An Average RPG - Defenders of Oasis for Sega Game Gear | hungrygoriya

[@garou1911]

"When in doubt, talk to everyone several times" would later become textbook RPG design

[@hungrygoriya]

Totally! There was definitely no sequence breaking allowed in this one.

[@remka2000]

A long time ago I use to buy pc engine games (they were distributed in France, where I grew up, but the games were not translated and we usually had a couple of photocopied pages as a manual), this was pretty much what I did. It was all Japanese texts, this was before internet, and the only game I could buy for a long long time. So yeah, talk to everyone, several times, unlock “something”, progress, etc.

[@PKInTheUniverse]

I have this game on my 2DS, I really miss the 3DS eshop , it was the only place to buy legit digital game gear games . I first heard about this game from Daria’s video . I like her video but you took this to a whole other level. The amount of detail you put into this video is impeccable and I love when you talk about the issues with the game gear battery, that was a nice touch. It’s good for what it is and what system it’s on. I really need to go back and play this. Excellent video !

[@borrellipatrick]

Only game gear games i played back when it was new was sonic. So was happy with the 3ds getting games from the system. Was nice to play games i never played before. Would love some games for a collection for switch or added to switch online

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh I hope you get around to trying it out some day! The 3DS eshop sounds like it was beloved by a lot of people. It's so sad to see those things coming to pass now. I'm genuinely surprised that Nintendo hasn't gone ahead and released more of its library in different ways for people who clearly want to be able to access these old games. It's a real shame! And thank you so very much for your kindness! I think I watched Daria's video ages ago by this point and also learned about this game from her. I miss her videos a lot! It was actually in talking with my husband about his experience growing up with the Game Gear and how many batteries he used playing Sonic in the car on vacation that brought those bits to the review. It's so true! I'm glad that I didn't have to worry about losing power while playing.

[@childofcascadia]

@PKInTheUniverse Thats what gets me. Its like "downloading old out of print roms is piracy. But we arent going to give you a legit way to buy them unless you want to pay stupid amounts of money for an original copy and own a system that can play the game." Id rather not mess around with old roms. But for a lot of games I like theres no other options.

[@Cuprite1024]

​@@childofcascadiaOn top of that, it's not like they'd even get any money from those overpriced second-hand copies. Granted, this is a Game Gear game, so they wouldn't even if they did get money from second-hand copies, but the point still stands.

[@jasonrustmann7535]

Losing those eshops really hurt game preservation as a whole. It's really fortunate the Completionist managed to save all the games on them! But still, there needs to be more solutions in place to save old games.

[@KairuHakubi]

Arabian-flavored fantasy worlds are always great. And using Ahriman as the villain is icing on the cake. Japan always just seems to have a lot of fun with the setting. Even in manga you'll periodically see "we drew everyone in robes and turbans, for fun!" interstitial art.

[@hungrygoriya]

I do wish there were more adventures set in that type of fantasy land.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

I also love Arabian-set adventure games. Maybe it's because I'm part Arab but regardless, I have found a few. The XZR/Exile series, Al Qadim: The Genie's Curse, Arabian Nights, Beyond Oasis and Legend Of Oasis, (not related to this game) The Magic of Scheherazade, Equinox, Solstice, and Arabian Magic all exist on the RPG spectrum. I'm sure I'm missing a few but most of those are pretty good. I've not played Al Qadim and the Exile series is not my favorite thing ever but they're not bad and you might enjoy them. And Arabian Magic is a rare example of an arcade RPG so that's fun

[@squelchotron8259]

@@hezekiahramirez6965 Quest For Glory 2, a hybrid RPG/adventure game for the PC, had a cool arabian fantasy setting. Definitely an underused setting.

[@RekkaAlexiel]

Thank you for covering this game. This was an absolute staple in my childhood RPG adventure, so it was really nice to sort of reexperience the game while watching this. The last trek to the end will always remain forever burned into my memory along with the music...

[@hungrygoriya]

it's awesome that you had this one growing up! I wish I could've played it as a kid too.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

This was my favorite Game Gear game as a kid. I always wished I had more RPGs for the Game Gear for road trips, mainly. I had plenty for my Game Boy but I wanted to play with the backlit screen. I had the adapter and headphones but I didn't get more Game Gear RPGs for a long time. The soundtrack is amazing, you're right. It's my favorite 8-bit soundtrack by far

[@gaetan4164]

That is so cool, I had never heard of this. I absolutely love the colours of the SMS/GG. I wish there had been more RPGs for those.

