New Games Tagged 'rpg, NES, core' on The Great Games Experiment New Games on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg New Games Tagged 'rpg, NES, core' on The Great Games Experiment en-us AD&D: Pool of Radiance The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting, in and around the Moonsea region and the City of Phlan, which has been overrun by forces of evil. The city had originally held off many attacks, but the forces were marshalled by a bronze dragon which was believed to be possessed by a powerful spirit named Tyranthraxus. The object of the game is to have the party clear the old city of its marauding inhabitants, so the people of Phlan can rebuild and repopulate the areas.

The party begins in the civilized section of "New Phlan" that is governed by a council. This portion of the city is a place for the party to buy equipment at the shops, rest up in the inns, listen to rumors in the pub, and contract with the clerk of the city council for various commissions. The party can also go to the hiring hall and hire an experienced adventurer to accompany the party.

Beyond this region the party enters the area of the slums, which have been overrun with low-level monsters such as goblins and orcs that the party must clear out (gaining experience in the process). Further into the slums, the going gets tougher, with ogres and trolls for opponents.

The next commission is to clear out Sokol Keep, a fortified area located on an island. This is filled with undead, among other opponents. Inside the keep is a specter who suffers under a curse. When you remove this curse, the keep is cleared and the shipping lanes to the city are finally opened.

There are a variety of other locations that are encountered as the party ventures further into the city, including Kuto's Well, catacombs filled with a bandit horde, a thieves' guild, Podol Plaza, and a buccaneer bar called the Pit. With the party making impressive progress, they are next contracted to go to the old Textile House, to recover the treasure of a council member. Pressing onward, the party can enter Mendor's Library, a temple of Bane in the wealthy section, Kovel Mansion, and the deadly Valhingen Graveyard.
Encounter with Tyranthraxus, before the final battle.
Encounter with Tyranthraxus, before the final battle.

Eventually the party ventures outside the city by boat, where they encounter a silver dragon. Various side treks and adventures occur, including visiting an encampment of the Zhentarim, as the party continues to build up experience and aid the city by defeating the plans of the mysterious "Boss".

Now the more difficult endgame begins. The party reveals a traitor in the city council, and is commissioned to hunt him down. At some point the party will have to assault Stojanow Gate, a difficult task against bugbears and ettins. The party then enters Valjevo Castle and its inner sanctum, descends a stairwell to encounter some guards of the impostor Tyranthaxus (who assumes the form of a bronze dragon). After defeating his guards, the party refuses his offer to join his side and engages the dragon boss in a deadly battle, emerging victorious.
]]> 28 Jun 2007 10:56:44 Final Fantasy Hironobu Sakaguchi's Final Fantasy... the first of one of the longest role-playing game series known to mankind. Final Fantasy is the game for the NES console that started it all.

The world is veiled in darkness. Winds don't blow, the seas are stormy, and the earth rots. All people can hope for is that the ancient prophecy will be finally fulfilled. "When the world is veiled in darkness, four warriors will come..." And indeed, they come - the four characters you have previously chosen. Their first quest is to free a princess from the evil Garland.

Final Fantasy uses a turn-based combat system. The enemies wait until all of your party members have performed their moves, and the ATB (active-time battle) system is not used. You can buy weapons and rest in the towns, and the world map is populated by monsters, with which you will be engaged in random fights.

Before the game starts, you choose four characters from six different classes: Fighter, Thief, Blue Belt, White Mage, Red Mage, and Black Mage. Which four classes you choose for your character is entirely up to you. You also give the characters names. And then the classic quest for the orbs begins....
]]> 22 Jun 2007 03:45:49 Faxanadu A fairly difficult side scrolling action RPG. You play the role of a nameless wanderer who is destined to save the elves from the Evil One. The Evil One has transformed their former allies, the dwarves, into monsters. The player must ascend the World Tree and destroy the Evil One in his fortress.
]]> 21 Jun 2007 10:35:54 The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight Developed by Interplay Productions and distributed by Electronic Arts, The Bard's Tale series is considered by many to be one of the pillar classics of computer fantasy role playing games.

