New Shining Force game announced
Posted by Graham. Filed under G, George, News, Nintendo DS. Tagged with Shining Force Feather.
Japanese gaming magazine, Famitsu, has reported some pretty exciting news for all RPG fans out there, a brand new Shining Force title exclusively for the Nintendo DS, Shining Force Feather (interesting name).
 
Famitsu reports that the game will be a Strategy RPG - similar to that of the original (and best) Shining Force titles. However, looking at the screenshots it is clear that the game is not quite the same, as the standard ‘tactical grid’ is no longer present and characters now have their own circles surrounding them.
More details and story information, after the break:
The game takes place 3,000 years following the war between the Shining Force warriors and enemy forces known as the Kyomu. The war is remembered primarily as artifacts.
Players take control of main character Jin, a treasure hunter and wanderer, who searches for artifacts and relics from the war.
On one of his treasure hunts Jin discovers a young lady, Alfeen, who is actually a machine. A left over from the war of 3,000 years ago. She was a backup control unit and was never put to use, (which is why she is still intact). Believing Jin to be her master, she powers up an air ship that was used during the Shining Force times.
The game begins with Jin and Alfeen travelling the world together. Joining them is Jin’s childhood friend, Bail, a centaur.
Here’s a few other things that we know so far:
- Developed by Flight Plan (Summon Night series)Â
- Producer is Sega’s own Yoichi Shimosato (Shining Force III, Exa, and World Destruction)
- Character designs by Pako (Shining Force EXA) and Noiji Ito (Haruhi Suzumiya series)
- Strategy RPG
- Top-down, isometric view
- Turn-based movement while on the field (similar to originals)
- Sideview once battles take place
- Completely 2D
- The battle system will allow players to team up their forces for combination attacks.
I sure hope that this game is a return to form, from the subpar PS2 games of late. Perhaps Sega might be interested in restarting the good old Shining Force games afterall. It would be great to see some Shining Force 3 action on XBLA.Â
The game is 6o% complete as of right now, and has a Spring 2009 release date in Japan. No news if it will be coming out in the west (it had bloody better!).
[Source: Gamekyo and IGN]
[Images from Gamekyo]
[Special Thanks: Ali and Storm! via the forums]
Comments on this article
There have been 14 responses to this article.
Looks similar to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the overworld. I love the battle screens. May need to get myself a DS after all…
psv
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 2:13 pm.
It looks good, better then the PS2 games at least because it is an SRPG… I’m a bit worried about this new movment system with out the grid… But I’m all up for having a bit more control when attacking.
The story better be good too….
Finally, I wish Sega would start making more RPG for consoles… I have no interest in handheld consoles and I think these games would be far better on a home console.
Heres to more GOOD RPGs from Sega, just… On consoles would be nice.
Ryan
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 2:22 pm.
sweet
ratix240sx
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 2:26 pm.
The PS2 games were only bad because of the repetitive soundbites of supporting characters. As a action RPG, it was decent.
kataztrophy
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 5:01 pm.
Every time a new Shining Force game is announced, my heart breaks a little more.
Strategy RPG or no, the series has lost its art design, music, character and charm.
Hand the series back to Camelot, Sega. All you’re doing is rubbing salt into the wound and diluting what used to be a respected franchise.
Resident nEvil
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 5:45 pm.
I don’t think the character design of the old games were that impressive or interesting. Not saying the new ones are any better.
Also I find it funny how people think that it was JUST camelot that worked on past Shining Force games when it wasnt at all… The Producer of SF3 (the best in the series) is the same producer from Sega working on this one.
Beggars can’t be choosers and honestly a new SRPG Shining FORCE is a step in the right direction.
Ryan
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 7:52 pm.
Camelot made Shining Force III. All versions of it.
All of the Shining games before were not just sRPGs. The older games were just better in every way, and now the new games just look like generic Japanese bullshit. At least the old games had a style of their own.
Sega Uranus
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 8:13 pm.
I think we should talk about Sonic Software Planning instead.
This new Shining Force contains realtime battle, nothing to do with the good old turn-based system.
The old SF did not contain huge amound of text, simple interface that was so efficient and now we will have a realtime combat system that will be handled like a 2d-fighting game ?!
ZikZak
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 10:32 pm.
@psy
uh, how did FF tactics pioneer anything with in this genre look wise.shining force predates like long long b4 ff tactics.
BitMaster
Posted September 3rd, 2008 at 11:56 pm.
“Also I find it funny how people think that it was JUST camelot that worked on past Shining Force games when it wasnt at all…”
No, you’re right. Climax also helped on the Mega Drive titles. I’d be happy to see them involved (though that’s just as unlikely), but Camelot proved more than capable of handling the series single-handed on the Saturn, and since their departure, it’s been all downhill - like, “off a cliff” downhill.
(For those who might not know, Camelot was formerly known as Sonic Software Planning.)
I wouldn’t care so much except that there’s no reason these games need to carry the Shining Force name. The art style and music are different, the gameplay is different, there aren’t any original characters or mention of the original storyline.
Golden Sun is the closest thing to a “Shining” game we’ve seen since III. And Motoi Sakuraba is God.
Resident nEvil
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 12:14 am.
@BitMaster… ah… I never used the word ‘pioneer’. I said FFTA and this game look similar.
Back on topic - I don’t think Camelot and Nintendo have a specific contract with each other, do they? I’m thinking back to Shining Force Advance… while the combat and scenarios were the same and fun as ever, the game’s “new” story was utterly horrendous, as was the weird side scenario. Shining Soul also had a disjointed story.
psv
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 7:56 am.
I really loved the PS2 games. I wasn’t really expecting them to be as incredible and amazing as the original Shining Force games, but I thought they were incredibly fun action RPGs with excellent character customization.
Bryan
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 11:35 am.
sheds tear once again no camelot and i hate those
new shining force artist !!!!!!!!!!
dredragoon
Posted September 5th, 2008 at 12:19 pm.
Looks like a NIS game with characters from Tales games…
farmer pancho
Posted September 6th, 2008 at 3:58 pm.