Manual Stimulation: Double Dungeons (PC Engine)

I pretty much ignored first-person dungeon-crawlers until I tackled the original Etrian Odyssey back in 2007 or so.



Given my love of RPGs, that probably seems a bit odd. So what's the deal? I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. I've never really thought about why I tend to avoid (even today) first-person dungeon-crawlers. The only reason I can come up with at the moment is I like seeing my party members.



Did all of that change after I played and loved Etrian Odyssey? Not exactly--which is to say I still vastly prefer more traditional (Japanese) RPGs to these labyrinth-obsessed offshoots.



What prompted me to pick up Double Dungeons, a 1989 release that's about as "labyrinth obsessed" as you can get?

The main reason is I was on a real PC Engine kick when I picked up the copy that gave me access to the manual you see here. Also, it was dirt cheap, which always helps.



It's a good thing this HuCard can be picked up on the cheap, too, as it's not exactly the most stunning dungeon-crawler around.



Sure, Double Dungeons offers up an intriguing gimmick--two people can explore a level simultaneously (although not side by side, sadly)--but most who try it won't find it thrilling enough to overcome the title's otherwise-dull gameplay and graphics.



Still, you've got to give developer Masaya credit for attempting something unique with this typically staid genre.



You've also got to give credit to the artists and designers who worked on Double Dungeons' instruction manual.



It makes buying a complete copy of this game well worth the price of admission, as you're likely now aware.



I'm especially fond of the backdrop that frames Double Dungeons' story on the manual's second page.  I also like the strangely sweet illustrations that sit in the corners of pages four and seven.



Line drawings of the title's enemies would've made the package even more appealing than it already is, in my opinion, but that ship sailed long ago.



Plus, the folks who pieced together the Double Dungeons how-to booklet included the requisite--for me, at least--depictions of the game's items and accessories (see pages 14 and 15, above), so you won't hear me complaining too loudly about it being a stinker.



What do you think of this edition of "Manual Stimulation"? Is it the most delicious thing you've ever seen, or is it a total dud?

See also: 'the best PC Engine game manuals (I've seen)'

Nice Package! (Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu DS+, DS)

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon was one of my favorite Wii games. (You can read my succinct review of that title here, if you're curious.)

As such, I was keenly interested when I heard--some time ago, of course--Square Enix was prepping an enhanced DS port of the game that was known in Japan as Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu.

For whatever reason, though, I didn't actually buy this portable roguelike until recently. This despite the fact that it hit Japanese store shelves all the way back in late 2008 (just under a year after the Wii version was released).



How does the DS port, which allows you to play as that old Final Fantasy standby, Cid, as well as the titular Chocobo, compare to the Wii original? I wish I could tell you. Unfortunately, I've yet to even pop the cartridge shown in one of the photos below into any of my DS or 3DS systems.

I brought said cart with me on sabbatical, though, so expect me to at least start my way through its dungeon-crawaling adventure sometime in the next few months.



In the meantime, let's ogle the packaging produced for this surprising DS game (called Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu DS+, in case you missed that earlier).

I'm pretty fond of its cover illustration, I've got say--even with that brown band of text obscuring its bottom fifth.



Does anyone know what it's trying to convey to potential buyers, by the way?

I see the word "dungeon" in there a few times, but that's about it. I know this port doesn't contain 1,000 dungeons, though, so what does that figure refer to--the number of weapons in the game? Enemies? Facial expressions made by Chocobo? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.



As for the instructional manual that accompanies complete copies of Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu DS+, I'm fond of it, too.

That shocks me a bit, if I'm to be honest. Why? Because I find most DS manuals to be disappointing. Sure, they offer up a couple of nice visuals, but other than that they're usually filled with text.



Although that's largely the case here, too, there are enough brilliant illustrations (like the one above) to make the whole shebang appreciably impressive--to my eyes, at least.

Have any of you played this updated version of Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon? If so, what do you think of it?

Whether or not you've played Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu DS+, what do you think of its outer case, cartridge and manual? As always, share your thoughts in this post's comments section.

See also: previous 'Nice Package!' posts

I've never been keen on The Legend of Dark Witch, but I'm beyond interested in Brave Dungeon

For whatever reason, The Legend of Dark Witch and its sequel, both made by Inside System and published outside of Japan by Circle Entertainment, have never really pinged my radar, if you know what I mean.

The developers' latest effort, though--a role-playing spin-off of The Legend of Dark Witch called Brave Dungeon--currently has my full attention.