[@hungrygoriya]

They're both such bright and colourful systems. I agree! I know there are a few Japan-only RPGs, but not too many.

[@pretzelthedude]

I didn't get to play this on the GG, but did snag it as a digital download on the 3DS shop. Honestly, sounds like you felt exactly how I did playing this. Liked the music and story, graphics were great, battles were bland and way too often, etc. Genie should have been WAY more op IMHO. The equipment would have been a nightmare if I hadn't looked up full walkthroughs on the game that had stats listed for everything. BIG shout out to people on Gamefaqs and such for taking the time to write those things! You're also not kidding, that game was VERY unforgiving, I was in panic a LOT in dungeons. I ended up spending weeks grinding levels anytime I was somewhere I had to just sit and wait like dr appts or the laundromat, probably the only reason I was able to finish the game without an over abundance of issues. Thanks again for yet another trip down memory lane. I always look forward to your videos. More so since, unlike so many other creators that are hell bent on getting vids out daily, you take awhile, make honest content, and the wait and build up waiting always make them a special occasion for someone like me. Stay awesome and game on! Edit: I was reading some comments and some thoughts: 1) your hubby is an absolute chad! Hug him daily! 2) I appreciate that you play some of the less experienced games, that's a lot of what I was into in those days so it's always wonderful to see a fresh perspective on the games that made my youth so awesome. That said, have you ever managed to score a copy of "Ghost Lion" for NES? I found out about it way too late sadly and never got to try it, but was told it was vaguely 'Dragon Quest' inspired so have always been curious. Ok, I shaddup nao. Rock on!

[@hungrygoriya]

It's cool that you played this one through with a guide. I think I would've really benefitted from knowing what everything did just to save a little extra cash and some grief, but I'm stubborn sometimes. I'm glad you don't mind the wait between videos. I was actually sick for two weeks or so (lost my voice for a while and had/still have a pesky cough) so the idea of recording a video was out of the question! I honestly think it's better to try to do something meaningful and also not put too much pressure on myself as well. When this channel starts feeling like work to me, it won't be fun anymore. Keeping this casual is pretty important to me, even if it doesn't please the mighty algorithm! Patient folks like you really make it worth coming back with a new video, even if it takes me a month to get something together sometimes. And I will pass that praise along to my better half. He's pretty amazing and I am extremely lucky to have him as a partner and a tech support person! And you're in luck: I do have a copy of Ghost Lion, but I haven't had a chance to play through it yet. It does look really intriguing though. It has some pretty atypical RPG conventions in it that I'm really curious about. I'll try to get to it soon! Thanks again for your thoughtful comment here!

[@dennispendry6601]

Another classic review! You put your heart into every video, and it shows.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thanks for saying so! And sorry for the wait on this one. I was sick for a couple of weeks and my voice was wrecked for a bit.

[@g40rc378]

Developers: "Let's not put any Warp or Exit spells or items in our game." HungryGoriya: "But thou must!"

[@hungrygoriya]

Ha! If I could've reloaded from a save or something rather than being perpetually stuck in horrible dungeons, I would've been much happier with no exit spell I suppose!

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

There is an exit spell tho. I think you can use it in dungeons. The Genie learns a spell called Raag. It's been a while since I've played thru it so maybe I misremembered and it's not usable in dungeons but there is a spell to get back to town

[@The_Lord_Baal]

This is probably the most refreshing video I've seen from a retro gaming KZbinr and a while. I'm so glad you covered this game and on real Hardware no less!

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thank you very much! I'm grateful for my modified system. My husband worked some magic to not only install the video out mod, but make it so that I could play it with a Genesis controller too. It made my life a lot easier not having to contend with all those wires. I've been wanting to play Game Gear stuff for a long time.

[@aramschwartz4502]

I never knew about this game, but I'll have to test it out. Thanks Hungry!!

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope you like it!

[@Y9Power]

Yayy! Another awesome video by Hungry Goriya! This game looks very interesting, and a little trippy! I love videogames that are mostly trippy (fantasy). Playing Sea of Stars but will check this out. Good work!😁❤

[@hungrygoriya]

It's definitely a well-rounded RPG with some quirks that held it back a little bit. Enjoy this when you get around to it!

