Lufia & the Fortress of Doom

"Flawed"

Lufia I is definitely a good experience in gaming. However, in lots of ways, it is lacking from it's later brother, Lufia II. Lufia I takes place after the events in Lufia II. Therefore, if you want to get involved in the Lufia series, I would recommend you play Lufia II first. I know, it sounds weird, but if you do this, you will thank me. The ending of Lufia II is shown at the beginning of Lufia I. No one likes a spoiled ending. Review time? Yes, it's time for the review.

Graphics(5/10): The graphics in this title were a little bland for my tastes. I don't think the creators used all of their available resources. The graphics make the game look more like an NES game than an SNES one. I think it would have been much better if they employed more of the methods they used for Lufia II to make this game look better.

Sound(5/10): A few pretty cool tuneskies. I found myself breakdancing to the battle and victory music...okay, maybe not. The music certainly is not in any danger of robbing anyone of a grammy award. The sound and the graphics combined especially create a NES feel to the game. That really wouldn't be a bad thing...except the game is for Super Nintendo!!

Battle System(4/10): This really tried my patience. There were battles every few steps. Also, the battles themselves took forever to beat, and if you did not lock in on a specific target, you ''missed.'' The battle system is the biggest weakness that this game has. It's very frustrating and time consuming, especially since the enemies have a habit of casting way too many sleep and confuse spells.

Story(6/10): The ''Sinistrals'' are back...yawn. This game consists of a band of baddies called the Sinistrals that are trying to take over the world. It's a very overdone premise. And the Sinistrals are really dramatic acting and remind me of cartoonish super villains. However, the game starts to get pretty juicy towards the end, and there is a twist. But I'll let you play for yourself.

Characters(8/10): This title lacks some of the variety of characters that the other game has. However, the four characters in the game are very likeable, especially Lufia, who is my favorite character. Aguro is kind of a jerk, but in a good way. :D I also like the main character, who I named ''Nels.'' He has a good head on his shoulders.

Difficulty(4/10): Easy, straight forward game. A good game for those who are just starting out playing RPGs. There are no puzzles, and the bosses are pretty simple. The mazes aren't complicated either. A few times in the game you may need to rely on outside help, but other than that, this one is quite simple. It took me about 30 hours to beat this one. Not straight, of course.

Fun(6/10): This would be a lot more fun if there weren't so many battles, and the battles were a little better structured. I would also give the story a complete overhaul. I think I could fall asleep with the story that this game possesses. For so many of its strengths, the Lufia series has a surprisingly overdone story. However, the game was overall pretty fun, but I would not replay Lufia I.

In closing, Lufia I was a decent game. It lacks a lot of the things that are seen in most classic RPGs. It did not hold a candle to Lufia II, but for its time, the game isn't all that bad. I'd still recommend anyone who wants to get a start in RPGs to pick this one up.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/08/04