This is Crusader of Centy, also known as Soleil in Europe, for the Sega Genesis. It was developed by Nextech, a Japanese developer that still produces solid games today, mainly RPGs. They've developed a few of the hundreds of Shining Force games for the handheld consoles. So what's Crusader of Centy about? A lot of people consider this Genesis's response to Zelda: A Link to the Past. While the graphics are somewhat similar, and you do play a boy swinging a sword, the similarities end there. This is something very different.
As you might have guessed, you can name your characters.
Story- You play as Corona, a boy who has just turned 14 years old. In your hometown, Soleil Town, all boys who turn 14 must pick up a sword and do battle. You are given your father's sword, who was slain in battle many years ago. This may seem like a standard "redeem your father's blah blah", but it's actually much more than that. About half an hour into the game, you lose the ability to talk to humans and instead interact with animals and plants.
You may even meet some old friends...
Yeah, yeah...
The game is divided into two parts: The part where you talk to humans/animals separately, and the part where you can talk to both of them. Along your journey, you will befriend and be helped by several animal buddies. Hearing that and seeing the cartoony artwork, you may think this is a chipper and light-hearted adventure. Not true. I was damn surprised at some of the themes confronted in this game. Most of them revolve around animals saying "Humans are selfish, megalomaniacal dickbags.", or something along those lines. It wears thin after a while. I won't spoil the rest for you. While the story is fairly well developed and insightful, it can tend to get 'preachy' in some parts.
I think I know what's in that old man's pipe.
No adventure is complete without some tricky platforming.
Graphics- Nothing revolutionary, but the graphics still hold up pretty well. Backgrounds range from colorful and vivid to dreary and dark. There's a good range of settings, and this game does a fantastic job of making each environment unique and idiosyncratic. Animations are smooth and crisp, just the way I like 'em. On a grade scale, I'd probably give the graphics a good B+. Colorful environments with some fantastic effects, but nothing we haven't seen before.
Controls- I never found any real flaws in the controls of this game. There were a few difficult platforms I would overshoot, but I'd blame that on the fact that I generally suck at making those kind of jumps. Swinging your sword and implementing your little gang of Happy Tree Friends has never been easier. To choose which animals to use, simply press start and utilize the little menu. Hell, you can even save from the menu. Very easy game to pick up and play.
Sound- I was genuinely impressed with how amazing some of the music in this game is. The soundtracks are wonderfully incorporated with the backgrounds to create an immersive atmosphere. Listen to this track from the underwater dungeon:
Gameplay- Just like A Link to the Past, you can swing, charge up, and throw your sword around. This is only a small part of the gameplay. The meat
and potatoes of the game lies in the animal counterparts you pick up over the course of the game. They each give you a special ability you'll need to progress through the game. For example, the cheetah allows you to run faster so you can jump over large canyons. The penguin, cleverly named Chilly, gives your sword an ice attack and enables you to freeze lava.
Just like any action RPG, your character gains health (in the form of apples) and coins throughout his journey. Coins are used for plot points and buying 'mercenary' animals that can only be used one time. Apples are increased by finding Rainbow Apples and defeating bosses.
The bosses in this game are all unique, but relatively easy once you figure out what makes them tick. Usually it's just about finding out what makes them tick and using the right animal combinations. There's even one boss that requires a little memorization skill. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out the best strategy to beating some of these guys. A few of them will force you to use some sense, which I like to see in my games.
What the hell is this, Contra?
Final Thoughts- This is a fun RPG for the Sega, and one that I would recommend. This is an underrated little gem for the Sega. As far as I know, it's not in any of the Sega Genesis collections, and I couldn't imagine why that would be. Take it for what it is, a surprisingly highbrow action RPG with solid gameplay, an excellent musical score, and some pretty good replay value.
Controls- I never found any real flaws in the controls of this game. There were a few difficult platforms I would overshoot, but I'd blame that on the fact that I generally suck at making those kind of jumps. Swinging your sword and implementing your little gang of Happy Tree Friends has never been easier. To choose which animals to use, simply press start and utilize the little menu. Hell, you can even save from the menu. Very easy game to pick up and play. 
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