Bladenite ZERO

Bladenite ZERO is an action-adventure game released on the EngineWave in 1996 as part of the Bladenite series.

It is the prequel to the first game.

Gameplay
As a first in the Bladenite series, this game forgoes the classic password system in favor of save files.

It has three difficulty levels, each harder than the last;
 * Easy - Beginner-friendly. Enemies take less hits to kill and deal less damage.
 * Normal - Intermediate difficulty. Enemies take a bit more punishment and deal more damage.
 * Hard - Inspired by the high difficulty level of the original game. Enemies are at their strongest and healthiest.

Though it takes place before the first game, Bladenite ZERO still maintains the ability to deflect enemy projectiles through parrying. Additionally, with the right analog stick on the EngineWave controller, the player can make Bladenite strafe when attacking, defending, or parrying.

Controls - Gameplay

 * D-pad or Left Analog Stick - Movement
 * Right Analog Stick - Strafe
 * A - Cast spell
 * B - Attack
 * C - Use tool
 * D - Defense/Parry/Interact with NPC
 * XD and YD - Change spells
 * XU and YU - Change weapon

Synopsis
The game takes place several years prior to the events of the first game, when Bladenite had first joined the Mercenary Guild of the Kingdom of Metigon, starting at the bottom and not yet using Starshatterer, but rather, a different sword. The storyline is divided into five acts, each composed of five missions.

ACT 1: Enter Bladenite

 * Mission 1: Enter the Kingdom of Metigon
 * Mission 2: TBD
 * Mission 3: TBD
 * Mission 4: TBD
 * Final Mission: Capture the Ellis Brothers!

ACT 2: Mercenary Guild

 * Mission 1: Welcome to the Guild
 * Mission 2: Meet the Prominent Mercenary
 * Mission 3: Suspicions
 * Mission 4: Murder Mystery
 * Final Mission: Perpetrator!

ACT 3: Starshatterer

 * Mission 1: Orenmir's Last Hurrah
 * Mission 2: Substitute Sword
 * Mission 3: Starshatterer Part 1
 * Mission 4: Starshatterer Part 2
 * Final Mission: Prove Yourself Worthy!

ACT 4: NO NAME YET
TBD

ACT 5: NO NAME YET
TBD

Cast of Characters
See Bladenite ZERO/Characters for details

Reception
Bladenite ZERO received positive reviews and sold well, making it a highly recommended title for the EngineWave. This lead to ITV inviting Murphy's to collaborate with them to develop a six-episode TV mini-series adaptation, with each episode based on events within the game.