Why? Its stellar pixel art, on full display in the following trailer, is a particularly noteworthy reason.



The genre switch is another reason, as I haven't been the biggest fan of run-and-gun platformers--à la Mega Man and the first two The Legend of Dark Witch 3DS titles--since I was a teen.

Unfortunately, the folks at Inside System currently are being kind of coy as to when Brave Dungeon will hit the Japanese 3DS eShop (or the eShop of other regions). All they're saying at the moment is it'll see the light of day sometime between now and the end of this year.

Oh, well, it's not like I'm desperately searching for a new game to play right now. As such, I'll sit tight and hopefully savor its retro-tinged adventure whenever it's finally released.

(Via japanesenintendo.com)

Yep, Cladun Sengoku (Vita) definitely is yet another Cladun title

Considering my love of Nippon Ichi Software's first two Cladun games, you might think I typed the header above without an ounce of malice.

In reality, I typed it with a bit of charitableness as well as a smidge of malice. The former because I'm honestly stoked to play another Cladun title, and the latter because this third Cladun effort looks awfully similar to the two that came before it.

Don't hate me for saying this, but while watching Cladun Sengoku's first trailer yesterday, I had a hard time convincing myself it looked appreciably different from Cladun and Cladun x2.



Which isn't the worst thing in the world, of course. After all, I thought those PSP-based Cladun titles looked pretty darn great. Seeing Cladun Sengoku look almost identical to them, though, was--at least at first--undoubtedly disheartening.

Still, I'd be lying if I said I'm no longer intrigued by this upcoming Vita release. Does that mean I've already placed a pre-order for a copy via that old standby amiami.com? Not hardly, but I am giving it serious consideration.

How about you? Are any of you planning on--or at least thinking about--buying Cladun Sengoku once it's available in a few months?

See also: 'Nippon Ichi Software's teasing a new game, and I think it may be related to the Cladun series'

Shall We Do It? (Dragon Buster II)

On a whim, I decided to play the ancient Famicom game known as Dragon Buster II for the very first time over the weekend.

What prompted me to boot up this Namcot-made title? I'm not entirely sure, although I have a feeling I read Video Game Den's rather glowing review of it at some point in the recent past (I'm always scanning that site for morsels of retro-gaming goodness), and that's what pushed me to give it a go on Sunday.

If this is the first you've heard of Dragon Buster II, at its heart it's a dungeon-crawler. Unlike today's Etrian Odyssey titles or even yesterday's Wizardry releases, however, this one is presented in top-down fashion à la The Legend of Zelda or even StarTropics.

That's not to suggest Dragon Buster II looks or even plays like either of those last two 8-bit classics. Instead, it calls to mind old-school roguelikes--though I'm not sure any of the elements included in Namcot's creation are randomized. (Dungeon layouts certainly don't seem to be, although enemy placement as well as treasure chest and exit door locations may be.)

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, Dragon Buster II is similar to another of the company's long-ignored IPs: The Tower of Druaga. The former is a lot more engaging than the latter, though, so if you're like me and the very thought of Druaga makes you yawn, don't be afraid to give Dragon Buster II a try at some point down the line.

One of my favorite aspects of this cart-based adventure, by the way, is that its protagonist primarily uses a bow and arrow to send baddies to the great beyond. Even better, the arrows he shoots do more than just plunk off of the dungeon walls that surround him throughout his multi-faceted quest; rather, they ricochet off of them in a manner that is equal parts satisfying and thrilling.

Two other interesting components of this 1986 release: fog blankets (in more of a figurative than literal sense) each dungeon upon entry, and you clear the surrounding area with every step you take. Also, found within the boundaries of these underground chambers are a number of unique-to-the-genre foes like dinosaurs and beings that resemble the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

I've encountered a few niggles so far, too, I have to admit. The most noteworthy one is that there isn't much variety to Dragon Buster II's environments, as far as I can tell. After you've traipsed through the brick-walled dungeon as well as the mossy and icy ones, you've seemingly seen them all. Granted, it's possible I've yet to encounter a couple of locales, but I doubt the ones I've missed are worlds beyond the current offerings in terms of their aesthetics.

Another complaint can be leveled at Dragon Buster II's confounding lack of a soundtrack. For about 95 percent of the game, all you hear are your own footsteps and the sound of your arrows pinging off nearby walls. It's only when you approach one of the titular beasts that any actual music comes into play. I guess the title's developers may have done this on purpose, to add a bit more suspense to its dragon battles, but I can't say I think the trade-off was worth it.