The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight allows players to create characters, form parties and adventure throughout the lands. Combat is turn based and players can choose the actions of every member of the party.

From the box text:

"Do you believe in legends? Legend states that, 'Unimaginable power is bestowed upon the one who reforges the Destiny Wand...' Regardless of whether or not you hold faith in the stuff of legend, you must defeat Lagoth Zanta, regain the seven fragments, and reforge the Destiny Wand â€â€
]]> 10 May 2007 02:27:38 The Bard's Tale Developed by Interplay Productions and distributed by Electronic Arts, The Bard's Tale is considered by many to be one of the pillar classics of computer fantasy role playing games.

The Bard's Tale allows players to create characters, form parties and adventure through Skara Brae. Combat is turn based and players can choos ethe actions of every member of the party.

From the box text:

"Long ago, when magic still prevailed, the evil wizard Mangar the Dark threatened a small but harmonious country town called Skara Brae. Evil creatures oozed into Skara Brae and joined his shadow domain. Mangar froze the surrounding lands with a spell of Eternal Winter, totally isolating Skara Brae from any possible help. Then, one night the town militiamen all disappeared. The future of Skara Brae hung in the balance. And who was left to resist? Only a handful of unproven young Warriors, junior Magic Users, a couple of Bards barely old enough to drink, and some out of work Rogues. You are there. You are the leader of this ragtag group of freedom fighters. Luckily you have a Bard with you to sing your glories, if you survive. For this is the stuff of legends. And so the story begins..."
]]> 10 May 2007 02:08:39 Magic of Scheherazade A little known classic of the NES era, Magic of Scheherazade was created in a style very similar to the original Legend of Zelda. Th plot was enjoyable, and involved a bit of time travel. The main difference to the Zelda titles was the implementation of a password system rather than a battery save system.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 05:42:11 Terranigma Terranigma is a 1995 action role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Quintet and published by Enix. It is the story of the resurrection of the world (as we know it), and its progress from prehistoric times to the near future.

Terranigma keeps a constant top-down view of the world. Instead of turn based battles, which were common in most RPGs at this time, Terranigma utilizes a combat system that allows the player to perform different attacks based on whether or not the player is running, in a jump, tapping the attack button, or a combination of the three.

(source en.Wikipedia)
]]> 08 Feb 2007 03:07:38 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Link, after setting sail for new experiences and adventures, finds himself caught in a squall at sea. Helpless in spite of his valiant efforts to last through the storm, he is overwhelmed by vicious waves and lightning...

Some time later, a gentle girl named Marin discovers him washed up on Toronbo Shores.. the beach of Koholint Island. She finds a way to get him home and takes care of him until he finally awakens. Marin and her father, Tarin, explain to him where he is, and after he sets out to reclaim his sword, he encounters a mysterious owl... The owl cryptically warns Link about the perils this island faces should the Wind Fish be disturbed from his slumber, and thus Link decides he must do something to save them.

This owl guides him throughout the rest of his journey, slowly helping him uncover just what exactly is going on. Link learns that, unfortunately, in order to save the islanders he had grown to love, and to set himself free, he must also end a dream, a romance that he might not want to... To save all those people he had come to know and cherish from the Wind Fish's Nightmares, he would also have to end the illusion that caused them to exist in the first place.

It's a heart wrenching choice to confront, one that Link no doubt regrets with every deep ache of his very soul.. but the only alternative was to let the Nightmare take over and destroy everything.. This was the only fate he could offer them...

A tragic, touching tale that is told in the simplest way, Link's Awakening is a dream that I'll always hold dear to my heart...
]]> 08 Feb 2007 11:34:05 Crystalis Taken from GameFaqs.com, thanks to Masvega

It has been said that an ending is merely a beginning in disguise. And so it was that when the Great War engulfed the world, bringing civilization as we
know it to an end, it ushered in the dawn of a new era. An era in which science and technology were shunned - for they had proven to be mankind's
downfall - and the ancient arts of sorcery and magic were revived.

