Settle in, readers, since we have a rather weird — but ultimately fascinating — pair of RPGs Coming This Week for you. If one unexpected revival of a classic turn-based RPG isn’t enough for you, how about two? We have a 1992 SEGA Genesis RPG returning on most modern platforms, and an RPG released for Japanese feature phones in 2004 that has never seen an English release until now. I don’t know how many people were technically “waiting” 34 or 21 years, respectively, for these titles to see wide release on multiple platforms, but dang if it isn’t interesting and surprising to see ’em!
Do you have any obscure retro RPGs you hope to see show up like this one day?
Intro by Mike Salbato
Traysia – April 24th (PS4, PS5, Switch, XBX, Windows)
Originally developed by Telenet Japan and released in 1992 for the SEGA Genesis, Traysia is coming to modern platforms courtesy of Ratalaika Games. Traysia is a pretty standard turn-based RPG, with a grid-based battle system and a user interface that evokes classic Japanese PC RPGs. The story follows protagonist Roy and his journey to defeat a group of evil wizards, amassing a party of companions along the way (including the titular Traysia). Although the game wasn’t exactly beloved when it first released, it’s still cool to see such an old, forgotten RPG made available again for a very reasonable price. Additional features, such as speeding up battles, save states, and a cheat menu, may help smooth out some of the rough edges. Ratalaika has made a habit of translating and releasing some old classics (mostly shmups like Gleylancer and Final Zone, or the very rare and pricey Game Gear tank shooter Griffin), and it’s nice to see them branch out into RPGFan’s wheelhouse. Hopefully a sign of more things to come in the future!
by Ben Love
AVILION forever – April 23rd (Switch)
Speaking of unexpected rereleases of old titles, an even more obscure title is releasing on Nintendo Switch this week: AVILION forever. According to the game’s official site, AVILION was an online-enabled feature phone RPG that ran from 2004 to 2013. This modern re-release removes the online features and converts the game into a single-player RPG. Feature phone games were extremely popular in Japan before the advent of touch-screen smartphones, but largely unknown in the West, where phone technology moved more slowly and mobile internet access was far less common.
AVILION seems to take some cues from Dragon Quest III, featuring an Avatar Rental System where you can recruit mercenaries in different classes to fill out your party. In the original, online-enabled version, these Avatars were created by other players (similar to the pawn system from Dragon’s Dogma); for this offline version, the developers included over 300 preset avatar characters to choose from. Turn-based combat, a classic overworld, and many dungeons to delve await anyone curious enough to explore this lost relic of Japanese mobile gaming, translated into English for the first time. If you don’t have a Switch or want to experience the game closer to its original format, AVILION is already available on iOS and Android.
by Ben Love
Also Coming This Week
Until Then – March 23rd (XBX)
Award-winning visual novel Until Then completes its rounds this week, adding Xbox Series X|S to its list of available platforms that also include PC, PS5, Switch, and Switch 2. The game originally launched in summer 2024 and is the first commercial release by Philippines-based developer Polychroma Games. The game puts you in the shoes of high school student Mark Borja, who suddenly finds his everyday life interrupted by unexplained events. Between what some of the RPGFan team have told me and the Overwhelmingly Positive nature of the game’s 8K+ reviews on Steam, maybe it’s finally time I give this one a go myself!
by Mike Salbato
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