Tales of Phantasia

"Warning: Old School RPG Ahead; Purchase with caution"

Please note, this is NOT, I repeat, NOT a brand-new RPG for the GBA. In fact, this is not even the first time this particular game has seen a revamp, rerelease, or any simmilar tooling. The original Tales of Phantasia, released back in 1995 on the Japanese Super Famicom (aka the SNES), was, in some ways, ahead of its time, what with the combat, music, characters, plot, and overal game engine.

But what passed for cutting edge in 1995 (or 1998 for that matter; that year saw the PSX's release of the same game in Japan) is far from what we expect in the current era of gaming.

Don't misunderstand me; by all rights, this is a playable RPG, with an interesting combat engine, amusing plot, actually well-translated dialog, and well over fourty (maybe more) hours of play.

But, it is not for everyone.

For starters, let me explain the crippling feature of the game, that which dates it far more than anything else in its code: the combat. Again, ahead of its time in 1995, the Linear Battle System puts the player's party in a 2D field, with either end of the arena acting as a means of escape, should you activate the (somewhat slow) counter to run. There are two buttons for action, an attack button and "TP" button, which uses your skills, such as Demon Fang or Sword Rain. The direction you press (as well as how many times you press a given button) determines your attack. While in theory this sounds simple, what will drive newer, younger gamers who were not raised during the days of the SNES virtually insane is the fact that your character will run for a recovery after an attack in the air or a long rush. While this would make sense for the character needing to breath or focus after flying through the air, it can frustrate. Worse yet, I found myself somehow executing the wrong skill at a crutial moment, and nevermind the fact that pressing up and attack seems to generate a random attack of either a two-hit combo, or a rising "Dragon Punch" like attack.

Fortunately, once one becomes used to combat (and that irritating pause whenever someone or thing casts a spell), if you are willing, you will find a very interesting story. Time travel is present, and the usual cliches of meeting people in their youth are present, as well as a few new twists (most of my favorites I cannot say, for that would spoil a bit). The characters, for the most part, are typical in their roles (Cress is a brash young ladd, Mint is the sweet healer, et. cetera), but even so, you are sure to get a few laughs here and there.

Graphically, the game actually took a hit. Granted, the Japanese release of ToP was early in the life of the GBA, but compared to its SNES ancestor, it looks down right pathetic, deprived of a much richer colorscheme. On the upside, the artwork of the characters and sprites are very nicely animated and presented. Enemies are as well, though the usual practice of pallate swapping is here.

Controls I have stated in my combat paragraph rant, but one irritation should be noted: pressing B on an area map (not the overworld or combat) allows you to run, but you need split-second timing to turn and not go right past a key path. This would be negligable, if not for the irritating fact that running in a dungeon usually nets a faster run-in with enemies. This is made worse by the fact that you can usually go ten seconds of normal walking before smacking into another battle. Fortunately, should you actually play through without a guide, these battles actually keep you leveled where you need to be. Using a guide, though, will have a notable effect on your levels, unless you lurk around to power up.

Music is very nice, with many catchy tunes. I must say, though, the voices could have been dumped and I would not have known about them. Announcing attacks is one thing, but the insipid dialog in the opening (nevermind the text before the Start screen) is just grating, far worse than half of the voice cast of Mega Man 8 (ie - VERY BAD).

One should note that many, many things that appear in other Tales games do appear here, which is only fitting as the game is the first in the series. Syllverant, Tethe'alla, Mithos, Ygdrassill, and all the spirits appear or are referenced, and that's just the past. One look at the box art reveals another familiar item, and one cannot help but wonder at how much of Tales of Symphonia was a homage to this game.

In short, a very dated game, but one that old school fans (or fans of the Tales series) should find acceptable. There are far better GBA/DS RPGs on the market or soon-to-be-released that are better in overal quality (namely the Golden Sun games), but there is a bit of a nostalgic feel to the game that few other games can claim.

Score: 7 of 10

Best Features: Sprites, art work, music, nostalgic feel
Worst Features: Combat may turn some off, some cliches, puzzles that are up there with the NES Zelda's "Meat" puzzle
If You Liked: Star Ocean 3 (PS2), Golden Sun (GBA), Secret of Mana (SNES), Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Guilty Pleasure: That sigh of relief that this game is not nearly as horrid as Lunar Dragon Song...

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/20/06