Earthbound
Average Customer Review:
Video Game

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Editorial Review

This role-playing game is set in the modern world and is filled with irreverent humor. You play as a teenage boy who must save the world from a malevolent alien. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

This is the reason I got a SNES
This is by far my favorite game of all time, I go though and beat it about once every half of a year, I love this game so much. It is about Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo out to save the world from the even doings of Gigus, were you can lear psychic powers and stuff. This is an awesome age I highly recommend it!

EarthBound, The Most Underated RPG To Date and the best game
EarthBound is easily my favorite game. But lets get of my life story and talk about why this game is so under-rated. EarthBound is underrated because it was released in the time when Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and Final Fantasy III, The three Kings of the SNES RPGs and when it released RPG gamers just whiffed EarthBound off like that thus nintendo lost a lot of money due to low sales on the game making hard to find like Harvest Moon and Mario RPG. Now thats the history part of the review. Now lets hear why this is my favorite game. First of the controls are simple and you pick them up really fast, the battle system seems similar to Dragon Warrior and Xenosaga, The graphics pretty good but they're no FF3, The sound effects are kinda forgetable but the music is amazing and something you'll remember for a long time (my favorite is the hippie battle music), for an RPG it has a high replay value. Earthbound is one of the best RPGs I've ever played (next to Chrono Trigger,Xenosaga,EarthBound Zero, and Final Fantasy X)and it's my favorite game. I'd give it a 10 out of 10.

This game is sooooo Great!
I've beaten it and loved it all the way through! Its awesome,you start in a small town and you have to go through it fighting The sharks(the local gang)Stray dogs,crows that drop cookies,Ants and slugs! And all this is done with suff you can go to the local stores and get! No not potions but more like Hamburgers and BaseBall bats!

Okay there is an evil alien that takes over the world ten years in the future from the time your in,A metorite hits your town A Bee flies off of it and tells you your the chosen one and you must Go to eight sanctuary spots around the world. Then you chanel your power with the earth then beat Guigas! It's very Fun! ... Read more

Asin: B000035Y63
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Super Nintendo (SNES)    3. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)   

Final Fantasy Anthology
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (16 November, 1999)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Showcasing two installments of SquareSoft's wildly popular role-playinggame (RPG) series, Final Fantasy Anthology features the U.S. debut of FinalFantasy V, and reintroduces one of the best RPGs of all time, Final FantasyVI, originally released as Final Fantasy III on the Super Nintendo gamingsystem.

Both games are straight Super Nintendo conversions, so their 2-D graphics and 16-bitsounds are admittedly subpar by PlayStation standards. However, SquareSoft has addedbrand-new, beautifully animated movies for both titles, and has given Final FantasyVI the star treatment it deserves by adding a bonus mode where gamers can accessloads of supplementary material, such as artwork and data files on the game's monstersand items. As an extra bonus for hardcore fans, an audio CD featuring music from bothgames is included, making this quite the collector's package.

While Final Fantasy V is one of weaker entries in the series, Final FantasyVI alone is totally worth the price of Final Fantasy Anthology. Endearinglymelodramatic characters, a genuinely epic story line, and rock-solid gameplay makeFinal Fantasy VI just as absorbing today as it was when it was Final FantasyIII. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Brand-new animated movies and bonus music CD soundtrack
• Reissues Final Fantasy VI, one of the best RPGs ever
• Lots of supplementary material for Final Fantasy VI

Cons:

• Dated graphics and sounds may bother some gamers
• The previously unreleased Final Fantasy V may as well have stayedunreleased

... Read more

Features

• Includes both Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI
• Includes brand-new animated movies and bonus music CD
• Original 2-D graphics and 16-bit sounds
• Includes extra material, such as artwork and data on the game's monsters
• For 1 player

Reviews (201)

The Best Fantasy AND How To Fix the Load Time Problem
I've noticed a couple people complain about the load times (especially during battles).There's a quick and easy fix for PS2 owners:In the main menu under the PS1 Driver, there's a setup option for "Fast Loading".When you turn that on, the game will load as fast as the original cartridge did.Problem solved.

.

And now for the game: FF6 *is* the best version of Final Fantasy made to date (imho).FF7, FF9, and FF10 are also very good, but FF6 got the RPG formula perfect: Great characters, great story, great battle system.If I had to sell all my RPGs, FF6 is the one I would keep & play over-and-over.


As for FF5, the story is rather weak, but the gameplay is really really good, thanks to the job system (like FF10-2).What I like to do with FF5 is to experiment:
- What if I had 4 white mages?
- What if I had 4 black mages?
- What if I had 4 fighters?
- Would I survive the battles w/ such weak teams?

