Golden Sun

by Nintendo

Product Features

• Four magic styles
• 1-2 Players; two-player action via link cable
• dozens of characters
• battery saves
• awesome graphics

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005OARM
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 12, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (479 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,329 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Golden Sun is the first original role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance to appear in the U.S. And despite perhaps a too-familiar story line, Golden Sun's jaw-dropping graphics, deep magic system, and unique multiplayer arena mode truly show that the Game Boy Advance is capable of a serious RPG.

Game developer Camelot (which also made the legendary Shining Force series for the Sega Genesis, and, more recently, Mario Golf and Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64) designed Golden Sun from the ground up to take advantage of the GBA's horsepower, and it shows. Sharp, vivid landscapes, detailed towns and dungeons, and awesome weather effects--it looks like a Super Nintendo game with some extra zing squeezed onto a handheld system. Fans of Secret of Mana or Chrono Trigger will appreciate the feel of this game.

But the game's greatest strength is its magic system. Your characters each have their own latent psychic abilities based on one of the four elements of alchemy (earth, water, wind, and fire). The characters will be called upon to use their individual forms of telepathy and telekinesis to solve various puzzles in the game. Also, you can collect Djinn (elemental spirits) and link them to your characters. Not only can these Djinn be summoned in battle, they can also bolster or hinder your characters' latent psychic abilities, give them special attacks, and even change your characters' class. This system is similar to Final Fantasy VIII's guardian system, though far more intuitive and easy to master.

Golden Sun employs a basic turn-based battle system, but it has amazing spell and fighting techniques that really take advantage of the GBA's technology. The game achieves a nice balance between flashy attacks and the brevity of these same attacks--a lesson the makers of other RPGs should learn. Battles are beautifully and quickly fought, and don't overtax the gamer.

The game also has an addictive arena mode in which players can fight monsters they've already encountered in the game. Players can also link up with another GBA (this feature requires another Golden Sun cartridge) and fight against another party. While it's not true a multiplayer option, it adds a great replay value to the game.

Golden Sun's weakest point, however, is its standard-issue story. In essence: boy wakes up amidst disaster, meets stalwart friends, and rises to the challenge to save the day (all while living up to the image of his dear departed father). The story is a little stale, but the mechanics of the game transcend this flaw and bring the gamer into a state of handheld nirvana. --Bryan Karsh

Pros:

• Vivid graphics
• Deep, intuitive magic system
• Addictive multiplayer arena mode

Cons:

• A plot straight out of "RPG Story Lines 101"

Product Description

RPG from the makers of Shining Force, featuring an adventure filled with tried-and-true overhead-wandering, random-battle gameplay that looks absolutely sweet on the Game Boy Advance small fact, this game arguably rivals most of the classic RPGs that have ended up on the console systems, like Dragon Warrior or the aforementioned Final Fantasy series, for example. You play Isaac, a young swordsman and resident of the town of Vale, and at the beginning of the adventure a storm is brewing outside that forces Isaac to flee to safety. But every virtual adventurer knows that it's never as simple as that, and eventually you're thrust into the role of the world's savior, befriending other skilled adventurers that will join your crusade...there's strength in numbers, as the phrase goes.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

137 of 156 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best GBA game so far..., November 3, 2001

By 

Jukka A. Lng - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Golden Sun (Video Game)

Having played the japanese version, I have to say that I'm quite impressed. As others have already written, the graphics and music are excellent - a true demonstration of the capabilities of GBA.
The plot is perhaps a bit predictable, but other than that, I cannot find any complaints about it. Truly the best GBA RPG so far. [...and one of the first ones, but that's beside the point.]

However, one thing worth mentioning is that some parts of this game are quite dark and violent. Unless the english version is *heavily* censored, I feel that the ESRB rating for this game is not accurate. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under the age of twelve.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what the GBA was designed for, December 18, 2001

By 

"branalvere" (Norfolk, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Golden Sun (Video Game)

Only a few months in , and this game proves just what the GBA is capable of. The story in this game frankly is rubbish, usual kids save the world stuff but forget that; the joy of this game is in the playing.

Graphically , GS takes it's cues from that all time great Chrono Trigger but it is slicker and prettier though it doesn't make you laugh quite as much. The battles are very much final fantasy style and you will be amazed at the quality of the graphics in the battle scenes - you really feel like you're playing a PS1 game, not a handheld.

There are some nice set pieces in the game as well, the ship from Kalay and the Colloseum spring immediately to mind but I won't spoil it for you! Also the Djinn (magical creatures which boost your stats/change your class (and therefore magic available) and can be summoned when not equipped add a real tactical aspect to the boss battles - do you go in with the Djinn on standby to summon the big hits but have low hit points and rubbish magic or do you leave the Djinn equipped and try and chip away at them - getting the balance right holds the key to the big battles, especially thge rock hard Jupiter lighthousew confrontation.

the game is BIG, so far I have racked up 27 hours on the game clock (and lots more in abortive attempts) and I've not got through it. The puzzles in the dungeons are fairly simple though I have been stumped a few times before finding the right way through.

The music and sound effects are top quality all the way through and you will find yourself humming the music.

Criticisms, well there are a few - Sometimes the game feels a bit too linear and you can't backtrack to places where you feel you've missed something - which is annoying because the routes back invariably are blocked or one way.

Also, there are no easy battles, and there are lots and lots of them - you'll be trying to solve a puzzle in a dungeon and find yourself getting whacked by a random encounter you weren't prepared for - 2 Chimera Mages and a Thunder lizard have been my downfall on more than one occasion because I was trying to find the way through the dungeon and not really concentrating on healing my party etc.

However, this game is still awesome - and really sets the standard for those to follow it - If Nintendo think they can get away with a re-issue of Link to the Past when they come to release a Zelda game they will be wrong because Golden Sun is a better game than that. Buy it now.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Game!, October 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Golden Sun (Video Game)

This game looks truely amazing. If you like the Final fantasy series on Playstation you will definatly like this game. It features vast and complex worlds and has a truely amazing story. The menues are complex but will get easier to uderstand as you move through the game. Play as four characters. The elements include wind, water, fire, and earth. Summon huge creatures who can then combine with other summons and watch as the battle graphics get a whole new and wonderful look. Animation is great and so are the characters. Multiplayer battles against friends and see who is the better fighter. This game looks totally great and should be one of the best RPG's for Gameboy Advance!