[@PragmatikReviews]

I love the idea that the characters interact with each other! It's fantastic to see that kind of writing. That said, you gotta tell your player who's item belongs to who! This looks like a fun little time though!

[@hungrygoriya]

It's a very nice addition to make this game a little deeper than some others I've played. It's fun enough, no question!

[@sevencastleforest]

Great review. I really enjoyed how your analysis pointed out that the game flow can have a different feel in a portable game, because the player’s time might be limited by battery life etc. Glad you persevered after losing your saves!

[@hungrygoriya]

I had no choice! I can't let a bad battery keep me down! Thanks for your kind words too!

[@himuradrew]

I recently.discovered this channel and I've just subscribed. It's just so nice seeing all these retro reviews especially for RPGs.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@Darkbeatdk]

This was my very first JRPG. I live in a place where English isn’t our native language, so when I grew up with friends who had game consoles, all their games were action or adventure games with very little English, but a friend of mine got a Game Gear at one point and this game by mistake (probably just bought it off the cover). It was right as I was learning English in school and I was blown away how captivating the gameplay and systems was. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized that it largely was a rip-off of Dragon Quest in its design. A few years ago he found his old gamegear and games as he was moving abroad and have them to me. The gamegear screen is shot, but I love that I still have that original game that made me fall in love with an entire genre, today.

[@hungrygoriya]

This would've been an awesome game to start with. I love hearing stories about how games helped people learn English. I never had an experience like that personally, and I find it fascinating! I'm glad you ended up with the Game Gear all those years later. If you know anyone that's handy with a soldering iron, sometimes replacing the capacitors gives a Game Gear new life. There are also new screen replacements available too! My husband opened up our Game Gears and they all had leaky capacitors. He got them all working again, so there's definitely still hope for yours!

[@SpaceCat1111]

"We have Magic of Scheherazade at home." Magic of Scheherazade at home: I kid, I kid. But for real though, the Arabian/Middle Eastern setting and lore/mythology is underutilized in roleplaying settings. Although they managed to somehow create enemies that are a mesmerizing blend of both potato and nightmare fuel, simultaneously. Great vid as always. Thanks for your work. 👍

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks so much for taking the time to watch! I hear ya... I wish there were more games set in this type of fantasy world. The enemies did have a bit of that "potato" feeling. Love that adjective, haha

[@jasonblalock4429]

8:45 Yes! It does save on every step. Which is kind of brilliant and player-friendly for a handheld game. Also, you can totally use the autosave to cheat through the sliding ice puzzles, with good timing. 😉 But yeah, this one really impressed me back in the day. An 8-bit handheld RPG that, at times, almost looked as good as a 16-bit game. And it was SO rare to get a JRPG with such genuinely good writing. Even as a kid, I noticed that the translation and storytelling were much better than normal for the time. It's a shame the combat is kind of bare-bones, but I still consider this one of the hidden gems of the era. (It's odd, though, I don't recall it being that hard. I even replayed it on 3DS a few years ago and I didn't have much trouble.)

[@hungrygoriya]

I hadn't considered resorting to "save stating" with the autosave feature for that stupid ice puzzle... I got stuck there for so long! And I definitely loved the story too. It was laugh out loud funny sometimes! And the serious moments actually felt serious. I wonder if I was underlevelled for the end of the game. I think my party was level 28/29 and maybe I needed to do a bit of level grinding? I definitely feel like I fought a lot of fights since it was my first time playing, but maybe I needed to fight even more of them.

[@matango6133]

Just gotta say, i think you've got the best retro game channel on the platform right now. So much of the field is people flexing collections and talking about rarity/prices. It's refreshing to see someone that just loves playing these old games and drawing some attention to some underappreciated and neglected titles. Your presentation is so calming and relaxing after a rough day too. Thanks for drawing attention to these games and keep up the excellent work. 😊

[@hungrygoriya]

That is extremely kind of you to say. Thank you very much for that! It means a lot to me because I've just tried to make videos on games I really enjoyed or feel need some time to shine. I do have a pretty lovely collection which I try to quietly feature during some videos, but that's simply one step on the way to being able to actually play through games and enjoy them. I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and leave such a thoughtful comment. You made my day!