Thanks to its job system, FF5 has a great deal of replayability.Even after you beat the game, you can go back and replay with a completely different team, and new complications (trust me, beating this game with 4 black mages is NOT easy).

Bottom Line: Buy Final Fantasy 5/6 right now.If you're like me, you'll cherish it forever.

i remember a time, not so long ago...
when the name final fantasy on a game box meant something. final fantasy 3(6) represents the best square has ever put out. don't get me wrong, i enjoyed ff1, ff7 and 9 too. i cant speak for ffx2, or 11, as i haven't played them. square, if you are thinking about how to make your next ff, create something as good as ff3(or even just close) and your fans will love you for it. i am glad ff has come to the gamecube, but lets be serious, crystal chronicles is weak...very weak. online capability is ok too, but the strongest point of a good rpg should always be single player. i know that you can make a good game square/enix, you have it in you, so please do us a favor and no more ff10's or crystal chronicles. sorry about the spiel, i highly recommend this anthology, ps2er's(or ps1) shouldnt be without it.

An awesome classic FF game!
Final Fantasy 6 is without a doubt one of the best RPG games on the market! ... Read more

Asin: B00002R28C
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Role Playing Games    3. Fantasy    4. Sony Playstation (Play station)    5. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    6. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    7. Great Deals (Outlet store)   

Final Fantasy Chronicles
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM

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Editorial Review

Showcasing enhanced versions of the Super Nintendo classics FinalFantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Chronicles is amust-have "retro" bundle for the serious role-playing game fan.

Originallyreleased in the U.S. in 1991 as Final Fantasy II, the groundbreakingFinal Fantasy IV introduced the "Active Time Battle" combat system thathas since become a staple in the series. In addition to new computer animationsequences and minor gameplay enhancements, this reissue sports a new dialoguetranslation that is more faithful to the Japanese version and fleshes out thepreviously pared-down story of a conflicted knight and his quest forredemption.

Although not as well known as Final Fantasy IV--and noteven part of the Final Fantasy series, for that matter--1995's ChronoTrigger is a nonlinear adventure game where players must travel across timeto save a princess (and the world in the process). New Japanese cartooncutscenes from animator Akira Toriyama (creator of Dragonball Z) gracethe updated Chrono Trigger, and an extras mode (filled with game-relatedgoodies that must be unlocked) has been added, increasing the already highreplay value of this title with multiple endings.

Admittedly, the games'two-dimensional graphics and simplistic sounds are quite "lastgeneration," which may turn off some younger gamers and recent converts to thegenre, but their solid gameplay, deep storyline, and memorable characters arestill first-rate by today's standards. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Brings together two classic Super Nintendo role-playing games
• Retranslated text of Final Fantasy IV more faithful
• Extras mode increases Chrono Trigger's replay value
• New animated "movie" sequences

Cons:

• In-game graphics and sounds are quite dated

... Read more

Reviews (138)

2 for the price of 1. YEAH BABY! (Long, but worth reading)
Final Fantasy Chronicles is such a great game, I don't Know where to start.(!Attention!, If you have a Super Nintendo and have Final Fantasy 4 and Chrono Trigger you don't really have to bother buying this game, unless you want to check out the added features).FF4 is just like the SNES version only its been enhanced with new magic, monsters,items, and CG(computer generated)cinemas and more stuff. I might be wrong, but I heard somewhere that the Playstation version is much harder than the SNES version. This game is quite entertaining, and the storyline is was one of the best I've seen. In my opinion, I thought Final Fantasy 7 was better in every way. Even though FF7 is better than 4. 4 is still a pretty good game. that's about it for FF4.
If you liked Dragonball Z, then your gonna LOVE Chrono Trigger cause it's made by the "Great" Akira Toriyama (you know the guy who made the characters from DBZ).I thought Chrono Trigger was better than FF4 in terms of gamplay,and graphcs. In my opinion, it ties between FF7.(only FF7 has better graphics). Chrono Trigger is the prequel to Chrono Cross. I thought Chrono Trigger was better than Chrono Cross.(Chrono Cross's graphics were much better).Chrono Trigger has VERY little to do with Chrono Cross. Chrono Trigger is about a red haired boy named Crono(NOT CHRONO), that travels through time along with his friends to save the world.
The only thing bad about these two games is that the graphics are quite dated and that it takes a long time to load in Chrono Trigger when you pull out the menu sceen. I don't think Graphics that are a decade old shouldn't bother most gamers. If it does, then I'll beat you up. This game cost less right now than any of those two games did when they where brand new, especailly now in 2005. Chrono Trigger was a rare, hard to find game at that time that usually sold somewhere around $60. right now, it doesn't cost more than $20. To me, FF4 is like an added bonus to Chrono Trigger in the final fantasy chronicles package. It would take a lot more to fully describe this game. I hope this review was helpful to you

P.S. Get Final Fantast 7 while you're at it.

