My First Console RPG

[Carthrat]

A fair chunk of you know this, but hey.

My first ever Console RPG was Terranigma. I managed to get my hands on it while the SNES was still relatively new, brilliant, and the best console around.

It was also one of my first games. I eagerly unpacked the box, slammed in the cartridge, and started to play.

I must confess that I was almost immediatly hooked to the RPG. I'd never seen or touchd an anime at this point; but the game was sheer brilliance to my eyes.

Firstly, the opening sequence. I tried to interpret what it said, and what it's actual *meaning* was.

When the little clock face ticked to 13, I was completely baffled.

Eventually, I started playing. The first thing that hit me were the graphics.

They were better than all my other games but together, in my opinion. The world actually seemed *real* to me. And I felt in total control. I WAS that little guy! He did what I wanted him to do! He was ME!

And his personality seemed so much like my own at the time, too. Little bugger, screwing up weavings and throwing pots at doors.

The interactivity was something new to me, too. Most games I played back then were platformers or shoot 'em ups, both of which were quite light on the plot. I was amazed at how it had an actual *story*; raising the continents out of the earth, and being creeped out by the 'Guardian' guy who tossed stunningly animated and unique monsters at me throughout the towers..

But I'm missing something else: The world map.

Now that I look back, I see it was above average, even for other RPGS around. You start in the underworld, and you see great patches of minerals, huge, firey lakes of lava... It all looked very dramatic.

Combat was another stroke of brilliance. Fate caused my first console RPG to be action based instead of turn based; running around, figuring out all the little twists and tricks of using Ark's Crystal Spear made it seem much more than just 5 different techniques at the time.

I recall fighting the first REAL boss; this giant spider thing with two massive claws that dropped your health by half; and it shot these green lasers at you which managed the same.

When I beat the boss, it seemed like a huge accomplishment.. and to boot, I raised my home continent, Australia.

From then on, the game just got better. Travelling the world, resurrecting life and helping it grow and evolve.

At one point in the game, I looked at the whole world and felt that I had personally done this. *I* had just recreated the *entire world* from a lava chasm.

There were more plot twists to come, but what I've said speaks for itself: it seemed a beautiful game, an incredible game, and today I find myself playing it again, and it still seems to keep at least a few traces of the magic I managed to feel when I first played it.

[Dracos]

Terranigma was indeed one of the best action/rpg games produced on the super nintendo system.  It was a true pity that they never brought it state side, only releasing it in europe, and apparently Australia, for use.

You virtually need expertise biblical and history to really catch even half the references they toss at you in the game, but even with complete ignorance the game is built on such a solid playing base (graphics, sound, battle system, traveling system, level design, etc) that it really still remains an entirely enjoyable gaming experience.

Fearless Leader