SOS: Use Your Time Wisely... Your Choices Matter.

"Enjoying a voyage on the Lady Crithania when suddenly disaster strikes, you now have one hour to escape the capsized ship while also rescuing other passengers you meet along the way.... or not."

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is by and large one of the most beloved retro video game consoles of all time, and like most highly regarded consoles there where many iconic titles that would go on to define the era of gaming. But what about the games that slipped between the cracks and fell into obscurity over the years? One of those games would make an impact on me back in the day, and would change how I view games to a degree. That game would be a little known 1993 survival adventure game called SOS.

SOS is a survival game with adventure and platforming elements similar to games like the original Prince of Persia and Clocktower. Developed by Human Entertainment in 1993, SOS would notably borrow many story elements from the 1969 book/1972 film The Poseidon Adventure and would revolve around the fictional ocean liner Lady Crithania, which capsizes during a storm leaving all on board trapped inside the doomed ship. With the game revolving around four different passengers, each with their own unique stories and backgrounds, and depending on your choices during the game, the endings greatly differ.

SOS was very unique for the time, giving the player a strict 1 hour time limit, which adds a degree of stress and discomfort to the experience. The game starts with each of the four playable characters starting in different parts of the overturned ship, as the player must guide them through open-ended side-scrolling environments where the player may also run into other survivors, which you can attempt to save (up to seven total) or leave behind. With each playable character having one sentimental person that must be found along side other survivors.

One notable aspect of the game revolves around the previously mentioned survivors which contribute to the game's overall ending, as rescuing more survivors leads to a better ending overall. Players must balance both rescuing survivors and escaping from the ship within the time limit. To make matters more complicated, time isn't visible during gameplay. The only way to view your time is if you are injured, which results in a 5 second time penalty. To further stand onto the stress, survivors can decline to accompany the player depending on their personality.

It is very likely that a first time playthrough will result in a bad ending, with the number of variables making replayability a huge aspect of the game. Players can take the information they've learned in each playthrough into the next, allowing for better route management and planning.

Overall SOS is an incredibly fascinating experience featuring a lot of gameplay concepts that were fairly unique for the time. The time limit and multiple endings lead to a thrilling experience that really makes you think about your choices. The game's sheer depth is what makes it an absolute hidden gem on a system loaded to the brim with absolute classics. The only downside to the game these days is it's availability—being one of the rarer games for the console, never seeing any sort of rerelease over the years. I highly recommend checking out the game if possible. It is truly a one of a kind gaming experience.

The game would see a Japan only sequel in 1999 for the Original PlayStation titled Septentrion: Out of the Blue, although it would not be nearly as well regarded by fans.