Forced pun about Shining Force

[Classic]

Well... this is everything I want

This "Dark Deity" is the latest in a line of games that try to really capture the 16-bit / GBA Fire Emblem aesthetic. I find myself wondering, what it would take to make something that felt more like Shining Force, and maybe why it doesn't get as much play in the English speaking retro world.
Spoiler:
It's the big sprites, innit?

Spoiler: its kinda small really.

 

[dosboot]

It's the big sprites, innit?

Having the big player sprites in the foreground is like 50% of the Shining Force experience, yes. If a new game copied that but wanted to modify everything else about the battle system, the exploration, etc, it would still have a cozy SF vibe that people would talk about. On the other end of the spectrum you have something like Just Breed on the NES, which presents enemies, movement, and the overall battlefield in a very SF way while lacking cutaway animated battles all together. It was probably a decent srpg for the system when it came out, but also obviously lacking in charm and cross-over appeal.

 

[q 3]

IMO it's not Shining Force without centaur ladies wearing sensible armor, and I see none of that here.

 

[Octopus Prime]

In that regard, and the extravagantly animated side view battle animations, it’s far more Fiery than Shiny.

Also Chonky Sprites in RPGs is a beautiful aesthetic