Oh, well, I've enjoyed the time I've spent with this Famicom cart so far--even with its overly quiet and repetitively tiled dungeons.

Have any of you played Dragon Buster II? If so, what do you think about its looks, sounds and gameplay?

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It' posts

Shiren wanders back to North America this July with The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate

Are you a fan of roguelikes? Listen up.

Actually, even if you don't much care for these traditionally unwelcoming dungeon-crawlers, you still should listen up if you own a Vita (or PSTV) and you're looking for something to play on your Sony-made console.



Why? A couple of days ago, the folks at Aksys Games revealed they'll be releasing ChunSoft's Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren 5 Plus--Fortune Tower to Unmei no Dice in North America on July 26.

In this part of the world, the game will go by the far more understandable Shiren The Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate.

The best part of this out-of-nowhere announcement: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate will be available in both digital and physical (boxed) forms upon release.



If the game's Japanese name sounds familiar, by the way, that's likely because it's an expanded port of a Japan-only DS game known as, you guessed it, Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren 5--Fortune Tower to Unmei no Dice. (Note: the DS game, from 2010, lacked the "Plus" part of the 2015 Vita follow-up.)

Sadly, no one seems to be taking pre-orders for this Shiren The Wanderer title--the first to see the light of day in North America since 2008's Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, also for DS--at the moment, but I'm sure that will change shortly.

In the meantime, are any of you going to buy some version of The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate? If so, which one? (I'm going to go for the retail version, naturally.)

Attention 3DS-owning JRPG fans: Sega's bringing 7th Dragon III Code VFD to NA this summer

Boy, there are a lot of acronyms in the headline above, aren't there?

That's pretty fitting, if you ask me. After all, 7th Dragon III's subtitle (or whatever) features an acronym--not that I have any idea what it means. 

Still, I'm stoked that Sega's decided to bring this 3DS-based, dungeon-crawling RPG--check out the trailer below for an oh-so-brief look at its contents--to North America sometime this coming summer.

Although I wasn't so intrigued by Code: VFD when it hit the streets of Japan a few months ago that I went ahead and imported a copy, I'm feeling a tad more interested in this localized iteration.

It helps, of course, that Sega's promising a retail (boxed) version for our neck of the woods. Also, its "summer" release is sure to fall smack-dab in the middle of a dry period for me in terms of new games to buy and play.

How about all of you fine folks? Are any of you contemplating picking up 7th Dragon III Code: VFD once it's widely available in this part of the world? (On a related note, the game appears to be up for pre-orders on amazon.com.)

Attention European and North American Vita owners: the dungeon-crawling RPG, Stranger of Sword City, is coming your way in March

And not only that, but you'll be able to choose between digital or physical versions of this Experience Inc.-made game once it finally arrives in your neck of the woods.

If this is the first you've heard of Stranger of Sword City, the gist is it's a Wizardry-esque RPG that's been ported to a number of Japanese systems since it first hit the Xbox 360 in summer of 2014.

Sadly for Western PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners, the Vita iteration is the only one that's being brought to North America (on Mar. 22) and Europe (on Mar. 25).



Footage of the Japanese version of Stranger of Sword City--known in that region as Stranger of the Village of the Sword--can be seen in the trailer above, in case you're wondering.

Now that you've watched it, what do you think? Will any of you pick it up upon (or at some point after) release?

I have a feeling I'll buy a boxed copy--assuming it's not stupidly expensive. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Stella Glow and your $50 price tag.)

(Via gematsu.com)

You've ogled The Legend of Legacy's lovely Japanese packaging, now ogle that 3DS game's North American packaging

Don't remember the fabulousness of The Legend of Legacy's Japanese packaging? Check out my blog post about it, which features photos of that release's case (interior and exterior), cartridge and folded-up "manual," as well as its soundtrack sleeve and CD.

As for the North American version's packaging, continue reading (or scrolling) to see how it compares to that of the Japanese original.

Admittedly, beyond its size, the North American iteration's outer box--above and below--isn't all that amazing.

That said, I quite like the illustration of the little cat-like character (do any of you know if he or she has a name?) that can be seen in the lower-right corner.

I'm also pretty fond of the random pieces of art that can be spotted on this box's sides and flaps, such the following example.



