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The SaGa Thread
- Thread starter Octopus Prime
- Start date
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- kawazu saga square square enix
1 and 2 tend to blend into one in my mind, yeah, sorry.
Robots, on the other hand, are crazy good even without the karate glitch.
Pajaro Pete
(He/Himbo)
Fun SaGa 1 fact:
You're learning all the fun old-time stuff today, I see. Yep, you need to check the menu.
Beat the first area and am climbing the tower now. Got to 3F before I took a break. Grinded the crap out of my two mutants (who, when they have elemental spells, absolutely slaughter enemies) and spent thousands on the charmingly named MUSCLE and oddly named HP200 for my two humans.
It's grindy, but I... like Final Fantasy Legend?
It's grindy, but I... like Final Fantasy Legend?
Sprite
(He/Him/His)
I see. Perhaps I will skip to II and then someday try out that lovely Wonderswan version of SaGa that there appears to be a fan translation for.
I don't think II tells you when your mutants change abilities without looking in the menu, either.
jpfriction
(He, Him)
Same, I would have had a lot of fun with this when I was ten.
The first two games aren't nearly as obtuse as later entries in the series, and it's very hard to permanently screw yourself.
Robots have a hard time in like one late game fight, where their 0 mana (and thus 0 magic def) hits pretty hard.
Otherwise? Fantastic start (when you load ‘em down with mostly broken gear and get free stats) to finish (all the lasers).
Wait, MUSCLE? Not STRONG? Did they change the translation!?
Sprite
(He/Him/His)
I just checked. It does!
falz
(He/Him)
If I'm gonna play 1 SaGa game right now, assuming I have access to all of them, which one should I start with? I remember enjoying Final Fantasy Legend II when I played it on GBC when I was like 10. Also, my sibling played through Romancing SaGa remake on PS2... I remember them having mixed feelings about that one.
I guess they did... there's a screen when you boot the game:
So I assume they changed a few things? No idea why "STRONG" would have to be changed given what's on that screen, but who knows lol
Ah, my bad - that's nice of them. I wouldn't think they would have "fixed" that lol
Sprite
(He/Him/His)
I think SaGa Frontier would be a good choice, since it’s more like a compilation of short RPGs than one long one.
Son of a bitch; I'm going to have to buy this and go looking for all the changes, aren't I?I guess they did... there's a screen when you boot the game:
So I assume they changed a few things? No idea why "STRONG" would have to be changed given what's on that screen, but who knows lol
Ah, my bad - that's nice of them. I wouldn't think they would have "fixed" that lol
I admit, I'm curious at least lol. "Evolving cultural and social norms..." what could possibly be in these old Gameboy games that this screen would be addressing? I'm aware of the heroin/banana switch in one of the games, but I doubt they switched it back to heroin, so... what was changed? lol
It's already happening on GameFAQs, Reddit, etc. I think that splash screen is kinda a neat acknowledgement that things change and that there was a pro-active approach to presenting these games for a new era, but the chuds took one look and started screaming censorship.
SaGa Frontier is probably the best to start with, but really there's no easy entry point for SaGa. There's no shallows here, it's all deep end. Every SaGa is obtuse, difficult, and requires a lot of patience before they start revealing their pleasures. However if you're able to keep your head above water they're RPGs that reward like no others.
Other potential starting points if you don't want to wait:
This collection:
+Shockingly long lived games, absurd that Game Boy RPGs should hold up this well. Lots of character development systems to play with. 3 games for the price of 1. Fast mode. Great art and music.
- Game Boy RPGs means they're not able to convey a lot of information. Expect to have too look up stuff outside the game like weapon tables or what abilities do.
The DS Remakes:
+ SaGa 2/3 with lots of QoL improvements and new systems. 3 is practically a new game. Great art and music.
- Gotta pirate them. Pretty slavish to the original story-telling style, so expect terse, undeveloped dialog. All SaGa games are like this though and it should be seen as a feature not a bug. Just noting it here as the dialog wasn't given as much an upgrade as the graphics and systems.
Romancing SaGa 2/3
+ Sparking techs. Big open worlds to explore and get lost in. 2 has an innovative scenario where you play a dynasty of Emperors and their retainers over many generations while 3 codified and refined a lot of ideas into the quintessential SaGa, if such a thing can be said to exists. Both games officially available in English for the first time. Great art and music.
- SNES RPGs, so like the Game Boy games they keep a lot of important information off the page. The open world structure and terse dialog means much of the time it can be hard to deduce where to go next. Hidden time limits means you'll have to follow a guide if you want to see all the content, if you're a player where that kind of approach matters.
Scarlet Grace
+ Wonderfully compelling and deep battle system. Very different approach to the JRPG experience. Innovation abounds. Great art and music.
- Very different approach to the JRPG experience. Dungeons and towns are menus and a series of battles. The only exploration happens on the world map. Story scenes are told through static character portraits and dialog boxes. I don't consider these negatives so much, but if you're looking for a traditional RPG this isn't it.
The Alliance Alive
+ Great battle system with robust fast forward options to get through scrub battles. Interesting exploration with lots going on in the world map. Way more story and character interest than most SaGas. People say it feels like a throwback to the great SNES RPGs and FF6 is often cited as a comparison. Recently got an HD port to Switch and Steam. Great art and music.
- Technically not SaGa. HD graphics are still of 3DS models, if that matters.
The Legend of Legacy
+ Impeccable battle system and character growth. Interesting narrative mysteries once it gets going. Rewards and rewards and rewards, a true hidden gem. Great art and music.
- Trapped on 3DS. First third of the game feels slight and aimless. Requires a lot of player-supplied interest to get over that initial hump. Systems aren't well-explained in-game so important choices (like when to sell a map) aren't obvious, but that's what makes it SaGa (even if it technically isn't).
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I will give this some thought