[@Pepperoni421]

What i love about ur channel is, that u are able to excite people to actually dig into games, that often seem unaccesible by todays standards.

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks! I'm really enjoying sharing my gaming experiences with everyone and finding interesting ways to play these titles as well.

[@americanmeowth3336]

Great vid and thanks for covering this one! I read about this way back in the day in Sega Visions, never got to play it when it came out, but was definitely one of the first ones I sought out when emulation became a thing. Spot-on analysis; it's a fun idea on a system not really known for RPG experiences but it doesn't really do a whole lot to test the limits of the genre.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh nice! I'm happy to hear that you got to play through it eventually! I didn't get the chance to read a lot of gaming magazines growing up, but I can just imagine the hype seeing a cool game like that. I only had one issue of one little magazine called Nintendo Fun that just covered a couple of NES games and gave some tips and tricks for them.

[@travisanderson4067]

Oh wow, this is a blast from the past! I just discovered your channel yesterday through the Star Tropics video, which popped up on my sidebar. (That was also a great trip down nostalgia lane.) I had a Game Gear but only ever had a couple games for it and this was one of them. I remember liking it a lot, but the Game Gear itself was a huge disappointment. The battery life wasn't the only thing that made it less than ideal as a portable. The screen was horribly reflective, so you were pretty limited to where you could play it and still be able to see the screen. I basically could only play in one spot in the living room where I could sit under a lamp and have it plugged in at all times.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's cool that you had this one when you were younger! I never got to try out a Game Gear until I was much older, but I had a Game Boy growing up which also had similar problems with being able to see the games. Thanks for sharing!

[@jayjasespud]

The Game Gear definitely flies under my radar because I never had one nor knew someone that did. There's no nostalgia factor and I don't know its library. This definitely inspired me to give it more of a look, thanks!

[@hungrygoriya]

There are definitely some neat games for it. According to many people in this very comments section, if you're into RPGs, there are lots of great Japanese ones that can be played with an English patch that are worth looking up.

[@OGBuddah]

Awesome review! I do not recall ever seeing anything about this game. I certainly want to give this one a try now. Thank you for the review!

[@hungrygoriya]

I try to cover things that are less talked about most of the time. I hope you like it!

[@mariusamber3237]

Nice, this is one I also managed to beat. I agree, the localization is surprisingly good for the time. Generally, you'd get fairly bad-to-middling translations in many cases back then, but not here. There aren't so many RPGs for the system and most of them are fairly simple, seeing that it's a fairly old handheld RPG. As for other interesting GG games, I liked Moldorian (you definitely need to check the manual for that one though, to learn how to battle); there's also a good SRPG, Royal Stone, with a very interesting narrative.

[@hungrygoriya]

You can't go wrong with a solid translation in these kinds of games. I was glad for it, though there were still a couple of funny lines here and there that made me laugh out loud. Moldorian and Royal Stone eh? I don't recognize those titles so I will assume they're Japanese releases with a fan translation?

[@mariusamber3237]

@@hungrygoriya Yes, they're Japanese releases; Moldorian is very short and definitely easier, but it's quite fun once you get the hang of (kinda ATBish) the battle system; Royal Stone is a sorta sequel to Crystal Warriors, but with a much, much better story and more interesting battles/many additional elements. I believe there were also some Shining Force games on the system, but I haven't played them (and they were remade on Sega-CD with some added stuff).

[@acelyag8594]

For more good Game Gear RPGs, there's Royal Stone, Sylvan Tale, the Madou Monogatari series, the Shining Force trilogy, Moldorian, and Lunar: Sanposuru Gakuen. (Americans got shafted on Game Gear content.) They all have English patched roms if you don't mind the emulation route.

[@SonofSethoitae]

Last Bible Special is great too. And the port of the original Last Bible, if only for the novelty of playing in colour.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you for the suggestions here! I'm certainly not against emulation but have been trying to play my physical games since I bothered to buy them, you know? I do love some good RPGs though, and it's a shame we didn't get more of these hits in North America/English-speaking regions.

[@hungrygoriya]

Good to know! Thank you!

