Tenchi o Kurau II: Shokatsu Koumei Den

"A very good game, it would be cool if it made it to America on GBA"

Destiny of an Emperor 2, a solid, great RPG, sadly never got to America on any system or by any means. This was a good game, too.

Graphics: 10 Excellent
These are some of the best graphics I've ever seen. The portraits for the characters have lots of variations and detail, overworld map graphics are excellent, and the sprites are also excellent. The anime-style pictures that show up in the introduction to the game are also impressive, too. Unlike in part 1, you can see your character swing their swords whenever they attack in battle. There are also battle backdrops so you know what type of area you're at too (these are also excellent).

Sound/Music: 8 Very Good
The sound effects are pretty good and varied, the music, while not ''moody'', is well-done. Some songs are a little short (but good) and can repeat rather quickly, so I gave it an 8 instead of a 9.

Controls: 7 Good
Like in many RPGs, the controls here are good but not great. Can't say much here. Menus operate quite well, but the walking around is a little slow...until you get a certain item at one point in the game.

Gameplay: 8 Very Good
The gameplay itself is very fun, although the all-out attack system is a little slow compared to part 1. You also need to, at certain times, bring certain characters with you. There are also ''arrays'' for the battle systems, which will change your characters' ''row''. For example, one array might have all in the front for good attack power but poor defense, another might have three in front and two in back.

Story: 9 Great
The story follows the real history very well, although there are a few changes, in which nobody could do in real life. (calling windstorms or other miraculous anyone?). The introduction is described in great detail, and the events make sense (except for the magic storms and other)

Challenge: 8 Very Good
The start is a little easy to begin, which makes it seem like a beginners' RPG. Wrong! This game gets increasingly difficult, especially in the last half. It can be a little hard to get enough money to get all the items you need at certain times, usually at the start. The game is fairly challenging, but it's manageable, not like 7th Saga or any other insanely hard game.

Play Mechanics: 6 Above Average
Later on in the game, there is the ''reserves'' generals like in part 1. Cool concept, but when switching members their items get switched, which can be confusing. The game rarely slows down, but there is some break-up. There are a few (but not many :) ) bugs, as well, overall the ''play mechanics'' are okay, if not good or bad.

Overall: 8 Very Good
I would suggest buying this game, but considering that it's rare, and when it does appear it's quite expensive most of the time. Download it, see if it's for you. If you like it, try to get a hold of the real copy if you want.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/24/03