Anyone who has played the Atari ST classic Dungeon Master (or one of the many clones that appeared in its wake) will know full well that first person RPGs can be a hell of a lot of fun. Back when Sega first announced Shining in the Darkness (often called Shining and the Darkness), the words 'Dungeon Master Beater' were paraded around by the specialist press of the era. Indeed, Sega's game did look mightily impressive and was tantalisingly full of promise. Sadly, it wasn't to be.
SitD is a very different beast to Dungeon Master. Combat isn't in 'real time', for starters – enemy encounters are totally random (as in most Japanese RPGs) and you don’t see your foe before the battle begins, meaning you can’t avoid them and therefore the fantastic games of 'cat and mouse' that took place in Dungeon Master are totally absent here.
This proves to be something of a killer blow, as it removes any sense of being in a living, breathing dungeon. Knowing that your next battle is going to occur whatever you do removes any sense of strategy from proceedings, but anyone who has been weaned on J-RPGs in the past will probably have no issue with it.
SitD also lacks the depth and detail of the aforementioned Atari ST classic – you only have access to a smattering of items and for the most part your aim is simply to get from one end of the level to the other. There’s very little interaction with your surroundings. The battle system is also incredibly basic, offering very little in the way of offensive options – but then this was the norm for the early nineties.
Now for the good points – the visuals are lovely. Each enemy is packed with character (if a little sparsely animated) and the 'town' sections of the game are vibrant and attractive. The music is also brilliant, and in terms of packaging SitD is particularly pleasing. It’s for this reason that the game finds a special place in my heart – it may not have the depth of Dungeon Master, but it certainly has a heart and soul all its own. No one can create an RPG like the Japanese.
SitD is best described as a traditional Japanese role-player viewed from a first person viewpoint. It’s certainly not a Dungeon Master beater and is in fact a totally different kind of game. The main quest is pretty challenging and it will offer a fair few days enjoyment – providing you can put up with the annoying random encounters, that is.
As a side note, Sega’s game was outdone by Nintendo developer HAL a short while later – their SNES role playing epic Arcana (released as The Card Master in Japan) stole several ideas from SitD, but did everything so much better. The chances of Arcana seeing a VC release are slim at best, but it’s worth searching out the SNES original if you like this kind of thing.
1. DEMON212
18 Apr 2007, 00:05 GMT
Is that the Dwarf from Golden Axe in that shot?
2. DEMON212
18 Apr 2007, 05:31 GMT
Point and click eh? I wonder if this will be one of the first games to use the Wiimote as a Wiimote. Because an analogue or a d-pad interface on these games suck!
3. David
20 Apr 2007, 02:12 GMT
this was a nice game, remember when i played it way back
4. Dahak
20 Apr 2007, 03:25 GMT
I doubt that you'll be able to use the Wii Remote as a pointing device for this game, as the Genesis didn't use a mouse or light gun for this title. If the SNES version of Eye of the Beholder ever sees VC release, I would think that would make use of it (the original used the SNES mouse).
5. Kelvin
20 Apr 2007, 12:58 GMT
I think that is the dwarf from Golden Axe, actually. Gilius Thunderhead (for that is his name) became something of a minor Sega mascot, making cameo appearances in a few games, including this and Alien Storm.
I'm not a huge fan of this game, as this type of dungeon crawler has been done better on Sega systems with the original Phantasy Star (and it's a crime that we haven't seen that on VC yet), and on multiple platforms with the Eye of the Beholder series. It's good, but there are better games of this type.
6. DEMON212
20 Apr 2007, 17:23 GMT
I forgot he was in Alien Storm as well. That's a shame about the lack of Wii pointing. But you never know, they may edit it.
They never do though. Lylat is screaming for a new control set up. Holding fire and boosting is a nightmare to do. I'd rather have "B" as fire.
7. PresidentLeever
23 Apr 2007, 18:57 GMT
It would be cool to see an update with wii-mote support, as controlling this game with a joypad is very tedious.
8. Kelvin
24 Apr 2007, 10:42 GMT
If they add Wiimote-pointing to VC, that opens the hypothetical door for stuff like Monkey Island and Cannon Fodder, so I'm up for that.
9. UKMF Diablo
24 Apr 2007, 19:58 GMT
Even if they dont have wiimote support i'd love to see those games anyway..!
GUYS listen:- If the vc games that were intended for the light gun, mouse, analouge etc supported the wiimote that would be a bonus - but not essential!
*especially* when playing the game how it was intended to be played. i.e
I played cannon fodder on amiga (with a mouse) but it never stopped me playing (and loving) the megadrive release. used with a D-pad..
