is a 1991

platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...

developed and published by

Wolf Team , formerly known as , was a Japanese video game development company founded in 1986. The company was renamed in 2003 when Telenet Japan sold part of its stake and made Namco the majority shareholder. Namco Tales Studio was originally the primary ...

for the

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...

. It is the first in a trilogy of games, which includes '' Earnest Evans'' and '' Anett Futatabi''.

Gameplay

''El Viento'' is a

. The player has access to an endless supply of bladed

boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...

s and eventually up to five spell attacks. Each level ends in a fight against a stage boss.

Plot

The game shares the same fictional universe with '' Earnest Evans'', and happens several years later. It also features many references to

H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (, ; August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American writer of Weird fiction, weird, Science fiction, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos. Born in Provi ...

Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos is a mythopoeia and a shared fictional universe, originating in the works of American Horror fiction, horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. The term was coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent and protégé of Lovecraft, t ...

. The game takes place in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

during the late 1920s, when cult leader Henry, the gangster

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...

(Vincente DeMarcoto in the American localization), and a sorceress named Restiana plot to awaken the ancient and malevolent god Hastur. There are some people that have descended from Hastur's ancient bloodline, one of which is the young Peruvian sorceress, Anett Myer. With some assistance from Earnest Evans, Anett attempts to stop the cult from resurrecting Hastur using the very spells of this bloodline.

Reception

''El Viento'' was given mixed but mostly positive reviews, including being rated 93% by ''Joystick'' in France, 66% by ''Super Play'', and 68% by ''Video Games'' in Germany. Damian Butt from ''

Sega Pro ''Sega Pro'' was the first publication from Paragon Publishing and catered for the Sega consoles: the Master System, Game Gear and the Mega Drive. Early editorial staff included Dominic Handy (editor), Les Ellis (games editor), Dave Perry (de ...

'' gave it a score of 89%: "With super fast graphics and brutal gameplay, ''El Viento'' will take your breath away." On the other hand, ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' gave it a D−, opining that "only the game's amusing historical anachronisms-like denim-clad blond bikers wielding scimitars-save it from rating as a total failure."

MegaTech ''MegaTech'' (sometimes styled with the katakana メガテケ) was a publication from EMAP aimed specifically at the Sega Mega Drive gaming market. The magazine was started in 1991. The launch editorial consisted of a small team including Pa ...

gave a score of 80% summarizing: "A tough 'n' challenging platform which doesn’t look particularly hot, but is surprisingly addictive and keeps you playing for ages." Retrospectively, Rodger Swan from Sega-16 gave this "great and challenging action game" an 8 out of 10 in spite of being at times "far too difficult," stating: "It may not have as pretty graphics or music as the ''Valis'' titles, but it has some really fast game play that gets players in the mood for action. This is a game that I encourage all action fans to pick up, and fans of ''Valis'' will appreciate the sense of speed!" According to Kurt Kalata of Hardcore Gaming 101, "overall, it's a bit of a sloppy game, with haphazard action and iffy level design, but the fast pace and overall craziness make this worth looking into, especially since it's one of Wolf Team's better titles."

References

External links

*
''El Viento''
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:El Viento 1991 video games Adventures of Earnest Evans and Anett Myer Cthulhu Mythos video games Magical girl video games Side-scrolling platformers Sega Genesis games Sega Genesis-only games Telenet Japan games Video games scored by Motoi Sakuraba Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring female protagonists Video games set in the 1920s Video games set in Chicago Wolf Team games Single-player video games