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Sabreman returns in Sabre Wulf. The original Sabre Wulf was released some twenty years ago. Suffice to say, I have not played the game since it was developed before I was conceived! I’m pretty confident that most of you are in the same boat as me, so I’m not going to bother with the background of the series. If you have played Rare’s other GBA games most notably Banjo-Kazooie, you sort of know what to expect in this game, at least in the art style.
Sabre Wulf has you taking control of Sabreman in his quest against Sabre Wulf. Previously, the titular Wulf has locked inside a statue but was released by an evil doctor. Since then, Sabre Wulf and the doctor, Dolittle-Goode, have been breaking havoc across the land: spreading further and stealing more stuff.
The game is laid out in eight worlds and each gives you a piece of the amulet you need to congeal Sabre Wulf once more. The numerous worlds are made of up various levels, each one with a treasure piece. As you go through the first level, you’ll realize that it is quite short. That’s because once you reach the end and get the treasure, you’ll need to backtrack back to the beginning while escaping Sabre Wulf. The difficulty level isn’t particularly high during any part of the game but does pick up in the latter half.
Of course, getting through the levels is further complicated because Sabreman isn’t the most able of heroes and actually only has two abilities. He can run and jump. Thankfully, you’ll find numerous creatures in the game that will assist you. For example, if you can’t reach a certain height you can look for Serpent or Blubba. Serpent is able to float in the air, effectively becoming a platform; while Blubba’s stomach lets you bounce off to new heights. Need to take care of some enemies? Well, you can find Sticky which becomes goo that sticks to the enemies or look for Boomer who blows up on the various enemies.
The game isn’t difficult but provides some replay value. The quicker you go through each level, the better your reward. If you’re quick you’ll earn a gold treasure followed by silver then bronze. If you collect a gold treasure, you can play the level in a Challenge mode which gives you a time limit and limits the number of creatures you can use.
Visually, Sabre Wulf is very pretty. The game is very similar to Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country in the art department, since the backgrounds are pre-rendered and it seems to use the same game engine. The numerous characters you’ll find in the game look pretty good and the animation is always superb. Aurally, the background music is preppy and fits in with the game well. There are some voice samples in the game, mostly gibberish although Sabreman sometimes makes comments in English like “run for it.”
All things considered, Sabre Wulf is an enjoyable, if a tad simple game. It is perfect on the GBA where you can pick it up and play a few levels on your spare time. If you’ve been a Rare fan for a while, you’ll notice some references and the like, which is a nice touch. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Jun 24, 2004
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