The Great Chronicle of Console RPGs Thread

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Game No. 26

Spoiler

Title: Final Fantasy Legend II
Developer: Square
Platform: Game Boy
Release Date: December 14, 1990 (Japan)

Comment: Released less than a year after its predecessor, the second entry in the SaGa series came to refine the gameplay elements featured in the first game.

You once again play as four warriors, but this time they set out on a journey to discover the secret of Magi, a substance that holds powerful magic which is somehow connected to the gods. Gameplay is reportedly almost identical to that of the first game. That said, a few additions have been made. One is a new class: Robots. Robot stats are determined entirely by what equipment they currently have equipped. Additionally, any weapon that they equip will have its durability halved, but they can be repaired by sleeping in inns. A further alteration is that the game now informs the player of what stats increase or what abilities are learned after each battle. A final introduction comes in the form of a journal, which automatically records important information for future reference.

The original Game Boy version of Final Fantasy Legend II has sold roughly 850,000 copies in Japan since its release in 1990. Reviews, contemporary as well as retrospective, appears to be markedly more positive than those dealing with its predecessor. Most of the praise seems to have been directed at the efforts taken to make the system of character class development more easily comprehensible, but approval has also been aimed at what has been called a more fair level of difficulty, as well as Nobuo Uematsu's and Kenji Ito's soundtrack. All in all, the game is generally referred to as the pinnacle of the first three installments in the SaGa series.

 

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Game No. 27

Spoiler

Title: Shining in the Darkness
Developer: Climax Entertainment & Sonic! Software Planning
Platform: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
Release Date: March 29, 1991 (Japan)

Comment: The first installment in the Shining series, which spans multiple sub-genres, Shining in the Darkness is a dungeon crawler which was developed on an allegedly tight budget and took a cue from Wizardry as one of its main inspirations.

The game takes place in the fictional kingdom of Stormsong. The princess and the main character's father have disappeared. The main character is tasked with finding the princess and his father, who are suspected to have ventured into a labyrinth that works as a proving ground for aspiring knights.

The game is viewed from a first-person perspective. Apart from the main character the player also controls Pyra and Milo, his two companions. In addition to random monster encounters and predetermined boss battles, the aforementioned labyrinth also contains three individuals in need of rescue. Saving these people is optional, however, and depending on one's choice in this matter the plot of the game develops accordingly. Battles are turn-based and reportedly play out much similar to those found in the Dragon Quest and/or Phantasy Star series.

Shining in the Darkness appears to have been well-received critically. Praise was directed towards the game's graphics, sound and interface. The game has, however, been unfavourably compared to PC-based dungeon crawlers, such as Dungeon Master.

 

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Game No. 28

Spoiler

Title: Warsong
Developer: Career Soft
Platform: Sega Genesis
Release Date: April 26, 1991 (Japan)

Comment: Published by NCS in Japan and Treco in North America, Warsong is a tactical role-playing game and the first installment in the Langrisser series.

The main protagonist of the game is Garrett, a prince of the Kingdom of Baltia. The story begins as the empire of Dalasis lays siege to Castle Baltia with the intent of obtaining the titular sword. Garett, and his bodyguard, Baldarov, manage to escape the castle. Upon returning with reinforcements, Garett learns that Warsong has been acquired by Pithion, the emperor of Dalasis. Thus, Garett must gather allies in order to recover Warsong and thwart Pithion's designs for it.

The game consists of twenty battle scenarios, each with different objectives one needs to accomplish. Before each battle you pick your commanders, equip them with items, and buy them troops. What troops you can purchase for each commander depends on their class. The game is viewed from a top-down perspective. Troops have different advantages and disadvantages against other types of troops, perform differently depending on what terrain they are currently located in, and gain bonuses, such as treatment of wounds, if they stick close to their commander. All movement is turn-based and when troops clash on the battlefield the game switches to a side-perspective where they face off against each other in an automated fashion. If the enemy troop is successfully destroyed your commander gains experience. Once a commander reach level 10 they may be promoted to a different class, thus receiving new spells and abilities.

I've found virtually no information on how this game was received, commercially or critically. That said, if the folks at Hardcoregaming101.net are to be believed this game was largely overlooked back when it was originally released. They also highly recommend this game for people who like tactical role-playing games in general. As always, if somebody out there actually has played the game in question, feel free to share your thoughts and impressions.

 

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Game No. 29

Spoiler

Title: Final Fantasy Adventure
Developer: Square
Platform: Game Boy
Release Date: June 8, 1991 (Japan)

Comment: The first installment in the Mana series, Final Fantasy Adventure is an action role-playing game featuring gameplay elements that have been described as reminiscent of those found in the initial entry of The Legend of Zelda series.

The story follows two protagonists, bearing names of your choice, who struggle to prevent a Dark Lord of the empire of Glaive and his sorcerer aide, Julius, from gaining access to the Tree of Mana and thus dooming their world.

