A very challenging game that introduced some of the series staples like shopping for equipment and treasure hunting. It's a shame it didn't get rid of some older mechanics in the process though, because searching for secrets and doing shopping is pretty hard to do when your life keeps draining away and there are NO continues to fall back on. You still get 'point loot' from enemies which eventually ends up adding to your life-bar, but oftentimes what you really want is gold because it's so rare and everything is so damn expensive! The game ends up being as much about resource management as it is about platforming and fighting monsters, which is interesting but under the circumstances frustrating.