Breath of Fire

"A Whipping Combination of Blueprints On How Traditional RPGs Came To Be"

Shaken by the lack of excitement or engrossment upon PS1’s Breath of Fire III, I shook my head in disgrace, feeling betrayed by a series in which I held in such appreciation. A full fledged Fantasy reader by that time, the lackluster and insipid dialogue dragged me far, far away from Capcom’s RPG. But its not to say I was never a fan. I was. And, if extrapolations are accurate, BoF V will come out bursting in noble bearing and reestablish my fanhood. I am though, very fond of the first two BoF games. Both games, early drafts of the future fabrication of traditional RPGs, had an excuse to have unsavory dialogue of today’s gut-wrenching standards. Anyway, back in the day, BoF was an underrated landmark of RPG greatness. Vaguely recalling how I lost my copy for the SNES (I think it revolved around a starving kid and one of his favorite RPGs), I felt compelled to revisit the game on the GBA. Borrowing it from a friend, then stuffing my flabby butt on a warm, cozy couch, reasons why I was so intrigued with BoF slowly seeded and came into palpable emergence.

Square originally published the game, hence the word PUBLISH. They did not get their hands in the grim and take part in the actual production. Capcom did. In their effort, they shaped something entirely new and unsuspectingly praiseworthy. Unlike most plot-driven RPGs, an RPG to have a story woven around dragons is enormously sporadic. Personally embracing a scenario set in the combat of dragons, I found myself coaxed and immersed into a nifty plot.

The tale picks up when Ryu, a dragon disguised as a blue-hair human, sets out to envelop vengeance on the wicked Dark Dragon Clan. Leaving Ryu’s home village in ashes, the Dark Dragon Clan then focuses their sights on freeing Tyr, the female apocalypse. Ryu, ordained by his higher ranks, must prevent this with his personal score to settle. On his lengthy journey, he enlists the aid of a few comrades, and ultimately helps them resolve their sticky origins. What struck me most about BoF was the balls Capcom had. They presented some of the most oddball characters ever made. Characters like Gobi (a Fish-man), Bo (a Wolf-man), and the Mogu (a Mole-man) wouldn’t have been so well received in today’s grueling critiques. Nevertheless, the likable cast is quite a departure to be had.

Gameplay-wise, the traditional RPG menu of Fight, Magic, Item, and Defend are faithfully intact. BoF is your customary fantasy quest with all the stereotypical dungeons and environments to delve into. What truly set BoF apart form Traditional RPG counterparts though, is Ryu’s ability to morph into a number of mighty dragons. Each dragon had its magical property, cladding the game in sorts of strategic value. All throughout the vast lands, Dragon Shines were found. When Ryu entered one, he and he alone proceeded in a backbreaking duel with another dragon to gain its type. Gratifying the challenge appetite, those shrine battles were particularly unforgiving, but with time and re-evaluating the line of attacks, success reeled in.

Outside the shelter of friendly towns, the game is played in a 2D overview and the party usually went to explore dungeons and what not. Each character had a special skill not directly found in combat but in discovering pathways, those are Ox who demolishes walls and Mogu who dug passageways underground. Together with all the trappings of an old-school RPG, BoF has some addictive minigames.
Bo is a professional when it came to his use of bow and arrow, and he snapped the bowstring when animals were found moving on screen. The hides of animals are traded in towns for several items. But of all the minigames, Ryu’s ability to fish was awkwardly addicting. Nicely executed, BoF on the GBA identically matches the SNES experience.

On its presentation, the graphics on the GBA are nearly indistinguishable as the original. The only exceptions are the upgraded view of vibrancy. Not flamed with glamour like Golden Sun, BoF is as simple as colorful pixel art. Hey, with its fluid sprite animation and additions of new face portraits, I have no latent quibble. The tunes are swell, stuffed in the right moments and keeps a hale and hearty overall feel. Besides, the discharging world music is godsend, briefly hypnotizing me back into what I haven’t played in ages.

For the most part, BoF employed and triggered old SNES nostalgia. Grateful of the GBA port, I propose RPG fans to take a look. If and only if your expectations are sky-high in a game’s design, and if you do have a copy of Breath of Fire with a healthy SNES, I wouldn’t go as far as to purchase it, because the enhancements are minimal. Replete with all the trimmings of a lustrous old-school combination of sorts, BoF is a whipping combination of blueprints on how Traditional RPGs came to be. Even in a new era of gaming and the lack of fancy-schmancy graphics, I hope never to return this enjoyable cartridge to my pal, because friends are for the taking and this little gem is already lodged along the likes of Golden Sun and portable Zelda greats.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/31/02, Updated 03/31/02