The game is viewed from a top-down perspective and has the player exploring an overworld containing various square outdoor areas, dungeons, and several towns in which one may buy and sell suits of armour, weapons and assorted items, replenish health, and interact with NPC's. As one journey through the overworld one additional, non-controllable character may occasionally accompany the main protagonist. These companions can perform different actions to aid the protagonist in various ways. Battles occur in real-time and are where the player gains experience, gold, and also the occasional item. There is a power gauge that affects attack strength; the higher the gauge, the stronger the attack will be. Certain enemies are immune to some weapons whilst vulnerable to others. Also of note is that certain weapons have secondary functions, which can be used to surmount various obstacles that prevent the player from advancing. Magic spells are present in the game and can be found in certain locations or obtained from NPC's at specific plot instances. Every time players gain a level they must choose what stat to boost. There are four stats: Power, Stamina, Wisdom, and Will. Depending on what stat one choose to boost, attack power, hit points, defense power, magic points, magic power, and the speed of one's power gauge will increase accordingly.

Final Fantasy Adventure was released to generally favorable reviews. The game's graphics, soundtrack (composed by Kenji Ito) and plot were repeatedly lauded. Retrospective reviews have continued to praise the game, although it has been referred to as relatively simplistic in comparison to later installments in the series. Sales statistics I've found appear sketchy at best and only cover the Japanese market, where the game sold less than 400,000 copies. Presumably, the grand total of sales is higher to a greater or lesser degree, since this title was also shipped to North America and Europe.

 

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Game No. 30

Spoiler

Title: Final Fantasy IV
Developer: Square
Platform: Super Famicom / SNES
Release Date: July 19, 1991 (Japan)

Comment: Generally considered a high point in the series, Final Fantasy IV introduced the Active Time Battle system which would become a staple of the next five installments in the franchise.

The game's plot follows Cecil Harvey, a dark knight, as he tries to prevent a sorcerer called Golbez from obtaining powerful crystals and bringing forth an apocalypse.

Gameplay is fundamentally similar to that of earlier entries in the series. However, the job system from the previous installment has been substituted by an arrangement where every character comes with a predefined class, each with their own sets of strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. The player controlled party has been expanded and can now accommodate up to five characters. Battle sequences have been given an overhaul with the aforementioned Active Time Battle system. Player controlled characters and enemies still take turns issuing attacks and casting spells, but starting with this game one's frequency of doing so is determined by a so-called Charge Time. All participants in a given battle, party members as well as enemies, are tied to individual gauges that work behind the scenes and charges over time. Once somebody's gauge is filled that particular participant may act. Performing an action empties the gauge and this process repeats itself until the battle ends. Of further note, White and Black magic have been complemented with Summon and Ninjutsu magic, the former of which is used to summon various creatures while the latter can be described as a mix of White and Black magic. Finally, spell-casting characters now learn new spells at predetermined levels and at fixed story events instead of buying them in dedicated shops.

Sales figures for the original Super Famicom version exceed 1.4 million copies in Japan alone. At the time of its original release critical reception seems to have been positively glowing, and retrospective reviews appear to have remained generally positive throughout the years. Praise has been directed at the game's graphics, score, and difficulty, which has been described as more balanced compared to its predecessors. The plot has received further critical acclaim, with reviewers citing the diverse motives of the various characters encountered throughout the game as a point of interest. However, what appears to be a widespread consensus of opinion have repeatedly referred to the English language translation of the original release as the Achilles heel of this particular installment due to its poor quality. This doesn't appear to have diminished IV's perceived qualities in a long-term perspective though, as it is frequently included in top games lists in various publications.

 

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Game No. 31

Spoiler

Title: Final Fantasy Legend III
Developer: Square
Platform: Game Boy
Release Date: December 13, 1991 (Japan)

Comment: Continuing the rapid-fire release schedule, the third installment in the SaGa series is oft regarded as a departure from the gameplay formula established in the first two games.

You play as Arthur, Curtis, and Gloria, three children from the future who are sent back in time to the present in order to improve the odds of defeating the so-called the Pureland water entity. They are joined by Sharon, a girl from the present, and a host of temporary party members throughout the game.

The gameplay mechanics from prior entries in the franchise has reportedly been altered in significant ways. For starters, characters may now change class between Human/Mutant, Beast, Cyborg, Monster, and Robot at will given that the player possesses sufficient amounts of meat or robot parts, which may drop after battles. Second, this installment incorporates a more conventional experience points based levelling system. Furthermore, spells must now be purchased at shops instead of being innate to certain character classes. Additionally, deterioration of weapon durability has been scrapped altogether. Finally, the battle system has been streamlined in the sense that an auto-targeting feature similar to the one in Final Fantasy III has been implemented, and it has also been given an aesthetic update in that the party is now visually represented below the enemies.

Yet again, I have only been able to locate partial sales figures for the original Game Boy version of this game. Those are, once more, restricted to the Japanese market, where sales exceeded 750,000 copies. Reviews, however, appears positive, although less so than those dealing with the second entry in the series. Praise has been directed at the efforts taken to make the game accessible to players unfamiliar with role-playing games. On the other hand, the graphics and plot seems to have divided critics. Finally, the game's equipment screen have drawn criticism on the basis that it apparently makes distinguishing between equipped items of the same type unnecessarily hard.

