Shining in the Darkness

[Baloo]

This is one of those games I've always liked, but in a wierd way. I used to never like going into the Dungeons when I first played this game, I always loved talking to the people and hanging out in the tavern instead. I'd be like Lobo, a warrior but I prefer to stick it out in the tavern myself.

Then when I actually decided to try and play through the game, I decided to print out a couple of maps, and I ended up beating up to the four Caves, Strength, Wisdom, Courage, and Truth. Don't think I got really that far past that point though (the game was really hard even with the maps, some of those enemies were ridiculous). It went back on the shelf for some reason.

One of my favorite parts was the whole decor of the game, like others said. It's not very long of an RPG, but it's REALLY fun and hard. I love how the story was realistic in a sense that it's not a truly fantasy unbelievable quest. I can see an old legend being like that, saving the small kingdom of Thornwood.

Then I decided to sell it and now I wish I still had this game so I could talk to the people in the Tavern again . One of these days I'm going to buy it, just so it can look pretty and CIB on my shelf

[runback22]

To me, this is probably the most charming genesis game ever. The town music is addicting and the graphics just had this amazing charm to them. This is my favorite game that I never really liked. I just couldnt get into the dungeon play but this game was too gorgeous to pass up.....

[Baloo]

Revisiting this one!Just picked it up on Steam as part of one of those Genesis bundles. When I last owned this game I got decently far with maps from GameFAQs, maybe up to the 2nd level of the dungeon? (Far enough to see the plot twist, that I know) before the game just got really difficult and I lost interest. Giving another crack at it because, well I would like to try and accomplish beating this game.

An all-time favorite RPG of mine though, even if there is no map system.

[MaxWar]

There is a map system actually. Its a spell though, so you do not have it in the start. Hence it costs mana to see the map.
There is an item that does the trick too. Don't remember how its called.

[Black_Tiger]

I like to wait to play through SitD until I've forgotten the details and then map everything out on graph paper.

[goldenband]

I enjoyed Shining in the Darkness quite a lot, but I think deciding to map it out by hand, on graph paper, was crucial to that enjoyment. If I'd tried to beat it without making maps, it would've been an exercise in frustration and confusion. Plus you need to spot the places where stuff is hidden, and the map spell is too zoomed-in to really do the trick.

I honestly don't know how people play first-person dungeon crawlers without either (a) making a map, (b) having in-game automapping, or (c) using a strategy guide that provides maps. I find it way too easy to forget where I am, which way I'm pointed, or where I'm going, since everything looks the same in most FPDCs. Hell, I often map out third-person RPGs -- I know I did for parts of Beggar Prince, Star Odyssey, Super Hydlide, and Faery Tale Adventure.

Hand-drawn maps are a kind of ritual, really -- time-consuming but somehow rewarding to do. Same goes for text adventures, BTW; my fiancée and I play those together, and she'll draw the maps while I input commands. Some text adventures have really weird, non-linear topography, so you pretty much have to map it out or you'll get hopelessly confused.

[MaxWar]

I actually find a kind of masochistic enjoyment in getting through these things without maps.

Yesterday I was playing DnD warriors of the eternal sun, and went through the entire Azcan cave using only the Compass. I had done it with the map on the way in, to get all treasures. But after defeating the Azcans in their temple I went back through the cave with no map. ( I remembered the general direction of the exit )

[sayewonn]

I only got to play this briefly back in the day. I had a friend who wasn't good at the game so he let me borrow it and when I showed him how far I made it in about 3 days he got mad and took it back. At some point I'd like to revisit this with maps in hand this time as I enjoyed the little I played of it.

[JumpingRyle]

Great game. Fun facts: Milo and Pyra are known as Bilbo the Hobbit and Merlin the Magician in the Japanese version. I wonder where they got those names from...

Dying in this game isn't such a problem because you end up back at the church with all of your experience and items. But you do lose half of your gold. It could be a lot less forgiving, though.

I like the decision not to include an auto-map in this game. They could have, since it was already programmed for the spell and the item that show a snippet of the map, but chose not to because it would make the game too easy.

[tryphon]

I have heard recently that the main villain in the japanese version was not Dark Sol but Mephisto, his son.

Do you know any other game for MD with a 3D view of a dungeon, which would be technically more impressive (full screen, or smoother) ? I'm making researches on the subject, for an hypothetically project.

[JumpingRyle]

I don't think so. The other dungeon crawlers that I know of are D&D: Warriors of the Eternal Sun, Might and Magic II, and Madou Monogatari (the last game released for the MD in Japan). D&D and Madou Monogatari both have small windows. M&MII has a bigger window but there is no transition animation as you move from square to square.

Yes, Mephisto is the villian.

[Benjamin]

I like the decision not to include an auto-map in this game. They could have, since it was already programmed for the spell and the item that show a snippet of the map, but chose not to because it would make the game too easy.

This is my chief complaint about Shining the Holy Ark. Auto-maps ruin a dungeon crawler.

[tryphon]

I don't think so. The other dungeon crawlers that I know of are D&D: Warriors of the Eternal Sun, Might and Magic II, and Madou Monogatari (the last game released for the MD in Japan). D&D and Madou Monogatari both have small windows. M&MII has a bigger window but there is no transition animation as you move from square to square.

Yes, Mephisto is the villian.

Thanks. I've checked D&D and MM and neither of them is impressive compared to SITD (difficult to understand for MM, which came many years after SITD).

[JumpingRyle]

Madou Monogatari came out in 1989 or so for the MSX. The 1996 MD version was a port/remake.

[tryphon]

I understand better then.