GBAtemp book game club is go for a new entry. The title(s) of the series probably say all that is needed about the idea behind it all but as ever the summary runs something like a game (or a couple) get selected for each entry and if you wish you can play it (or if you played it before recall one of those) and then you can discuss the game in whole or in part (be it a few lines or an entire review).
Our selections have a lot of criteria most of which we deliberately do not elaborate upon other than to say we have no wish to make yet another top ? games for a given console/genre/genre on a console list as those have been done to death. Doing this leaves us free to explore not only games that would find themselves on the top ? lists but also games that might have had a great idea (or a great musical score, mechanic, notable sections, a great story, be important for a company/the games industry or something else like that) but were otherwise prevented from achieving true greatness for whatever reason.On occasion we might add some other criteria into that (a few weeks back we were doing a run of games not published in North America) or we might instead find/pose a challenge (what people did before there were achievements/trophies) or do a compare and contrast (although this week is not being called as such if you wanted to compare titles you are very welcome to do so).
The selections could come from any console (indeed many games will have other versions or entries into their franchises on other consoles which we will usually try to note) but our main focus is the libraries of the GBA, DS and Wii. Although each of those is on the wind down (or long dead) in terms of commercial releases there are ever growing libraries of demos, unreleased games, rom hacks (translations, improvements and otherwise) in addition to the commercial releases so we do not imagine we will be forced to present shovelware for some time yet
#39- Shining soul series (GBA)
The shining series was arguably one of the big four RPG franchises back in the 16bit and older times (those others being Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and Phantasy Star) but the games most remembered are probably the strategy RPGs (the first of which was remade and expanded a bit on the GBA as Shining Force - Resurrection of the Dark Dragon and that was later remade for IOS). In recent years the series has seen several entries in Japan (the latest of which is due in about a month on the PSP) but nothing much made it outside it. Back in the days of the GBA however we saw Grasshopper Manufacture (Killer 7, Contact, No More Heroes) and Nex Entertainment (then known as nextech- Crusader of Centy/Soleil, Children of Mana, several other action RPG shining games on the PS2 and several ports from arcades and other consoles often ending up with the better versions) saw two action RPGs under the name shining soul (fittingly with out little run of European titles they appeared several months ahead of time in Europe) and whether as a side effect of the shining series not being as remembered as it was or because they failed to set the world alight these entries are not as remembered as they might be which we feel is a shame. Technically they are related but the Shining franchise continuity reads somewhat like the result of Street fighter and zelda timelines after a high speed collision and/or could make most superhero comic continuities say "beyond me mate" so we are not really going to delve into it. Although we do not place much stock in reviews around here on the recommends/game of the week desk we should note that the RPG part of this is quite light (the first had a distinctly gauntlet feel to it and with the second evoking a distinct snowblind/diablo feel) and it might be able to be accused of being a bit easy but if you wanted a roguelike you have several alternatives (Grasshopper manufacture's contact being a nice also somewhat forgotten alternative). Oh multiplayer via link cable also exists (indeed it might have been taken as a sign of the start of the slip from single player campaign to multiplayer in games) if you can set it up.
Gameplay video (several videos of boss battles, walkthroughs and "let's play" type things exist)
Shining Soul 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DQZQIEVo7k
Shining Soul 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQcx4krk5pA
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GBAtemp release thread (Shining Soul (U))
GBAtemp release thread (Shining Soul II (U))[/p]
"Give me a roguelike or go home" or some nice little action games in the shining series? Discuss it in the thread below.[/p]
gbagotw should get you other links in this series
