Lufia: The Legend Returns
Reviewed by Ty Massei
Graphics: 9 out of 10
Sound: 10 out of 10
Gameplay: 8.5 out of 10
Hardness factor: 6.5 out of 10
Overall: 8 out of 10
Graphics: This game has amazing graphics for the Game Boy Color. The
only other game that compares to it is Dragon Warrior III and Dragon
Warrior Monsters 2, even though the enemies look much cooler in DWIII.
However, just the general sprites look really good in this game and are
very detailed for a GBC game.
Sound: Giving this a 10 means it has the best music for the Game Boy,
hands down. The songs are really good and don't get repetitive. They also
sound good enough to be on the SNES and are just generally amazing tune
wise. The only music I really didn't love was the battle music (unfortunately)
but the rest is golden.
Gameplay: This is one of the best games for the Gameboy. The only games
that even compare to it are Dragon Warrior Monsters 2, DWIII, and
DW 1 & 2 (not that I'm biased towards DW, they were just done very well).
It's a classic RPG that sort of ties into Lufia 1 & 2 for the GBC. Instead of
actual dungeons, however, there is a randomly generated dungeon.
Unfortunately, that means all of the dungeons are similar, so it can get
boring having to descend 7 floors, only to find out after a boss you have
to keep going another 10 floors. The story line is also a little bit simple,
and the hero is way too dumb, but most of it is very good. There's also a
very cool IP (special attack system) where when you get hit you get points
and can use special powers, which was carried over from the SNES Lufia's.
Finally, there's a pretty cool battle system where you have three rows of
people and you can have any in the three vertical rows attack during the turn.
Hardness factor: I was over halfway done with this game when I wrote
this review and so far I've had minimal trouble in this game. You have an
opportunity before boss battles to get ready for battle, which is really
helpful, though the bosses aren't that hard to begin with. There are some
enemies you may want to stay away from, but you'll find out after you meet them.
Overall: 8 out of 10. Great graphics, sound, and gameplay make this one of
the best (if not the best) games for the GBC. I'd even go as far as recommending
getting a GBC or GBA just to play this game (and the DW games while you're at it).