Article

What Is It?
Long before anybody had ever heard of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Shining in the Darkness was the go-to first-person role-playing game. Shining in the Darkness was the beginning of Sega's long-running "Shining" role-playing series, a franchise that also featured Shining the Holy Ark, Shining Force and Shining Wisdom. While this is a fairly typical dungeon crawl, what sets Shining in the Darkness apart from all those other games is the perspective and amazing characters. Although it has a somewhat weak story, there's certainly enough great gameplay here to warrant a trip to Thornwood. If you enjoyed playing through Shining Force a few weeks ago then this purchase is a no-brainer, especially since it will remind you just why the "Shining" series was so celebrated back in the mid-1990s. Shining in the Darkness is not the best role-playing game on the Virtual Console, but it's damn close.

 

Does It Still Hold Up?
Sega has always known how to make a solid role-playing game, and Shining in the Darkness is no exception. If you're not a fan of the traditional Japanese RPGs (slow moving, turn-based affairs) then you will probably get bored by this title, but there's a lot to love about the way Shining in the Darkness looks and feels. Despite some outdated graphics and music, this is one role-playing game that has managed to hold up surprisingly well.

 

Is It Worth The Money?
With recent re-releases of Shining in the Darkness and Shining Force I'm starting to question why Sega has decided to ignore their long-time role-playing fan base. These days Sega has been focusing on action/adventure RPGs that define the word "generic", and instead of giving us a new Phantasy Star sequel they keep dangling these faux-MMO Phantasy Star installments over our heads. Enough is enough, it's time for Sega to go back to the drawing board and start making role-playing games that are as fun and engaging as Shining in the Darkness. Oh, and in case you still wonder if it's worth your money, the answer is an emphatic yes!

 

 

What Is It?
When Sega first introduced Ecco the Dolphin it hit many as a major revolution in game design. At that time in gaming history most titles were based around space shooters, action heroes saving the world, plumbers jumping on mushroom people, and fantasies that were far from final. Ecco the Dolphin was a breath of fresh air, the type of game you rarely saw back in the 1990s. It was a free-roaming adventure game where you played a dolphin on a mission to have his family and friends. Now that game has come to the Xbox Live Arcade, which feels a little out of place when put next to all of the classic arcade and PC ports currently populating the download service. The good news is that Ecco is just as much fun on the Xbox Live Arcade as it was on the Virtual Console; it's still a lengthy adventure full of great graphics and a majestic world to explore. Along with the soothing atmosphere and deliberately slow-paced gameplay, this Xbox Live Arcade Ecco the Dolphin features slightly smoothed out graphics and enhanced sound. You will also get some new achievements, which is just one more incentive for you to play through the entire game.

 

Does It Still Hold Up?
Let's just get this out of the way: Ecco the Dolphin is not for everybody. If you're the type of gamer who can't get enough Gears of War but felt that Rainbow Six Vegas was too slow, then don't even bother spending time with Ecco. If you hate the idea of exploring a world and solving puzzles, then don't buy this game. But if you're the type of person who loved Flashback, Out of this World or even ICO, then Ecco may prove to be an interesting way to waste some time. The story is bare bones (not to be confused with developer Backbone), but there's a simple charm that you don't get from other games on the Xbox 360. The gameplay may be simple, but the adventure is deep (no pun intended) and rewarding.Does It Still Hold Up?

 

Is It Worth The Money?
At five dollars the game is about half the price of what it was on the Virtual Console. You shouldn't buy this game expecting award-winning graphics and sound, but the adventure is long enough to warrant you spending your money on the Microsoft Points. Not everybody is going to love this game, so you might want to give the demo a go before you spend the 400 points it takes to unlock the full game.Is It Worth The Money?

Page 2 of 2