Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya

"Still Shining on the Game Gear!"

In ages long forgotten...Light fought Darkness for control of the world...Shining Force was a milestone game that would shape strategic RPGs for years to come. One of its heirs is ''Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya'' for the SEGA Game Gear. This game is actually a sequel of another Shining Force game for Game Gear, which wasn't released in the U.S. (until Shining Force CD that is).

Unfortunately, for portable gamings sake exploration has been dramatically cut down. Now you get one battle after another with very little interruption. But don't worry, all the strategy is still there, 12 member teams, different classes, abilities, spells, weapons, items, etc. And there is a powerful story behind the battles as you try to regain the Sword of Hajya, and save the land of Cypress from the evil minions of Iom while you're at it!

The graphics are adequate for the game, unfortunately not the best I've seen on the Game Gear. Characters and enemies have little detail, and the colors are a bit bland compared to the more colorful Genesis games. The sound is a bit better, good tunes have always been a Shining Force staple. Controlling your characters is as simple as ever, if not more so, the absence of the map feature (allowing you to see the battlefield at a glance) is the only exception, but not a major factor.

Overall, despite some minor flaws, this is an excellent game worthy of your money. Definitely pick this up if you get the chance. For the RPG/strategy fan on the go this is the game to get, it'll make that long drive or plane trip a lot more fun. And for collectors this is an absolute must have!

Gameplay - 8/10
Graphics - 7/10
Sound/Music - 9/10
Control - 9/10
Replayability - 9/10

Overall - 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/03/00, Updated 08/03/00