El Viento (エル・ヴィエント, Eru Viento, from Spanish meaning “The Wind”) is a platform game developed and published by Wolf Team for the Sega Genesis game console in 1991. It is the first in a trilogy of games, which includes Earnest Evans and Anett Futatabi.^[2]

Gameplay – El Viento

El Viento is a platform game. The player has access to an endless supply of bladed boomerangs and eventually up to five spell attacks. Each level ends in a fight against a stage boss.^[3]

Plot

The game shares the same fictional universe with Earnest Evans, and happens several years later. It also features many references to H. P. Lovecraft‘s Cthulhu Mythos. The game takes place in New York City during the late 1920s, when cult leader Henry, the gangster Al Capone (Vincente DeMarcoto in the American localization), and a sorceress named Restiana plot to awaken the ancient and malevolent god Hastur.

There are some people that have descended from Hastur’s ancient bloodline, one of which is the young Peruvian sorceress, Annet Myer. With some assistance from Earnest Evans, Annet attempts to stop the cult from resurrecting Hastur using the very spells of this bloodline.

Reception – El Viento

El Viento was given mixed but mostly positive reviews, including being rated 93% by Joystick in France,^[4] 66% by Super Play,^[5] and 68% by Video Games^[6] in Germany. Damian Butt from Sega Pro gave it a score of 89%: “With super fast graphics and brutal gameplay, El Viento will take your breath away.”^[3] On the other hand, Entertainment Weekly gave it a D−, opining that “only the game’s amusing historical anachronisms-like denim-clad blond bikers wielding scimitars-save it from rating as a total failure.”^[7]

Opening Theme

Main Theme

Stage 1 – New York City

Intermission – 1

Stag 2 – Park