Final Fantasy Chronicles
Even though that most people will overlook this game because it's a PlayStation game that's a re-release of a 16-bit game during a time when we've already moved on to the 128-bit generation, if you're an RPG fan that has yet to play either of these classics, it's a must-have title. With the multiple endings and fantastical game design and lovable characters, Chrono Trigger alone is worth the full price of admission. Add in Final Fantasy IV and you have an astonishing deal that you simply shouldn't pass up.

Chrono Trigger Yesss
I remember as a kid (not that long ago) and playing Chrono Trigger on my friends Super NES and how friggin awesome it was. When I found out that it was later released for the playstation I wasted no time in ordering it and popping it into my PS2. (Note you MUST have a PS1 memory card in order to save) Other than this there is no problem in the translation of this game to the Playstaion. Also added to the Playstation version are amazing new cut sequences.

I have yet to play the FFIV but I will eventually. These games are both classics and a must have for all seriouse RPGers. ... Read more

Asin: B00005LOXE
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)   

Suikoden II
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (21 September, 1999)

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Features

• Play with a team of up to six characters, each with unique skills and powers
• Strong 2-D graphics
• For 1 player
• RPG fantasy adventure
• Collect the 108 stars of destiny to defeat the evil prince

Reviews (72)

A great game but.......
Suikoden 2 is a great game, and I'm glad I grabbed a copy way back with the guide, maybe I should sell my copy and take a tropical vacation. Seems that these rare games are developing into collectors items more than games now. If you really want to spend $100+ on a game your bordering on nuts,but buy suikoden part 1 cause its vital to fully enjoy this game. However this game is beautiful, deep, and captivating. I have played it thru several times, you can even load your original suikoden data if you gathered the 108 stars in that game to add storyline and events to this title. Greatest Rpg series ever a must for a true rpg fan/collector.

New type of RPG
I ran across this game (...)right when it first came out, and I picked it up more as a fluke than for any other reason.I am glad I did.Graphically this game is in 2D, but it is done very well.Each person is easily recognizable, and there expressions come across quite clearly (with emotions appearing above the characters heads in little bubbles!).

As far as normal random battles goes, suikoden is fairly straight forward.6 people can join in fights, with a front line and a back line.Different people have different weapons that have different attacking abilities.Ie. weapons like bows can attack the enemies from the front and back row, staffs can attack only the front line of enemies, but they can be positioned in either your front or back row, and swords/axes can only hit the front line of the enemy, and only from the front line of your ranks.

One nice ability for later on is the option to choose 'let go'.If your party is crossing an area of the world map, or if you are re-exploring a dungeon from much earlier in the game, the option to 'run' is taken away, and the option 'let go' is placed there instead.Basically it is a means to escape the tedium of random battles that wouldn't provide enough experience of money to make the time of fighting it worthwhile.Plus it works 100% of the time. :)

The most interesting part of the game though is that fact that it incorporates more than just standard random battles, it also has full army battles that involve most of your fighting party members broken up into groups of 3.Each group has its own attack, defence, and special abilitys.Most of the time the battles are very enjoyable, however there are a few battles that rely on luck, so you just have to keep plugging away at them for a while until you finally manage to beat the enemy.

Also the game features a third battle system called duels, which are (just as the name emplys....) 1 on 1 duels.There aren't that many duels during the course of the game, and they are conducted in a rock paper scissors manner.

The best part of the game though is just playing through the story and becoming the hero of legend.Nothing is quite as satisfing as walking through your castle (which starts out run down and dilapidated and ends up quite spectacular) and talking to all the various people that have come to live there because of their firm (and very vocalized) belief that YOU are the one person capable of being a hero.

Suikoden may have a funny name, but it is a game that you would be a fool to bypass.

