I love this game! There were so many different things that you could do throughout the game that it made it feel bigger than it actually was. Years later when I played it again I could see some of the flaws that weren't so noticeable back 9 years ago but it is still a wonderful game. So once again, you start off as an orphan whos parents have been killed by some evil men. You have a best friend that has the head of a Dog named Bow. You both grow up an orphanage and decide you want to become bounty hunters when you grow up. So guess what you do when you grow up? The best part about this game is the level of story telling that goes into most every character you meet along the way. Most of them have wonderful back stories that gives you a sense of who they are and why they are struggling against this evil in the world with you. All of this leads to interesting quests that are built into the games linear path so that you might gain understanding of some of your compatriots inner workings. There are also some mini-games such as fishing and also the ability to build a town. The shape of the town is determined by the carpenter you choose which also determines what people will be able to live in the houses you have built. Its these little added touches that really made this game shine to me. Another thing was the ability to collect certain spirits that could merge with your NPC's and transform them into different characters. Either giving them more attack power, more health or better magic attacks. The only problem with this was if your NPC's were wounded to badly they would lose the spirit and you would have to go all the way back to specific locations to rejoin with the spirits. The game left a lot of room for combinations too. Mixing different fish and fruits resulted in different potions or other items that were useful. Basically this game had it all! Multiple endings and after the final battle, the last NPC in your party leaving the cave turns around before exiting the cave and makes some comment. Wonderful game with great story and character. A definite own on the SNES.
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