Magic Knight Rayearth

It's been a long wait, but finally, Magic Knight Rayearth--the last Saturn game--is here. So was it worth the wait? Well, yes--but I'm not entirely satisfied. Let me explain. First of all, the Japanese version of Rayearth was unique for having tons of voice throughout the game at nearly every key story bit. Unfortunately, 95 percent of it is gone, replaced by an option to have the characters "speak" their diary entries at the sub-screen. This is a waste. Yeah, it's cute at times, but only after playing through both the Japanese and then the U.S. versions of Rayearth did I realize how badly I missed the voices. Much of the drama, especially later at crucial parts of the game, is gone because of the omission of the voices. Speaking of voices--the quality of the voice acting in Rayearth is not up to par with WD's usual high standards. They range from weak (the main girl, Precia) to just plain terrible (Zagat, Clef, Alcione). Anyway, now the good stuff. Rayearth has one of the best stories of any action/RPG I've played, and the beautiful graphics create an enchanting atmosphere that just begs to be experienced. The anime cutscenes are nice too, and the gameplay (most important) is excellent, though the game is definitely short. Minor gripes aside (ana yes, they are minor), I really enjoyed Rayearth. Be sure to check it out.

The sprite-based graphics in this action/RPG are among the most amazing I've seen on the Saturn. Everything from the characters to the terrain is amazingly crisp, colorful, detailed and just plain beautiful. Otherwise. MKR is an ultra-cutesy, anime-heavy game, and at times the story and characters are too sickeningty sweet for my tastes, while the entire quest is a bit short and easy. Still, it's a fun little game that packs hilarious dialogue.

So Magic Knight Rayearth is the last U.S. Saturn game? Oh well, at least the system is ending on a fairly good note. MKR has some of the best 2D graphics in an RPG I've seen so far, and the story is quite interesting--although most of the dialogue in the game is slightly cheesy. Still, the game is a lot of fun to play. The main problems are how short and easy the game is. 1 don't mean it's a breeze, but it's not very difficult either.

I'm certainly gonna miss the little Saturn, particularly because of all the great Capcom fighter conversions. But at least Magic Knight Rayearth is a great way for the "2D system that could" to go out. It's got some of the most beautiful 2D graphics I've ever seen, and the game itself is pretty darn good too, if not a bit on the easy side. It only took me about two days to beat, but I really enjoyed the time spent. Weak voices, though.