1. Youtube Romancing Saga Minstrel Song Ost
2. Romancing Saga Wiki

Free Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Original Soundtrack soundtracks, Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Original Soundtrack MP3 downloads. Browse our great selection of Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Original Soundtrack music. Unlimitted free downloads of your favourite Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Original Soundtrack albums. Released in Japan as Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song, this PS2 title is a remake of the original Romancing SaGa released exclusively in Japan for Super Famicom over a decade ago. What was presented to Japanese gamers as a remake is being presented to us as a completely new title to the expansive SaGa series.

SaGa (サガ) is a series of science fiction open worldrole-playing video games formerly developed by Square, and is currently owned by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to the PlayStation 2. The series is notable for its emphasis on open world exploration, non-linear branching plots, and occasionally unconventional gameplay. This distinguished the series from most of Square's titles. There are currently ten games in the SaGa series, along with several ports and enhanced remakes.

Development[edit]

The SaGa series was created by game designer Akitoshi Kawazu, whose credits prior to the franchise's introduction include Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II. At a time when Nintendo's Game Boy was becoming popular worldwide due to the puzzle game Tetris, then-Square president Masashi Miyamoto requested that a development team create a game for the handheld console. Kawazu and fellow designer Koichi Ishii suggested that the company develop a role-playing video game, thus making Makai Tōshi Sa·Ga, later released in North America as The Final Fantasy Legend, the company's first handheld title.^[1][2] The gameplay was designed to be difficult, described by Kawazu as the main difference between the SaGa and Final Fantasy series.^[3] The character illustrations in all the games in the SaGa series were done by Tomomi Kobayashi,^[4] who has also done the illustrations for the MMORPGGranado Espada.^[5] Although the series has been long-running, as of 2008 none of the ten production teams at Square Enix is assigned to the franchise. Akitoshi Kawazu and Production Team 2 are devoted to the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series.^[6]

Common elements[edit]

The SaGa series emphasizes nonlinear gameplay and open world exploration, with its open-ended branching plot and free style of character development separating it from the more linear Final Fantasy series, which was ahead of its time ^[7] Like the Final Fantasy series, however, the story in each SaGa share little to no continuity to one another.

The SaGa series is also considered a successor to Final Fantasy II, which introduced a more open-ended activity-based progression system that was abandoned by later Final Fantasy games but embraced by Makaitoushi SaGa (Final Fantasy Legend), which expanded it with weapons that shatter with repeated use and added new ideas such as a race of monsters that mutate depending on which fallen foes they consume.^[8]

The early games in the series also feature some common gameplay elements and themes first established in Final Fantasy, such as random enemy encounters, but most of these disappear with the Romancing SaGa games, providing a unique gameplay experience. It also features a similar turn-based battle system, where a character's prowess is driven by numerical values called 'statistics' which, in turn, increase with combat experience. Given the open-ended aspect of gameplay and the ability to play through multiple character scenarios, heavy emphasis is placed upon the replay value of SaGa games.

Since the original Makaitoushi SaGa, much of the series has relied on loosely connected stories and sidequests rather than an epic narrative. Makaitoushi SaGa allowed players to travel through different worlds. Romancing SaGa expanded the open-endedness by offering many choices and allowing players to complete quests in any order, with the decision of whether or not to participate in any particular quest affecting the outcome of the storyline. The game also allowed players to choose from eight different characters, each with their own stories that start in different places and offer different outcomes.^[7]Romancing SaGa thus succeeded in providing a very different experience during each run through the game, something that later non-linear RPGs such as SaGa Frontier and Fable had promised but were unable to live up to.^[9] It also introduced a combo system where up to five party members can perform a combined special attack,^[9] and required characters to pay mentors to teach them abilities, whether it is using certain weapons or certain proficiencies like opening a chest or dismantling a trap.^[7]

While in the original Romancing SaGa, scenarios were changed according to dialogue choices during conversations, Romancing SaGa 2 further expanded the open-endedness by having unique storylines for each character that can change depending on the player's actions, including who is chosen, what is said in conversation, what events have occurred, and who is present in the party.^[10]Romancing SaGa 3 featured a storyline that could be told differently from the perspectives of up to eight different characters and introduced a level-scaling system where the enemies get stronger as the characters do,^[11] a mechanic that was later used in Final Fantasy VIII,^[12]The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Silverfall,^[13]Dragon Age: Origins,^[14]Fallout 3, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.^[15]SaGa Frontier further expanded on the non-linear gameplay of its Romancing SaGa predecessors, with a setting that spans multiple planets and an overarching plot that becomes apparent after playing through each of the different characters' quests that tie together at certain places.^[16]

