A little known, classic gem. While Jade Cocoon may not have a huge following, it can consider itself one of the greats.
As with most RPG's the basic aim is the levelling of both your character and most importantly of the minions that you capture throughout the game. The monster catching element is of course very similar to that of Pokémon, however the key distinction which sets this game apart is the ability to merge your minions. This facility allows the creation of a number of possible allies which you are then permitted to take into battle. As a result of this there are hundreds, if not thousands of possible combinations in which minions can be merged to be included within your party of three. The ability to both capture and merge creatures provides an interesting and fresh change to the RPG genre and is admittedly one of the key ingredients that make the game great.
Another particular praise that can be of Jade Cocoon is it's art direction. Developed in collaboration with Katsuya Kondō (character designer for the Studio Ghibli movies Kiki's Delivery Service and I Can Hear the Sea), the game enjoys rich and vibrant environments, which consisted of over 600 pre-rendered backgrounds. This, along with FMV anime cut-scenes can provide hours of enjoyable and highly appreciated gaming.
One final positive that should be noted is the games soundtrack. Featuring a combination of ambient and folk music, it results in one of the most original and brilliant soundtracks of recent times thanks to the composing efforts of Kimitaka Matsumae.
Accordingly, the only negatives that can be attributed to game would be both it's control system and the games length. At times the controls can become clunky and irritating, using the analog sticks as an alternative to to D-pad can go some way in alleviating these issues. Jade Cocoon also suffers from shorter play time than other games available on the market, which some may view as a negative. Most playthroughs can often be completed within 15-20 hours, compared to the 40+ hours of entertainment provided by Final Fantasy VII.
Jade Cocoon is a great alternative to the RPG's of the late 1990's and should be played at least once, if not for it's compelling story, then for it's beautiful and engrossing Studio Ghibli inspired visuals.