Quintet weaves 2D action with godlike city building in a one of a kind blend, carried by Yuzo Koshiro's legendary score. A truly singular experience.
Your verdict
Category
Simulation1 player12+
Description
Unique hybrid blending divine city-building and action-platformer across two distinct phases. Published by Enix, released in Japan in 1991. Simulation phase where the Master sculpts terrain, eliminates monsters and grows cities, alternating with side-scrolling action stages as a warrior angel. An Enix masterpiece, one of the iconic titles of the Super Nintendo launch.
Actraiser review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Action and city-building united in a sumptuous showcase: polished sprites, detailed settings and celestial light compose a divine universe of great elegance. The richness of the panoramas and the epic atmosphere overflow with cachet. This art direction, polished and inspired, illustrates all of Quintet's talent.
A sonic showcase for the Super Nintendo at launch, Yuzo Koshiro's orchestral score immediately imposes an almost divine majesty. From the celestial "Birth of the People" to heroic action themes, each track reveals the power of the sound chip. This symphonic grandeur heralded a new era for game music.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Raising a civilization from the heavens, then descending sword in hand to cleanse the land, blends divine management with action with rare elegance. Watching your people prosper, unlocking a spell, then clearing the next zone chains two complementary loops with no downtime. The platforming stages sometimes lack variety, yet this back-and-forth stays surprisingly gripping.
The Japanese Super Famicom version of ActRaiser, the first iteration of the dual action / city-building concept. The Japanese cart sports an original cover and title distinct from the Western version, and preserves the unremastered original audio. Intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated Enix manual is valued for the coherence of a complete Quintet Super Famicom collection, and the Japanese cote climbs steadily, independent of the European PAL version.
Is Actraiser still worth playing in 2026?
ActRaiser remains one of Quintet's most singular ideas, namely a marriage between 2D platformer and top down divine management where the player protects and builds villages between two action stages. The alternation still works surprisingly well today thanks to the studio's sense of pacing. The Yuzo Koshiro score ranks among the most memorable of the 16 bit era. The action parts may feel a touch stiff, but the whole keeps a rare evocative force. Recommended to fans of inventive classics.
