The Legend of Valkyrie: Round 1

June 1st 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of Namco, so I honored the occasion with a playthrough of the classic game The Legend of Valkyrie, which I consider the best of the four I’ve covered. In this fast‑paced arcade take on a Zelda‑style adventure, you control a brave young Valkyrie trained by the heavens to defend Earth, while a second player can control her lizardman sidekick, Kurino Sandra. The game begins with a basic sword that shoots beams; defeating enemies yields gold that can be spent at shops, and you can also jump. The duo is tasked with retrieving a Golden Seed that once brought happiness but now spreads terror. After rescuing a girl from a demon and receiving a "Sword of Light" that upgrades her beams into larger orbs, they meet Babasama, who teaches them magic spells that can be cast by holding the attack button and releasing in a direction; the spells summon mini‑clones and are recharged with rainbow orbs. Later, they encounter Zul, a crafty old man who sells weapons for gold, with each player able to buy only one at a time. They navigate floating platforms and enter a clock‑tower‑like dungeon where they face the first boss, Twin Girasu, a double‑headed beast that must be struck repeatedly. Defeating Twin Girasu drops the Golden Seed and a Wind Fairy, who instructs them to deposit the seed into the North Spring to save the world. Suddenly the floor gives way, sending them plummeting into the next stage.