 

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Game No. 32

Spoiler

Title: Romancing SaGa
Developer: Square
Platform: Super Famicom
Release Date: January 28, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: Released hot on the heels of its handheld predecessor, Romancing SaGa is the first entry in the series to incorporate open-world elements into its gameplay.

You play as one of eight potential main characters who travel across the world of Mardias to thwart the resurrection of a malevolent god named Saruin, who was sealed away a millennium ago. One's starting position on the world map is dependent on which character one decides to play as. In addition to choosing between these eight characters, one must also select the profession of the player character's parents, thus determining his or her strengths and weaknesses. The game starts out with a linear intro segment for the chosen character, but after that the player is free to explore the overworld in an open-ended fashion. By talking to NPC's the player may learn of various quests and new areas to explore, which can be accessed in an order of the player's own volition, although certain regions reportedly only become available through pursuing the main quest. The character progression system of the first two titles in the franchise makes a return for this installment, but this time with the addition of skill levels for each weapon present in the game. The battle system has been altered in two significant ways. Firstly, random encounters have been scrapped in favour of having enemies physically represented in the different areas one explores throughout the game. When one collides with one such enemy the game switches to the dedicated battle screen. Which brings us to the second alteration: While still turn-based, battles are now viewed from a perspective similar to that of fights in Final Fantasy IV. Battle formations are also introduced, enabling the player to position members of the party in three different rows for various tactical purposes.

The original Super Famicom version has been referred to as a commercial success, selling over 1.3 million copies since its release. Reviews I have found are exclusively retrospective yet appear generally favourable. The open-ended, non-linear exploration possibilities present in the game, along with its length and soundtrack (composed by Kenji Ito) have received positive remarks by critics. However, the graphics have repeatedly been referred to as antiquated, and the main plot appears to have been perceived as relatively bare-bones in terms of how it unfolds and lacking in character development. Finally, reviewers seem to be of mixed opinions in regards to the battle system, some citing it as confusing while others take a more forgiving stance in that while they concur that the system initially can come off as muddled they also assert that it allows for diverse tactics, once you get the basics down.

 

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Game No. 33

Spoiler

Title: Soul Blazer
Developer: Quintet
Platform: Super Famicom / SNES
Release Date: January 31, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: Published by Enix, Soul Blazer is an action role-playing game in which the protagonist acts as an instrument of divine intervention.

You play as an avatar of sorts in the form of a male warrior sent by a deity known as The Master to rebuild and repopulate the empire of Freil, which lies in ruins after having suffered the onslaught of a demon by the name of Deathtoll.

The game is viewed from a top-down perspective resembling that of A Link to the Past. The world consists of six larger areas, each with a central town and assorted dungeons. As the player venture into these dungeons, various so-called seals will be encountered. Demons pour out from these seals and upon defeat the soul of a NPC will be released from its imprisonment; effectively resurrecting them. These NPCs can augment the protagonist's powers, offer hints on what one should be doing next, unlock new areas, or provide the player with new weapons, armour, and items. By setting all souls free and defeating the boss of a given area the player rebuilds and repopulates the town in that region. After all towns have been restored a final area, in which Deathtoll resides, unlocks. Battles occur in real-time and are the player's primary source of experience points and gems, the latter of which are used to cast various spells. By increasing levels players raise their hit points while also increasing their attack and defense stats. The different weapons and armours encountered throughout the game come with special traits, such as critical hits, increased drop rates, abilities to harm enemies otherwise immune to damage, or means by which the player may progress through previously impassable areas.

Soul Blazer appears to have sold roughly 300,000 copies worldwide. Critical reception at the time of the game's original release seems to have been generally favourable, with reviewers repeatedly praising its graphics and soundtrack; the latter composed by Yukihide Takekawa. Retrospective examinations appear to have yielded similarly positive remarks, with critics citing its implementation of well-established gameplay formulas in service of the plot as a strong point.

 

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Game No. 34

Spoiler

Title: Fire Emblem Gaiden
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platform: Famicom
Release Date: March 14, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: The second installment in the Fire Emblem series takes place in the same world as its predecessor, albeit on a different continent, and departs in certain aspects from the gameplay mechanics established in the first title.

The main protagonists of the game are Alm and Celica, a fighter and a priestess whose paths cross as the continent of Valentia erupts into conflict when the northern kingdom of Rigel invades the realm of Zofia to the south. The story is told through five chapters consisting of multiple battles. Even though the core gameplay elements remain largely unaltered, others have been either added or adjusted. This game features a traversable overworld map, dotted with towns, castles, dungeons and enemy formations. Certain areas contain respawning enemies and can thus be used much like arenas in the first game to level up one's units. Spells, while still restricted to a few preset classes, are now learned through raising experience levels and drain the spell-caster's hit points when used. Weapon deterioration has been scrapped altogether and only special weaponry need to be equipped. Movement during battles is still turn-based and the dedicated battle screen remains virtually the same. Leveling up works just like in the previous game, but the level cap for individual stats has been increased and may now be raised as high as a value of 40, whereas the first game only allowed individual stats to climb to a value of 20. Instead of using medals to promote individual units, promotion is now performed by visiting statues of a goddess called Mila. Characters of certain classes now have access to branching promotion-trees; enabling the player to choose what promotion class such characters will receive.

