The Legend of Valkyrie

About

Namco’s 1989 action game casts two players as a warrior named Valkyrie and a green lizard named Sandra. They battle through eight multi-scrolling levels, using sword shots and tridents to clear waves of foes. Defeated enemies drop gold coins and magic bubbles, traded for upgrades at shops. Stages four and seven force players to answer riddles using Japanese syllabic scripts, creating a barrier for non-Japanese-speaking players. A late-game spell requires collecting a letter from an earlier area, making backtracking essential. The castles and settings borrow visual cues from real-world landmarks like Big Ben. The game’s quirks stand out. The language-dependent puzzles limit accessibility for global audiences, while its co-op design rewards coordination. Though released decades before modern co-op trends, it offers tight controls and a distinct art style. Available on legacy systems and Namco Museum Vol. 5, it’s a niche title with a cult following. Critics rarely reviewed it, but retro arcade fans appreciate its blend of platforming and puzzle elements.

Storyline

The first player controls the eponymous Valkyrie who is not an actual Valkyrie from Norse mythology, but a warrior maiden from the heavens who happens to be named after them, while the second player controls Kurino Sandra, a green lizard who, despite his name, is actually male. They must fight their way through eight multi-scrolling stages by firing shots from their sword (Valkyrie) and trident (Sandra) - and most of the enemies will leave gold coins or magic bubbles behind when killed, which can be exchanged for special items with Babasama and Zoul. To answer the Nazonazo Phantom and Sphinmoth's questions on the fourth and seventh stages, a knowledge of the two Japanese syllabic writing systems (Hiragana and Katakana) is also essential; if a player does not know, they can only guess. Also, if a player wants Babasama to teach them the "Chameleon" spell on the fifth stage, they shall have to walk up to a woman in one of the previous stage's interior areas, and speak to her so that she will give them a letter - without it, they cannot give it to Babasama, and he will not teach them the spell as a result. The clock tower at the end of the first stage also looks like a miniature Big Ben.