If you ask me, though, all of the above pales in comparison to the beauty that's showcased on the front and back sides of The Legend of Legacy's North American soundtrack sleeve.





Can anything top that bit of design work? I'd personally suggest--perhaps only meekly, though--that the game's main cover art achieves that goal, although I'd also understand anyone who opposes that line of thinking.



Some of those folks surely prefer the illustrations that grace the front and back covers of the art book that's packaged along with launch-window copies of the North American iteration of The Legend of Legacy.

That book's front cover can be ogled in the photo above, while the back cover can be ogled in the photo below.

Did any of you pick up the North American release of this SaGa-esque 3DS RPG? If so, what do you think about it so far--assuming you've played at least a smidge of it?

I've put about 18 hours into my copy of The Legend of Legacy so far, and I have to imagine I'll put in at least 18 more before I'm done with it.

Don't worry, I'll share some additional impressions of the game long before I reach that point, but in the meantime, I hope these snapshots will serve as a suitable stand-in.

Does the impending North American release of Brandish: The Dark Revenant (PSP) mean I can continue to dream of a similar localization of MonHun Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village?

OK, so we all know that isn't going to happen. MonHun Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village finally getting a North American release, I mean.

I can't help but wonder, though, if some adventurous company--you know, like Xseed Games, for instance--would have brought it out here if it weren't a Capcom property.

Oh, well, why bother fretting over that when games like Brandish: The Dark Revenant actually are coming to our shores, and likely before the calendar flips over to 2015?



Unfortunately, Brandish: The Dark Revenant's impending North American release will be of the digital-only variety (something that's likely to limit buyers to Vita owners, I believe), but it's kind of hard to fault publisher Xseed Games for going that route in this day and age.

Anyway, to learn more about this curious-looking, Nihon Falcom-made dungeon-crawler, check out the trailer above (yes, the Japanese version actually came out all the way back in 2009) or the rather cool "localization blog" that was published on Xseed's Tumblr last week.

P.S. I'm pretty sure this is the longest header I've ever written for a one of my blog posts. Don't worry, I won't make a habit of it.

The Madou-ness continues

This is my last Madou Monogatari-focused post, I swear.

At least for the foreseeable future.

Regardless, all of you Madou Monogatari haters (if such people exist) should be happy to hear there are no other Madou Monogatari Game Gear ports for me to pick up and photograph.

Sure, there's the PC Engine Arcade Card port of this series' first game, but given both its rarity and eye-popping price tag I'm unlikely to buy it anytime soon.

So, the games I've talked about here, here, here and, yes, here (with this last "here" referring to this particular post) will be the extent of Madou Monogatari collection for some time to come.

I have to admit that this latest acquisition--of the 1994 Game Gear port of Madou Monogatari III--hasn't always appealed to me. For starters, I've long thought of its cover art, below, as being inferior to the cover art produced for Madou Monogatari I, II and A.

I've also never been much of a fan of this entry's older in-game protagonist.

Both of the above-mentioned criticisms should help explain why I held off purchasing this one until recently, when I came across an absurdly cheap copy on eBay that I just couldn't ignore.

Now that I've had a chance to reflect on things a bit, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that my previously dismissive attitude toward this game has softened quite a bit.

Why? Well, the crazy looking frog that's featured on the box art helped move things in the right direction, oddly enough. 

Madou Monogatari III's wacky and wonderfully colorful instruction manual (see above and below for a couple of particularly awesome examples) hand a hand in my change of heart, too.



In fact, upon closer inspection, pretty much every physical aspect of this portable pick-up is well worth swooning over--in my humble opinion, of course.

Look, even the back of its box showcases adorable illustrations:



Does this mean I'm now going to push aside my current, meandering playthrough of the first Madou Monogatari Game Gear port aside so I can enjoy this iteration? No, I don't think so.

In fact, my current plan is to play the four Game Gear titles in order, with each completed playthrough capped off with a "Great Gaymathon" review.

As such, you probably shouldn't expect to read my impressions of Madou Monogatari III for at least a few months (and that's me being generous).

In the meantime, though, those of you who have any interest in this Compile-developed and Sega-published series may want to keep an eye out for "Manual Stimulation" posts devoted to the crazy instruction manuals that were included with each of these titles. I'll also do my best to chat about my playthroughs in my "Shall We Do It?" posts.

