There's always been a special kind of magic entwined with video games for me. I look back ten years, remembering the day I arrived home from school to find my dad had picked up a Nintendo 64. Granted, I didn't know what it was, but he quickly showed me the control scheme for Diddy Kong Racing and I've been an addict ever since. It comes as no surprise through my extensive yet short gaming experience that I've come across quite a few titles since then that hold a special place in my heart.
For those who have not had the honor of being introduced yet, I present to you Shining Soul II. The game makes its home on the Game Boy Advance, and so it is by no means a new game, with a release date of 2004. If you haven't already, you may find through playing a game such as this that fun does not coincide with time. Shining Soul II is a solid action-RPG in which you play as a protagonist of your choice who is bestowed the task of defeating an evil knight hell-bent on conquering the world. While originality may not have been in the game's best interest, other features and charms may help you better understand the true beauty that is Shining Soul II.
Before the adventure starts, we get to choose who we want to be playing as through the entire game. There are eight different options, such as a Ninja, Sorceress, or Warrior, each with their own styles of play. While the idea is not new, it's nice to have control over pivotal gameplay features, and the different classes allow you to play the game in a totally different way. No class is better than another; each just offers a different method of combat and should be chosen to a player's liking.
Once the journey begins, we're given a quick rundown of the plot: "Hero" must defeat "Bad Guy" and save the world. There's really not a lot to take in here; the game offers one of the most simple and overdone set-ups to introduce the gameplay. Luckily, the opening scene is the longest amount of dialogue in the game - the story pretty much just backs off after the introduction, save for three or four lines from the king after you beat each level. It's a shame Shining Soul II couldn't bring a better story to the table, as this is one of the few lows the game has. If they would've simply given a better explanation to the special events and dropped the cliche's that this game is littered with, Shining Soul II could've been something great.
Beating up the baddies is our goal in Shining Soul II. Obviously, the character you choose is going to determine how you're going to take each battle. Each character has different weapons that serve various purposes. Some weapons attack faster, while some may be able to hit multiple enemies. Upon leveling up, you can also increase the damage and special attacks of the weapons however you want. This would be great, but upgrading these skills tends to make you focus on one weapon and subtracts from a gameplay feature that could've really been done well. Each character also has a few spells in their arsenal, which is a nice break from the sometimes monotonous "mash a" that may pop up after a few hours of gaming. I think the combat in Shining Soul II is what makes it more enjoyable than a lot of RPG's on the Game Boy Advance. Eight characters with various weapons, spells, and skills means huge replayability and gives a new experience for the times when you feel, "I just did this."
The graphics in Shining Soul II are pleasant. It doesn't do anything revolutionary for the system, but it does have a unique style, and if nothing else, that's something you can take away from the experience. I did have a little bit of a problem with the constant reuse of pixels, though. It's a bit discouraging to keep buying the new sword available at the end of every level, and then see that it has the exact same artwork as your last one. Monsters on the same stage usually have a duplicate design with a simple recolor tacked on that you'll find later in the dungeon. The music falls into the same category as the graphics - it's original, but nothing that special. While it's a shame that the music can't be exceptionally interesting, I wouldn't be able to tell you of any instance of someone buying a Game Boy Advance game because they were looking for a great musical experience.
All in all, Shining Soul II was one of the most pleasant memories that I can think of when I take a look back at my gaming history. In my eyes, however, would I say this love for the game is justified by its contents? Unfortunately, no. It's unfair to base my opinion on a game because of the good childhood memories that come with it. While the game has great combat and tons of replayability if you enjoy your first run through, it suffers from not only a horrible storyline, but also from the fact that it doesn't have a whole lot to really set it apart from the rest of the Game Boy Advance titles. It's a shame, too, because all this gaudy rock needs to become a gem is a little shine.
I apologize for that horrible pun.
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