As was the case with its predecessor, post-release information is largely non-existent. However, from what I've gathered, the game is reportedly commonly perceived as a black sheep in the series due to its numerous deviations from the gameplay formula established in the first entry. In spite of this, certain gameplay elements have been incorporated in later installments, such as The Sacred Stones and Awakening, which both featured navigable overworlds and branching class promotions.

 

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Game No. 35

Spoiler

Title: Shining Force
Developer: Climax Entertainment & Sonic! Software Planning
Platform: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
Release Date: March 20, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: The second entry in the Shining series made a shift towards the tactical role-playing game genre, but kept the fantasy themes of the first title while adding minor science fiction elements.

The game takes place in the fictional kingdom of Guardiana situated on the continent of Rune. You play as Max, a swordsman who has been tasked with preventing a man called Kane and his minions from unlocking the Shining Path and resurrecting a dark dragon.

The game is viewed from a top-down perspective and gameplay is divided into two primary modes. In exploration mode the player steers Max through various locales, interact with NPCs, find treasure, buy and sell assorted equipment which may be used to outfit his army, recruit new allies, and choose which of these will be used in battle. This leads us to the game's battle mode. Battles occur at scripted points throughout the game, are turn-based, and are played out across square grids. You may bring up to twelve units into combat and each is assigned a predetermined class which determines their stats, what weapons and special equipment they can use, what spells they have access to, and their movement rate. The order of turns is dictated by two factors: the agility stat of individual units and a random number generator working behind the scenes. Once two units clash the battle screen comes up, with one's own unit appearing in the right foreground and the enemy unit coming into view on the left-hand side of the background, and they proceed to attack each other in an automated fashion. The objective of each battle is reportedly usually one of the following: annihilate all opponents, eliminate the enemy commander, or advance to a predetermined point on the battlefield. By fighting and using spells units gain experience points and thereby raise levels. Once a particular unit reaches level 10 it may be promoted, but since such an action reduces the stats of the unit in question the player also has the choice to postpone a promotion up until level 20. Even in defeat units keep their experience and slain units may be revived. However, should Max perish players will lose half of their current amount of money.

I haven't been able to procure any information on sales figures for Shining Force, and the reviews I have found have mainly been of a retrospective variety. These latter-day assessments appear generally favourable, as critics have commended the game's graphics, soundtrack (composed by Masahiko Yoshimura), and plot. But it also has received its share of criticism, chiefly directed at the amount of level grinding required in order to advance through the main quest.

 

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Game No. 36

Spoiler

Title: Lunar: The Silver Star
Developer: Game Arts & Studio Alex
Platform: Sega CD / Mega-CD
Release Date: July 16, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: Notable for being an early example of a console role-playing game utilizing CD-ROM technology, Lunar: The Silver Star made use of CD-digital audio, video sequences, and voice acting to recount its fantasy themed plot.

The game's story follows Alex, a boy with heroic aspirations, who during the investigation of a cave in the vicinity of his home town stumbles upon an ancient dragon which encourages him to pursue a quest to become a so-called Dragonmaster, a champion of the goddess Athena and protector of the world.

The game is viewed from a top-down perspective and gameplay is reportedly fairly derivative of that in other Japanese role-playing games released up until this point. Alex and his party explore the overworld, visit towns, explore dungeons, talk to NPCs, acquire progressively better equipment, etc. Battles are turn-based and are where experience points are obtained. However, combat is apparently also where this game differ somewhat from its contemporaries. For starters, keeping in and out of range of one's opponents is reportedly an added factor once fights commence. Secondly, Nall, a supporting party member not directly participating in battles, analyzes enemies before combat initiates, estimating their relative strength to the player's party.

Lunar: The Silver Star sold an estimated 100,000 copies in Japan. At the time of its original release critical reception appears to have been positive, and retrospective reviews seem to have remained generally favourable throughout the years. Praise has been directed at the game's story and sound. However, the graphics appears to have been met with more mixed opinions, and some critics seem to consider the game lacking in replay value.

 

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Game No. 37

Spoiler

Title: Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Developer: Chunsoft
Platform: Super Famicom
Release Date: September 27, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: The fifth entry in the Dragon Quest series was the first released on the Super Famicom and is perhaps best remembered for introducing a gameplay mechanic where monsters could offer to join one's party.

As with its predecessor, the plot of this installment has often been highlighted as a notable feature. It follows the protagonist from his birth over a time span of roughly thirty years during which he gets embroiled in various adventures.

