Lunar Legend

Game Arts' Lunar seems an odd choice for a GBA port, considering how much the series relies on full-motion video cinemas to tell its story. Still, this game is looking great, and should play really well if the previous games are any indication. No publisher has been announced for Lunar Legend as of yet.

What a wonderful world we live in. In the span of a few years, one of the genre's brightest stars has come full circle and is playable on a modern video game system. The game of which I speak is of course, Lunar Legends. Actually this is the third game in the Lunar series but you need not have played the first two, as the only common link is the Lunar world.

For those of you who aren't old enough or never made the purchase of the ill-fated Sega CD, you missed out on two of the really classic RPGs of our time. Originally made by Working Designs, the Lunar games fell squarely into the vein of traditional RPGs with its dragons, magic users, fighters, etc. But what set it apart was it's strong good vs. evil storyline and tried and true character development. And of course the fact that it does all the reliable facets of a game so well, that it really isn't an issue to most gamers unless those facets are lacking.

Why does Lunar deserve a 'Recommended Buy'? The answer is simple. You would be hard pressed to find as good a RPG for the GBA, although Golden Sun. The game is easy to pick up with its user-friendly interface. As a matter of fact, I was more than surprised with the amount of offensive and defensive capabilities the game contains. Remember that the game is truly 2D so expect those elemental attacks to originate in the ether. I can't tell you how many times I chuckled to myself when a cool monster battle occurred, as I was surprised that I was playing on a tiny little screen. Only strikingly less fantastic is the games two modes, combat and adventure. As I said before, the combat mode is set up with the tradition RPGer in mind, however, the adventure mode is where this title has really won me over. The little things that you can find are surprisingly abundant as are the locales in which they're located. And while the game is fairly linear, it just doesn't seem like it most of the time, as I was happy with the direction the game was taking me.

Graphically, the game is loaded with sprites, and is visually strong, making use of the GBA's tiny little processor. Monsters look like monsters, not fuzzy blobs, and I will say that the game's bigger bosses are as strong a graphic as I have seen on the GBA. Honestly, this game is on par for some early playstation and Sega Saturn games. It easily rivals most SNES titles.

If there is one complaint about this game, it's that it is a shade too easy. I don't want to seem unappreciative of this title but I have had one of the easiest gaming experiences of my life with this one. Adding to the fact that you can save anywhere in the game makes the fear of impending doom almost nonexistent. Couple that with the ability to start a battle over should your party perish, and you're left with a pretty easy title to complete.

But this should not discourage you at all. Lunar Legend is a fine title and is the GBA game that I have played more than any other thus far. A quality RPG that should last you at least 20 hours of game play, it's fully worth the purchase.