MUST PLAY
Betrayal between a country and its armed forces. loytalty between two friends, cant overcome ones loyalty to his country. This is Suikoden II. One of the all time great playstation games. the story line is basic just as the first one is. but there is more to do here in the land of highlands than in the scarlet moon empire. the castle really takes form and you can have cook offs and also fish with yam koo and tai ho (yep they are back). with many characters from the first suikoden included you will have hours of fun in this game. also yuber makes another mysterious appearance in another installment. this is a must play and its worth the $100 dollars you are going to spend to get it. ... Read more

Asin: B00001X50L
Sales Rank: 3030
Subjects:  1. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    2. Adventure    3. Video Games    4. Role Playing Games    5. two (2 II)    6. Suikoden2    7. Sony Playstation (Play station)    8. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)   

Suikoden
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM
list price: $49.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Cool fight scenes and one-on-one action
• Music adapts to gameplay action
• For 1 player
• Fantasy RPG with gripping story
• Choose between 108 characters for your party of six

Reviews (59)

Best game ever
This is hands down my favorite game ever made... Sure it's kinda old by now and therefore not as fancy technology-wise, but the story is enough to keep me involved, and the fact that there are 108 distinct characters to recruit, PLUS all the NPCs that you don't recruit.Lots of personality.I can't even tell you how many times I've played through this... the second one is pretty good, too, but the first is definitely the best.A must-have for any true RPG fan.

Awsome game for any RPG fan.
I rented this game along time ago with a few friends, but usually when I look at the title image I can tell what kind of game it would be, but after starting it, it was awsome and started me into being a hugh Suikoden fan. The 2-D graphics may be a turn down for most players out there, but the story line is awsome and there are alot of interesting characters to recruit. I highly recommend this game if you've played 2 or 3, or just need a good game to play.

Another classic
The Konami we all know is back. Remember all the good quality games we used to get from this company? Well, Konami is trying to get back into shape, and Suikoden, the year's best RPG, is a step in the right direction. The story is simple. You are the son of the General Teo, one of the emperor's most powerful generals. Immediately, your father leaves to fight a battle up north leaving a few of his trusted friends to watch over of you. Soon after, you come to realize that you and your father been serving on the wrong side. The Emperor and his generals' minds have been brainwashed. The result is unhappy subjects and an enslaved country. Knowing this you join the Liberation Army and when their heroic leader is assassinated by the baddies, you are chosen as leader. Your job now is to recruit thousands of men to join the Liberation Army and restore peace to the country.
Suikoden is full of beautiful backgrounds (especially your castle which you can name), not to mention outstanding effects for magic spells. The music is incredible, rivaling the soundtrack of Square's Final Fantasy 3! Some of the sound effects used in spells are reminiscent of those taken off old He-Man episodes, which oddly enough sounds terrific. All this plus intricate plot twists and an inspiring storyline constantly push this game forward. Suikoden is undeniably one of the best RPGs ever made. Not only that, but Suikoden isn't a game that can be finished in a few days either. Suikoden is long (about 25+ hours) and it doesn't get boring... ever. ... Read more

Asin: B00002STPG
Sales Rank: 5242
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)   

Dragon Warrior VII
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (04 November, 2001)
list price: $39.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The top-selling PlayStation game in Japanese history makes its way tothe U.S. in Dragon Warrior VII. Its creators include a trio of Japaneserole-playing-game legends--game designer Yuji Horii, music composer KoichiSugiyama, and character designer Akira Toriyama (who also created the popularDragonball and Dragonball Z cartoons and comics). At its heart,Dragon Warrior VII is an old-school RPG that eschews flashy graphics andsound effects in favor of a good story and dozens of gameplay hours. In somecases it succeeds in capturing the nostalgia of old NES and SNES RPGs, but inothers it hangs on too dearly to obsolete conventions. Still, this is one of themost value-packed games on the market, as it easily offers more than 100 hoursof gameplay.

Graphically, Dragon Warrior VII will not impress anyone. Even compared tofirst-generation PlayStation games this one comes off as ugly. The sound is amix of nostalgic MIDI bits from previous Dragon Warrior games andbeautiful new compositions by Sugiyama. The story progresses in a linearfashion, as the main character discovers new lands, each with its own mysteries,characters, and adventures. The job system adds immense depth to characterprogression, as players can learn skills from more than 50 classes, includingwarriors, clerics, jesters, rangers, dragoons, teen idols, and more.

As deep as the job system is, progress is hindered by laborious combat andinventory-management systems. It would have been nice if the development teamtried to implement modern gameplay mechanics with the rich Dragon Warrioruniverse. Because of its archaic aspects, the game will scare off those thataren't familiar with older RPGs. However, persevering gamers and longtime fanswill enjoy one of the deepest adventures on the market. --Raymond M.Padilla

Pros:

• More than 100 hours of gameplay
• Extremely deep job system
• Memorable characters

Cons:

• Horrible graphics
• Poor interface
• Dull combat

... Read more

Reviews (60)

This game makes Baby Jesus cry
The perfect one-word description of this game is "torturous". Yes, there are some cool parts every now and then, but they're buried beneath so much inane garbage that instead of making the game less terrible, they simply compel you to keep playing through this epic abomination. It's really not a good sign when I've played over 20 hours into the game and I still couldn't care less what happens to the main characters. They're a rather one-dimensional bunch, and to be honest, it strikes me as a bit strange how those chosen to "awaken the world" (or whatever you care to call the insipid, convoluted plot) could be so damned boring.

