Lufia & the Fortress of Doom

"Up there with Final Fantasy..."

A floating continent has appeared in the sky, scaring the people of the world with it's foreboding presence. Upon it ride four masters of evil known as "Sinistrals." As the world was all but wiped out by the masters of Destruction, Chaos, Terror, and Death, they brought forth their four best heroes to bring it to an end. As the final confrontation came to be between the four heroes and the four Sinistrals, the island sank into the sea and only Guy and Artea came out alive. Now, you, the Hero, step into the world 100 years later, when the world has rediscovered peace. The waters around the atoll the island created are about to shift...

Thus begins Lufia and the Fortress of Doom. I have to say that from the very beginning I loved and treasured this game. It's a classic in my book.

The graphics are not the best(especially when compared to SNES hits like Chrono Trigger or Super Mario RPG), but they just have that look that makes you think "Shoot, this is an classic game." The music is really nice. It has to be up there with Final Fantasy.

The story has to be the best asset of this game. This game's storyline is so great that it definitely rivals that of FF4 and FF6... and blows FF7 out of the water. The story has the biggest plot twist in RPG history and the game is just well done in every aspect of the story.

The gameplay is also awesome. The game is fun to play. It has its own style all of its own and is deep down original.

The difficulty, however, might be a problem. In fact, I quit playing the game one time just because I couldn't figure it out(of course, this was before the Internet was full of walkabouts... or even existed...). It is certainly a veteran's RPG. But you get a great sense of accomplishment when you finish it and the ending is good, too.

In short, Lufia is a classic. If you can find it for a decent price, but all means buy it. It is a rare finding and just as valuable as FF4. It has all that a classic RPGer wants in an RPG... so you won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99