E.V.O.: Search for Eden
Categories: Super NES games | Enix games | Computer and video role-playing games | 1992 computer and video games | 1993 computer and video games
| E.V.O.: Search for Eden | |
| Developer(s) | Almanic |
| Publisher(s) | Enix |
| Release date(s) | 1992 (JP) 1993 (NA) |
| Genre | RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom/SNES |
E.V.O.: Search for Eden (Japanese ４６億年物語 46 Okunen Monogatari "4.6 Billion Year Story") is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System game developed by Almanic and published by Enix about a character whose goal is to evolve into the dominant life form on Earth and live in Eden where Gaia, a goddess personification of earth, lives.
The game's music was composed by Kōichi Sugiyama of Dragon Quest fame.
Contents |
Game play
E.V.O. is a side-scrolling platform game with RPG elements. Your character has two basic moves: a jump and a melee attack (usually some form of bite). By eating enemies, players gain "Evolution points" that can be used to modify the creature they are playing as. These improvements include bigger jaws, scales, horns, fins, longer neck, jumping ability, swimming ability, flying ability and more. By evolving, your character gains more hit points, greater speed, stronger attacks, and even certain special abilities such as flight.
There are also four types of crystals. Yellow crystals give tips and reveal points of the story. Red crystals allow the main character to morph into special powerful creatures that can be recorded in the evolution log so that they may be called upon later via Green crystals. Green crystals, of which the character may only possess one of at any given time, allow your creature to revert to a past, perhaps more powerful form. Blue crystals grant the player an unusually large amount of evolution points. These points can then be spent on various improvements to customize the main character.
The game uses a hub system similar to Super Mario World, with each level consisting of a single overhead map from which the player can choose a variety of stages to play. As the player completes stages within the map, new areas are unlocked for them to explore.
Story
E.V.O. tells the saga of life's evolution on Earth, with a subtext of biblical creation mythology. The player takes the role of one of many billions of life-forms created by Gaia, the nurturing and benevolent daughter of Sol (aka God). Among the creatures known as "life", there is a competition to evolve, and the greatest life-form will eventually be granted the privelege of entering the Garden of Eden and becoming the husband and partner of Gaia.
The story takes place over 5 stages of life's evolution: the Age of Fish, the Age of Amphibians, the Age of Dinosaurs, the Age of Mammals, and finally the Age of Eden.
As the game progresses, it soon becomes apparent that some mysterious external force is interfering with evolution on Earth in a destructive manner. Strange crystals not native to Gaia appear across the planet, and creatures which eat the crystals are transformed into monsterously powerful beings that dominant all other life-forms, over-consume resources, and disrupt the flow of evolution. In each Age the player character is tasked with confronting the species transformed by the crystals and defeating them so that the evolution of life can continue on track.
In the final Age, the Age of Eden, the player learns that a mysterious entity is controlling the world's other life-forms and sending them against the player. This entity turns out to be Bolbox, a life-form that has evolved into a freakish and evil advanced being by consuming the crystals. In the game's final battle, the player and Bolbox fight to determine who will gain entry into Eden and become Gaia's partner. Bolbox is defeated, and the player joins Gaia in Eden and is granted the gift of intelligence.
It is also revealed that the crystals were introduced to Earth by an advanced civilization on Mars, who misguidedly wished to help Earth by speeding its evolution with the crystals. Upon realizing the dangers the crystals create, the Martians decide to leave Earth alone and simply watch it until it becomes advanced enough to interact with Mars.
Detailed Synopsis
Levels
The game is divided into five periods of time called "stages," each representing a unique period within the history of evolution.
Stage 1
Stage 1 begins with the main protagonist and playable character as a basic, unprotected form of fish. Through the various sub-stages of each stage, he must battle aquatic creatures such as jellyfish and gain enough evolution points to evolve into a powerful enough aquatic being to defeat Kurselache in sub-stage 8. Aside from the normal means of gaining evolution points, there is a Blue Crystal in sub-stage 5 and Red Crystal in sub-stage 3 that allows the character to randomly transform into either a powerful eel or a ray.
Stage 2
Stage 2 takes place in the age of amphibians, and the main character is reduced to a fairly weak and fat creature. Sub-stage 2 provides the character's first encounter with a Green Crystal, and another one can be found in sub-stage 13. After defeating the Debustega on the mainland, the "elder" implores you to defeat the gigantic insects that have been terrorizing the land and starving and eating the amphibians. At the lair of the insects, you must avenge the father of the elder's grandchild by defeating the massive King Bee and then proceed to the desert, despite warnings from the Meganeura. At the end of the desert, you must defeat the Queen Bee of the hive.
