Oh dear god that's a terrible title. :P
Anyway I started playing Faria the other day, I'd like to play through my NES RPG library in full and well how can I not like a Game Arts title? Lunar Dragon Song aside anyway.
Round 1:About the game:Faria is an action RPG, and not a kinda-sorta-straddling-the-fence Zelda clone either; There's XP to be had, and a ton of monsters are gonna bleed so I can accumulate it. World map battles are random and trigger an environmentally appropriate arena to fight in: think Chronicles of Radia War (if you've played it). These battle tends to be hard because you have to line up perfectly along either the x or y axis to hit enemies. Dungeon's are populated with set monsters, I find the close-quarters easier for monster bashing as you're generally already facing an enemy when you enter. There's just a lot less dancing around to orient yourself.
The initial story of the game is that you're a traveller who has sailed to the Kingdom of Faria, upon your arrival word is buzzing about town that the princess has been kidnapped by a wizard. What's an inexperienced vagabond to do but invest the whole of his life savings in weaponry and armour and set off on an impromptu rescue mission?
Initial Impressions:A lot of love went into the character art. As par for any NES RPG the main hero is a generic faceless avatar for the player behind the controller, but the NPCs are distinctive. Sure every soldier in Faria looks identical, but they look unique to this particular game; It's world building. I like it. If anything Faria seems influenced by 80s era studio Ghibli, it gives the seemingly medieval world a whimsical scfi-fi flair. My next realization is that this game is tediously hard, I foresee a Dragon Quest level of grinding in my future.
Progress:Upon talking to the locals I learn that the Kingdom's princess has been kidnapped by an evil wizard (zero points for plot originality) and that I should travel north to speak to the king. I decide that nudity is perhaps a dangerous lifestyle in the wilderness and spend all my money on a dirk (second worst weapon) and some pelt armour (second worst armour). I neglect to buy a bow or healing potions at this time. I aimlessly wander around outside looting aliens (seriously these monsters are trippy looking, it's refreshing to battle creatures that aren't derivative of slimes, kobolds, or orcs) and racking up the XP (slowly). I let my prowess with the dirk get to my head and dive into the forest where I'm promptly eaten by some sort of gigantic blob. Dying apparently costs you half your gold on hand and doesn't affect your XP. Good to know.
I purchase some (healing) balms and strike out for the castle. King welcomes and implores me to rescue his daughter. He shows me a photograph and she's apparently some sort of insect in a cocoon. Did I mention that I get to marry the princess bug if I rescue her? Yuck. He also gave me some money (yay!), which I promptly lost when I stepped outside and died (boo!). I can only assume no one else in Faria is brave (dumb) enough to volunteer for the job if the king is handing out bags of money to just anybody who shows up for the job. Maybe I should be concerned about this wizard after all? Nah....
Now that I've spoken to the king I can cross the bridge north of town and enter a new town: here I learn there's an invisible tower to the east I can't enter, a tower to the west populated with deadly monsters, and a cave to to north with a monster that can only be vanquished by a sword I don't own. I stock up on supplies, and new equipment and head out for the western cave. The dungeons in Faria are vaguely Zelda-like. There's more corridors of course, but there was a block I had to shove over to open the front door. Some of the floors are made of ice and you slip-slide around while fighting, other floors are like conveyor belts that slowly shove you across the room, and some rooms spontaneously burst into flames (died once!). I end up exploring the tower twice between deaths and can't discover a reason for being there: although I did find a sweet pearl I can sell for some decent cash.
I head back towards town. I read the manual. I also stop to explore a conspicuous patch of foliage near the town: Holy crap! The princess bug is taking a nap in these woods? Eureka: quest over! Suddenly a mysterious voice laughs at my folly. So apparently that's not the princess, damn insects all look alike.
Back in town I buy a hyperspeed1. The first time I saw it for sale I assumed it was some sort of use once potion, but it's more like a pair of speed shoes. According to the manual I move faster in dungeons and world map battles. Sweet! I also need to save up some money to buy a light so I can explore that cave to the north (I assume).