Hydride 3

Third opus of the Hydride saga, Hydride 3: The Space Memories marks a radical turning point in the series. After two medieval-fantastic episodes very inspired by The Legend of Zelda, this new opus makes a turn towards science fiction and offers a much larger, mature and ambitious adventure.

Originally released on PC-88 in 1987 and then carried on several platforms, including the MSX2 in 1989, Hydride 3 offers a semi-open world with multiple environments: forests, dungeons, cities, high-tech bases... The player embodies an adventurer immersed in a quest for cosmic ramifications, mixing ancient magic and forgotten technologies.

The version is complete and present in this version MSX2 (there is a version MSX) a K7 gathering the music of the game. Must Have!

89.00€

Characteristics:

Publisher:
T&E Soft
Type of game:
Adventure
Year of release:
1987
System:
MSX2
Support:
MegaRom
Sound:
PSG
Language:
Japanese
Reference:
TEX-80
Condition:
Occasion
State:
Very good condition

About

Gameplay and innovations

Unlike his predecessors, Hydride 3 introduced innovative elements for the time:

Day/night cycle affecting enemies, NPCs and certain events
Time, hunger and fatigue management, which forces the player to plan his explorations
Environmental enigmes, access to passwords or specific objects
Character Creation System, with distribution of points in stats such as strength, intelligence or wisdom
More developed narrative, with more provided dialogues and a non-linear plot

The real-time combat system is preserved, but more technical. The enemies no longer die by simply hitting them: the player must manage his attacks and his positioning accurately.

Anecdotes and interesting facts

The title inspired several Japanese developers, including Yuzo Koshiro which cites it as an influence on its RPG systems.
One revised English version came out under the name Hydride 3: The Space Memories on Mega Drive/Genesis in 1990, renamed Super Hydride.
The minimalist, but strange, LOST contributes to the unique atmosphere of the game.
It is one of the few MSX2 RPGs to mix fantasy and science fiction, a trend which will be found later in Phantasy Star or XZR.

Conclusion

With its demanding gameplay, avant-garde survival mechanics and hybrid artistic direction between fantasy and SF, Hydride 3 is an atypical and fascinating experience. Less accessible than the great classics of the genre, it remains no less a historic milestone of the Japanese RPG on microcomputersto rediscover today with curiosity and respect.