I promised a SNES review in my last review. In fact, I promised a SNES review of an obscure gem, which is a daunting task.
Maybe it's just me (most reviews I find for this game tirade it for being horrible), but I like this game. Utopia and I have a bit of a history. It was one of the 6 SNES games I had back then, and I played it to 100% Quality of Life (basically, I win), and was so proud of my victory. Then my friend picked up the controller and somehow ruined it all - I don't really know how.
Anyway, the game is basically a city building game, like the Sims, set in space, with some really bad combat and controls thrown in just to taunt you. The game was originally released for the Amiga, MS-DOS and Atari ST in 1991, but it wasn't until it was released for the SNES in 1993 that I got my hands on it. If you have a SNES mouse, I suggest using it, as it makes some of the annoying controls of the game a lot less annoying.
The game drops you, with a few modest buildings, and no real explanation of what your goals are. There is a little trick to this though. The game automatically drops you off in a "Practice" planet, which is identical to the first world (named Eldorian after the alien race that inhabits it), except that the Eldorians will never attack you, and you start with 10x the resources.
This Practice mission is a great little sandbox if you're just interested in learning the game and building, but the fact that it doesn't tell you that you are in an easy "No Combat" mode can be a little confusing. To get to a legitimate level, start a new game, and choose a level. Other then that, I'm fairly certain that the game plays pretty much the same.
One of the major gripes with this game is that it's ugly. And i'll agree, it's no spring chicken. The worlds are all pretty bland, the buildings aren't very detailed, and in a thick city, it can be almost impossible to know what is where. But that doesn't matter so much in this game, as there is no infrastructure (roads etc) to worry about), and only Tanks require pathways to get anywhere.
Yes, it does actually look that bad.
Another major complaint with the graphics is just the scope of the game. each level is pretty massive (probably about 110x110 squares large, where each building is 1 square (with the exception of some large buildings which are 4). You see a small 7x7 square of this map at any one time, so you shift around this tiny narrow scope.
Utopia, for the most part, plays like any other Sim game. You build buildings, control and manage your population, your production, resources such as food, electricity and oxygen, and your money. This game is remarkably easy though, especially if you are playing in the sandbox Practice mode, where no-one attacks you - I was able to achieve that 100% QoL in 1 sitting, and I hadn't played the game for years.
Like most Sim games, you have a counsel of people to tell you what to do to improve your nation. Each of these characters look kind of interesting in their own way, although your interaction with them is minimal. Keeping these people happy while also keeping your city secure form enemy attacks (the aliens are ALWAYS hostile) is the key to achieving the 100% score.
These guys do look pretty cool, but ultimately, they're like cardboard cutouts
Another big complaint I have with the gameplay is that it starts out so slow. You need free colonists to build things for you, but in the beginning, your population is so low that you may only be able to build 2-3 things at once, and they can take 5-10 minutes to build. And there is no way of knowing how many colonists you have available without going into your advisor screen, so you will see the "Not enough Colonists to Build that" error message A LOT.
One saving grace of the controls of this game is that you CAN use the SNES mouse. The only problem with that is that unlike using the controller, scrolling to the edge of your 7x7 pane does not scroll the map, you have to click on arrows to the right. It's still a lot easier then mastering some of the worst controller controls I've ever witnessed in a game.
The sound is just irritating in Utopia. Some sounds carry on a lot longer then necessary (a siren sound when your power goes out for instance may hold its last note for 4-5 seconds), and the music is repetetive and annoying. Good thing you have the option to turn it off.
The sounds are just unflattering. There's nothing really else to say.
Is Utopia the gem I hoped it was when remembering it from my childhood? Sadly, no. Most of the reviews I had read since then had been correct. But just because a game is technically bad, and that the list of superior games in its platform and genre are staggering, doesn't mean they should be avoided at all costs - a hint of nostalgia can really help you play past that.
Do I suggest you hunt down a copy of Utopia? I would say, no. Definately not. It won't have any of that nostalgic value to any of you. However, perhaps there is a game from your past that you enjoyed that everyone else seemed to hate. I do suggest you look into your own past and dig up a long forgotten gem of your own, and look at it.
Next time, Altorin will be reviewing something a bit better from his SNES library, please check it out
EDIT: Edited for some clarity.
