story along
And You Are...?
There have been many video games that have tried to lay claim to the Zelda throne over the years, and here we have yet another valiant effort. THQ/Eurocom's Sphinx and Cursed Mummy is an intriguing adventure; an adventurous romp through the mythology of ancient Egypt with a healthy dose of magic, danger, and an undead mummy that gads about madly. Combining some of the best aspects of Star Fox Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Wario Land 3, Sphinx follows the adventures of the half-man/half-lion demigod Sphinx as he journeys across a fantasy-inspired Egypt in an attempt to figure out just what evil horror is being unleashed across the land. If the story has a weak point, it's that the instruction manual and opening section of the game fail to adequately set up just what horrible fate is looming ahead thanks to the evil god Set, a shocking betrayal, and an ancient prophecy. Instead players are simply thrust into the tale, almost as if audiences are supposed to know who Sphinx and his foes are automatically. Perhaps returning to characters such as Mario, Link, and Fox McCloud time and time again spoils gamers; we know their origins, their exploits, and their personalities thanks to years of timeless adventures. Sphinx and friends are new characters, and as such it would have been nice to be properly introduced to them here. As it stands, the game’s promotional website does more to explain the storyline than the opening scenes of the game itself. As the game progresses it’s easy to see what Sphinx’s next task is, but it’s not always clear how retrieving a jewel fits into the overall plot.
Sphinx is divided into two distinct sections of gameplay: a traditional action/adventure mode in which Sphinx runs, jumps, and swings a mean sword at all who stand in his way and a action/puzzle mode where the mummified prince runs through the cursed castle in which he has been imprisoned in search of various items and artifacts that can be teleported to Sphinx for his use. After acquiring both a sword and energy-based shield in the opening section of the game, Sphinx's world opens up and he is able to come and go across the land as he pleases while gathering new weapons and completing objectives. Sphinx's gameplay is standard "Get Item A to open Door B that leads to Boss C that guards Treasure D" material and should be familiar to anyone who has played a Legend of Zelda or Metroid game in the past. Sphinx will often pass by blocked passages, locked doors, or items just out of reach in his travels, prompting a return visit once he has the needed ability to unblock or unlock the path.
Meet Sphinx.
For example, after traveling from Abydos by boat Sphinx comes to a large island that has been cursed. While the island itself is wide open for exploration, there are six Eyes of Ra mounted on poles near the dock that shoot laser-like energy beams whenever Sphinx gets near them. Even though Sphinx (and you) can see the various treasures and caves at the other end of the island, those Eyes and their powerful bolts block the path. Eventually Sphinx gains the ability to destroy the Eyes, although to do so he must approach them from behind. So how does Sphinx get behind them? On goes the sequence until eventually Sphinx can successfully destroy the Eyes, although that just opens up more tasks to complete. The challenge comes from not only figuring out how to complete the current task, but also finding out what the next task entails. The "overworld" parts of Egypt are large, spacious, and full of side-quests, while the "dungeon" regions are loaded with switches, levers, and buttons that must be pushed in order to open the way to the next room. Most of Sphinx's puzzles come in symmetrical pairs; in order to open the way forward Sphinx will have to not only pull the lever on the left side of the room (which is guarded by monsters and more puzzles), but also the right side.
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