This remake is worth playing whether you played the original or not.
User Rating: 9.3 | Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon GBA
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon is a game worth visiting even if you played the original on the Sega Genesis. There are new characters, battles, and improved graphics along with some more extras. The presentation is good although not great, the graphics look nice and are improved from the original but there are better looking GBA games out there. The music is good and fits well but it's not something you'll remember once you're through with the game, although that may be mostly due to the sound quality and not the soundtrack itself.. The story is pretty straightforward, the main character Max starts out with amnesia and his kingdom is attacked by an evil force. And he is given the duty to gather up a force and stop them. The story is simple but the dialogue between characters is well written and interesting as well. Each of the characters that join yu have their own personalities and reasons for joining you. For those that don't know about Shining Force you'll be in familiar territory if you've played Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem or anything like it. In battle each character takes turns, when they do depends on their speed and they move around the battle field, usually with the purpose of destroying all the enemies or sometimes just the boss. The gameplay is just as deep as newer strategy games, you will think through your actions if you want to succeed. You'll always want to keep your characters alive when possible because getting them revived can be costly. If things are to hard though you can gain experience, escape from battle and then return later. Which you may want to do sometimes since there are no random battles when going from one town to the next. The battles won't be entirely difficult if you think about your actions. There are plenty of characters to seek out that will join your mission. Talking to everyone in town is a must if you don't want to miss any of them. Each of those characters have their own class and abilities and can be promoted once they reach level 10. You have your fighters, mages, archers, etc. and they all their own strengths and weaknesses. They all hang out at the base and they usually have something interesting to say after each battle. Sooner or later you'll get their card which will be useful later in the game. One of the characters can equip and use the cards for different uses which is why it is worth to try to find them. There is plenty to do because finding all the characters and cards will take multiple playthroughs and there is the new game + option. You won't be disappointed with all the content the game has to offer. The only problem you might find is the linearity in the story, you pretty have to go where you're told. Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon is an excellent game that is worth owning whether you played the original or not.