Games[edit]

Music[edit]

Music in the SaGa series have been composed by a number of people, the most prominent of which is Kenji Ito, who also composed some soundtracks for the Mana series. Nobuo Uematsu, responsible for a large portion of the music of the Final Fantasy series, solely composed The Final Fantasy Legend and co-composed Final Fantasy Legend II with Ito. Ryuji Sasai and Chihiro Fujioka worked on Final Fantasy Legend III together. SaGa Frontier 2 and Unlimited Saga are credited to Masashi Hamauzu.

Reception[edit]

Games in the SaGa series have been popular in Japan, with many of them selling over 1 million units. As of March 2011, the series has sold over 9.9 million units.^[49] In 2006, Famitsu readers voted Romancing SaGa as the 53rd best game of all time, and SaGa 2 as the 94th best game of all time.^[50] Games in the series also received generally positive reviews from Japanese publications such as Famitsu and Dengeki.

However, the series has remained decidedly less popular in North America, many of the games receiving mixed reviews from printed and online publications. It has been suggested that this is due to the series' seemingly experimental gameplay and allowing the player to freely roam with little direction or narrative, atypical of what many North American gamers usually expect from Japanese role-playing games.^[51] In their September 2004 'Overrated/Underrated' article, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine cited the SaGa series as one ruined in the transition to the PlayStation 2, citing primarily Unlimited SaGa.^[52]

See also[edit]

• The Legend of Legacy - a spiritual sequel made by some of the past SaGa staff.
  • The Alliance Alive - a second game made by some of the past SaGa staff.

References[edit]

