Paladin's Quest

"The best RPG that Enix released on the SNES in the United States."

Paladin's Quest is a truly original RPG- it really steals Earthbound's thunder even though it is in a ''swords and sorcery'' setting. The game takes place in a land called Lennus, and it centers on you, young Chezni (or whatever you choose to re-name him). A student at the magic school of the world, you climb an off-limits tower in the surrounding town one day with your friend, only to discover a magic panel. Letting your curiosity get the better of you, you press the panel...and unleash a great evil upon the world. Joined by your sweetheart, Midia, you are ordered by the headmaster of the magic school to go fight this evil that you unleashed. As the one who freed the monster, you are Lennus' only hope of defeating it.

Graphics
Lennus is a bright and cartoonish land, only it takes this graphical concept to the extreme. Everything is awash in pastels and beiges, giving the land a vibrant but decaying look. The trees on the world map look almost like purple cotton candy. Chezni, Midia, and other people are well drawn, lacking the traditional short/ big head style of most RPG characters. There are also four divisions within the world, and those four divisions are paired off into two distinct hemispheres (in the North and South). The North is lush and colorful, but the South turns out to be barren and bleak, using lots of dark brown and gray. This is a nice contrast. The enemies are also well drawn, although there are a few that are simply palette changes. The graphics are VERY different; some will love them and some will hate them. Personally, I loved them.
(8/10)

Sound
The music in Paladin's Quest fits the graphics: lush and loud with an undertone of decay and despair. The world map music is a rousing march with fifes and drums, but it has this regal (yet evil) tone and pace. The battle music is rousing and fits the sequences nicely. The sound effects are just wacky. When you hit an enemy with your bow, it sounds like someone is pounding a drum really hard three times. It doesn't fit at all, but you get used to it.
(7/10)

Control
This is where the game starts to get innovative. When you are in the world map and towns, the controls are like standard RPGs, with buttons for talking and confirming menu choices and a button for cancelling those choices. In battle, however, Paladin's Quest uses a strange concept. When your menus pop up, each choice you are given pops up in a window in a certain direction from the middle of the screen. By pressing the cross pad in the appropriate direction, you choose that command (like Fight, Magic, Run, etc.). Following me? Good, because this same rule applies when you are choosing which weapon to use to hit the enemy (be it the item you are carrying in your right hand, left hand, your boots, or you helmet!). This is cool because you can hit enemies with your shield if you want to (and there are some shields that were made with this purpose specifically in mind). This is a cool innovation in the RPG genre- I don't really know of any game that uses this system.
(8/10)

Gameplay
Paladin's Quest was a true rebel back in its day. Sure, it is built on the whole fight/ gain experience to gain levels philosophy, but the characters have NO MP and the Magic system is incredibly deep. Magic in the game is based on elements, such as Air, Fire, Mountain, and numerous others. These elements interact with each other to make more powerful spells. For example, the Fire Crest (once you buy it) allows you to cast a fire spell against a single enemy. However, once you gain another crest, you will be able to cast a fire spell against a group of enemies. In addition, each crest element gains in power as you repeatedly use the spells, meaning that magic in the game is as important as you care to make it (trust me, though, you WANT to spend a little time building your magic up). As I said before, there are also no MPs in this game- instead, the characters cast the spells with their HP. This adds an important element of strategy to the game- should you use that HP to cast a powerful spell, or should you attack because the cost of the spell will weaken you too much? This is a great feature of the game. Also, you and Midia can gain two other ''mercenary'' companions to help you out in your quest. These mercenaries can be acquired and replaced with others in the various towns and dungeons throughout the game. Some will just offer to join you; others will require money or a special item. This is a nice feature since all of the characters have very different abilities and you can customize your party, asking mercenaries to join and leave as needed.
(8/10)

Story
The story of Lennus is a tragic and gripping one, indeed. Chezni and Midia go through some nice development and the whole world really captures you in this tale of magic and betrayal and all the emotions in between.
(7/10)

Replay Value
Sure, you can beat the game with different helpers (and this game is truly challenging), but the replay value isn't muchabove any other RPG.
(6/10)

Average (7/10)...Paladin's Quest is nicely done, a cult classic that really fell through the cracks. Check it out if you are an RPG fan looking for something well-done and a little different. Have fun.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/21/00, Updated 02/21/00