Ah yes, the plot. Some kids discover some ruins that take them back in time to where the world contained more landmasses, and one by one, they bring the land masses into the present. It could have been quite fascinating, but the different areas just don't feel at all connected. After you've "raised" the first few islands, no one in your hometown seems to care anymore. Basically, instead of being one fully involved story, it ends up being a bunch of half-assed little tales that I couldn't bring myself to care about. I've read that eventually the "Demon Lord" somehow gets involved, but I really have no desire to pick this garbage up again. I suppose the cut scenes are also worth mentioning. Like most of the game, they're quite awful. They make the characters look mildly deformed, at best.

On to the gameplay...repetition is the order of the day. The battle system in itself isn't that bad, but it does begin to grow quite tiresome. The class system, which could have been very cool, is executed rather sloppily. For one thing, the classes aren't exactly balanced, especially since a character's class has no bearing on the equipment they can use. Want a wizard wielding a huge sword and wearing immensely heavy armor? You can do it here. Also, I don't think the classes have any permanent effect on stats, i.e. there is a set number of points in each stat for all the characters and classes that is governed by level. As a result, a character who has been a wizard for most of the game will have an enormous strength increase if he transitions to a soldier. Unfortunately, his intelligence will plummet as well.

If this was all I hated about the game, it would at least be tolerable. Unfortunately, I've yet to metion the most banal aspect of it...the way new islands are unlocked. If you thought lame fetch quests were exclusive to platforming games, this game will prove you sorely wrong. Of those 100+ hours you'll spend playing this pompous trash, at least half of that will consist of seeking map shards that you will quickly come to loathe, as you have to collect the right ones in order to unlock new islands.

Now, this wouldn't be a big deal if they were all in meaningful places, such as being obtained after defeating a boss. However, they're not. Oftentimes you'll find them in such idiotic and annoying places, as in a bag in some random house, caught in a broken robot in a town sewer, etc. Sure, the game offers some guidance, but the trek back to the fortune teller (whose hints can sometimes be rather vague) grows tiresome quickly. As a result, the game is as much a sleep-inducing scavenger hunt as an RPG.

Assume from this review that I hate RPGs done in the "old-school" style, as that is not the case. Dragon Warrior II through IV were quite enjoyable games. In fact, they're a lot better than this snoozefest, so play them instead.

Why did I waste my money?

Do not waste your time (130 hours is what i spent) or your money ($50) on this game.Buy a good game, like FF Tactics or Xenogears, or do something productive with your money.I cannot believe that this is the best selling game in Japan.I have played every single FF game, and Xenogears as well as every other US released DW game.With all of the hype before this game, I had my hopes up for a decent game with old-school graphics.What I got was a story written by a third grader, a battle system that made me want to kill myself it was so boring, and no point of playing the game.Horrible.Pathetic.

A great game!
If you like involved RPG's, this is a great game for you.It's packed with tons story and side quests.Some reviews complained about the graphics, but they're not all that bad.It's what I'd expect a 3D Dragon Warrior game to look like.Besides, the music more than makes up for the slight lacking in the graphics department.The characters are fun and there's a bit of Japanese humor strewn about (I'm glad the translators left it in!).There are also some puzzles throughout the game, which helps break up the monotony of the random encounters.Anyone who has played the previous Dragon Warrior games on the Nintendo will probably experience a little nastalgia.Some elements of the game haven't changed much at all (slimes, clubs, leather armor, cheesy sound effects when using stairs, etc...).All in all, I highly recommend this game! ... Read more

Asin: B00005OLWB
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    5. Adventure    6. Great Deals (Outlet store)   

Secret of Mana
Average Customer Review:
Video Game

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• It's a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right
• The Mana tree keeps good and evil in perfect balance
• A magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting the balance
• Restore harmony by embarking on a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mara tree
• Magic swords release and fight evil; treasure chests hold booby traps; monsters are friends and enemies

Reviews (36)

magical
I was a teen when I played games on the Sinclair ZX 81 -Monster Maze!-, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Philips Video system, Colecovision and so on. (I didn't own all systems by the way).
After that period, with having played a lot of games, I found the NES system to be quite odd, you could get almost the same quality games on your Commodore 64 by simply copy them on tape from a friend. And what was so special about that stupid Mario guy? (Not knowing then that 2 Mario games would become two of my favorite games ever)

I didn't play games for years untill I bought a Atari Lynx for a few quid with a bunch of games. (In 1995 I think it was) Atari had lost its battle in the videogame market, ruled by Nintendo and Sega, so you could find games for little money.
I didn't pay much attention to Sega and Nintendo, for me Atari was the real game experience.
The Atari Lynx broke when someone put the adapter-plug in the wrong ins (headphones!) and its screen burned. (Still haven't found a new (used) Atari Lynx).
3 years went by without playing games.

