Introduction EVO: The Search for Eden is an action-RPG that is not like others in its genre. Instead of playing as some heroic knight who wields a giant blade, you begin the game playing as a fish that is trying to survive in the wild, millions of years in the past. As you progress in E.V.O., your fish eventually evolves into different, more advanced species. The idea of “leveling up” is completely redone and made into a different style of improving your status. This game had some interesting, fresh concepts that worked out well and made the game stand out.
The object of E.V.O. seems simple at first. You just have to make it through levels....but the game has so much more to it! First, you have health points (HP), which gives it an RPG quality. You also jump between time periods in this game, like first you're a fish, then an amphibian, a reptile, a mammal and so on. By eating plants you regain some HP, but if you defeat an animal, you'll see some meat. By eating this meat, you'll regain HP and evolution points (EP). If you get enough EP, you can evolve different parts of your body. For example, if you have your eyes on a new horn, just save up your EP until you can afford it. If you want an armored body, just save up the EP. The possibilities are endless. The game has a story, and characters and stuff, and even a map screen. This makes it seem much more than a basic action game
The graphics aren't the greatest, but for the time they weren't too bad. The graphics have a very cartoony feel to them: all of the creatures are drawn with simple shapes and there is a minimal amount of animation in them.
The music can be fun to listen to at first, but ends up becoming a huge nuisance after hearing the tracks for the thousandth time. All tracks are recorded using MIDI sound files. Keep in mind though – this game was built for the Super Nintendo, so it would be hard to spot a single game that included music that was done with an orchestra in mind. The sound effects are excellent and do hold up their end of the bargain, filling the player’s ears with the typical noises made by the creatures that you encounter.
When it comes down to it, E.V.O. is a rare gem that anyone who has a SNES should play. It was a great concept for its time and it's still really fun to play today. There's no other game like it on the SNES.
Good luck finding this game though, because it has become very rare. I have seen listings for just the cart on Ebay for as high as $69.99. Get it while you can, because it's just going to get harder to find in the future.