[@meinacco]

Oh boy, the Game Gear. I was absolutely in awe when I first saw a classmate playing it back when I was like 8 or 9. But man, he always had to carry a couple of spare batteries XD Also: "phenomenal cosmic powers" - RIP Robin Williams, great guy

[@hungrygoriya]

The need for batteries would've been real! I spoke with someone recently that said they were playing a Game Gear in the car and kept playing after they got to where they were going, and they drained the car battery! So funny! I loved Aladdin and Robin Williams.

[@WallyWallcakes]

Those end-game difficulty spikes might be the absolute worst in RPGs. Especially when it comes out of nowhere. It can quite quickly take you from loving a game, to a feeling of "oh...that was good, I guess..." Nice review, friend!

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah totally! I found the ending stretch to be really, really tough. We got through it though, and the rest of the game was a slice of cake comparatively! Very fun overall! Thanks for taking the time!

[@mysteryrpgs]

I love this game! I didn't have a hard time beating it twice. Maybe I just grinded too much. Love your reviews!

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm thinking I needed to grind a little more. I think my end game party was level 28/29, and I've spoken to a few people who were at least 6 or 7 levels ahead of where I was when they finished!

[@totemlordreviews7242]

I wish that Edward's 'hide' ability from Final Fantasy 4 worked like that. That's a pretty cool idea for a hide command!

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah! I agree! It's so weird because they call Agmar a thief, but he can't steal anything! He's just a hider!

[@Owazrim]

I need to give this another go. I didn't have the heart to go back after my save was lost. I think I had just made it to chapter 4 after some grinding and I was just done. Another solid review HG.

[@hungrygoriya]

I feel your pain :( I hope you do get back to it again sometime, just to say you finally finished it.

[@Owazrim]

I will I just need to let go of the pain of that loss. lol@@hungrygoriya

[@kalythgaming]

I regret not having bought it on the 3DS eShop when I still had the chance. The savestate function would have been a great improvement in the experience.

[@hungrygoriya]

Sorry you missed it, but hopefully you'll be able to give it a try someday. It's a fun little game! And I agree: the savestate function would've definitely helped in a couple of spots.

[@kalythgaming]

@@hungrygoriya well, shutting down the digital stores is always a bitter end for several games and gems. I'd have bought many more games on there if they released them. PLUS it was the only LEGIT way I could come full circle with Shining Force GG as I never finished it when I was a kid... so it was probably my first eShop game on the 3DS... XD

[@chroniclesofguyver7888]

I think you've hit on an important point here when saying you encountered more battles than someone who knows what they're doing. Many old RPGs are infamous for their high encounter rates and this may be the reason why. The people making/ testing the game know what they're doing. They would probably always proceed on the shortest possible path and never took into account the end user, who is wandering about, trying to figure out where to go. I also love how just as you're talking about talking to people to open the next part of the game, we see the main character trying to talk to a sheep. It's like saying 'THIS is how desperate I got. I talked to the sheep, hoping that would open the next part of the game!" 😂

[@hungrygoriya]

High encounter rates don't bug me so much in games like this where you need the experience, but I get frustrated when the combat's not very engaging! Your point about the developers knowing where to go is an interesting one though. I hadn't really considered it from that perspective, and I suppose they'd also need to have enough experience to get through the game while taking the fastest route. I did put those sheep in for that section on purpose, haha... I didn't want to spoil who needed to be spoken to, and I think it's nice to try to speak to animals in every game as well! They were super cute!

[@rpg_haven]

Love this game, the music especially. Your retrospectives are always a treat.

[@hungrygoriya]

The music was really good, I agree! And thanks so much :) I appreciate you checking out the channel!

[@Moulinoski]

