This game is the 2nd in the SaGa (Romancing SaGa/SaGa Frontier) series. Again, Square just stuck FF name on the game so it would sell… Just like the previous FF Legend. After the poor sales of the first FF Legend, it’s a miracle Square even took the time to release this game in America, so thank your lucky stars that you can even play it in English!
The gameplay for this game is the thing that makes this game stand out between FF Legends 1 and 3. The game improves on the first Legend in every aspect, and gameplay is definitely no exception. The dungeons, the towns, the abilities of the characters, everything is better. I’ll list a few features in this one that make it so great.
Nine worlds to explore…NINE! Actually ten, but that’s hard to explain unless you’ve played the game. In fact, you could even say eleven or twelve, but that’s pushing it. All of these worlds are intertwined in a world between the worlds (sort of like in the Chronicles of Narnia). However, to cross from world to world, you need a certain amount of MAGI to make it across. Which brings us to the next feature.
MAGI can be summed up as the most primitive form of the popular “Materia” of FF7. Each one has an elemental power, and you can collect multiple MAGI to equip on your characters. You can only put one type on per character, and each one can help in different battles. Speed MAGI boosts speed stats, as Mana MAGI boosts mana (magic) stats. You can also have elemental attributes. Equipping Fire MAGI gives you both Fire elemental defense along with Fire elemental attack, and no Water/Ice elemental weakness comes along with that. Cool, eh? There are also special Magi that give you certain abilities. Prism MAGI (which you get at the beginning of the game) tells you how much MAGI there are left to collect in each world. Pegasus MAGI (Which comes near the end) lets you warp automatically to any town you’ve visited. There are 77 MAGI to collect (well, the number changes when you learn more in the game), and you have to collect them all in the end. There is a lot more to be said about the gameplay of this game, but I can’t tell you all about it, so here comes the next part.
Graphics in this one don’t suck like they did in FFL1. With varying landscape tiles and better enemy designs, each new world gives you a different feel with the graphics. That’s really all I can say. They don’t suck, but they’re not COOL or anything. Actually…one dungeon in Apollo’s first world has a moving checkered floor that can really mess with your eyes and your mind. WOO HOO!
The story in this one is cool. It also has a sort of replay value if you can get yourself attached to the main character. Your dad runs away at the beginning of the game, leaving you with the Prism MAGI. One day, you tell your mom that you wanna go find your dad. You visit your teacher, and he lets you select three characters to follow you. When you leave the town, Mr. S (Your teacher) joins you, but not for long. This introduces the concept of the 5th guest character. You control his actions in battle, but cannot take his stuff that’s equipped on him (a shame because they always have really valuable stuff). From your teacher to a little girl to your dad to a runaway prisoner to even a Goddess, the guest characters make for some great story.
Another part of this story that’s so great is the constant twist of who’s good and who’s bad. It really is a deep and well thought-out plot. There’s again too much to be said yet saying it would spoil the game (and I’m not spoiling it because I hope this review makes you want to go get the game and play it). So that’s all I have to say on story. 89%, good stuff.
Lastly is music. It’s good music, much better than FFL1 (there I go comparing them again). There’s a jukebox in every Pub that lets you choose to hear any song from the game. The song “Aspiration” is great, and I always liked “Let it Begin”. The music is catchy, and I could hum out some melodies to you from the game because they stuck in my mind so well from when I last heard them… over 5 years ago.
Overall, this game rocks. It is hands-down the best traditional RPG for Game Boy, 2nd only to Final Fantasy Adventure, which is an action RPG anyway.