The first game I played after 3 long years was Secret of Mana for the Super Nintendo, borrowed from a friend who only played PC games like Quake and Doom.
At that time Nintendo had already its N64 system and Sony its Playstation.
I was playing a relatively old game, but I was drawn to it, loving its magical world and I didn't mind that its graphics weren't that good compared to my friend's PC games.
Secret of Mana was so much better than any game I played before!

You don't need state of the art graphics to get drawn into a world. I'm not that kinda guy who thinks that realistic and detailed graphics will ruin your imagination either and that 80's games beat every today's game (I don't get emotionally moved by Pacman, Riveraid, Frogger or Spy vs. Spy, how fun those games are...for half an hour that is).

Secret of Mana has just enough details to create an atmosphere and to give you a hint of a believable world, your imagination does the rest accompanied by a great music score that adds real depth to the game.
Even today the game is still great to play, as spoiled as I already am (by owning a N64 -with Zelda's Ocarina of Time- and a Gamecube) and I don't miss the latest graphics with this game.
(as I don't mis fab graphics when playing Riveraid). I played it a week ago and still love it.

What is great in this semi-RPG are the real-time action battles (I loath turn based RPG fights) but there's one thing quite annoying about this game and that is upgrading your magical skills.
It takes forever!!!Constantly spending the night in a hotel or consuming a fairy walnut to get your (magical) strengths back...for hours in total you are playing on automatic pilot.

But most important: the overall experience of this game (atmosphere, music and depth) is superb and I consider this game to be one of the best I ever played.

*looks over reviews* Are these for real?
Let's get something out of the way first: I thought this was the best game when I first played it back in 1994. But in that same year, I was also in fourth grade, so I didn't really know any better. I thought it had the best storyline and combat system. What a shame. It's only now that I realize how average this thing really is. And after looking over the reviews, claiming how this is the "single best game ever made", it makes me laugh. But then there are the people claiming this is the best SNES game out there. No. How dare you people place this above Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, or even Street Fighter 2 Turbo? Secret of Mana is just as overrated as that other horrid game, Final Fantasy 7.

The story of SoM is nothing special at all. You play a very stupid boy who falls from a log seemingly 500 feet above ground level. Somehow, he gets back on his feet, and decides that he needs to get back up there, probably so he can do it again. On his way back, he finds a sword...calling his name. He gets the sword (because there are bushes in his way. What a sissy), and all hell breaks loose...or so they try to make it seem. He cuts down the bushes, and encounters a rabbit. Only this rabbit spins right at him, and causes danger. So eventually, the boy makes it to his village and...oh hell, I'm already sick of writing this. But after the first 40 minute, the plot becomes non-existant. I tried replaying the game again just last week, to see if there was anything I might have missed, but there isn't. I really hope all the five star reviews here are from people who haven't completed the game. If they are, there's a problem with this country's people.

The characters are horrible. The boy says a few lines in the beginning, and near the end. That's about it. When you go to the status screen, you'll see that he has the lowest intelligence. Big surprise. The girl (these characters don't have a deafult name, so I'm just calling them what they're refered to in the instruction book) is the clich? daughter of a king who "doesn't understand her". To make matters worse, she's in love with a soldier who pretty much could care less if she died. Later on when he disappears, she says "I have to find him!" and that's about it. Some touching moment that was. Then there's The Sprite. This thing comes along with you for no reason at all. This is how it goes right before you get him in the party "hey, you should take the Sprite along! Here's his boomerang and bow!". There, that's the whole reason of him being in the party.

Combat wasn't that bad, but the AI is. If you don't have 2 other people to play this with, the AI is going to get itself killed more times than should be possible. What's funny is that sometimes the characters will get stuck behind a rock or something, and not even try to go around it. Also, you can charge your weapon's attack. For what reason, I have no idea. By the time they're done charging, the enemy is accross the screen on the other side, and you'll miss. Magic's the only decent thing here, as you're invincible when casting spells. Oh, you can only carry 4 of each item for some reason.

The music *shakes head*. There are MAYBE 4 good tracks here, but they're heard once or twice. I'm curious about the number of total tracks, as the same one is repeated for at least 6 different areas. Very lazy of you Square. You're better off just muting the tv and playing a CD. And the sound effects are just downright silly. When you deliver a fatal blow to an enemy, they make a squishy sound, and burst into a rain of what appears to be yogurt. I can't believe I thought this was cool back in the day...

