SaGa (series)
SaGa (Japaneseサガ; Sa • Ga) is the generic term for a series of role-playing games for various systems that have been published since 1988 and includes nine titles so far. Developers of these games is in all cases Square or the successor Square Enix, Akitoshi Kawazu which was almost universally held various positions for the projects of the series.
Although each part of this series stands alone by itself, and up to general themes or background stories has no connections to previously or subsequently published games, are able to divide the nine games into three separate interest groups. This is due in part to the each used game mechanics and background scenarios, on the other hand on the various consoles for which the games are released.
Final Fantasy Legend
In the first of these thematic groupings is the Final Fantasy Legend series. It involves three role-playing games for the Gameboy, which appeared between 1989 and 1993, and the first part is the first released for the Game Boy role-playing game. All three of these games were released in both Japan and America, but never appeared in Europe. In 1998, the games were released after changing the license one more time in America, this time by Sunsoft. 2002 was a port of the first part for the Wonderswan Color, but which only appeared in Japan, and that was graphically and content adapted to modern conditions. The American edition of this series ( in its complete form, with box and card) is considered by collectors to be very rare.
Common to all these three games is the way, is how to approach the concept of playful races and classes. Instead of rules and game mechanics that apply to all game characters, each their own, which must be taken at the game. So there is no classical experience system, but the development of the characters is different depending on the base class and can range from a gradual development through the repeated use of weapons or magic about creating or installing several new pieces of equipment up to the change of their own kind by the consume of meat remnants of defeated enemies rich. You control in all parts of a group of different kinds ( which may vary depending on the game by normal people about mutants, monsters to robots ), which travels through different worlds to achieve the particular aim of the game.
The playful backgrounds that were used in this series were, thereby, similar to the previous role-playing games as they appeared on the NES and PC. Different, for themselves secluded areas and towers (serving here as dungeons ), most had a basic mythological theme which could range from modern films of western and eastern gods, legends about different cultures through to reference. Each of these little worlds often offered a main task that was necessary to get ahead, and several small side quests that could optionally be performed, and offered additional equipment or skills. The order in which these worlds are handled is not necessarily dictated by the game, instead it is in the typical for the SaGa series nonlinearity possible to decide what you want to do when. In each game, the approach, which looked from the top of the world, are identical, and the system of random encounters with subsequent turn-based battle in which you can see next to and above each other presents in front of the opponent, one more time had been used.
A second grouping in the SaGa Romancing SaGa environment, three other role-playing games that were released between 1992 and 1995 for the SNES. This series was originally released only in Japan. 2001, a port of the first, part of the Wonderswan Color in Japan was published, and in 2005 was followed by a graphically enhanced version for the Playstation 2, which appeared as a single part in America.
The focus of these three parts is a little more of the story, as was the case even in Final Fantasy Legend. As before, each game has nothing to do with each other, but share next to the title game-particular and combat system. So have all the titles again the view from above of the events in common, the battles this time are shown in a side view, both parties are taking a side. Compared to earlier are the scenarios on which to base the titles, more varied and extensive than before. Optionally, you can experience different stories within a large scenario from the perspective of different primitives ( in the first part, where one of eight different courses of action are available), observed the development and control of an entire empire over several generations ( in the second part where you have a rulers and its possible heirs embodies ) or going through a background story from the perspective of different characters is occurring ( in the third part where you again have the choice of various figures that but mostly experiencing a common history ).
The playful mechanics counts in these games is that the game characters are defined by their origin and their age. So much so that, for example, the possible development of children can be controlled in the second part by the passing of traits from parents. Also typical is that you can only control the main character and the rest of the group fills up by various recruitable NPCs, which can be both purely generic marginal figures as well as the main characters of the respective background story is. Struggles that are now complemented by a designed differently depending on the game grid into which you positioned his characters, serve both the development of the characters, as well as the progression in the backstory. In addition, this group 's formation, offers new and sometimes important for a successful game new techniques that are used in battle. Unlike the Final Fantasy Legend series struggles are visible before doing to the environment map by running around monsters and no longer random. Other characteristics found in some or all parts are, for example, the possibility of the very rare for such games permanent death of characters and the introduction of game elements of simulation and strategy games.
The third and final series with small SaGa background consists of three role-playing games, which were published between 1997 and 2003. The first two parts published here under the title of SaGa Frontier for the Playstation, the last part as Unlimited Saga for the Playstation 2 All parts appeared outside Japan, SaGa Frontier 2 also was the first part of the series, which officially launched in Europe at the market came.
After the originally planned as the fourth part of the Romancing SaGa series game during the development phase due to lack of time and a new alignment as the first part of the now new SaGa Frontier series was published, one has a lot of the old game mechanics and basic ideas of another uses. Again, are a different game at the beginning characters to choose from, around which the story develops, and which has a dedicated focus in the game. Likewise, the system of developing the game story by heirs and successors of the main characters was reused. The playful background this time is clearly science fiction -heavy than in Romancing Saga, where the fantasy aspect was still standing in the foreground. New technical options available, which offered the Playstation, were only slightly used, for example, through advanced graphical representations as an isometric perspective of the upper world, while traditional techniques such as hand- drawn backgrounds continue to be used for cutscenes.
Already by the original design decision to want to develop a fourth part of the Romancing SaGa, was determined that a second time, the previously known combat and game mechanics will be used. New additions include, for example, an additional motivation and game help for re- play through with a different character by a first successfully completed game offers bonuses for later games. In the second part focused on two main stories, and led along the lines of a Suikoden additional opportunities for debate. The third part, Unlimited Saga, on the other hand strongly deviated from the previous versions. Movements in the area and the dungeons is now turn-based as in a tabletop game, which can occur as random events traps, obstacles and enemies at every point of the movement. Another new element is the Reel ( role / band ), which introduces an element of chance in the application of game actions such as opening a box or use a spell. Comparable to the Judgement Wheel from Shadow Hearts doing various success and failure zones are distributed by a rotating band, and the distribution of their own abilities depends. Depending on where the tape stops at the push of a button, the desired action is performed. Moreover, in this last part of the series, there is a system of skills, which can be placed in a grid in order to influence the orientation of played characters become a part of himself, who arises from the manner in which such basic skills are combined with each other.