1. ^'Gpara.com クリエイターズ・ファイル：自分の信念を貫く事で『サガ』を作り出した河津秋敏氏'. Gpara.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
2. ^DeWoody, Lucas (August 15, 2005). 'Trial and Error – The History of Square Vol. 3'. Kombo.com. Retrieved 2009-05-09.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. ^Nutt, Christian (2005-05-26). 'Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song'. GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
4. ^Ciolek, Todd (December 7, 2011). 'Ultracity 2020 – The X Button'. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 8, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
5. ^Winkler, Chris (June 11, 2005). 'Granado Espada Event Held in Tokyo'. RPGFan.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
6. ^Chris Winkler (2003). 'Square Enix Talks Current Status'. RPGFan.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
7. ^ ^abc'Romancing SaGa Review'. IGN. 25 June 2006. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.
8. ^Parish, Jeremy (2009-04-28). '8-Bit Cafe: Game Boy Essentials, 1989 Edition'. 1UP.com. UGO Networks. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
9. ^ ^abPatrick Gann. 'Romancing SaGa'. RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2011-08-13. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
10. ^IGN staff (February 18, 1997). 'Square, The Final Frontier'. IGN. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
11. ^Romancing SaGa 3Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine, RPG Fan
12. ^'RPGamer > Staff Retroview > Final Fantasy VIII'. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
13. ^'Community Blog by Shawn Kelfonne // Good Idea/Bad Idea: Level Scaling'. Destructoid. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05.
14. ^James Cullinane – Gameplanet (November 5, 2009). 'Review: Dragon Age: Origins'. Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
15. ^'GameSpy: First Major Details on Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Page 1'. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11.
16. ^Rorshacma, SaGa FrontierArchived 2011-05-10 at the Wayback Machine, Hardcore Gaming 101
17. ^Parish, Jeremy. 'Episode 125 unpacks the enigma of Final Fantasy Legend'. Retronauts. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
18. ^GameSpot:Video Games PC Xbox 360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2 PlayStation 2 GameCube GBA PlayStation 3Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
19. ^'Final Fantasy Legends 2 Set for DS'. IGN. 14 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012.
20. ^'『サガ3時空の覇者 Shadow or Light』あの名作が新生！'. Archived from the original on 2010-09-04.
21. ^Ashcraft, Brian (2008-12-01). 'Dragon Quest IX Playable This Month In Tokyo'. Kotaku.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
22. ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2011-09-08.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
23. ^'Emperors SaGa Finally Comes Out In September, Makes Players An Emperor'. Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2012-08-30.
24. ^Aetas Inc. '「インペリアル サガ」のサービスがスタート。さまざまなアイテムがもらえるログインキャンペーンも開催中'. 4Gamer.net. Archived from the original on 2015-06-24.
25. ^ ^ab'SaGa 2015 announced for PS Vita'. Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2014-12-15.
26. ^Sato (2014-12-14). 'Square Enix Announce Imperial SaGa For PC'. Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-05-02. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
27. ^'SaGa: Scarlet Grace launches for PS Vita in Japan in 2016'. Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2015-09-16.
28. ^ ^abcd'February 2, 2004 – February 4, 2004'(PDF). Square-Enix.com. Archived(PDF) from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
29. ^'Squaresoft'. Famitsu Scores Archive. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
30. ^'The Final Fantasy Legend Reviews'. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2009-03-31. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
31. ^30 Point Plus: Sa・Ga2 秘宝伝説. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.358. Pg.32. 27 October 1995.
32. ^'Final Fantasy Legend II Reviews'. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
33. ^'Google Translate'.
34. ^'Final Fantasy Legend III Reviews'. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2009-04-24. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
35. ^'Google Translate'.
36. ^'ロマンシング サ・ガ2'. Archived from the original on 2014-12-29.
37. ^'The Magic Box – Japan Platinum Chart Games'. The-MagicBox.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
38. ^'ロマンシング サ・ガ3'. Archived from the original on 2014-12-29.
39. ^'サガ フロンティア'. Archived from the original on 2016-05-24.
40. ^'SaGa Frontier Reviews'. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
41. ^'Sony PS1 Japanese Ranking'. Japan-GameCharts.com. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
42. ^Chinn, Marty (2000-06-23). 'Famitsu Top 120 PlayStation games'. Gaming-Age.com. Archived from the original on 2003-11-23. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
43. ^'SaGa Frontier 2 Reviews'. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
44. ^ ^ab'Sony PS2 Japanese Ranking'. Japan-GameCharts.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-16. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
45. ^Winkler, Chris (December 11, 2002). 'Famitsu Rates Zelda: The Wind Waker and Unlimited SaGa'. RPGFan. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
46. ^'Unlimited Saga Reviews'. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
47. ^'2005's Famitsu Scores Archive'. Famitsu Scores Archive. Archived from the original on 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
48. ^'Romancing SaGa Reviews'. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
49. ^'Businesses – Square Enix Holdings'. 2011-03-31. Archived from the original on 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
50. ^'Japan Votes on All Time Top 100'. Edge Online. 2006-03-03. Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
51. ^Rorshacma. 'Hardcore Gaming 101: SaGa'. Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
52. ^OPM staff (September 2004). 'Overrated/Underrated' (SWF transcriptArchived 2008-12-19 at the Wayback Machine). Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine

External links[edit]

• SaGa 20th Anniversary website(in Japanese)
• The SaGa Universe at MobyGames

Romancing SaGa (ロマンシング サ・ガRomanshingu Sa・Ga) is a role-playing video game originally developed and published by Square as the fourth game of their SaGa series. The game was designed by Akitoshi Kawazu who had served as head developer for the previous SaGa titles, with fellow series veteran Kenji Ito providing the game's soundtrack. Set in the fictional world of Mardias, Romancing SaGa allows players to assume the role of one of eight main characters who must journey across the world to prevent the resurrection of an evil god named Saruin who was sealed away a millennium previous.

Initially made available in January 1992 for the Super Famicom, the game was later ported to the WonderSwan Color handheld system in December 2002, with both releases being exclusive to Japanese players. An enhanced remake of the title for the PlayStation 2 called Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song (ロマンシング サガ -ミンストレルソング-Romanshingu Sa Ga -Minsutoreru Songu-) was released in April 2005 in Japan, and in English for the first time in North America the following October simply under the title Romancing SaGa. In 2009, the original Super Famicom version was ported to mobile phones in Japan.

The Super Famicom version has been released on the Wii, Wii U and New 3DSVirtual Consoles in Japan. The PlayStation 2 version was released as a PS2 Classic for PlayStation 3 in Japan.

The original Super Famicom version sold over a million copies worldwide and was voted by readers of Japanese Famitsu magazine as the 53rd greatest game of all time in a 2006 poll. Conversely, the PlayStation 2 remake received largely mixed to average reviews in North America due to the game's high difficulty, steep learning curve, and questionable character designs.

