ActRaiser

ActRaiser splits its time between side-scrolling platformer stages and top-down city-building simulation. You play a deity rebuilding civilization across multiple regions. The action segments drop you into monster-filled levels where you hack through enemies and bosses. Between these, you shift to an overhead view and guide human settlements—placing houses, farms, and roads while directing followers to clear forests and drain swamps. Lightning strikes and minor miracles help your people expand. As towns grow, new platforming areas unlock. The structure alternates: clear a stage, develop a town, move to the next zone. It's two distinct gameplay styles tied together by a revival-of-the-world premise. The simulation sections move slowly and require patience, but the combat offers straightforward action. If you want both genres in one cartridge, this delivers exactly that.