Gameplay of the Aozora's Adventure series

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The main games in the Aozora's Adventure series are platformers with a gameplay style reminiscent of Nintendo's Super Mario series, but with elements of other platformers such as the Kirby and Mega Man series.

List of Entries[edit | edit source]

The following games are considered part of the mainline Aozora's Adventure series:

  • Aozora's Adventure (Arc 1)
  • Aozora's Adventure II (Arc 2)
  • Aozora's Adventure Gaiden (Arc 2)
  • Aozora's Adventure III (Arc 3)
  • Aozora's Adventure Roboforce USA (Arc 4)
  • Aozora: Gates of Illusion (Arc 5)

Synopsis[edit | edit source]

General[edit | edit source]

  • Each game is a 2D platformer with focus on both platforming and combat, trekking the player through the many Zones of each game.
  • Moment of the player's character is controlled via a directional pad or stick. There are three buttons, one for jumping, one to do a "Spin Jump" (not present in Gaiden), and another for attacking. Unlike the Mario series, there is no "Run" button, and the player always will move as if it was held. Aozora's Adventure III adds a second Attack button for other functions.
  • In a character's "normal" form, the Attack button throws a combo of melee attacks, but if a Power-Up is grabbed, the character transforms, in most cases swapping out the melee attack for a ranged projectile or other- more practical or long-distance attack. Inputing certain combinations of movement and button presses will activate different skills, similar to Kirby Super Star and later installments in the Kirby series. With the addition of a second attack button in Aozora's Adventure III, new attacks would be added while others are re-mapped to different button configurations.
  • Each character has a health bar that sits at 100% and is replenished by collecting energy drinks from stages. Power-Ups do not effect the health bar and can be knocked off the player if they sustain too much damage, reverting them to their normal form. There is no way to turn "small" from damage.
  • Players can do wall jumps if they attempt to jump while sliding or clinging to a wall, a Triple Jump if they jump several times in succession while running, and a Spin Jump if they press the Spin Jump button. The Spin Jump works like it does in Super Mario World.
  • Ground Pounds are performed by pressing Down while in mid air, dropping the player downwards to destroy objects and dealing stronger damage to enemies than a Stomp. Sliding down slopes is also possible, which additionally increases the player's speed.
  • Extra lives are slightly more rare compared to a Mario or Kirby game, and require going out of one's way or taking huge risks to earn one. Collecting 100 coins does not award an extra life.

Zones[edit | edit source]

  • Each Zone contains roughly ten mandatory platforming stages, three Boss stages including two minor and a major boss (which contain small platforming segments before reaching the boss room, usually with no enemies), and a number of secret levels that open alternate paths accessed by finding secondary exits in some levels. In Aozora's Adventure III, some secret levels take place in entirely different Zones from the one it was accessed from (complete with switching to another Zone's map).
  • Each world has a shop that stocks health, lives and Power Ups (with a differing selection in each Zone) that are stored in an inventory accessed from the Zone Map upon purchase (or can be directly applied to the player or stored in a "reserve" box activated in the middle of a level). Power Ups cost between 100 and 800 coins depending on their strength and rarity. Lives are initially priced at 500 coins, but increase by 250 coins for each life that is purchased, up to 2000. Completing a number of levels reduces the cost by 250 coins.

Enemies and Bosses[edit | edit source]

  • Enemies are much more plentiful and dangerous than a typical Mario game, most having health bars that can take more than a single attack before death. Many enemies are efficient at combat and can dodge or jump out of the way of danger, as well as launch projectiles.
  • Bosses are about as difficult as a Mega Man or Kirby boss, having patterns the player must memorize and plan strategies around to attack.
    • Minor (or Mini) bosses are large bosses, typically monsters of some sorts, that serve as minor obstacles and don't play big roles in the storyline.
    • World Bosses are fights against major characters important to the series' plot, in the style of a Robot Master from the Mega Man series. Characters such as Masayoshi, Talisha, and Jullian are examples of World Bosses.