Equinox

Equinox is an isometric action-adventure puzzle game developed by Software Creations and published by Sony Imagesoft, serving as the sequel to the NES title Solstice. You control Glendaal, the son of the wizard Shadax, who has been captured and imprisoned by his treacherous apprentice, the sorceress Sonia. You must journey through eight massive dungeons—totaling 458 rooms—to rescue your father. In each dungeon, you collect 12 blue orb tokens to summon a boss, which you must defeat to advance. Gameplay blends puzzle-solving, platforming, and light combat: you navigate isometric platforms, push blocks, avoid spikes, collect keys, and fight enemies using weapons and magic spells. An overworld map with Mode 7 rotation connects the dungeons.

SNES

Released in North America in February 1993, in Japan in November 1993, and in Europe in March 1994. The game was developed by brothers Ste and John Pickford, with Tim and Geoff Follin composing the atmospheric electronic soundtrack. Equinox received critical acclaim upon release, winning "Best Strategy Game of 1994" from VideoGames magazine and earning perfect scores from GamePro for graphics, sound, control, and fun factor. The soundtrack was widely praised as one of the best on the SNES, often compared to Ecco the Dolphin for its ethereal quality. However, the isometric perspective remains highly divisive: some view the resulting optical illusions as intentional puzzle design, while others dismiss them as a technical flaw with poor collision detection and imprecise jumping. Equinox is recommended for puzzle enthusiasts willing to tolerate 1990s design quirks and punishing difficulty.