Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon for Game Boy Adv Reviews by Gamers

Few games have been able to captivate me the way the original Shining Force did the first time I played it actually as a port on the Sega Dreamcast. Given that, in addition to that, the experience really wasn't everything that it could've been.

However, all of the little things that somehow managed to go wrong in the original (mostly buttons and menus. You now simply press "A" to talk rather than open a menu and choose an option) which makes the overall gameplay better.

The core gameplay is, basically, 100% EXACTLY the same, right down to the maps and enemy positioning. Even the experience cap, or most you can get at one time, 48, remains intact. However, graphical updates give it a whole new feel. That said, though, fans of the original will still find the somewhat choppy movement highly nostalgic.

At it's base, the story is exactly the same, but has been touched upon to feature certain other things. Kain and Max (you, the main character) now have new very important roles and backgrounds, along with Darksol. There are new areas to explore, a few new enemies to fight, but most notable are the inclusion of epilogues to the chapters that include further story to the manipultion of the king of Runefaust and, as a result of that, his daughter running away and, with time, teaming up with two others and meeting you a few chapters into the game.

So that's all for old-school fans. For new fans looking for an interesting play, what is SF?

It's a strategy RPG. Your positioning of characters and the way they battle coupled with their equipment serves almost as a RTS (real time strategy for casuals) style game. It's very engrossing, even though at times the story may feel a little too simplistic.

Even if you're just looking for something to pass the time, I honestly cannot recommend this title enough. Chances are if you're looking at this, you're looking for a good RPG title. With a few exceptions (FFVI, Zelda, Phantasy Star) this is the best you will find on the system.