My Force is Shinier than yours: Let's Play Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict

Hi all, and welcome to my very first LP (which means if I screw up you are welcome to berate me endlessly).

The Shining Force series is one I really enjoyed while growing. It got me into SRPGs, and the games were relatively simple, but a lot of fun.

Anyways there were three Game Gear Shining Forces, we only got the second one over here as a Game Gear game, though we did get the first on as part of Shining Force CD. Though the games all take place in the same world, though they aren't really connected save for the first two Game Gear games.

However, the game we're concerned with, Final Conflict serves as a bridge between Shining Force 1 & 2 (which makes the sub titles "Final Conflict" strange). Though since story isn't exactly a highlight of the Shining Force series, this has still made me interested in playing this game, though I've never gotten around to it for some reason despite there being an English patch. So, I will share the experience with the rest of you!

Given the structure of the game (no exploration, simple towns just to buy items) it seemed like a perfect first LP since each battle is a natural breaking point.

Here's some story info on the game (thanks wikipedia):

Story

Max, the leader of the Shining Force from the first Shining Force game, is chasing the witch Mishaela (servant of the presumably dead villain Darksol, from the same game). One of Max's companions, the robot Adam, is injured in battle with Mishaela. Max's party stops to help the robot, and only Max and his companion Ridion continue the chase.
Unfortunately, Max and Ridion never came back from the chase. Led by a man named Ian, Max's remaining companions set out to find them, and the unexpected awaits...

Characters

The following is a list of the more significant characters in the game.
Ian: The leader of the Shining Force party.
Max: The former leader of the Shining Force. A great hero who once fought and defeated the evil wizard Darksol and his awakened monster, Dark Dragon. After Darksol's demise, he formed a new party and continued to fight evil, now following the track of Darksol's former servant, Mishaela. He disappeared when chasing Mishaela, and the first goal of the new Shining Force is to find him.
Adam: A robot of the Ancients who serves and fights alongside Max. He was badly injured when Max's group fought Mishaela's group on Parmecia, and became unable to fight. However, he is important as an advisor to Ian.
King Galam: The righteous King Galam rules the kingdom with the same name. He gives Ian the legendary sword wielded by Max to fight evil, the Chaos Breaker. In honour of Ian's victory, he later renames the sword as "Force Sword".
Mishaela: Chief servant of Darksol. Was seemingly defeated by the Shining Force in the second Shining series game, but we now learn it was only one of her dolls that was defeated. Her plans are still unknown, but it's certain that she is involved in the disappearance of Max. She is a cunning, malicious, and arrogant woman with formidable magical ability.
Odd Eye: A blind warrior in the service of a devil named Zeon (from Shining Force II). Zeon is a great enemy of Darksol, so Odd Eye joins the Shining Force for a while to help them to defeat Mishaela. He wields a sword and possesses an attack called Odd Eye Beam, shooting rays by opening his blind eyes.

Characters' families

Some characters from Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict have blood relationships with characters from this game and other games from the series:
SF1 - Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention
SF2 - Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing

Mephisto is Darksol (SF1) and Mishaela's (SF1) son.
Ian is Kane's (SF1) son (thus Max's nephew).
Eric is Elliot's (SF1) son.[4]
Hawel is Chaz's (SF2) father.



A final note: I'm busier than I expect I would be thanks to taking on a weekly column on rpgamer and upcoming grad school classes, but I will still try to update every two-three weeks, hopefully with Battle 1 coming this weekend.

For those unfamiliar with Shining Force games here's a video from Shining Force Gaiden 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI0MHCguEKw

Hey wheels, if you update your LP, I'll update mine!

We can be like, update buddies!

ok FINE (update likely coming tonight)

Let's get this show on the road!

Hmnn I think this is the same girl from the other game gear games, let's see what she has to say:







Ian? Well that's no good

much better!

Why thank you!

Story segments were just AWFUL to do on screen shots. That's what I get for picking a game gear game I suppose

So I present to you:

Story Segment 1 on Video


Ok let's see what kind of party we have here:

Look's like a typical SF party we've got:

Mead-Centaur currently has the long ranged Javelin

Knuckles-wait a second, KNUCKLES? Really? Come on. I get it, he's a monk healer guy, so he fights with his Knuckles plus it's a Sega game so.... blech

Hawel-Typical mage, name should be familiar for SF2 players I think. Starts with blaze, which like every starting mage in SF usually does.

Paige-Our generic dwarven warrior. Is it a dude? I have no idea....

Sonette-Archer! Looks like an Elf. Camelot you weren't trying so hard on this one were you?

Ok so we're fighting slimes and goblins this should go quick




or not.....



There we are, Centaurs are pretty overpowered in a lot of Shining Force games.



Looks like this dude (chick?) can dish it out too!


continued....

I hate you Knuckles

Archer Girl and Mage dude have great damage output though.



Ok we've nearly got this thing wrapped up.....




Oh cute, he's trying to attack Mead! Wait, second attack?!?!!?




Nooooo, that's ok I've still got...wait, Wheels isn't here so Mead is the leader, which means BATTLE OVER MAN, dang it!



Oh shut up already, ok go back to the battle and get back to those last few goblins again



Let's finish this "training" battle already



Alright, one dude left, let's let Knuckles clean up




.......Thanks Knuckles, thanks for nothing



Mage dude does the needed job and we are done!



Ok that was WAY too much fail for the first battle in a shining force game, I assume I'll have Wheels next battle, so must remember not to let him get smacked around like I did Mead!

Till next time

This seems to be an interesting game, one which I've never heard of before now. I had no idea we got any gaiden games in the Shining Force series. Good to know. Looking forward to reading more about it.

Also, if I may have one request, can you shrink the screenshots for the next update? The bigger the screenshot, the harder it is to parse what's actually happening.

Yeah, smaller screens would make this a lot easier to read.

So you're doing a solo Knuckles run after this, right?

Try to tone down your freakish huge Apple screens Wheels. I realize it's hard when you're working with evil.

In lieu of another screenshot size complaint, is there any sorta option to take those shots without that emulator window border showing up? I find that more distracting than the blown-up shots.

Anyway, just having played some of the Genesis Shining Force, I'm interested in seeing how similar (and different) this Game Gear title is.

That's a little bit harder, OS X has an option where you can just click on a window and it will take just a screen shot of that, but I'll figure something out.

Sorry guys I didn't realize the shots were so big full size until I was previewing the first post, and by then I kind of just needed to get the thing up at that point, that will absolutely be fixed for the next update (and actually I'l see if I can get these shots lowered).


And NO, for the love of all that is holy, no Knuckles solo run!

Time for battle 2! (Now with smaller screenshots)



Alright first up the story sequence video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqfu-hqZPNg


Yay! I can finally use Wheels! (but he's level 1? ARGH)



Alright time to take care of some slimes, let's see what Wheels can do!



Well ok then.... Despite being level 1 looks like he's got some power to him, or at least is equipped with a good sword.

oh whoops, I forgot this was preceded by:



Keep sucking Knuckles!

OK trying to keep things a little short because this was a damn easy and boring battle



Going in for an easy kill, centaurs are so overpowered early in Shining Force games



He didn't have to do much more than sneeze to take this guy down



Yay generic orcs and goblins and slimes oh my!



And boom goes the dynamite



The only way I was finally able to get Knucks up a level, healing!

Oh also Mage new spell get!



Not bad. Ok this was a really boring battle. More exciting things ahead? We shall see.