Jewel Master


Jewel Master is a 1991 video game for the Mega Drive/Genesis game console. It takes place in the country of Mythgard, where the protagonist, The Jewel Master must traverse the harsh lands ranging from scorching deserts to rugged mountains and through long forgotten ruins to collect the 12 elemental rings and save Mythgard from the clutches of the Demon King, Jardine the Mad.

Story

Once upon a moment in time, there was kingdom known to all as Mythgard. Mythgard prospered in peace until the first coming of the Demon King, Jardine the Mad. Leading his Dark Legion, Jardine was but a step away from obliterating the kingdom... It was then that the Twelve Masters of the Elements rose up to put an end to the Demon King's evil designs. A fierce battle ensued until there remained but four masters opposing Jardine. Pooling their powers into a Holy Blade, the Four Masters prepared for the Final Battle...

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling action-adventure. It introduces the ability to constantly customize your attacks and movement styles through various equippable rings. Using the "A" and "B" buttons as his left and right hands, you can then equip two rings to the corresponding hand. The "C" button is used for jumping. The nature of each attack varies greatly, and as a result, different attacks are suitable for different situations. A player familiar with the game can usually figure out which attack and combination of rings will be effective. For example, one enemy is weak to water and immune to fire, but other than this, enemies are not susceptible to specific elements.

Levels

Development

Jewel Master originally began development on the Sharp X68000 under the title Blade of the Great Elements.

Audio

composed the music for Jewel Master. Some of the track names, such as "The Gate of Delirium", "To Be Over" and "Close to the Edge", seem to pay homage to the British rock band "Yes", as those were the names of songs performed by the band. In addition, "Talk to the Wind" could very well be a reference to the song by King Crimson, "Vital Signs" could be a reference to Canadian rock band Rush, "Time to Kill" could be a reference to the 1970s British band U.K., "Fish Out of Water" could be a reference to the 1975 album "Fish Out of Water" by "Yes" Bassist Chris Squire and Firebird could be a reference to Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite.