Radia Senki: Reimei Hen (NES) review "If there was ever an underrated game, this would be it. Released in 1991,this was the NES's "Golden RPG"; but, sadly, it never got the fame it deserved. "

If there was ever an underrated game, this would be it. Released in 1991,this was the NES's "Golden RPG"; but, sadly, it never got the fame it deserved.

Graphics: These could probably pass for a early 16-bit game. The characters are all bright and colorful, but in a good way. There's a variety of places, such as caves, castles, destroyed towns, and lots of other stuff. The characters might look a little too similar sometimes, but that's a minor complaint. The monsters are actually threatening,and look like they could put a hurting on the heroes. The graphics definitely weren't skimped on. 10/10

Music:I wouldn't be surprised if it was Nobuo Uematsu who made these tunes.They're crystal clear,and are "epic" sounding. Also, 3 battle tunes assures that you won't get tired of the battle music. Not much to say except this game has great music. 10/10

Gameplay: The main part of any game,and this game definitely doesn't dissapoint. The battles are fought in realtime, ala Star Ocean. And, in this game, you can use 5-yes,FIVE-characters in battle! Unfortunately, the computer controlled characters are VERY stupid, and mainly just get in the way. One unique (but not neccessarily good) feature is that most enemies don't drop money; instead, they drop items, and you sell those. 10/10

Story: This ranks up in my list of greatest rpg stories. The game starts out pretty simple, but has lots of twists and turns that are sometimes hard to follow. There's lots of foreshadowing,which helps the story some.The characters are all unique,and generally developed well. 10/10

Characters: Even though this category might seem unneccesary, characters are just as important as the overall story. So I'll rate the characters on a scale from 1-10.

Radd: This is what I named the main character.He's a swordsman with amnesia.He has a blue bandana, and blue clothes. He has a secret which is revealed later in the game. 10/10

Darus: This is Radd's best friend,whom he meets at the beginning of the game. He grew up in....um...a place,but he doesn't want the party to know that. He wears a yellow robe, and he's able to learn some good magic spells. 9/10

Baru: He's the leader of a group of bandits who bothers the party early on. He wears a yellow...hat...thing....hard to describe.He's an okay character,but compared to the other characters,not nearly as much was done with him. 5/10

Haman: As any good knight would,Haman is always worried about the princess(although he doesn't go to extremes like Steiner does.) He wears a pink armor and carries a large sword.His attack is greater than the other characters, but the magic he learns isn't too great. 8/10

Saria: A princess from some place,she is one of the coolest characters in the game. She learns very good magic,and her role in the plot is a pretty
big one. I won't spoil it for you,but trust me, she's cool. 10/10

Villains Note:I'm not rating villains.

Nova: This is the main villain of the game.He took over Darus hometown,and rules it cruelly. He also is trying to get the key to the Radia Tower, and he'll go to any lengths to get it.

Gadiss: Nova's right-hand man. He's the one who shot down Princess Elfas, but his true intentions are unknown.

Supporting Characters

Princess Elfas: The princess of Elfas, she was almost killed by Gadiss in the chase at the beginning of the game. Rescued by Radd and Darus, she helps them a lot during the game.

Conclusion: This is a great game that was sadly overlooked. This has it all: graphics, story, music, and fun. If you can find it, do not pass it up.

Community review by DrCasey (October 11, 2008) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.