Gameplay is reportedly very much similar to previous games in the series. However, in addition to the various tweaks to the formula there is one oft noted addition to the proceedings. As mentioned above, monsters may now request to join the player's party after successful battles, given that it is strong enough. There are a grand total of 40 of these monsters in the Super Famicom version and just as with other active party members they will raise levels and gain abilities as they are used in battle. Other minor additions of note include: weapons that are able to strike multiple enemies at once; a dedicated defense stat; an auto-targeting feature during battles. As for tweaks of note, the amount of active party members one can bring into battle simultaneously has been reduced to three. But since the game retains the caravan/wagon of the previous entry you can still "store" and swap party members as you go. Furthermore, while direct control of one's party members during battles has been brought back the developers have simultaneously expanded upon the Tactics system introduced in the preceding game. AI behavioural routines during combat may now be assigned to individual party members instead of just the whole party. Finally, other minor tweaks include: the return of background images to the dedicated combat screen, which has been absent since II; the shop interface now displays how a weapon or piece of armour will affect stats should one purchase it; chests are no longer the lone category of containers in which one may find assorted items, other examples now include barrels and pots.

The original Super Famicom version of Dragon Quest V sold nearly 3 million copies within its first year on the market and reviews appear to have been generally favourable. Critics seem to be particularly pleased with the game's plot, citing the execution of its coming-of-age theme and the way it is presented by dividing it into different time periods. However, in retrospective reviews the interface system has received repeated criticism due to what has been described as antiquated design. That said, Dragon Quest V appears to be regarded as one of the high points of the franchise and is apparently the favourite Dragon Quest title of series creator Yuji Horii.

 

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Game No. 38

Spoiler

Title: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Developer: Square
Platform: Super Famicom / SNES
Release Date: October 5, 1992 (North America)

Comment: A spin-off title developed with "entry-level players" in mind, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest constituted an attempt by Square to broaden the commercial appeal of their brand of role-playing games by incorporating gameplay elements more commonly associated with action-adventure games.

The story follows an adolescent called Benjamin who is tasked by an enigmatic old man to recover four stolen crystals that govern the the world's elemental powers. The game is viewed from a top-down perspective and has the player exploring an overworld by way of preset paths that gradually becomes more numerous as the player complete assorted tasks. The areas along these paths consist of dungeons, towns, and various outdoor regions. Armour and weapons aren't manually equipped. Instead, once players find new equipment it automatically replaces current gear. Weapons are also used during exploration segments throughout the game. For example, an axe can be used to chop down trees obstructing one's path. There are also a number of puzzles present throughout the game that need to be solved in order to advance and certain areas reportedly feature platform elements where players need to clear chasms and the like by making use of the included jump mechanic. Battles are turn-based and occur at preset points; either when the player walks up to a stationary enemy or when one enters one of the game's battlefield areas. The dedicated battle screen is presented from a top-down perspective with the player character and his ally at the bottom half of the screen while enemies occupy the upper half. Control of the allied character may be done manually or set to automatic. Battling stationary enemies award the party members with experience points and gold, while clearing battlefield areas may reward the player with increased experience, cash quantities or unique items. Magic spells are acquired by looting treasure chests or completing battlefield areas. Instead of drawing upon magic points, spells are allocated a set number of uses which increase, along with their potency, as characters raise levels. This mechanic also apparently translates to item use where, for instance, a Cure potion's effectiveness is dictated by a given character's current experience level.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was released to generally favourable reviews upon the time of its original release, but retrospective examinations seem to have garnered a noticeably more mixed reception. The most common criticism appears to have been leveled at the developers' efforts to simplify game mechanics found in the main Final Fantasy series, which journalists have argued resulted in gameplay they describe as repetitive and lacking in sophistication. Furthermore, Square's efforts to design a title with the express purpose of attracting mass interest in console role-playing games by targeting players otherwise unfamiliar with the genre have repeatedly been referred to as a failure; instead shipping a product which critics maintain alienated more potential players than it secured. That said, I haven't been able to find any sales figures to either support or dispute such claims. Ryuji Sasai's and Yasuhiro Kawakami's soundtrack has, however, recurrently received positive mentions in various publications.

 

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Game No. 39

Spoiler

Title: Shin Megami Tensei
Developer: Atlus
Platform: Super Famicom
Release Date: October 30, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: The successor to Megami Tensei I & II, Shin Megami Tensei retains the dungeon crawling and demon collecting of its predecessors while it develops certain gameplay mechanics even further.

The game takes place in Tokyo sometime during the 1990s. Demons have begun appearing and certain factions seek to exploit them as a military force in order to attempt a coup d'etat. These developments prompt the United States to commence a military intervention, which subsequently sparks a nuclear war. You play as a male, unnamed high school student who receives a computer program that allows him to communicate with and summon demons from a secretive person who calls himself Stephen. As a survivor of the nuclear conflict, the protagonist sets out to find allies and establish a new society among the ruins of Tokyo.

