Platform:GameBoy Advance

Developer: Sega

Publisher: Sega

Genre: Action RPG

ETA: Spring 2002 (Japan)

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Shining Soul

If there is anything in existence that can be equated with goodness, it's shiny things. Gold, jewels, high-gloss pretzels, greasy bacon, and freshly laid down linoleum, they're all wondrous things...unless you're not into riches, cholesterol, or high viscosity flooring. When it comes to gaming there is plenty of shininess that comes off in a good way, or in this case a Shining way with the Shining Force series of strategy RPGs, traditional RPGs like Holy Ark and Shining in the Darkness, and Shining Wisdom (an action RPG). Now Sega has a new addition to their happy parade of sparkling, shining role playing-esque franchise as they are now working on a portable action RPG in the Shining series called Shining Soul.

There really isn't a whole lot of info available as of yet on the game outside of the obvious fact that the game is a 3/4 overhead view action RPG, laced with a "Well, slap my ass, and call me Zelda!" vibe. One of the few things we do know is that the game will support up to four players via link cables, but unfortunately each player will need a cartridge of the game in order to play like this. So, in reality you'll likely be lucky to even find a second person to play the game with, let alone a third or fourth. But if by some fluke, or through setting up a cloning lab in your basement, you're able to scrounge up four people who actually own the game you'll be able to each use one of the four classes, a berserker, an archer, a warrior, and a magician, to fight with. On top of this there will be the option to customize the characters stats somewhat from the get-go (handy!), as well as change the color scheme of the chosen adventurer's attire (hokey!).  There will be an assortment of relatively rare items that will be dropped by defeated monsters, that can then be traded with others by linking the GBAs.

It also looks like the artist responsible for all of the character design and such from the Shining Force games, one Yoshitaka Tamaki, will be back once again to perform some of his sketching magic in this title. Unfortunately this is all we know about the game thus far, and until Sega stops running around whispering, "I've got a secret!" then scurries away giggling like a school girl, it's doubtful we'll hear much more on Shining Soul, but when that day comes that they finally do spill the beans we'll be sure to give you the skinny on what's happening. Unfortunately for Shining fans, the title only has a Japanese release in mind right now. Maybe if there is enough hooting and hollering on this side of the Pacific, Sega will send the game our way. Then again we did a whole lot of that when Shining Force came to the Saturn, and look what happened there...

- Mr. Nash