10. DEMON212
24 Apr 2007, 21:07 GMT
CANNON FODDER!!!!!! I LOVE THAT GAME!
Sorry, sorry.
I reckon they will, because Duck Hunt will have to use the Wiimote.
11. Kelvin
26 Apr 2007, 14:18 GMT
I never played the console versions of Cannon Fodder, so I don't know how well they controlled, but it's hard to imagine without a mouse. Of course, I'd love to see Amiga support on VC, but I doubt we'll see it.
12. Drake
06 May 2007, 22:17 GMT
The SNES version of Cannon Fodder played fine without a mouse.
13. SKTTR
13 Aug 2007, 15:26 GMT
The SNES version of Cannon Fodder can be played fine with a mouse
Specifically with the SNES mouse that comes with Mario Paint.
And now that Shining in the Darkness is out, let the discussion begin.
This seems more like an advanced dungeon crawler. And I like those games.
14. michinmuri
13 Aug 2007, 16:40 GMT
This was a decent game. Typical RPG stuff. And I had Cannor Fodder on the Jaguar. I was way better than the SNES one, but both are still good.
15. dk_xcalibur
13 Aug 2007, 17:07 GMT
This is not that great unless you like dungeon crawlers. Do not download.
16. Stephen M
13 Aug 2007, 18:18 GMT
This remains a classic RPG. Its tuff and will last you ages. Dont pass it by !
17. PresidentLeever
13 Aug 2007, 22:21 GMT
Cannon Fodder on console played OK, but it was impossible to beat the game:P
18. flappo
24 Aug 2007, 08:34 GMT
this is the main reason i bought a wii
if it doesn't come out in the uk , i'm selling the thing
19. Bell
25 Aug 2007, 00:27 GMT
Yay Flappo! I'm with you! One of the reasons I bought the Wii was the VC... and hoping SitD would come out on it.
20. Wolf
03 Sep 2007, 17:53 GMT
who HASN'T been weened on J-RPGs lol? i remember owning this game but I don't remember much of it. It's definitely not for everybody though.
I just played it a little bit and it's a really enjoyable game. Having the enemies pop up "randomly" isn't really a problem in this game since it's a dark dungeon you can sort of see how they just appear. It's fun and the cartoony drawings really work well. Just look for a map online somewhere cuz there's no in-game map. That's a problem for me.
21. Patrick
06 Sep 2007, 10:40 GMT
Actually, you get a "vision" spell that allows you to access the in-game map, but having a map from Gamefaqs or someplace helps a bunch.
Excellent game, definitely holds up well on the Wii.
22. Jimbo
07 Sep 2007, 16:43 GMT
Oh please.......Arcana better than SitD. Not a chance!?!?!?!
23. Damo
07 Sep 2007, 16:46 GMT
Jimbo - does the truth hurt, my friend?
24. GFrag
07 Sep 2007, 16:53 GMT
I once bought this game on the cheap as an ex-rental, and back then, I... didn't really like it that much. I got lost BADLY in the "first trial" part of the dungeon (where you have to find some altar), and overall wrote it off as a terrible game.
It wasn't until recently that I found that dusty old cartridge again in an old moving box, plugged it in my Megadrive, and went on where I left off. With my additional built up skill over the years (particularly in mapmaking), it wasn't long until I finished the dungeon I was stuck at for so long, in a cinch. I continued playing, and right now I'm at the third "trial". I sorta stopped playing it again nowadays, but I do intend to finish it eventually. =P
I wouldn't reccomend this game to RPG newbies, and if you DO download it, it's VITAL to keep a few sheets of graph paper handy for mapping purposes (or look for 'em on the Internet, ya cheater. ;D )
25. virtybunny
11 Sep 2007, 01:13 GMT
Real nice dungeon crawler with nice graphics. I remember really enjoying it but I don't think I finished it. A bit too hard I guess.
26. Billytech
16 Oct 2007, 20:34 GMT
I played this on the original Sega Genesis, For the time I played it...I really enjoyed it. If you like the early days of RPG's, you'll like this alot.
27. Sharecrow
04 Dec 2007, 16:39 GMT
I really enjoyed this game back in the day. I don't think I'll be downloading it now, though, if only because I've already beat it many times. I never did play Arcana though...should probably check it out.
28. Outrunner
19 Oct 2008, 21:33 GMT
Is this as good as Shining the Holy Ark?
29. Corbie
24 Oct 2008, 05:55 GMT
I don't think it's nearly as good as Shining the Holy Ark. That's just my opinion though.
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