by Justin on 10th of January, 2001
Story
Three girls (Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu) are mysteriously transported to an alternate world called Cefiro, where one's thought is the strongest force. The girls are befriended by Master Magician Clef, who tells them they must save Cefiro and it's cornerstone, Princess Emeraude, who keeps the world together with her power of thought. They must also stop Zagato, the powerful man who has imprisoned Emeraude in his hidden castle. In order for them to do this, they must revive the Mashin, three legendary beings who will aid the three girls in defeating Zagato, and become the legendary Magic Knights. The girls will meet many people during their quest, some good, many more
bad. And if they are to defeat Zagato and his powerful minions, they must enhance themselves to become more powerful than any evil force that threatens them.
The storyline is very much like the story in the original Japanese Anime series of the same name. There are a few differences here and there (such as certain characters dying in the game that lived throughout the series) and some new and original scenes. But there are enough references to the series to please all fans.
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Gameplay
RPG's. Normally I can't stand them. But there are a few exceptions. And this is one of the them. Remember the first LEGEND OF ZELDA game of the NES system? Well, this is exactly like that. The overhead view, how items are stored and used, and just about everything else is just the same. You can control any one of the three girls at any time (with the other two following behind); giving you three very different characters to use throughout the game. But there are certain events where only one of the girls has the ability to get by (such as Fuu in Heaven's Labyrinth). Attacking monsters is very much a "free-battle" type of fighting. You walk up to any monster and slash away. This is (in my opinion) much better than the battle systems you see in other RPG's such as FINAL FANTASY (which I hate...:P)
Throughout the game, the girls' powers will be enhanced when one of the has either, shall we say, learned a great lesson, or helped someone in need. This emphasizes on the "power of the heart" effect that is very evident in the game and the series as well. There are many bonuses in the game; such as some gag items in the Rainbow Junction Shop like Mokona shoes that call out the now infamous "Puu" sound that is heard with every step you take. The inclusion of "Game Diaries" for each of the girls (with voice overs; only in the U.S. version, by the way) is a nice touch. Each one even has it's own art style picture for each event and it's own handwriting style.
Eye Candy
The games graphics are just beautiful. Considering this game was originally made in Japan in 1995, this games look was way ahead of it's time. The colors are vibrant, and every little detail is put into play. The boss monsters are huge and very detailed (although quite easy to
beat).
There are quite a few fully animated cut scenes during the game (some direct from the series, some made just for the game), and even though their resolution was cut down to lessen loading time, they still look great. The original series intro is even shown at the beginning of the
game.
Music
Definitely some of the best music I've heard in a videogame B.D.C. (before DreamCast). Each track is very memorable and catchy. My personal favorite piece is called "HOT PURSUIT" (which, for some satanic reason, was not put on the game's Original Soundtrack CD). Quite a few tracks are direct from the series as well, another reason why fans will like this game.
A fully dubbed version of the original opening theme of MKR (translated as "The Unyielding Wish") is played during the intro. This is (once again, in my honest opinion) much better than the dubbed song that Anime Works/Media Blasters produced for the dubbed series release.
Fun Stuff
Aside from the gag gifts you can buy at the Shop, their are a few other fun things to do with the game.
Throughout the game, you will no doubt find a few Rainbow Orbs, each one a different color. These are needed to buy things at the Shop. If you have so many, you'll be able to acquire certain things.
BUT, if you collect ALL of them (good luck, there's about 80 of them; some very well hidden) you will be given access on the options screen to an "OUT-TAKES" section. Here you can listen to many out-takes of the voice actors of just about every character. These are all hilarious! And Umi's voice actor has a ton of them!
Also, a sound booth called "MOKONA's HOME" will be accessible after you have completed the game. Here you can listen to all the music tracks played throughout the game.
One last bonus to make note of is that if you hold the B + X + Z buttons and the L and R shoulder buttons on Controller 1 while the game is loading, a different version of the opening theme song will be played. It's the same lyrics and singer, it's just that the singer performs it a little differently. Also, all the sound effects played over the original from the animation played with it are not heard. I actually like this one more than the original dubbed song.
Difficulty
This game is waaaaaaaay too easy. Although I was stuck for a while on certain scenes my first time through, it didn't take long to get through.
Final Thoughts
I'd give this game a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Everything is great about the game, but the game is just too easy. A few puzzles and mazes will have you a little stuck at first, but you'll have it after a while. The only difficult thing about the game is finding all of the Rainbow Orbs. Many are very well hidden and you may just stumble on the one by accident sometimes. I eventually did find them all, but it did take quite a while.
Seeing how I played the game before I saw even a glimpse of the actual series, I was surprised by a the game's twist ending. But then again, that could have ruined my viewing of the series' ending. Anyway...
If you are a fan of the series, get a Sega Saturn (if you don't have one already) and get this game. If you like classic RPG style games, get this game. Or if you just want to have a fun time while playing a game, get this game. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Because as one of the last games released in America for the Sega Saturn, it was definitely one of the best.
GAMEPLAY: 4.5
MUSIC: 5
GRAPHICS: 5 (considering time made)
REPLAY VALUE: 4.5
FUN FACTOR: 5
DIFFICULTY: EASY
Note that in this release, the following names have been changed from the original series:
- Zagato = Zagat (Zay-got)
- Emeraude = Emerald
- Mashin = Machine
