User Rating: 9.4 | Destiny of an Emperor NES
Destiny of an Emperor... wow... what a game! This is one of the best console rpgs I've played. In my opinion, the best for NES (yes... better than Final Fantasy). The game is set in Three Kingdoms China... based on the novel which the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is also based upon. The creative gameplay, wonderful plot, and little twist and turns make this game a real winner. Gameplay: 10/10 The design is similar to other console rpgs. However a major difference is in how 'health or hitpoints' is measured. Your characters are generals in the war for the unification of China. Their hit points are measured in soldiers... army numbers. This may seem inconsequential... but a nice twist is that not only is it your health but it also plays into your damage calculator. So, when your army does more damage when over 100 soldiers rather than under. The major cut offs for increased damage are at 100, 1000, and 10000. Another nice gameplay item is that as you progress in the game, you can add more generals to your cause. You can only have 7 in your travelling party, 5 of whom fight. The others are in reserve. You add generals by beating them in a fight and trying to convince them to join you (assuming that they do not need to show up later for plot moving fights). There are some generals that gain soldiers with experience, there are some that don't. In terms of combat, an interesting distictive is that you have a player in your travelling party that is a tactitian... who though not necessarily in your battle group has a profound impact on your combat. Graphics: 8/10 The graphics are good for its genre and its time. It reminds me a little of the Legend of Zelda. This world is fairly large with caves and towns. The towns are a little repetative. Though the layout is different the insides of the buildings are the same (provisions shops look the same in all towns). The chracters look like stout little guys with 8 bit color. Sound: 8/10 I found myself singing some of the tunes... in part because the game is long and you play it long enough for that to happen... in part because they are catchy. The quality is standard NES quality. However, there are differnt tunes for battle, depending on whether there is an opposing general in the enemy group. Also, the background music changes at critical junctures in the game. Reviewer's Tilt: 10/10 I had a ton of fun playing this. There are a few typos and mis-written lines... but given that there are so many lines, that's okay. I really enjoyed this and recommend it to anyone who likes RPGs.
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