Shining Force has really been ressurected, and for the better.

User Rating: 10 | Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon GBA
A few years ago i bought the Sega Smash Pack for my computer. I was mostly getting it for onic the hedgehog 2 and vectorman. I played a few of the others games, but something about seeing only a logo for Shining Force turned me away. After playing everything else, i decided to try out this title. It was the best decision of my life.

This game suceeds Where many, MANY other RPG games have failed. They have added strategy to a genre of game usually demanding nothing more then inputting commands and getting the battle done with. it really draws you into it's own world, with plenty of memorable characters with diverse personalities. You may choos to use certain characters over others, but you will enjoy the game so much you'll gladly want to play it over and over and over again, and experiment with all characters to see who your actual dream team is. Even charactrs who seem potentially useless may come in handy much later in the game, so making sure to level each individual up and keep him on level with the rest of the team is of extreme importance.

The battle system is very well done. It combines a sort of chess-like idea with RPG elements that blend together perfectly for an entertaining experience. it relates to Chess in the sense that every move you make will directly relate to how the battle will play out in the end, and choosing one space over the other often determines what enemy will attack who next. All characters have different attack abilties that are calculated using the squares which make up the playing field. your characters move from space to space, again, much like a Chess board. This may seem very very old school at first, but in the end really adds to the strategetic experience instead of destroying it.

Another thing about charcters and the battle system is you can onl have twelve people in your team at a time. When facing tons of enemies, you may feel outnumbered and overwhelmed, but nothing brings more joy then beating down an enemy who seems stronger then you from the beginning. Furthermore, the characters not in use will chill in headquartes, where they'll talk to you can perform actions in the headquarters which help to define who they are. This again adds charm to the game, and helps add a home-ey feel to the game. Rectruiting characters is also another great aspect of the game. unlike games like Final Fantasy where you may have one or two hidden characters, and the rest come as part of the storyline, Shining Force is littered with characters you need to find, who can end up being valuable assets to your team. Sometimes the way to get the characters may be really obscure, and often times rely on you making the right choice and talking to people walking around town to pick up clues on what recruitable charters may be near-by. other character may simply require you to just bother to go into a building and run into them. Either way, it makes you want to explore every nook and cranny of every town, also adding depth and feeling to the areas and towns littered through out the game.

Outside of the battles, the normal everyday walking around is typical of most RPGs, but done with much perfection. Many NPCs on the street will ask you yes or no questions that will determine their answer. though these lines rarely hold any long-time importance, it still adds a lot of heart to the game, giving even the random people on the street diverse and unique personalities, despite the fact their sprites pop-up frequently. Going to shops and buying weapons specifically suited for characters is also entertaining, because you need to think of who to supply in your team and what to supply them with. usually no matter what the outcome, you can win in the next battle, so while it's a tough decision, you won't kill yourself if you ended up buying something not suitable for the next battle.

The graphics in the game are much improved upon versus the genisis version, and definately add to the game. it's an incredible improvement, and it feels delightful in most everyway.

The Storyline is simple and typical anime, but it's not so much the story as the way it all pans out that makes it enjoyable. It's about the hardships your characters have to go through that make the game even more enjoyable. it progresses in chapters which adds a charming storybook feel, and makes you feel less overhwlemed, but pumped for what the next challenge may be.

the sounds in the game add to the experience, and some catchy tunes are memorable. Sound affects are well done, and add to the game, as well as add homage to the original game. Another thing enjoyble about the game is that as the text is coming on the screen, the sound imitates what the sound of the character's voice would be like, further adding character to each and every person in the game.

This game is an achievement in every way possible. i loved the original Shining Force, and this game compliments it in everyway possible, from the memorable characters right down to the strategy implemented, this game gets its right. Now if only the PS2 games could utilize the same flair as this game.