Like Megami Tensei II before it, the game is viewed from a top-down perspective when one's party is outdoors, but once the party enters a building or such it switches to a first-person perspective. This installment introduces an alignment system which affects gameplay in a number of facets; among them what characters may join one's party, what equipment may be used, and which of the game's three possible endings one will attain. This time around the player may include up to six characters in the protagonist's party. Demon gathering, summoning, and fusing still play a central role in the game's combat mechanics, but since the aforementioned alignment system extends itself to the demons themselves these mechanics have become more layered. Both battling against and summoning of demons of certain alignments will alter the protagonist's alignment slightly, and demons of opposing alignments to one's own will refuse to join the party if approached. However, what quests one chooses to undertake is reportedly what affects the protagonist's alignment the most. Other gameplay elements appear to have been largely carried over from previous entries: equipment shops are still present, battles still occur through random encounters and are turn-based, successful fights rewards the party with experience points, money, and magnetite. Experience points, however, are gained individually in this installment, and so are the points which one may distribute among the stats of different party members.

Post-release information keeps eluding me when it comes to the "Megaten" franchise. However, anyone who's actually played this particular entry in the series and would like to share their general impressions is most welcome to do so.

 

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Game No. 40

Spoiler

Title: Final Fantasy V
Developer: Square
Platform: Super Famicom
Release Date: December 6, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: The fifth installment in the Final Fantasy series is perhaps best remembered for expanding upon the Job system introduced in III, thereby giving players a wider array of options for character customization.

The game's plot follows a wanderer named Bartz Klauser who examines a fallen meteor and thereby learns of a peril facing four elemental crystals which keep a malicious sorcerer sealed away. Reluctantly, Bartz agrees to accompany two other protagonists who intend to travel to the Wind Shrine in order to inspect the crystal housed there.

Gameplay largely follows the formula established in earlier entries in the franchise. However, the Job system introduced in III has been expanded and now features up to twenty two different Jobs. All characters start off with the "Freelancer" Job and as players advance through the main quest more Jobs becomes available. As was the case in III, individual characters earn a separate form of experience (called Ability Points) as they fight and remain in particular Jobs. Climbing in Job levels will also grant characters Job-specific skills of varying nature, but now it is also possible to transfer one or two of these skills to another Job should one decide to have a given character undergo a Job change, thus enabling a form of multi-classing. Battle wise, the Active Time Battle system has been given a visual modification in that Charge Time is now represented by a visible gauge, which recharge at a velocity dictated by a given characters speed stat. Furthermore, introduced in this installment are two new schools of magic that would become staples of future titles in the series: Blue and Time magic. The former of which consist of spells formerly exclusive to various enemies encountered throughout earlier games in the franchise while the latter feature spells that may buff or debuff stats and allow spell-casters to manipulate the forces of gravity.

Sales figures for the original Super Famicom version amount to about 2.45 million copies. Reviews dating back to the time of V's original release are seemingly hard to come by, but those that I've found appear to have been generally favourable. Most of the praise seem to revolve around the expanded Job system, which reviewers opined provided players with ample tools to tailor the skill sets of individual party members in order to accommodate various play styles. The plot, on the other hand, appears to have been repeatedly denounced as one of the weaker features of this particular entry in the series. Retrospective assessments seem, however, to have yielded markedly more mixed opinions. While the menu system has been referred to as an improvement over those featured in earlier titles, the graphic presentation has received criticism for what has been described as a drab colour palette. There are also multiple accounts that express frustration with what they call an inflated encounter rate present throughout the game. Even though V didn't see an official release outside of Japan until the year 1999, as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology for the original PlayStation, an English translation of the Super Famicom version was in fact underway, but got shelved as representatives at Square reportedly considered the game too difficult to be commercially viable outside of Japan.

 

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Game No. 41

Spoiler

Title: E.V.O.: Search for Eden
Developer: Almanic
Platform: Super Famicom / SNES
Release Date: December 21, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: Published by Enix, E.V.O.: Search for Eden is an action role-playing game in which you play as a creature who will undergo several stages of biological evolution during a time span exceeding a billion years divided into five geological periods of Earth's past.

You begin the game as a fish, one of countless organisms created by Gaia, a deity that serves as a manifestation of the planet Earth and the daughter of Sol, who represents the Sun. Your creature is partaking in a competitive biological evolution in which the organism that manages to surpass all the others will be granted entrance to the Garden of Eden, thus becoming an immortal partner of Gaia.

The game is viewed from a side-scrolling perspective. Each geological period has its own map screen divided into various levels, which players must complete in order to advance to the next period. As one progress further into the game, their creature may evolve into a reptilian, a bird, or a mammal. Scattered across levels are other creatures, which can be fought or avoided. Upon defeat these creatures drop meat, which can be consumed and thus grant so-called evolution points. Such points are used to improve body parts divided across eight different sections, making one's creature more powerful and morphing their appearance. Evolution points may also be spent on acquiring new abilities of various kinds. However, these improvements are reset once players advance to a new geological period as creatures undergo a change in physical form. Also present throughout the game are crystals, which may provide the player with advice or grant various boosts. Health may be regained by three methods: eating meat dropped by defeated creatures, eating assorted plants, or by evolving a body part.

