Terranigma

"This game will enlighten you as much as it will entertain you."

Graphics: 10/10
Pretty good for the SNES, rivaling those of Chrono Trigger. You can easily see from the sprites and backdrops that a lot of work was put into this game's graphics. It looks beautiful but the beauty of this game isn't just on the outside. Not by any means!

Audio: 10/10
The music is pretty nice and well defines the mood of the current setting. However, what I really like is the two overworld tracks. Those two songs are some of the most beautiful video game music I have ever heard. When you play this game, you'll be looking for Terranigma MP3s and blank CD-Rs in no time.

Gameplay: 10/10
Terranigma is an action/RPG game. Kind of like Zelda. However, it also goes above and beyond Zelda. You're not just restricted to one or two types of basic attacks; you can run and jump all around the battlefield, using various types of attacks. I really enjoyed this aspect of the game.

Control: 10/10
The controls here are basic, you'll pick them up in no time. There's a button for running, a button for jumping, and a button for interacting with objects. Pretty simple, huh? And then there's START and SELECT, which we all know and love.

Story: 10/10
The game starts out with a simple enough plot, and for the first half of the game it seems simplistic. However, soon the plot all falls together and you realize the truth. It will shock and astound you. Really, it will. There's a definite ''unfortunate hero, lonely warrior'' theme running. The ending is tragic and, depending on the strength of your will, you will be depressed by it. But in a good kind of way.

Replayability: 10/10
This game not only has lush video/audio and a Final Fantasy worthy plot, it's also fun to play. You'll be drawn back to it over and over again, if only to beat some punk arse monsters down. It's also a fun challenge to try to develop the cities of the world (you can do that in this game), and it'll probably take you more than one try to get them all to the maximum economic growth level.

To buy or rent: Buy it
For some reason, this game was not released in North America. Bah. You can still play one of the European versions, however. Do so. This game is too great to miss out on!

Overall: 10/10
Fighting games for the body. Strategy games for the mind. Terranigma for the soul.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/20/02, Updated 01/20/02