An interesting feature of this level is that the insects become much fiercer after nightfall.
Stage 3
Stage 3 is set in the age of the Dinosaurs, with the character beginning as a rather pathetic sauropod. There are several paths that can be taken to complete this stage, even one that allows you to evolve into a bird. If you choose this path, there is a secret cloud level that can be accessed that contains a Red Crystal. This crystal allows you to transform into a dragon, possibly the most powerful player character in the entire game. Above the clouds is the river of asteroids. There are three asteroids that you can enter here. One on the far left, one on the far right, and one that is about the middle. The one on the right will give you a Green Crystal. The one in the middle contains a Red Crystal, which lets you turn into a gargoyle. The one on the far left has a Blue Crystal that gives you 9999 EVO points. Also, you see a scene of an alien transfering something into the Flying Dinosaur, which says to you, "Don't Bother me! I'm receiving power for my brain." There are also two others Green Crystals scattered through this stage. Whichever way you choose, you'll have to face the Prime Frog and a clan of Tyrannosaurus Rexes,which you can join and get an alternate ending from, before a massive extinction event occurs.
Stage 4
Stage 4 places the protagonist in the Ice Age at the emergence of mammal dominion of the Earth. You remain a dinosaur at the beginning of this stage, but you are soon given a chance to become a mammal, which is highly advisable, as it will allow you to become a human. After fighting through the "Domain of Survival" where the rest of the dinosaurs survive, you'll have to defeat the Mammoth Brothers as well as the Bird-King at Fort Birdman. You can choose to join the Birdmen and get an alternate ending. At this point, it is prudent to evolve into a human. To do this, you must have Cat Jaws and Rabbit Body. Then, evolve Ramothecus Body and continue to "Evolve Further" until you become the man weilding the axe. The stage ends with a battle against the Yeti mother and father and the player is allowed to keep his character going into the next stage. There are three Green Crystals located in the stage, along with a Red Crystal in Fort Birdman that transforms you into an elephant.
Stage 5
Stage 5 takes place at the end of the age of mammals, right before the emergence of the age of man. The first four sub-stages go right to left instead of vice-versa as in the rest of the game. After encountering a group of monkey humans, you must fight the Yeti Junior, whose parents you killed in the last stage. Further on, you must save the King of the Whales from King Rogon (whom you can join to get an alternate ending), which will give you access to the rest of the stage. At the Domain of Ditryma, the birds tell you the legend of the destruction of Fort Birdman, and you must stand between the pillars and press A to teleport to the next part of the stage. The Domain of the Queen Bee is here, but if you've already completed the Final Ocean, the path will be clear for you and you will not have to fight this difficult battle. After defeating Cro-Mein, who guards Bolbox's cave, you will be at the location of the final battle. In this stage there are three Green Crystals and one Blue Crystal that gives you 5000 evolution points at the Domain of Condor. There is also another alternate ending at the Domain of Condor. If you stayed a bird, you can continue to fly up above the clouds and meet the Aliens that were giving brain power to the dinosaurs in the Asteroids at the age of Dinousaurs. There is also an opportunity to become a mermaid in the Final Ocean.
Bolbox
Bolbox has eight crystals that he releases against you, creating creatures for you to battle.
- White Crystal = Baby Debustega (Just runs off the screen)
- Scaly Red Crystal = Giant Cockroach
- Pink Coral Crystal = Birdman Captain
- Yellow and Pink Crystal = Debustega
- Rough Green Crystal = Giant Eel
- Sea Blue and Black Crystal = Giant Jellyfish
- Light Blue Crystal = Replenishing Meat
- Spiked Crystal = Giant Parasaurolophus
Bolbox will attack you with his arm if you don't attack it every now and then. After you defeat all eight creatures, you are finally allowed to strike down Bolbox for good and complete the game.
Strategy
Different improvements via evolution points give the main character different abilities. Some abilities are more useful than others, so spending points well is central to winning. Also, many creatures sleep at night, which gives you an advantage to kill them and grab their evolution points.
Whenever an evolutionary path is chosen, the player's Hit Points are replenished. During difficult battles it is very helpful to alternate between cheap evolutionary choices in order to heal. One strategy is to evolve the cheapest kind of horn. You can then keep attacking without altering your character's main attributes, and ram the boss a few times when you're low on health again. This will break the horn, which counts as an evolution and will heal your character back to full health, giving you two full heals for the price of one.