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Breath
of Fire - Ryū no Senshi
ブレス オブ ファイア ～竜の戦士～
(1993) |
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Zog,
the 'Dark Dragon King', has vowed to conquer the world.
His plan is to seize the 'Power of the Dragon' by neutralising
the 'Light Dragons', keepers of the peace. Or something
like that.
Ryu, the descendant of the 'Light Dragon Family', is
a young warrior whose village was decimated by Jade,
Zog's right-hand man. His destiny becomes that of the
legendary 'Dragon Warrior': to take on Zog's evil legions,
fight thousands of repetitive menu-driven battles, and
heal a lot.
Role playing games are cruel things. The pain of getting
stuck in one of them is so great, so piercing, that
they sometimes make videogames lose all meaning to anyone
even vaguely interested in them.
Capcom's Breath of Fire is no exception to
the rule: unless you are a seasoned RPG player and/or
have been paying strict attention, you're bound to get
lost at some point. And that, to be frank, is about
as much fun as drowning in scum. Especially when the
item you are looking for is a fucking fishing rod. |
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Capcom's
first 16-Bit foray into the RPG genre is a competent,
if heinously predictable effort. It does have its moments,
like the chasing & hunting of wild animals for food,
the ability to turn into a variety of dragons during
combat, and a cameo from Chun-Li (below left); yet 'Buresu
Obu Faia' is a distinctively sterile, numb and stereotypical
experience, laced with an overwhelming feeling of deja-vu.
Every single goddamn RPG since Dragon
Quest (1986) follows the exact same staple formula:
press start, get out of bed, learn that the world is
in peril, and set off to put down whoever is responsible
by adding members to your team and accumulating experience
points.
This kind of game can be OK, but only on exceptionally
rare occasions. Most people know this, but RPG addicts
aren't so lucky - they are doomed to a lifetime of menus,
non-existent gameplay and pitiful narratives, all of
this while their minds and bodies slowly decay.
A good friend once took the path of the RPG. He stayed
indoors alone for close to 3 years, mumbling incoherently
about 'depth', 'character development' and 'dramatic
storytelling'. We had no choice but to drag him outside
into the snow and shoot him six times in the belly with
a BB gun. He has since recovered and moved on in life,
thanks in no small part to large quantities of Super
Puzzle Fighter II X (1996), absinthe, and strange
rectangular things called 'Books'. |
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Breath
of Fire - Ryu no Senshi
ブレス
オブ ファイア ～竜の戦士～
SUPER FAMICOM |
DETAILS
| Format |
Super
Famicom |
| Released |
3
Apr 1993 |
| Publisher |
Capcom |
| Product
ID |
SHVC-BF |
| Size
(cm) |
19
x 10.5 x 3 |
| Weight
(kg) |
0.16 |
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Original
Super Famicom release of Capcom's
maiden 16-Bit RPG.
The game sold quite well,
so copies can still be found
for a reasonable price.
Standard SFC packaging, 12Mbit
cartridge, colour booklet. |
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Breath
of Fire Ryu no Senshi Kanzen Kōryaku
Hon
ブレスオブファイア
竜の戦士 完全攻略本
TOKUMA INTERMEDIA MOOK |
DETAILS
| Format |
Guide
Book |
| Released |
25
May 1993 |
| Publisher |
Tokumashoten |
| Product
ID |
n/a |
| Size
(cm) |
21
x 14.8 x 1 (A5) |
| Weight
(kg) |
0.24 |
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Vintage
'Complete Capture Book' for
the original SFC Breath
of Fire.
Includes a complete walkthrough
of the game with detailed
maps for every dungeon (thank
god), and special sections
for item & monster data.
112 pages, 88 in colour, Japanese. |
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Breath
of Fire Ryu no Senshi
ブレスオブファイア
竜の戦士
GAME BOY ADVANCE |
DETAILS
| Format |
Game
Boy Advance |
| Released |
6
July 2001 |
| Publisher |
Capcom |
| Product
ID |
AGB-ABFJ-JPN |
| Size
(cm) |
13.5
x 8.5 x 2 |
| Weight
(kg) |
0.06 |
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Enhanced
re-release of a popular SFC
RPG for the Game Boy Advance,
with a few minor extras thrown
in.
Quite an expensive title!
Standard GBA packaging, 32Mbit
cartridge, colour booklet. |
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'Breath
of Fire' and 'Capcom' are registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd.
'Super Famicom', 'Game Boy Advance' and 'Nintendo' are registered
trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Breath of Fire TM & © 1993 Capcom All Rights Reserved
Page content, design & layout © 2008 www.Jap-Sai.com |
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