See also: previous Madou Monogatari-focused posts

Shall We Do It? (Etrian Odyssey IV)

I know I exclaimed a couple of days ago that I'd come up with a new name for this particular column, but I've since had a change of heart. "Let's Do It" is a nice enough alternative, but it's too straightforward--and kind of boring, too.

As a result, I'm sticking with the original "Shall We Do It?"--although I am going to tweak how I use it from here on out. Basically, I'm going to simplify the headers I write for these posts. The new ones will be a bit less fun than the old ones, I guess, but they'll also be a lot less wordy and awkward.

Anyway, enough about that. You clicked on this post so you could read all about my on-going shenanigans with Etrian Odyssey IV, right?



I'd originally planned to talk about two other 3DS games--THE "DENPA" MEN 3 demo and Rusty's Real Deal Baseball--in this post, by the way. Unfortunately, the "DENPA" MEN 3 demo that was supposed to hit the North American eShop late last week was postponed until May 8 due to "technical difficulties" and it's been so long (about two weeks, I think) since I last booted up Rusty's Real Deal Baseball that I can't think of anything to say about it.

So, we'll stick to Etrian Odyssey IV and Etrian Odyssey IV only in this installment of "Shall We Do It?" Which is just as well, because I've spent more than 40 hours with this 3DS dungeon-crawler so far and, as such, I have quite a lot to say about it.

For starters, I probably should share that I've just gained access to the title's fourth "land," known as the "Cloudy Stronghold." It's taken me about 12 to 15 hours to conquer each land so far, which most Etrian Odyssey lifers probably would consider a laughably slow pace, but I like to piddle around while playing games like this.

Anyway, here a few thoughts on the journey so far:

The soundtrack is sublime--All hail Yuzo Koshiro, the man responsible for this game's delightfully varied set of tunes. Honestly, I've yet to come across a track I don't like, although the standouts for me at the moment are the jaunty, flute-filled Tharsis theme and the shimmering, guitar-laden song that serves as the backdrop of most, if not all, of the fourth land's dungeons.

It surprises me how much I'm liking the animated enemies--Back when this game was announced, I was unimpressed that it would be the first entry in the Etrian Odyssey series to feature animated enemies. The static ones found in the first game were more than enough for me. Or so I thought. Now that I've seen a good portion of this game's polygonal baddies in motion, I have to admit I find them mightily impressive--and I far prefer them to their immobile predecessors.

The airship-traversed overworld is a remarkably nice addition--This is another element that I originally eyed with a healthy dose of suspicion. How much could an overworld really add to the Etrian Odyssey experience? Turns out, it adds quite a bit. I'm especially fond of the hunting-and-gathering aspect that's tied to the animals, birds, fish, fruit and veggies that can be harvested while flying around each land and then either sold for cash or traded for swag.



One final, positive comment about my experience with Etrian Odyssey IV so far: I love how, pretty much without fail, a new "land" opens up just as I'm about to become burned out on the current one. If only the folks responsible for Bravely Default had been so keen on or aware of the importance of pacing in such games...

(Speaking of Bravely Default, I'd like to add here that I'm very much enjoying the fact that Etrian Odyssey IV has an almost nonexistent story. Sometimes you just want to battle your way through a game like this, you know?)

Have any of you spent any time with Etrian Odyssey IV? If so, please feel free to share your own thoughts on this 3DS dungeon-crawler in the comments section below.

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

Photographic proof that a guy can't own too many Madou Monogatari games

I'll bet some of you thought you were through with having to look at photos of old Madou Monogatari games. Well, you're not!

OK, so I guess you could direct your browser to another site right about now if you're absolutely sick of posts like this one (or this one, or this one), but I hope you won't.

Why? Because I think these games sport some really cool packaging, and manuals and cart art that are well worth perusing.

The Game Gear port of Madou Monogatari II (below) certainly checks all of the above-mentioned boxes, in my humble opinion.

This version of Madou Monogatari was released in 1994, by the way--about a year after the Game Gear port of Madou Monogatari I hit Japanese store shelves. 

As is the case with the other Madou Monogatari Game Gear titles I now own, Madou Monogatari II's manual is full of colorful and crazy illustrations. Even better, it also features a rather nicely drawn comic (a few panels of which can be seen in the photo above).

OK, so the cart label produced for this iteration of Madou Monogatari II isn't what I'd call stellar, but I still find it pretty appealing--thanks in large part to protagonist Arle's flowing mane and excited wink. Plus, I like the soft color palette that's employed here.

