Tales of Phantasia

"Stabby and Slashy Goodness!"

A few years ago, Golden Sun was heralded as one of the greatest RPGs on the Game Boy Advance. A year later, during Spring Break, I bought it, expecting a long and epic adventure.

I beat it in three days. All of it. Yeah, I didn't get the best equipment you can only get from enemies, but otherwise, I got everything. Pretty much every other RPG game I have played on the GBA has been the same.

And then I bought Tales of Phantasia, and I'm proud to say by this time getting Golden Sun, I was already done with it. In Tales of Phantasia, however, I'm still plugging along, finding more and more to do.

Graphics: 10/10
Yeah, it's a hand-held we're talking about, but the graphics are still very good. The characters are the chibi-style short and squat, but motions in battle and you'll never wonder when you're opponant is about to cast a magic spell.

Sound: 10/10
Never since getting "Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow" in October have I found a game that has the perfect sound for every situation. The world-map music sounds like you're on an adventure. The battle music sounds great. The cries of your team-mates as they get hit are intelligable. And best of all, just like in Tales of Symphonia, you can hear the chants as someone uses a spell, bringing back fond days of playing Symphonia for me.

Story: 10/10
Although the game brings up many Chrono Trigger-esque moments (Travelling back in time to a period in which countries were warring), the magic pendant, and the powerful and evil Magician that is seemingly invincible, ToP is plenty different.

For instance, villages were never destroyed in Chrono Trigger, and in ToP, villages get burnt to the ground left and right. Plus, you can learn techniques from books, rather than just level up for them. You might have to pay for them, but that's okay.

You will also meet some unique characters, such as a magician who actually has no magic, a young girl that is possessed by her dead best friend, and killer trees.

Chrono Trigger, although I love it like nothing else except for Strider Hiryu, never had any of those things.

Gameplay: 10/10
It took me a couple hours to figure out the fighting system, but now I have it all mapped out. You start out playing as Cress, who fights a lot like your basic swordsman. Normal attacks are used with the A button, while Special moves are triggered with the B button. You can switch your target with the R button and the Select button brings up the Command Screen.

At first, it seems like your team-mates are total morons that will charge into battle without any sense. But upon closer inspection, you can easily turn them into efficient members of the group. By using the R button, you can also order them to hold their ground (great when you want to fight an enemy and not worry about them getting in the way). Plus, the Command Screen lets you order them to use any of their spells, nice when a boss is charging up a lethal spell and you can't get to him in time. If you'd prefer just letting them fight as-is, you have basic commands too, about going all-out, conserving some strength, not using magic, or just blocking.

Replayability: ?/10
Don't know. Haven't beaten it yet. But from what I've heard about Tales of Symphonia, there should be plenty to do afterwards.

Overall:
It's worth it. The game might be long, but you'll get enough scenary changes that it easily is bearable. Fights are fast paced, and if you really need to, you can run away. The searches for attack tomes is fun, and it's even better when you can actually unleash those attacks and enjoy watching your opponents lose countless health in a single strike.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/13/06