If I could go back in time, I'd slap myself for thinking this was a good game. What was I thinking? The only people that can give this thing 5 stars are those that've never played an RPG before in their life, or Square fanboys who think everything they put out is great. There is one pro about owning this game: I can sell it for at least $40, which is going to end up happening. Go get Chrono Trigger, FFVI, EarthBound or Mario RPG instead.

Almost as good as Zelda III!
Anyone who has ever played "Zelda III:A Link to the Past" on the SNES knows what an excellent action/RPG game is supposed be.Secret of Mana is not quite as good as Zelda III, but it is no slouch either.Personally, I love this game!But I will say right not that this is not a particularly hard game to play, but it is very interesting and will keep you entertained.

I do not want to go into much detail about the story, but I will say this much.It is an action/RPG about a teenage boy who accidentally finds a magical, powerful sword embedded in a rock outside of his village.Suprisingly, the sword calls out to him and he ends up removing the sword.Little does he know that by doing that, he destroyed the protective seal around his village and monsters and other baddies move in and cause fear and chaos.When the villagers discover that he is responsible for the attack on their village, they banish the boy from his home, and he is forced to set out into the world to restore the peace and order.

Despite the fact that Secret of Mana is over 10 years old, and the graphics are outdated compared to today's polished, beautiful computer generated graphics, it can still hold itsown compared to other games made back then.Everything is bright, colourful and detailed (except for the characters who are not as detailed).The most impressive designs are those of the palaces.Each palace is created with such beautiful and intricate detail, that you will forget that the game was made over 10 years ago.

The magic system is pretty simple.You have two magic users in the game, the girl and the sprite.The girl uses magic that has healing or enhancement properties, and the sprite uses destructive/attack magic.Each spell comes from a different elemental creature, and there are 8 elements altogether:Fire, water, earth, air, moon, shade, light and mana.Throughout the game you will meet each elemental creature and he or she will bestow their powers upon you, giving you the ability to use their spells in battle.The more you use a spell the more powerful it becomes.You can track a spell's progress on the status screen in the menu.It will gain levels by decreasing increments (eg. To Level 1 - Increases by 0.1 each use, To Level 2 - Increases by 0.09 each use, to Level 3 - Increases 0.08 each use, etc.)This makes it more difficult to achieve more powerful spells causing you to use spells even when you don't need to in order to reach a higher level.In the end, all the trouble is well worth it.

The storyline of this game is fun, challenging, and not ridiculously linear like other RPGs.The three heroes in this game each have their own story, personality, strengths and weaknesses.Throughout the game they learn more about themselves, each other and the world in general.Another feauture of this game that is unique is that you can play with up to three other people.That feature alone makes the game a lot more enjoyable.There is a glitch in the game however.If any of the characters are controlled by the computer they will sometimes become stuck behind objects and you may have to restart the game.The music is wonderful.It is lively, fun and helps to bring out the game's true flavor.

Secret of Mana may not be the most difficult RPG to play, especially for seasoned RPGamers, but for anyone who owns it my advice is to hang on to it and treasure it.Don't do what I did and sell it for some money. As for anyone else who still owns an SNES and is looking for a great addition to their collection, trust me when I say you cannot go wrong with Secret of Mana. ... Read more

Asin: B000035Y2Q
Sales Rank: 5308
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Super Nintendo (SNES)    3. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)   

Ogre Battle
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• For 1 player
• Strategic RPG set in fantasy world
• Over 75 different types of characters
• Play as good, neutral, or evil
• 13 possible game endings

Reviews (4)

Nifty
An interesting game, but a better weekend rent than a purchase. It gets way too predictable once you get to be a decent player.

One of the best Strategy RPG's ever
This game is responsible for me losing more sleep than almost any other. This game really isn't for everyone though. It's more of a passive RPG, you don't personally go out and do the fighting (you can, it's just not a good idea), you send out constructed units of troops to do the fighting with the enemy units. Terrain, weight, time of day and equipment all play a part in moving and battles. While you can not directly influence the course of the individual battles, you can decide which troops go to either the front or back rows (different attacks depending on the row), and decide what the unit will aim for (attack the strongest, weakest, leader or best). You can support them with Tarot cards (single use magic spells) that you pick up by liberating cities. All in all, one of the most innovative and all around fun games I've ever played, and it got improved for the Playstation. Worth practically whatever you have to pay for it.