If I were to be honest, I'd admit that although I'm fond of Madou Monogatari II's packaging, manual and cart art, I much prefer the packaging, manuals and cart labels that were created for the three other Game Gear-based Madou Monogatari titles. 

I'll let you decide for yourself whether that's true or not in an upcoming post. First, though, I guess I'll have to share photos of Madou Monogatari III's Game Gear port, don't you think?

See also: 'If it were possible, I'd probably marry my copy of Madou Monogatari A (Game Gear)' and 'I don't get mad, I get Madou Monogatari'

If it were possible, I'd probably marry my copy of Madou Monogatari A (Game Gear)

It's a good thing my husband never checks out this blog. If he did, he might be a bit turned off by the header that tops today's post.

I'm pretty sure he'd like the contents of this post, though; I mean, how could he not get the "warm and fuzzies" while looking at the photo below, which showcases the copy of Madou Monogatari A I recently picked up?

This is the fourth and final Madou Monogatari title to be released for Sega's Game Gear, by the way. The first, Madou Monogatari I, was released (in Japan, of course) in 1993, followed by Madou Monogatari II and III in 1994 and Madou Monogatari A in 1995.

All of these games are dungeon-crawling RPGs, by the way, and feature a cast of characters (and creatures) that would later show up in Compile's Puyo Puyo series.

Madou Monogatari A usually serves as the start of a second Madou Monogatari trilogy--with the first trilogy consisting of I, II and III and the second consisting of A, R and S--but for whatever reason A was the only one to get a Game Gear port.

Anyway, a funny little story about this pick-up: I'd had my eye on a particular complete-in-box copy of this game (on eBay, of course) for a couple of years, but its $40 asking price was a bit too rich for my blood. 

A month or so ago, though, the same seller switched the listing to an actual auction that started at a penny. I threw my hat into the ring for it, as the saying goes, and ended up walking away with the copy seen above and below for $4 (not including shipping).

That's a pretty sweet deal on such an adorable game, don't you think? I mean, the first page of this game's instruction manual (above) alone is worth about that much to me.

Speaking of which, I'm planning to devote an upcoming installment of "Manual Stimulation" to this game, so keep an eye out for it if you're at all curious about such things. Also, maybe I'll finally finish Madou Monogatari I soon and then write a "Great Gaymathon" review of it.  

In the meantime, have any of you played any of this games many releases? If so, which ones are your favorites?

See also: 'I don't get mad, I get Madou Monogatari'

I don't get mad, I get Madou Monogatari

I have a feeling the headline above is among the worst--or at least the cheesiest--I've ever written. Sorry about that.

It's hard for me not to get a bit goofy when Compile's Madou Monogatari (Story of Sorcery in English, basically) series is involved, though. For me, these dungeon-crawling titles are like the "perfect storm" of gaming; on the one hand, they're cute as can be, yet on the other, they're tough as nails (or are from time to time, at least).

Given the above, along with the fact that I've been playing the game's fan translation via a patched ROM on and off for some time now, I recently decided to pick up an actual copy of the first Madou Monogatari title that was released for Sega's Game Gear back in 1993.

For whatever reason, I've long been a big fan of this game's flowery logo, which can be seen in the photo above (especially if you zoom in on it--just click on the image to do that).

Madou Monogatari I's cartridge label is pretty nice, too, although it's probably hard to tell that given the rather over-exposed nature of the photo above. (Sorry about that, too; I'm still coming to terms with using a new piece of software to clean up my snapshots.)

Thankfully, the photo above of the first page of this pint-sized dungeon-crawler's instruction manual is clear as day. By the way, the group of kids and other beings in this illustration constitute the bulk (if not the entirety) of the game's cast and crew--in case any of you were wondering. Oh, and if any of them look kind of familiar, well, that's because Compile later put them to use in its Puyo Puyo series of puzzlers.

Those same characters can be found on the back of Madou Monogatari I's box, which I suppose could be considered a bit underwhelming. You've got to love, though, that the box in question features such little text.

I mean, I'm guessing the Madou Monogatari series was pretty well known by Japanese gamers at the time and so most potential buyers didn't need to be told that this game was a dungeon-crawling RPG, but even then you'd think its packaging would include more than five lines of text.

See also: 'It was worth every penny (or, I heart my copy of Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen for the Game Gear)' and 'Manual Stimulation: Lunar Samposuru Gakuen (Game Gear)'