• 1Gameplay
• 2Plot
• 3Development
• 4Reception

Gameplay[edit]

Romancing SaGa is a traditional role-playing video game set in a fantasy world where players must navigate their characters through towns, dungeons, and other environments while taking part in the game's story by interacting with non-player characters. At the start of the game, the player is given the option of assuming the role of one of eight main characters, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and starting points throughout the game's world. In addition, the player must select the profession of the character's parents from a list of eight choices each, which go towards determining their strengths. As a staple of the SaGa series, both gameplay and story are largely open-ended, giving the player the ability to play through scenarios in a number of different orders, with some areas and portions of the narrative only becoming available once they have spoken to specific characters or performed certain tasks. By completing story objectives and meeting new characters, the player is brought closer to the game's end, leading to the final confrontation where they must use all of their acquired skills to succeed.

While traveling through dangerous environments, the player's party can do battle with enemy monsters which roam around the screen and will enter combat when touched. Using a turn-based approach to combat, battle scenes are played out by having the player input commands for each individual party member at the start of each round, with the selected actions taking place in accordance with a character's 'speed' statistic. A player may choose to attack an enemy, use a special weapon skill, cast a magic spell, defend themselves, or flee from battle entirely. Parties can consist of up to five characters that the player will recruit automatically as part of the story, or after they have completed certain story scenarios. As characters take part in more battle, they will randomly learn new weapon skills by attacking normally, as well as randomly gain increased statistics at the end of every few battles, thereby becoming stronger. All characters may become equipped with up to two different kinds of weapons, as well as become outfitted in protective gear that increases their defense against attacks.

PlayStation 2 version[edit]

While the core gameplay of the PlayStation 2 version of Romancing SaGa remains the same as the original, the game is now presented using full three-dimensional graphics instead of two dimensional environments and character sprites. The eight original characters return, they may now assume the role of 38 different classes themselves, which give access to differing statistics and special abilities. In addition, the current weapons held by a character now determine which of their randomly increased stats will have a greater chance of increasing after battle. Combat has been expanded to include a new 'Spell Synthesis' system, where specific magics can be fused together to create a modified version of a spell with greater power, or even create a new spell altogether. Additional story scenarios and areas have been added for the remake, including a new script and expanded narrative with new content. Characters were re-designed as well, this time by Yusuke Naora (who had previously worked on Unlimited SaGa) instead of Tomomi Kobayashi who was responsible for the character design of the original Super Famicom game.

Plot[edit]

Romancing SaGa is set in the fictional world of Mardias, which was created by the God Marda. Long ago, war raged between three wicked gods, Death, Saruin, and Schirach, and the lord of all gods, Elore. At the end of that long conflict, Death and Schirach were stripped of their powers, and Saruin was imprisoned through the might of the ten Fatestones and the hero Mirsa's ultimate sacrifice. A millennium had passed, and the Fatestones were scattered throughout Mardias. All this time the powers of evil festered, bent on releasing Saruin from his prison.

Characters[edit]

All eight main characters grew up in different places, have different backgrounds, and are journeying for different reasons. While playing one of these characters, the player might run into some of the other seven as they adventure across Mardias and learn more about their stories. Beside the eight main characters, there are a number of recruitable characters, ranging from anonymous soldiers to major players in the game's plot and sub-plots. Such characters are mostly found in pubs, although a few can join the player during specific quests.The eight characters include:

• Albert (アルベルトAruberuto), an 18-year-old frontier guard, son of Lord Rudolf of Rosalia, master of Isthmus Keep. He is voiced by Yuu Urata in Japanese and Yuri Lowenthal in English.
• Aisha (アイシャAisha) is a 16-year-old herbologist, member of the Taralian tribe, and a carefree tomboy. She is voiced by Yumiko Kobayashi in Japanese and Carrie Savage in English.
• Gray (グレイGurei) is a 24-year-old accomplished swordsman who travels the world for love of treasure. He is voiced by Isshin Chiba in Japanese and Josh Phillips in English.
• Claudia (クローディアKurōdia) is a 22-year-old ranger that was raised by the witch Eule. She lives in Mazewood, and has a strong connection to Melvir royalty. She is voiced by Yuko Minaguchi in Japanese and Karen Strassman in English.
• Jamil (ジャミルJamiru) is a 20-year-old thief from South Estamir, voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino in Japanese and Ted Sroka in English.
• Sif (シフShifu) is a 28-year-old proud warrior that lives in the icy region of Valhalland. She is voiced by Mika Doi in Japanese and Megan Hollingshead in English.
• Hawke (ホークHōku) is a 30-year-old pirate with a rivalry with the pirate known only as the Butcher. He is voiced by Unshou Ishizuka in Japanese and Gerald C. Rivers in English.
• Barbara (バーバラBābara), a 26-year-old beautiful dancer, part of a traveling troupe. She is voiced by Emi Shinohara in Japanese.

