<s>
is	O
a	O
1993	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
HAL	O
Laboratory	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Square	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
First	O
announced	O
in	O
1992	O
under	O
the	O
tentative	O
name	O
Guardian	O
Blade	O
,	O
Alcahest	B-Application
was	O
created	O
by	O
HAL	O
Laboratory	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
their	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
Kirby	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Jun	O
Ishikawa	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
Kirby	B-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alcahest	B-Application
was	O
well	O
received	O
by	O
critics	O
who	O
reviewed	O
it	O
as	O
an	O
import	O
title	O
;	O
praise	O
was	O
given	O
to	O
aspects	O
such	O
as	O
its	O
graphics	O
engine	O
for	O
eschewing	O
the	O
super	O
deformed	O
style	O
prevalent	O
on	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
,	O
intuitive	O
controls	O
,	O
blend	O
of	O
action	B-Application
and	O
role-playing	O
elements	O
,	O
the	O
variety	O
of	O
partners	O
,	O
diverse	O
and	O
flowing	O
level	O
design	O
,	O
simple	O
but	O
dynamic	O
arcade-style	O
gameplay	O
,	O
accessibility	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
light	O
use	O
of	O
Japanese	O
and	O
challenge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
also	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
style	O
and	O
combat	O
system	O
were	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Zelda	B-Application
and	O
Soul	B-Application
Blazer	I-Application
,	O
but	O
most	O
felt	O
mixed	O
regarding	O
the	O
music	O
,	O
while	O
criticism	O
was	O
geared	O
towards	O
its	O
puzzles	O
,	O
lack	O
of	O
proper	O
character	O
interaction	O
,	O
short	O
length	O
,	O
scenario	O
and	O
repetitive	O
dungeons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alcahest	B-Application
is	O
an	O
arcade-style	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
with	O
RPG	O
elements	O
,	O
that	O
plays	O
from	O
a	O
top-down	O
perspective	O
similar	O
to	O
titles	O
like	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
and	O
Soul	B-Application
Blazer	I-Application
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
assume	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
swordsman	O
Alen	O
embarking	O
on	O
a	O
journey	O
to	O
stop	O
the	O
demon	O
tribe	O
led	O
by	O
Babilom	O
,	O
an	O
emperor	O
planning	O
to	O
conquer	O
world	O
with	O
his	O
imperial	O
army	O
and	O
the	O
titular	O
demon	O
god	O
who	O
revived	O
from	O
his	O
previous	O
defeat	O
a	O
thousand	O
years	O
ago	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MP	B-Application
is	O
used	O
to	O
summon	O
Guardians	O
in	O
battle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alen	O
can	O
also	O
perform	O
dash	O
attacks	O
when	O
running	O
by	O
double-tapping	O
the	O
d-pad	B-Device
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
block	O
projectile	O
attack	O
by	O
standing	O
still	O
with	O
his	O
shield	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alcahest	B-Application
employs	O
a	O
checkpoint	O
system	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
will	O
start	O
off	O
at	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
checkpoint	O
Alen	O
managed	O
to	O
reach	O
before	O
dying	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
Alen	O
's	O
vitality	O
is	O
depleted	O
,	O
the	O
game	B-Application
is	I-Application
over	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alcahest	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
HAL	O
Laboratory	O
,	O
a	O
Japanese	O
game	O
developer	O
known	O
for	O
their	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
Kirby	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Late	O
Nintendo	O
president	O
Satoru	O
Iwata	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Balloon	B-Application
Fight	I-Application
and	O
EarthBound	B-Application
,	O
served	O
as	O
executive	O
producer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Jun	O
Ishikawa	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
Kirby	B-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ishikawa	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
emphasises	O
action	B-Application
and	O
a	O
light	O
adventurous	O
feel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alcahest	B-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
in	O
1992	O
under	O
the	O
tentative	O
name	O
Guardian	O
Blade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Squaresoft	O
,	O
famous	O
for	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
franchise	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
on	O
December	O
17	O
,	O
1993	O
and	O
was	O
housed	O
in	O
a	O
8-megabit	O
(	O
1	O
MB	O
)	O
cartridge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alcahest	B-Application
was	O
well	O
received	O
by	O
critics	O
who	O
reviewed	O
it	O
as	O
an	O
import	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthlys	O
Terri	O
Aki	O
regarded	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
great	O
counterpart	O
"	O
to	O
role-playing	O
games	O
by	O
Square	O
like	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
Secret	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
due	O
to	O
its	O
top-view	O
perspective	O
,	O
setting	O
and	O
plot	O
,	O
noting	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
style	O
was	O
similar	O
to	O
Zelda	B-Application
and	O
Soul	B-Application
Blazer	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joypads	O
Jean-François	O
Morisse	O
praised	O
its	O
audiovisual	O
presentation	O
,	O
animations	O
,	O
controls	O
,	O
balance	O
between	O
action	B-Application
and	O
adventure	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
variety	O
of	O
partners	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
the	O
combat	O
system	O
was	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Soul	B-Application
Blader	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Super	O
Plays	O
Tony	O
Mott	O
commended	O
its	O
visuals	O
,	O
sound	O
,	O
action-heavy	O
gameplay	O
and	O
flowing	O
level	O
design	O
,	O
but	O
criticized	O
aspects	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
puzzles	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
proper	O
character	O
interaction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamers	O
Hagen	O
Dragmire	O
and	O
Darran	O
Jones	O
noted	O
its	O
blend	O
of	O
action	B-Application
and	O
role-playing	O
elements	O
,	O
partner	O
mechanic	O
,	O
audiovisual	O
presentation	O
and	O
accessibility	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
light	O
use	O
of	O
Japanese	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
Lifes	O
Gonçalo	O
Lopes	O
praised	O
its	O
intuitive	O
controls	O
,	O
arcade-style	O
gameplay	O
,	O
Jun	O
Ishikawa	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
and	O
graphics	O
engine	O
for	O
eschewing	O
the	O
super	O
deformed	O
style	O
prevalent	O
on	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
.	O
</s>
