Genshin Fish is an interesting Zelda like game that was released almost 20 years ago for the Sega Genesis. It was part of a trilogy of games that also included Shadowgate and Resurrection of Evil. Like many Zelda games, the objective is pretty straightforward: travel to different locations, clear the enemies and solve puzzles to progress.
The biggest and most interesting question that people have about Genshin Fish is: how long does it take for the game to repeat itself? Specifically, does it take for the game to spawn the same random pack of enemies repeatedly?
The answer is that it depends on how you play. If you play optimally, then you will only encounter two of the randomly generated enemies per area. This means that the game will complete itself after only two runs through the areas. However, if you use sub-optimal tactics, like dying a lot or using your instant-return item, then the game will take much longer to complete. As a general rule of thumb, I would say that it takes about 10 hours to complete the game on the first try, and it can take as much as 30 hours to complete the game on the third try.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of Genshin Fish. The good – The graphics and sound are truly memorable, especially for their time; it is also one of the few Zelda games that don’t use typical “blocky” graphics. Instead, the characters are detailed and have a lot of life-like qualities. Backgrounds are also very vibrant, colorful, and detailed, which really makes the game pop.
The sound is also excellent. When you hear the different melodies and songs related to the game, you will immediately be reminded of being back in a classic game console era. The sound effects are quite natural and are easy to understand. There are also various special effects that are very immersive.
The bad – There is quite a lot of text in this game. While it is mostly “helpful” text that you can easily skip over, a lot of the dialogue between characters is very… well, irritating. You will have to sit through a lot of exposition and backstory, which can get quite tiresome after a while. The Ugly – One of the major issues with Genshin Fish is that the game is very long. There are four main areas in the game, alongside two minigames. However, I would say that a lot of the boredom comes from wandering around aimlessly until you find something interesting to do. The story doesn’t help either, as it is very convoluted and hard to follow, even with the manual. The randomness of the encounters also contributes to the game feeling like it goes on forever. There is also a certain amount of repetitive tasks that you have to do, which can grind away at your patience, especially if you are playing on hard mode.
The Good And The Bad
There are two sides to every story, and in this case, the graphics and sound are certainly not “bad”. The story itself is very interesting, with many twists and turns that will keep you guessing. It’s just that the gameplay and length of the game are very “bad”. So bad, in fact, that it’s hard to find the “good” aspects of the game without cheating or taking a lot of shortcuts. The only real way to enjoy Genshin Fish is to play on easy mode. On hard mode, the game can really wear you down, especially if you play on the highest difficulty setting.
It’s just that the game is so short that it doesn’t feel like “bad”. There is only so much that one could call “bad” in terms of gameplay and length, considering how memorable the game is, and how much it contributed to the Sega Genesis library. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play a Zelda game that lasts only a few hours? That’s practically impossible to beat, and it makes the gameplay so much more interesting. You’re constantly searching for the items that you need, without any breaks or rest periods. The instant-return item is essential because you can’t wait for the action to move to a different area. Dying a lot is also tedious, as it not only slows down the rate at which you gain experience but also hinders the progress of the game. The only thing that makes dying in Genshin Fish “bad” is how repetitive it is. Every time you die, you will have to start from the beginning of the area, which can become quite tiresome after a while.
Resurrecting Evil
One of the other games in the Sega Genesis library that is quite similar to Genshin Fish is Resurrection of Evil. Like Genshin Fish, Resurrection of Evil is also a Zelda-like game, albeit in the classic “Dark” series, with a focus on action rather than exploration. It is also the second game in the trilogy, after Shadowgate. Like the first game in the trilogy, Shadowgate, Resurrection of Evil continues the journey of a man named Joshua Firman, who awakens in the body of a dog, with no memory of who he is or of how he got there. Like many Zelda games, the goal is to restore the lost memories of the character, by completing a series of tasks in a certain order. Joshua will encounter a variety of obstacles and enemies along the way, which must be overcome with the help of an “Archer”, a sort of cross between an archer and an RPG specialist.
The gameplay and controls are very similar to those of Genshin Fish. Both games also have pretty high demands in terms of processing power, which helped make the Sega Genesis the “king” of its time, as far as gaming is concerned. If you liked Genshin Fish, then you’ll probably also like Resurrection of Evil. As with Genshin Fish, the best way to enjoy Resurrection of Evil is to play it on easy mode. On hard mode, the game can really wear you down, as there are a lot of difficult challenges that require a lot of skills and knowledge to overcome. On the other hand, the instant-return item is not available in Resurrection of Evil, so you will have to find and use whatever items you have at your disposal, which is more challenging, but also more rewarding, as it makes the gameplay more varied and interesting.
Shadowgate
The final game in the Sega Genesis trilogy is Shadowgate. It was released just a little over a year after Genshin Fish and Resurrection of Evil, and it continues the story of Joshua Firman (hence the name “Resurrection of Evil”). As mentioned above, Joshua awakens in the body of a dog, with no memory of who he is or of how he got there. However, that isn’t the worst of it…
You see, Joshua is actually the ghost of a man named Adam Worth, who was murdered a hundred years ago. This continues the search for the identity of the ghost, who is looking for a way to rest in peace. To this end, he sets off on a journey to recover his memories, using a book called Scrivener’s Handbook to help him along the way. The dog’s body can’t handle the task entirely by itself, so Joshua will periodically “sleep”, entering a dream-like state, where he can meet otherworldly creatures and solve puzzles. In this state, he can also record his experiences in a notebook, which can help jog his memory in the right direction.
The gameplay and controls in Shadowgate are quite different from those in the other two games. Rather than using a pointing device and movement controls, you will use a “keyboard” to interact with other characters and objects. You will also need to use your brain instead of your hands, as you will frequently have to use your logic and reason to progress. It is more of an “open world” game, as you will have to figure out the mechanics behind the scenes, rather than just focusing on killing everything in your path, as you would in a typical Zelda game. The instant-return item is also missing in Shadowgate, so you will have to find and use whatever items you have at your disposal, which makes the gameplay more varied and interesting, as you can’t just rely on the items that the game provides you with.