Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon

"This is a good game. And that's it..."

Namco's ''Tales of'' series is very appreciated in Japan. The three games on the series (Tales of
Phantasia, Tales of Destiny and Tales of Eternia) are very well rated by RPG fans, and surely
are the perfect example of the high quality of the games developed by Namco. But, unfortunately,
we can not state here that Tales of Phantasia Narikiri Dungeon follow on the same way. It is a
very good title, and that's it. There is nothing exciting or addictive here. Instead, you will
find a good classic RPG, with the advantage to carry it around everywhere. And you have to
agree that this is not enough to live up the expectations, since this is the main pro of
any Game Boy Color title.

Let's start this review by the graphics. Namco is a company that is well known to push the
video games to their graphic limit, but this is not true with this title. The graphics of
Tales of Phantasia Narikiri Dungeon are, in one word, oversimplified. There is not a reason
why Namco should do it this way. When you compare the small characters and painfully coloured
backgrounds with the colorful graphics of Grandia Parallel Trippers or the well designed
backgrounds of Star Ocean Blue Sphere, you will not believe you are playing a game developed
by Namco. The graphics are too simple to excite anybody and the general animation is precarious,
too.

On the other hand, the sound is very good. The melodies are very well done, considering Game
Boy Color's limitations, and the sound effects are nice, too. The musics are very diverse, and
in one moment you will hear a nice classic song, and in the other a caliente beat from a
seaside city.

If you ever played any of the other games in the series, you will be happy to know that the
basic gameplay is still the same. The battlefield is still in 2D and this is what makes this
game so special. In Star Ocean Blue Sphere, the pseudo 3D battlefield changed into a 2D
nonfunctional battlefield, and this prejudiced the game. In Tales of Phantasia, we had a 2D
functional battlefield that remained as a 2D functional battlefield in Tales of Phantasia
Narikiri Dungeon. Probably, the only problem you will find is that the game is entirely in
Japanese.

Overall, Tales of Phantasia Narikiri Dungeon is a fascinating, yet simplistic title. It does
not features anything new, but just the fact that this is a portable game from Tales of
Phantasia series makes the game worthwhile. You may dislike the graphics, but if you can
pass through the Japanese language barrier, it will find a fun and enjoyable game.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/02, Updated 03/14/02