GAMES .: REVIEW
GAMEBOY ADVANCE

January 2002
by Jae Lurman

GOLDEN SUN



One of the most anticipated games on the Gameboy Advance is finally here! At last the GBA receives it's first major RPG - and at last - Nintendo deliver it in the form of a completely new and enigmatic series. With long-lasters like Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior still in business, it's a breath of fresh air to see a new RPG franchise surface; and Golden Sun, developed by 2nd party developers Camelot (responsible for the hugely popular Mario Tennis and Mario Golf titles on the Nintendo 64 and Gameboy Color) can stake a claim in that territory.

Golden Sun is a hark back to the glorious days on SNES RPGs and is often reminiscent of greats like Chrono Trigger, Illusion Of Gaia and others of similar calibre. But with enough unique aspects and features to warrant it's stand-alone existence, GS carves it's own niche intothe classic 2D RPG style while still following alot of the traditional formulas.

The game opens by introducing you to a humble mountainside village known as Vale, where the game's central character Isaac is awoken from his sleep to find his village in peril of a thunderous storm. Amidst the deluge and chaos a huge mountain boulder threatens to smash down through Vale. As the events of that fateful night pass, young Isaac's destined path is laid out before him.



Isaac and the companions he gathers on his journey share a unique gift; the ability to manipulate an alchemic magic form known as Psynergy. Those who possess this secret talent are called Adepts. You must also seek and aquire Djinn elemental creatures that boost your stats and allow you to use new Psynergy attacks in battle or for the purpose of solving puzzles elsewhere. Combining certain elemental Djinn together in battle summons gods into the fray and is another aspect of refining your battle strategies. There is a great deal of customization that can be done to your party aswell as keeping them equiped with the latest (and often rarest) goods.



Once in awhile a game comes along that leaves you so taken back that you can't help but love it. Golden Sun is such a game. No, It may not be a revolutionary leap in Role Play Gaming, but it may change the way you look at handheld gaming. Everything in GS oozes quality. The visuals can only be described as breath-taking; from snow capped towns and Shaolin styled temples to barren deserts and sailing ships, every step of the way is presented by an incredible surrounding that draws you right into the colourful Golden Sun world.

The musical arrangements are spectacular and composed with beautiful realistic string and pipe instruments that convey the mood perfectly and will only be given justice through headphones, Golden Sun is both impressive and immersive. Sadly as the time rushes by your quest nears completion around the 30 hour mark; Not bad considering but not good either for a game you wish would never end. What's good news is that Golden Sun is left wide open for sequels and the definite possibility of transferring your finished game file to new adventures on the GBA and Gamecube!



It looks like Golden Sun's future shines brightly (excuse the pun) so unless you absolutely loathe Role Playing Games, you'd do well to pick up this inspired title as soon as possible. Possibly it's greatest strength is that the game has enough charm and action sequences to pull in casual gamers, while still maintaining all the depth and party development of a true RPG.

SOURCES : Artwork and animated images from Camelot's website. Screenshots from the Video Game Museum , AllRPG.com and Golden Sun Anonymous.

Genre - Traditional RPG

Developer - Camelot
Publisher - Nintendo
Release - November 2001
Also Known As - Ogon No Taiyo (Japan)

Players - 1 player mode /
2 player multi pack link-up battles.

Link Options - Battle

Save - Battery
(3 save positions)

TIP
Use headphones to fully experience the game.

EXTRA MEDIA

Japanese Box Art

Official Artwork -
1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5

Official Nintendo Press Release

INTERESTING FACT
Camelot is made up in part by members of the same team whole worked on Sega's legendary Shining Force strategy / RPG series.

LINKS
Official Site
Official Site (Japanese)
Golden Sun@Nintendo

Golden Sun HQ
GS Anonymous
Golden Sun Online
GS Source

Graphics - 9
Lushly detailed areas and glorious pseudo-3D battles. Some cartoon styled cut-scenes would have been icing on the cake.

Sound - 9.5
Outstanding musical score and crisp appropriate sounds thoroughly enhance the GS experience.

Gameplay - 9
Clever use of magic in and out of battles. Intuitive customization and great learning curve.

Lastability - 8.5
Slightly on the short side, but seeing and doing everything should keep most addicted for over 30 hours. There's a battle arena too.

Characters - 9
Defined personalities with rich dialogue. All the makings of some classic characters here.

Overall - 9/10
RPGing at it's finest. The start of something big for Nintendo.