This is one of the few games you've reviewed that I've actually played before you have! I didn't grow up with Sega devices so I'm discovering many of them through you. I had a lot of the same frustrations as you with Defenders of Oasis. I was playing on an emulator, however, and I very quickly started resorting to playing the game at fast-forward speed. I actually ended up so overlevelled because of this (I got stuck at the same place as you- in the island trying to figure out how to open up the temple). I found that any time I bought a piece of equipment, at least someone could use it. I just stuck to the general strategy of more expensive = better. There was one time where I got burned by this and that was a piece of equipment that heals whoever is wearing it... at the cost of them sleeping through the fight. At first I didn't understand what was happening, but a piece of text in a dungeon clued me in and I had to march back to a town to swap to another piece of equipment that was less good stats-wise, but didn't put my guy to sleep. Like you, I found the battles to be the weakest part of the experience. Even Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior for NES/GBC/PS1 fans) managed to add little effects like the screen flashing or descriptions of what the enemy were doing back in the 8 bit days. Heck, Final Fantasy Legend had monochrome graphics and it managed to add some little animations as well. I feel like if Defenders of Oasis had completely done away with the battles and instead used adventure game style puzzle solving (like King's Quest), it might've proved a little better. It doesn't help that you're essentially given three physical attackers and a single supporter who acts as your healer and magician. And the genie requires a ton of money to level up or getting lucky with enemy drops as he doesn't grow the same way the others do. I did appreciate that characters get back up with a small bit of HP after battle if they fell during it. The story is definitely the highlight of the game with many twists and turns. It reminded me a bit of old Saturday Morning cartoons where the heroes would do something then it would shift to the villains gloating and scheming until things went awry for them once the heroes messed their plans up. The music is also pretty good although I did eventually get tired of it. I have to disagree with on the graphics. They're competently made but the Prince (or maybe his name is Prince) looks like he belonged in a different game. He's got the typical big eyes while everyone else has these small 1x1 dots for eyes. I think the only other character that looks like they belong next to him is the princess. I do like the portraits, however, and the cutscene graphics are great as well. I'm indifferent to most of the enemy designs but there are some standout ones, especially towards the end. I swear that some look like they could be 3D models. I came out of Defenders of Oasis feeling less impressed than I was hoping for. I first learned of it from KZbin channel "Now in the 90's" and they made it sound very good. To be fair to it, when placed next to the likes of Final Fantasy Legend, it looks better overall and only falters on the feel of battles. In the year 2023 where we're spoiled for choices when it comes to underground availability of games (if you're not squeamish about it) then it comes off as underwhelming and a non-priority next to games that admittedly appeared on stronger hardware. If there's anything notable about it then it would be the auto-save feature. I don't believe any RPG before it did that except for games based on Rogue? But it's a footnote overshadowed by the influences of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.

[@hungrygoriya]

I also bought the pillow and regretted it! I was so excited at the idea of being able to heal anywhere, but I assumed it worked differently than it putting your character to sleep in battle. There was another similar item in another game I played that you could just put on anywhere and regain some health, and for 10K, it was extremely disappointing! I'm glad we're on the same page about most things here. That's a curious observation about the Prince's sprite being so different. I hadn't thought of that and just thought he looked great, while everyone else was meant to be secondary to him since he's our hero. I almost brought it up in the video but didn't bother, but I constantly misread the Kings' sprites. I kept seeing a sunburnt bald head and a shocked face (actually the crown) instead of their actual faces. It made me laugh quite a bit. And I agree with you about this one being underwhelming and a non-priority. For me, it was exciting to play something on the Game Gear for the first time, but it was just an average game, maybe even a little below-average in some areas. It was definitely held back from being grate by a few details, but I still enjoyed it until I hit that final area. The ending did make up for it! Thanks for your thoughtful comment!

[@kinorai]

I am discovering your channel, and I am hooked! Keep up the good work! Long live Retro SEGA love!

[@hungrygoriya]

Aww thank you! If you like Sega, you'll probably also like my next review I'm working on!

[@philmason9653]

I was just wondering when we were going to get a new Goriya video! This is one of those obscure little titles that I've known of for a while, but never gets talked about. Happy to see it get an in depth review. I kind of want to start a GoFundMe for your Game Gear though. She looks like she's been through a lot.

[@hungrygoriya]

Sorry for the wait! I was sick for a few weeks there and my voice was pretty destroyed. Glad you enjoyed the video! And not to worry about my Game Gear. That one's been modified for video out so I can play it on a TV, and it has a controller port too. It doesn't need that button it's missing, I promise.

[@philmason9653]

@@hungrygoriya well hey, hope you're feeling better. Take care of yourself, no need to wear yourself out on our accounts.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@philmason9653 I'm still trying to shake the end of my cough, but I'm mostly back to normal. Thank you for the well-wishes!

[@fossil-bit8439]

I discovered this game a few years ago when I was looking for decent games to play with my Game Gear that I got for cheap. I did a recap and installed a backlit screen upgrade. Always wanted a Game Gear when I was a kid but never got one. This game is an excellent game! Good music, mature themes, and overall good gameplay/story. I love medieval themed RPGs but really enjoyed the change of scenery from another culture.

