Shining Force CD

"A cool compilation of the first 2 GameGear SFs, with awesome graphics and sound!"

Up until recently, I didn't even know this game existed. It was only when one of my friends sold me an old Sega CD that I found out, since one of the games with it was (drumroll, please), Shining Force CD! This game is too cool, since I couldn't get enough of the Genesis versions. So without further ado, here is the breakdown.

Graphics: 10

I have to say that the graphics are almost identical to the Genesis versions, which is to say they are much better than the Game Gear versions. The battle cutscenes are superb, and almost every character in the game looks too cool, especially the hero characters. There are some nice backgrounds, as well.

Sound: 10

This is completely redone CD sound, so it is awesome! They picked the right instruments, and enhanced all of the music from the Genesis versions in just the right way. Particularly cool is the music that plays when a secret character joins your team (if you can find them...).

Control: 10

One of the few strategy games with an intuitive interface, you'll be whacking baddies in no time. Learning the nuances of the game is half the fun.

Challenge: Variable

This is an interesting twist. You can actually select the difficulty level. The settings are Easy, Normal, Hard, and Super Hard. This challenges you to try them over and over again. Of course, if it gets too hard, you can always go in and out of battles, earning up and then using Egress to get
out of the battle when only the last enemy remains.

Fun: 10

What did you expect? The battles are perfect. There aren't many ways to improve the system, because it has a perfect balance and is well paced. The only thing I miss is being able to wander around in the overworld or in towns. Sadly, that was gone in the Game Gear versions, and it is no different here. Just remember to check out EVERYTHING in a battle, since there is no chance to go back once it is completed.

Conclusions:

If you have a Sega CD, or can get one cheap, get this game! Not only is it like two games in one (plus an ending quest and boss museum), one of the games (the first story) never made it over to the U.S. So this is a good enough reason by itself to own a Sega CD.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/08/00, Updated 02/08/00