Development[edit]

WonderSwan Color port[edit]

In September 2000, Square announced it had begun development on an enhanced version of Romancing SaGa for the BandaiWonderSwan Color handheld system.^[5] According to the company, some of the original Super Famicom version's planned material was unable to be added during its original release due to memory restrictions, and that the new hardware would allow for a more 'complete' version of the game.^[6] The newly added material includes an additional story scenario, as well as a side-quest that allows the player to gather all ten 'Destiny Stone' items where previously only a few were accessible.^[6] While gameplay and audio are identical to the original release, the game's graphics were enhanced to accommodate the system's larger color palette.^[5] The game was later released in Japan on December 20, 2001.^[2]

PlayStation 2 version[edit]

In a September 2004 issue of Japanese magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump, it was announced that Square, now Square Enix, would produce a full remake of Romancing SaGa for the PlayStation 2 that would take full advantage of the system and bring the game into the new console generation.^[7] During a panel at the 2004 Tokyo Game Show, Kawazu described the purpose of the remake as 'a functional compilation of the whole SaGa series' that would combine elements from previous SaGa titles into one definitive game, including the 'Sketch Motion' art style of Unlimited Saga and the ability to learn to skills in mid-battle first introduced in Romancing SaGa 2.^[8] The game, titled Romancing SaGa -Ministrel Song- in Japan, features new, fully three-dimensional graphics, additional story elements, and a completely arranged soundtrack by original composer Kenji Ito, now joined by Tsuyoshi Sekito and Kenichiro Fukui.^[9][10] Square Enix hired singer-songwriter Masayoshi Yamazaki to perform the game's theme song 'Minuet', which was also released as a single in April 2005 in Japan by Universal Music.^[11] Voice acting is an additional new feature to the PlayStation 2 version, with spoken dialogue occurring during battles or certain story sequences.^[12] As a pre-order bonus for customers who reserved the game in Japan, Romancing SaGa was included with a compilation soundtrack featuring battle themes from previous SaGa titles called Kenji Ito × SaGa Battle Music Collection +.^[13]

During the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Square Enix announced that the game would be released in English for the first time under its original title as part of the company's effort to promote more dynamic content from their major franchises.^[14] A playable demo was made available at the same event featuring an early version of the English release, as well as the company solidifying the title's release the following October.^[15] The North American version features English voice work in place of the original Japanese, though the actors were officially uncredited.^[16]

Reception[edit]

Youtube Romancing Saga Minstrel Song Ost

Super Famicom version[edit]

The Super Famicom version of Romancing SaGa was a commercial success in Japan, selling over 1.3 million copies worldwide since its release in 1992, as of 2004.^[27]Famitsu magazine's panel of four reviewers gave it an overall score of 31 out of 40.^[20] In March 2006, readers of Famitsu voted it the 53rd best video game of all time as part of the magazine's 'All Time Top 100' poll.^[26]

PlayStation 2 version[edit]

The PlayStation 2 remake sold in excess of 450,000 copies during 2005 in Japan,^[28] and was the top-selling game in that country between the weeks of May 2 and May 26, 2005.^[29][30] The game sold enough copies to qualify for Sony's Ultimate Hits label, and was re-released in May 2006 at a budget price.^[31]Minstrel's Song was well received in Japan. It was given a score of 32 out of 40 by Famitsu Weekly magazine.^[21]Dengeki PlayStation awarded the game an average score of 87.5 out of 100, based on four review scores, one of which was 95 out of 100 while the other three were 85 out of 100.