[@DanielSantosAnalysis]

Yikes, this game seems like it had some positive qualities here and there, but is flawed enough in specific ways that it drags the experience down. particularly how you describe the last leg of the game. I give you massive props for sticking it out and seeing it through to the end, you're a real trooper.

[@hungrygoriya]

Definitely! It has its fair share of aspects that held it back from being great, though I did enjoy myself until that last stretch of the game. That part made me want to scream into the sky because it was so frustrating. The autosaving aspect really dragged it out. If I'd been able to warp out of a dungeon, heal up, buy new stuff and get back in to try again rather than desperately trying to salvage a bad situation, I think it would've been a lot more tolerable. And thank you! I'm glad I stuck it out too, especially with how adorable the ending was.

[@Jedi_Mind_]

😀😃😀😃 THANX GORIYA !!!! Defenders was the only jrpg I had on my game gear growing up & your reviewing it brings back memories !!!!!! I luv all your content 👍👍🤠

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks so much for your kindness and for checking out the video! I appreciate it! I'm looking forward to playing more Game Gear games.

[@Jedi_Mind_]

​@@hungrygoriya excellent !!!! I’ll definitely stay tuned 👍 “ hook” was another adventure type game that was adapted from the robin williams movie that I think you’ll like !! While it doesn’t have the narrative meat that defenders has, it nevertheless had more “ role playing” elements than most game gear games had, as you rightfully pointed out it has a lot of arcade ports. It’s seems like japan got all the cool rpgs for game gear ( sylvan tale, & multiple original phantasy star games ] the English translation are pricey .. 50 $ range but you’ll probably have reviews of them b4 long so I’ll know if it’s worth it. Thanks for your work goriya

[@Cuprite1024]

I actually own this game through the 3DS VC. Haven't gotten around to playing it, but I knew it looked interesting to me when I saw it and had to buy it (Especially since the eShop didnt have much longer left). As for the game itself, its good to hear its well-written. I'm definitely looking forward to eventually playing this. I also don't really mind the static battle scenes. I get why it's not necessarily everyone's thing, it ain't flashy at all. Some flashiness would be nice, but it's fine I guess. (I will say tho, with what you've mentioned, its a good thing I'd be playing the VC version. Thank god for restore points/save states. Lol)

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm so sad that so many of the e-shops are gone now. It would've been amazing if they could've persisted given how accessible they made so many games. I think you'll really enjoy the story here. The lack of animated battles was more of a nitpick than a real gripe, but there are a lot of battles here. Anything to spice things up a bit would've been welcomed! And I can't tell you how much I wished I had save states available the few times I ran into trouble here... the save data loss was especially hurtful to my soul! Good luck with the game!

[@Blazbaros]

Haha, that "Uh oh" at the end, I've definitely been there before XD

[@hungrygoriya]

I've been part of that club more often than I care to admit...

[@Vaporbomb]

Great take. I finished this game on game gear as a kid. Practically had to be plugged into the wall every time I played. Battery drainer. If they had a Phantasy Star style background during combat, those 6 AAs would disintegrate

[@hungrygoriya]

Hahaha yep, I bet they'd just turn to liquid instantly.

[@KarmaKazi666]

Oh awesome! Had hopes youd cover this gem sometime!

[@hungrygoriya]

Hooray! I'm glad I finally got around to this one. My husband modified a Game Gear so I could play it on a TV and stream it from original hardware, and this was the second game I wanted to play after Psychic World.

[@donsnover2585]

I remember loving this game on game gear but didn't remember anything about the game,thanks for the memories this game and dragon crystal were 95% of my playtime

[@donsnover2585]

Also the battery eating game gear had me rolling😅 I forgot how I always had to play plugged In

[@hungrygoriya]

Haha I had a Game Boy and was only allowed to play at home by the power outlet as well!

