Back in the 16-bit gaming days, the Super Nintendo was the best place for enthralling RPG adventures. One of the lesser-known gems was Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals. While it never got as renowned as Final Fantasy 6 or Chrono Trigger, it was a surprisingly playable game in its own right. Lufia 2 featured tried and true turn-based battles, catchy music, and best of all, fun dungeons with brain-teasing puzzles. Now, Lufia 2 is reborn in a totally different reboot on the Nintendo DS.

Don’t think of Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals as a remake, it’s more of a rethinking and reimagining of the franchise. It’s a totally different game, really. Some elements of the original remain the same. The story is similar; you play as Maxim as you travel around the world searching for warriors to help defeat the evil Sinistrals. You’ll team up with familiar faces like Maxim’s childhood friend Tia, muscle-bound Guy, and beautiful blue-haired warrior Selan. Character designs have changed quite a bit, though, some more than others. And the setting is no longer a medieval style, but has more of a steampunk vibe. The music is the same, which is good because the original had some pretty darn good tunes.

But the biggest change is the gameplay. Gone are the turn-based battles of the original. This Lufia is a 3-D action hack and slash game, similar to Zelda or Ys. You can switch between characters in your party as you battle foes in real time, jumping and evading blows while performing special moves specific to each character.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the emphasis on puzzles. The dungeons in Lufia 2 on the SNES were full of Zelda-style puzzles, and this update is no exception. Lots of block pushing and switch pulling. Plus, each character has his or her own special move for bypassing obstacles and puzzles, like a hookshot. You wouldn’t be at fault for thinking this was a logic puzzle game! Luckily, the problem-solving gameplay is lots of fun, and one of my favorite parts of both the old and new titles. While you still level up with experience points and equip better items, another fun new way you upgrade your stats is akin to a puzzle, too, as you arrange stones on a grid and proper placement leads to all sorts of stat improvements.

A lot of Lufia fans might object to the drastic changes in the DS game, but honestly, I don’t mind them as much. I never was TOO attached to the original characters and storyline anyway. But I did have a few problems with the new game here and there. Play control is pretty good, but for this type of 3-D game, I think an analog stick scheme would’ve worked better. I can’t help but think that this new Lufia title would’ve been better on the PSP, since it plays similarly to another one of my favorite titles on that handheld: Ys Seven.

While the game is entertaining most of the time, there are a couple of annoying sections, like an awful music and rhythm mini-game you must play to catch some thieves in a mine cart. I would’ve also liked to have seen more save points, especially for a handheld game. And I miss not having a world map to explore or capsule pets to take care of. But if you can keep an open mind about the changes, this new Lufia game provides some fun action, great 3-D graphics, and neat, new puzzles to solve.

Although, in a way, I still kind of miss the old Lufia 2. Maybe someday, it can see a release on the Wii Virtual Console. Shoot, if Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest can make it to VC, why the heck not?

Kid Factor:

Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals is rated E-10 for Everyone 10 and up with ESRB descriptors of Fantasy Violence and Mild Language. While you do hit enemies and monsters with swords, hammers, and other weapons, they just disappear in a puff of smoke when defeated. And the language is used very sparingly in the text. Even though there is a surprisingly large amount of voice acting for a handheld game, good reading skill is necessary for all the text and menus.

Tags: Game Reviews