As the survivors slowly rebuilt their world, towns and villages began to spring up, and the wisest and most capable of the magicians used their power
to keep order. Peace reigned over the land for a hundred years... Until a powerful magician named Draygon, intrigued by the forbidden ways of science, began to study the principles of machines and flying. Realizing the power he might wield if he combined his magic with technology, his mind became twisted by the urge to control and dominate his fellow men.

Draygon created a computer capable of simulating his magic powers. He placed it in a floating, fortified tower; and from this airborne fortress, he built and controlled his growing empire, until the entire planet was threatened by his ever-spreading evil.

In an attempt to combat Draygon, the other magicians constructed a series of powerful swords, along with powerful items to use with these swords. Based on the basic elements of the land - wind, fire, water, and thunder - the four swords, if used together at full power, would transform into the next elemental stage - that of crystal. This would be the mightiest weapon ever created: the sword Crystalis.

Learning of their idea, Draygon seized the weapons; but they had made them too well, and he was unable to destroy them. Knowing they could only defeat him if used together, Draygon scattered the weapons throughout the land, and stripped the wise magicians of most of their powers.

In desperation, they began to study the writings from the time of the Great War, where they learned of a great magician, the most powerful who had ever lived. He had been imprisoned in a cave and frozen by the evil forces of the Great War, who had hoped to use his powers to control the world after the war. Searching the globe, the wise men found the cave, and were amazed to find that the mighty magician frozen within was a mere lad.

Though they knew it might destroy them, they pooled all of their remaining powers in an attempt to will him back to life. When the boy awoke - his mind a blank, even his name forgotten - they had vanished, leaving him to find his destiny in this strange new world.

In Crystalis, you play the role of the young magician, making your way through Draygon's hostile land in an attempt to locate the weapons you will
need to defeat him. Draygon's monsters and black magic will threaten you at every turn; but you must not falter - only you can deliver the world from his
scourge of evil!
]]> 01 Feb 2007 04:38:32 Final Fantasy III Final Fantasy III is the third game in the popular Final Fantasy Series. As with the rest of the games, this is an RPG. Four light warriors go and save the world from evil, similar to the story of the original Final Fantasy game. It has a job system where you can give a character a job, and then they gain the unique advantages and disadvantages of that job. It was recently released on the Nintendo DS as an enahnced remake, including new jobs, expading the storyline, 3d graphics, and being released outside of Japan for the very first time.
]]> 29 Jan 2007 09:19:47 Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny Ultima V continues the story of the Avatar begun in Ultima IV. The game begins with Lord British captured on a mission of exploration in a newly discovered Underworld. The Avatar (player) is called back through a portal to Britannia, where tyrant Lord Blackthorn rules with an iron fist and is backed by 3 mysterious "shadow lords".

With a deep plot and rich interactive world, Ultima V substantially raised the bar for RPGs of the day.
]]> 06 Jan 2007 10:26:41 Chrono Trigger The 32-meg Chrono Trigger utilizes time travel, science-fiction, and fantasy adventure to create one of the best role-playing games ever. The game's hero, Crono, is transported into the past and ends up altering the course of history, and with it the future as well.

The integral time travel element of the game enables players to alter the game by changing the past, give players multiple endings and excellent repeat game play value. There are mini-quests, a huge cast of characters, realistic time travel, non-linear game play, and more active and interactive battle scenes than Squaresoft's 1994, highly acclaimed, role-playing game Final Fantasy III.
]]> 06 Dec 2006 11:26:30 The Legend of Zelda Ganon, the King of Evil, breaks free from the Dark World and captures Hyrule's beloved Princess Zelda. Before she is caught, Zelda manages to shatter the Triforce of Wisdom and scatter its eight pieces throughout Hyrule. Link swears to recover the Triforce pieces and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon's clutches.

With Zelda, Miyamoto wanted to take the idea of a game "world" even further. In his own words, the intent of the original Zelda game (and every Zelda title since) was to give players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer." His inspiration came from the fields, woods, and caves outside Kyoto that he had explored as a boy, and he has always tried to impart this sense of exploration and limitless wonder to players through his Zelda titles.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 08:08:47