What the heck?...
I bought this game thinking it would be great beyond preportions, but it actually is quite the opposite and is very old. Before writing this review ,I'm going to tell you that I didn't want to believe some of the reviews that hindered this game's reputation. So I still bought the game thinking that it was going to be great(costly mistake.)

For one, you don't fight in this game. It's like any rpg game, but it is simulated. Just think about going through a huge game that the battle's are simulated for you. The graphics are the lowest imaginable. You push your characters into battle like chess, and you have a random chance of doing well. The only thing you control are Tarot cards, which have various affects on the enemy and yourself. The strategy is very simple and not really worth calling strategy. If you want to buy an Ogre game, buy Ogre Tactics. It is a very excellent game, and is worth the huge time span. This game isn't worth the time, you'll never care to finish the first "levels" once youv'e started playing it. Yes, all it is "levels." You have to play levels in sequence and you don't have control where you go. I hope that you listen to this review, and not to any silly person that may think it is good. Personally, I can only believe a person would put a good review for this game if they were payed to do so. ... Read more

Asin: B000009QCV
Sales Rank: 3070
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    5. Strategy (Strategic)   

Pokemon Crystal
Average Customer Review:
Game Cartridge (02 August, 2001)
list price: $29.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Pokémon Crystal is to Pokémon Gold and Silver what Pokémon Yellow is toPokémon Red and Blue. It features severalminor upgrades from its predecessors, but in essence it's still the same game.The classic Pokémon formula of adventuring, collecting, and battling isat a series best with Crystal. This is one of the best and most addictiverole-playing games for the Game Boy Color.

The most notable feature is theselectable female trainer who has her own set of animations and backgrounds.This is a great option for female Pokémon fans who were previously stuckplaying the game as a male character. There are also subtle improvements to thecell phone system, HM moves, and prebattle animations. Rival trainers' phonecalls are now more plentiful and pragmatic. HM moves, which are requiredthroughout the game, are available at the push of a button--you'll no longerhave to navigate menus to use these moves. Lastly, seeing a Pokémon's newanimation makes encountering new creatures more fun than before.

If youhaven't played Gold or Silver yet, Crystal is definitelythe way to go. If you've played those previous games, Crystal has onlyenough new features to justify a purchase from Pokémon fanatics. Thisgame is compatible with the link cable, Game Boy printer, and PokémonPikachu 2. It's playable on Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance only, and can beplayed on a television using Pokémon Stadium 2 and a Transfer Pak.--Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• New female trainer
• Prebattle animations are cute
• Lots of subtle improvements

Cons:

• Too similar to Gold and Silver
• Mobile phone features not in the U.S. version

... Read more

Reviews (254)

Crystal ?, You betcha!
After the new gold and silver, Pokemon Crystal might be one of the greatest games Pokemon created. Unlike all of the revisions and new versions of Pokemon, You might want something better. What crystal allows you to do is that it is the only game to capture 90-95% of johto Pokemon wild.More things is that crystal was the first pokemon game that allows you to choose if you are a boy or a girl. You can make Pokemon hold items.You can also play in real time. After 150 Pokemon, you might think there is more. Well there is!! Crystal also includes 2 dirfferent types of Pokemon, steel and Dark. It was also the first to have these types. Bad things about crystal also means it seem to be a long game that might take forever! But can you handel 16 gym leaders through the game? However, the greatest thing Crystal can do is that you can get legendary Pokemon before the game. the badest thing for crystal is that you need to trade 27 out of 250 poke'mon.That's the number doubled of red blue or yellow!!

In all, this is a great game for long trips inside a airplane or a car.

This is really Awesome!
I like the crystal, gold, and silver line better than all the rest of the pokemon games. 1.) you have to get 16 badges, which include Jhoto, the new world and Kanto, the old world. Kanto is 4x harder too. 2) no more annoying legendary birds! 3.) eevee gets 2 new evolutions, Espeon (the best one) and Umbreon (the average one.) you can be a girl too!

My All Time Favorite
For people who have started to read my reviews I am a all time gamer, and this is my all time favorite game. This game is LOADED with stuff to do, figure out puzzles, capture pokemon, win battles and more! Here are the good and bad in my opinion:
Good
-Loaded with stuff takes a while to play (a good thing)
-So many pokemon to catch and raise
-The battles bring out the true trainer in you
-The pokemon now make noises and move when summoned
-You can choose gender
Bad
-Sometimes you can get very stuck
-Some of the puzzles need the game guide to figure out in my opinion
-The graphics aren't as good nowdays
Note that all the pokemon games are good and that I think this game appeals to all ages. ... Read more

Asin: B00005LBHM
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy (Gameboy)    3. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    4. GBA    5. Strategy (Strategic)