I regret to inform that I haven't been able to locate any sales figures for E.V.O.: Search for Eden. In terms of critical reception, the game seems to have been met with a mixed response. While the theme of biological evolution permeating the game was oft cited as a stand-out feature, reviewers appear to have been less enthusiastic about E.V.O.'s graphics, which were repeatedly referred to as mediocre, and gameplay, which critics described as repetitive due to its dependence on combat as a means to evolve one's creature.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 42

Spoiler

Title: Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
Developer: Quest
Platform: Super Famicom / SNES
Release Date: March 12, 1993 (Japan)

Comment: Even though it has seen multiple re-releases on several platforms throughout the years, the original North American version of Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen is still considered a collector's item among console game enthusiasts due to the fact that only twenty-five thousand copies were distributed outside of Japan. Showered with critical praise, the first installment in the Ogre series set itself apart from other tactical role-playing games at the time by adding real-time elements, a day and night cycle, a layered alignment system, and thirteen different endings.

The game takes place on the fictional continent of Zetegenia. A quarter century prior to the events depicted in the story the continent was subjugated by an Empress named Endora and under her rule the population of Zetegenia has endured numerous instances of abuse of power. You play as a character of optional name and gender who is tasked with building a rebel army with the long-term goal of overthrowing Endora's rule.

At the very start of the game a seer named Warren asks the player a series of questions that will determine one's Lord's (player character) abilities and starting units. The game is viewed from a top-down perspective and gameplay is divided into three primary modes: The world map, the tactical map, and the battle screen.

On the world map players may rearrange their characters and units into different squads, change the class of individual characters, manage items, and choose what stage to tackle next.

Once a stage has been chosen the game switches to the tactical map, which can be described as a more detailed map of the region a given stage takes place in. Tactical maps feature a day and night cycle and decisions made by players to deploy squads, move them to different locations, and recruit new units occur in real-time. Scattered across the tactical maps are temples and towns which can be liberated, some of which may be hidden, thus requiring exploration to be found. Upon liberation of these sites a random tarot card is drawn, which may affect squad stats or the rebel army's reputation. Liberated towns provide the player with a source of income which may be used to buy new items, hire additional units, or pay the salary of one's squads. Each tactical map comes with a number of enemy squads which will attempt to thwart the player's progress, and once a player controlled squad comes into sufficiently close proximity of an enemy squad the battle screen emerges.

During battles players never directly control their squads, instead they issue tactics that dictate what individual enemy units their own characters will focus their attacks upon. How an individual unit will proceed with their attack is based upon their placement within their squad, which one may alter before selecting a stage. During battles players may also use stored tarot cards, which may grant their squads certain advantages. Battles go on for one round, after which the squad that has caused most damage to their opponents or annihilated the opposing squad leader wins. Reportedly, some enemy types only appear at certain times during the day. Additionally, each tactical map features a boss which must be defeated in order to advance to the next stage.

The game features seventy-five different character classes divided across fourteen races. Certain classes are unique to a given race and in order to change class a given character must meet certain requirements, which may include experience level, alignment, stats, and use of certain items. Each class comes with certain inherent traits which affect what stats increase upon levelling up, what attacks they are capable of executing, and what terrain they fight most effectively on.

Underlying virtually every aspect of the game is its alignment system. Alignment runs along a scale from 0 to 100, where higher or lower values represent good and evil alignments respectively, and is tracked separately among individual characters/units, entire military squads, and the Lord. Factors determining how alignment is raised or lowered include what experience level and alignment a given enemy engaged in combat holds, what items are used, and assorted tarot cards which may be randomly drawn upon liberation of temples and towns. Aspects that are affected by one's current alignment include plot events, character recruitment, and which ending one will receive. The reputation of the rebel army, which changes as one liberate temples and towns, is affected by the mean alignment of the squad responsible for liberating the particular site, and reputation will in turn affect character recruitment and the various endings. Alignment also have an impact upon during what time of day a given squad performs better in combat and, as mentioned above, whether or not individual characters or units may change class.

I haven't been able to locate any sales figures for this game, and given how few copies were distributed abroad such statistics would preferably have to account for domestic sales in Japan in order to provide any helpful insight as to how this title fared commercially upon its original release. However, in terms of critical reception Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen appears to have been released to universal acclaim and retrospective assessments seem to have remained very positive. Reviewers have praised the replay value, soundtrack (composed by Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto, and Hayato Matsuo), and sheer amount of content present in the game, while also extolling the numerous innovations the game brought to the tactical role-playing game genre. That said, the mode-7 graphics, which are used to depict the tactical map, have repeatedly been highlighted among critics as an aspect that have aged less favourably compared to other features.

 

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Game No. 43

Spoiler

Title: Breath of Fire
Developer: Capcom
Platform: Super Famicom / SNES
Release Date: April 3, 1993 (Japan)

Comment: Though oft criticized as derivative of other Japanese role-playing games in general and Final Fantasy games in particular, Breath of Fire was reportedly nevertheless Capcom's first role-playing game to achieve some measure of commercial success.

