Tales of Phantasia Headed to Europe
Namco's classic SNES RPG finally heads to the old country, ten years after the fact. Hooray?
The Game Boy Advance's somewhat unfair reputation as a home for ports of Super Nintendo games sometimes works in gamers' favour - especially those in Europe. Witness the announcement of Tales of Phantasia, Namco's Japanese-style RPG that cruelly bypassed Europe at its debut more than a decade ago.
One of the biggest negatives you can pin on the 10-year-old is that it is, well, ten years old. As such, the story (two youths head out on an adventure rooted in vengeance and saving the world) is overplayed by now.
That said, you will find here an RPG that sticks firmly to the central tenets of the Japanese RPG, which means lots and lots of battles. The system in play here involves a quasi-action scheme, where you set out the rest of your party before battles and then launch into a solo onslaught once the encounter begins.
As a bonus, you'll even be able to test out your cooking skills, gathering materials during your journey to concoct life-saving and tasty dishes.
Tales of Phantasia will be out for Game Boy Advance on 31 March.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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