Romancing Saga Wiki

Romancing SaGa's English release was met with a mild response from critics, who gave the game a mostly mixed reception. The game maintains a 63% average score from aggregate review website GameRankings,^[17] and an average of 58 out of 100 from Metacritic.^[18] Among the more average English reviews, Game Informer reviewer panned the game's 'outdated' and 'abominable' graphics and shallow gameplay, calling it 'barely even a game' and the 'saddest Cinderella story of the year ... [I] haven't felt this sorry for a game in a long time.'^[22]GamePro echoed their sentiment, calling the graphics only 'moderately pretty' but praising the game's overall art style.^[23] The magazine would ultimately declare it 'a convoluted and cumbersome RPG that can barely sustain the weight of its bloated and poorly developed story.'^[23]IGN felt that the game would be enjoyable for fans of the series who were used to the games' open-ended direction and 'countless hours of gameplay', but other players may lose interest due to lack of a unifying story or character development.^[16]GameSpot additionally felt that there was 'no persistent story to keep you playing' coupled with 'odd character designs' and a 'convoluted battle system' that may alienate players who were not used to it.^[24] Despite problems with the title's gameplay and presentation, the website would find the game's music to be 'excellent' and 'the best part of Romancing SaGa.'^[24]1UP.com felt that the game would lack appeal to a casual role-playing gamer, but would 'please those gamers who want a very long game' and favored exploration and freedom over a tightly-defined story.^[19]

Among the more positive English reviews, RPGFan praised the game's open-ended gameplay, recommending it to players who are either 'sick of Final Fantasy and its many clones' or are 'willing to try something new, interesting, and well-executed,' concluding the review by giving 'Romancing SaGa a well-deserved 87%, and I will stand by this score even as other reviewers bash this game and throw it to the curb.' RPGamer also praised the open-ended gameplay, but noted that it 'will not appeal to everyone,' noting that gamers 'who are able to look past the series' history and give the game a chance may be rewarded with a uniquely engrossing adventure with a style all its own and replay value that is unlimited.' Among print publications, Hyper PlayStation magazine gave the game a score of 8.5 out of 10 and JIVE Magazine gave it 3.5 out of 5.^{[citation needed]}

Merchandise[edit]

An Ultimania guide was published in Japan for the PlayStation 2 version of the game. It includes A Bard's Tale, a 31-page novella written by Benny Matsuyama.

References[edit]

1. ^船津稔 (September 24, 2004). 'スクウェア・エニックス、「BUSINESS CONFERENCE」開催 - ニンテンドーDS「エッグモンスターHERO」など多数の新作を怒濤の発表'. Game Watch. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
2. ^ ^abWitham, Joseph (November 23, 2001). 'Romancing SaGa WonderSwan Color Release Date Set'. RPGamer.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
3. ^Adams, David (October 13, 2005). 'Romancing SaGa Ventures into Stores'. IGN. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
4. ^Niizumi, Hirohiko (February 7, 2005). 'Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song dated for Japan'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
5. ^ ^ab'First Look: Romancing SaGa for the WSC'. GameSpot. 2000-09-08. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
6. ^ ^abWitham, Joseph (November 5, 2001). 'Romancing SaGa WonderSwan Color Details'. RPGamer. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
7. ^Stone, Courtney (2004-09-17). 'Square Enix Announces Romancing SaGa Remake'. RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2009-06-21. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
8. ^Hindman, Heath (2004-10-07). 'Much Singing of Minstrel Song Details'. RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
9. ^Ezaki, Kahori & McCawley, James (2005). 'Kenji Ito and SQUARE-ENIX talk to CocoeBiz - Inside ~Romancing Saga -Mistrel Song- ~Special (Part 1)'. Cocoebiz.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
10. ^Strange, Derek (2005-08-21). 'RPGFan Soundtrack - Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- OST'. RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
11. ^Gann, Patrick (2005-04-13). 'RPGFan Soundtracks - Minuet'. RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2009-06-06. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
12. ^Niizuki, Hirohito (2005-04-07). 'Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song dated for Japan'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
13. ^Gann, Patrick (2005-04-13). 'RPGFan Soundtracks - Kenji Ito × SaGa Battle Music Collection +'. RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2005-11-23. Retrieved 2005-08-21.
14. ^Hindman, Heath (2005-04-25). 'Square Enix Lifts E3 Curtain, People Say, 'Ooo''. RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2005-08-31. Retrieved 2005-08-21.
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External links[edit]

• Official Japanese PlayStation 2 version website(in Japanese)
• Official Super Famicom version info page(in Japanese)
• Official WonderSwan version info page(in Japanese)
• Official Mobile Phone version website(in Japanese)