The game's plot follows a boy named Ryu, belonging to a dying breed of humans able to transform themselves into dragons, in his search for his sister, who has been abducted by a clan of Dark Dragons. In his travels Ryu learns that the same clan that abducted his sister is in search of six keys capable of releasing a malevolent goddess named Tyr, which he sets out to prevent.

The game is presented from a top-down perspective and involves gameplay common to Japanese role-playing games released up until this point. You navigate an overworld consisting of various towns and dungeons, interact with NPCs, purchase new equipment, and battle monsters. A day and night cycle has been implemented, which affects NPC activities in towns and enemy encounters in outdoor environments. As players advance further into the game, Ryu will be accompanied by additional party members, each with their own set of unique abilities. Two such abilities of note are fishing and hunting, the former of which may lead to hidden treasures and the latter of which can be used to gather meat in order to replenish health and ability points. Even if one's active party can only consist of four active members at any given time, it is possible to switch characters at will. Battles occur through random encounters, are turn-based, and presented from an overhead isometric perspective, with the order of commands being dictated by each participant's agility stat. Of further note is that the battle system rewards players for efficiency in dispatching foes, ideally in one round, with increased experience and cash bonuses. There's reportedly a certain discrepancy in how health is represented; among one's party members health is presented through numerical hit points while the health of enemies is illustrated by a coloured bar. Additionally, certain boss enemies apparently keep fighting despite having had their health bars depleted, drawing upon an unseen health pool. Magic is present within the game and spells are acquired by levelling up characters with innate magical abilities.

More precise sales figures for the original Super Famicom version have eluded me, yet the game apparently did well enough in Japan to warrant a sequel. At the time of its original release critical reception seems to have been generally favourable, and retrospective reviews appear to have remained so. Apart from describing the gameplay as consistent although conventional, citing its reliance on well-established role-playing mechanics whilst lacking in stand-out features, and regarding the plot as uninteresting, critics appear divided on pretty much every other feature of this game, particularly its graphics and sound, both of which have received rave as well as unenthusiastic reviews.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 44

Spoiler

Title: Shadowrun
Developer: Beam Software
Platform: Super Famicom / SNES
Release Date: May, 1993 (North America)

Comment: Adapted from a tabletop role-playing game bearing the same name and featuring a story loosely based on a novel called Never Deal with a Dragon, Shadowrun is an action role-playing game which mixes cyberpunk and fantasy themes. The game was released after a protracted development cycle to virtually nonexistent commercial interest even though critics gave the game positive reviews. However, it has subsequently achieved renown among video game enthusiasts for a variety of reasons. For one, it is often mentioned as a rare example of a console role-playing game developed by a non-Japanese developer (Beam Software hailed from Australia) during the fourth generation of consoles. For another, it is frequently cited as an early example of application of aesthetics commonly associated with Film Noir to a video game.

The game takes place in 2050 and you play as a man named Jake Armitage, an amnesiac who has been assailed by assassins, as he strives to uncover his own identity as well as that of whoever wants him dead.

The game is viewed from an isometric perspective and features a point-and-click mechanic in the form of a pointer cursor, which is used to interact with various objects, engage in conversations with NPCs, and employing weapons and magic spells in combat. Akin to a system previously featured in Final Fantasy II, the player is able to learn specific terms or phrases from NPCs, which can later be brought up when talking to other NPCs in order to acquire information or advance through the story. The game features a wide assortment of areas, but progression through these is reportedly fairly linear. Battles occur in real-time and are the player's primary source of karma (experience points) and nuyen, the latter of which is the currency of the game. It is furthermore possible to hire mercenaries to assist the player in combat, although it should be noted that these can never be controlled directly. By finding beds to sleep in players can restore Jake's health and use karma to raise attributes, gain skills and learn magical powers. However, karma may also be withdrawn should the player repeatedly harm innocent bystanders. Finally, there is a computer hacking element present in the game, in which Jake enters cyberspace in order to gain information or cash. In this mode, the game switches to a top-down perspective and Jake must avoid protection software manifesting itself in the shape of mines while trying to accomplish his goals.

I haven't been able to locate any sales figures for the original release of Shadowrun, though word has it the game didn't manage to attract any significant commercial attention. Reviews, however, appear to have been generally favourable; the game receiving praise for its gameplay mechanics and for the presentation of its sci-fi themes. Retrospective examinations have remained positive, lauding Marshall Parker's soundtrack, the plot, and the visual presentation. Yet, views on gameplay mechanics such as the point-and-click interface seem to have become less enthusiastic in later years, with reviewers calling it ill-suited for combat scenarios. Nevertheless, these criticisms does not appear to have diminished Shadowrun's overall reputation as a quality role-playing game, since it is recurrently featured in top games lists in various publications.

 

[Reed Spacer]

The Genesis version of Shadowrun was much better.