If you are looking for the best RPG to emerge on the GBC to date... look no further than Lufia 3!
GAMEPLAY ~
I am going to break this part down into "Positives" and "Negatives" because it can be really long!
+Positives+
+ New IP system called "Matrix" allows you to line up 9 separate characters and form stronger "wave" (spiritual points) connections which allows you to learn stronger IP skills found within the dungeons.
+ The "Ancient Cave" side-quest of the Lufia series is prominent here giving randomized floors in each dungeon you explore, adding a sense of mystery to each floor.
+ Over 12 different characters to join you, an 9 are featured on the actual battlefield!
+ Basic Lufia dungeon battles with "stun wave" which halts enemies allowing safe passage or preemptive attacks if desired.
- Negatives -
- IP matrix is difficult to figure out at first and won't be fully utilized until the middle of the game when more characters become available
- Some bigger boss battles (Sinitrials mostly) can be difficult if you just go in swinging and not using your head!
- NO PUZZLES!
Lufia is know for the hardest puzzles ever phantomed! An we get a Lufia with no puzzles!?!?! What is the deal!
All said an done, this game stands heads over the other competition, It's faster, easier battles and great new achievements in RPG gaming.
STORY ~
You are a descendant of the legendary hero of the first two Lufia games ands your name is Wain! A fortune teller named Seena appears on the shores of Wain’s town one day seeking the strongest fighters to thwart the Sinitrials rebirth!
This game has alot of good twists and a good amount of comedy towards the actual story!
GRAPHICS ~
Thought running on the GBC palette (which means it looks like a high-res NES game) this title looked fantastic! It had a wide arrangement of colors and highly detailed towns plus the world map looked really good. The downside was the sprite colorization. Where each one was either Yellow, Blue or Green and the hero was Red.
I couldn't play this game on my Super Game Boy player because all the battles had a white background, which warped the image on my TV. Making the sides of my TV look like they got a nasty bruise.
Thought very innovative in using the randomized feature, but by the third stage you start to see a pattern. A map is given, but each floor was 4 different corner boxes with a cross intersection in the middle add in around 2 - 3 different secret areas and two sets of stairs an that is every floor. This was every dungeon. As mentioned, very original idea used to formulate this games available traits, but the originality dies fast.
SOUND ~
This game had a decent score, nothing to write home about. Each track was a 8-bit synth rock track. The only memorable song was the forest areas, everything got bland very fast. The SFX were basic as well, sword swipes and what have you. I didn't expect alot from this game in the sound department, at least the "level-up victory song has stayed true to the Lufia series... too bad none of the other wonderful tracks didn't.
REPLAAYBILITY ~
Now this was something to write home about! This game gave you so much to do that it wasn't even funny! From side-quest’s like dragon egg hunting (which I couldn't finish a second time around due to the game glitching on me) to the always exciting "Ancient Cave" area... which takes around 6 hours to complete and feels like your going through the whole game again! After completing the AC three times you get the option of exploring 100 more levels! That is 200 levels!!! WTF!?!?! In all that is around 500 floors you will need to explore to fully complete the AC! But Lufia 3 does give you a quick-save option which allows you to SAVE in the middle of the AC if desired, a real gift if you challenged Lufia 2's Ancient Cave.
There is also smaller side-quest which, none really reveal anything new about the characters, but are fun to explore and figure out. Overall, this game took me around 48+ hours to complete with only one run through of the AC. Not too bad for a GBC game!
An if you didn't get enough, there is a "start over" feature... what it does.. I dunno...
OVERALL ~
Defiantly worth hunting this title down!
From extreme amounts of replayability to the overall awesome storyline to the fair attempt at giving the series some innovation, this title has alot to offer the GBC player looking for a challenge!