[@jackrussell3084]

This is a title Sega Game Gear fans hold high, and truth be told it is pretty average when you compare it to every other console's RPGs in your rom list. However if you were a kid in the 90s and had a game gear, you probably were not readily exposed to the RPG greats that were on the Snes, and this was a great introduction to RPGs and was/is an incredible solid experience. I never was bothered about the high encounter rate when I played this back in the 90s. I think being a small child and being an adult you experience games differently. I notice the older I get the more I become aware of time wasted while playing video games. I just never had that thought when playing games as a kid.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, coming to new games at this time in my life gives me a different outlook on a couple of different aspects. I don't really think about time being wasted though, since I carve out time to play these games on stream every week. I don't mind grinding or spending time working through dungeons, but the tedium in dying, needing to reload from the title screen, taking two steps, dying, needing to reload, all because of the autosaving... that's an annoyance I didn't think was a good use of my time, haha

[@sargesmash1]

I don't remember how much trouble I had toward the end, but I do remember mostly enjoying the game. Of course, this was like 20+ years ago, when I got the game off of eBay after buying one of the Majesco Game Gears. Which means I played the whole thing on that terrible screen... but I persevered! I'm curious if my cart still has an intact save now! EDIT: Yep, still there! Level 35, right before the final boss. Which... went down strangely easily? Maybe I did some level grinding.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh nice!! It's cool that your save is still intact after all these years! I just checked my playthrough, and my characters were at level 28/29 at the end of the game. I probably should've done some level grinding...

[@Dariothehungry]

Fantastic video, as usual. Thank you for the upload.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you for taking the time to watch! I appreciate it!

[@Dariothehungry]

@@hungrygoriya always!

[@chasonlapointe]

Great review, I'm not familiar with this particular title but it looks fun and the sprites have a charm to them.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's definitely charming in many ways, but also has a few features that I think hold it back from being truly great. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@retrogamingknight]

I totally get your criticism of the combat. As I've gotten older, I've become less tolerant of monotonous battles in RPGs, especially when there's no strategy or it's just to pad out a game with very little story and exploration content. I fell like all you do over and over again, is tap the button as fast as possible to fight and get it over with. I'm much more interested these days in tactical RPGs where the larger and less random battles are the main focus of the game, and computer RPGs especially from the 90s where combat challenges your reflexes or tactical knowhow.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad I'm not alone in this sentiment. I'm all for a little bit of challenge in a game, or even frequent encounters since every fight is more much-needed experience in these old games. I just don't enjoy when combat starts to feel stuffy. It doesn't need to be ground-breaking or anything, just interesting enough to carry me through to the end.

[@agentmith]

I lost my save twice with this game when I was little and was never able to beat it. It’s like the worst thing ever when that happened back then. I remember it happening somewhat frequently with battery backup games, I’m glad that’s no longer an issue with modern gameplay methods.

[@hungrygoriya]

Boooo :( I'm sorry that also happened to you! It's such a horrible feeling when you turn your game on and there's just nothing there.

[@agentmith]

@@hungrygoriya we were on vacation at the time too. I remember when and where it happened in the car. Funny how I can remember all these random gaming moments of my youth but not most of the other crap. Goes to show what was really important to me back then.

[@pajamawilliams9847]

So glad I found this channel!

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad you found me too! Thanks for watching!

[@akualung]

I loved this game on my early teens. I was just starting to discover rpgs with the Final Fantasy Legend games or Gargoyle's Quest, and becoming my favourite genre of games, so I was always a little disappointed the game gear had so few rpgs compared to the gameboy. I wish Moldorian had been localized as well, I'd have loved playing it back then. Ax Battler wasn't bad as well. Thanks for this video, has brought back a few memories.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's cool that you got to play this when you were younger! I never got into turn-based RPGs until I was a little bit older, but I fell in love with the genre in my mid-teens. I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and thank you for the Moldorian name drop. I'll definitely have to look that one up.

[@childofcascadia]

Fun fact - Ahriman is the name of the evil opposing spirit (ie the Devil) of Ahura Mazda (the benevolent and wise creator deity) in Zoroastrianism Another great review! The combat screens remind me of Dragon Quest (Warrior) 3 and 4 on the NES. I just got an analogue pocket and Im looking for good game gear RPGs now, since its a system I never had. This looks good, sort of, maybe. Im kind of burned on "take 3 steps, get in mindless turn based fight" after 35 years of JRPGs though. Or a game with no item stats that autosaves. Or no exit spells. Or a ramp up in difficulty. Ehhh. I think Im gonna pass on it unless I come across it real cheap. Thanks again!

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh neat! I had no idea about that naming convention, but that makes a lot of sense! I know that Crystal Warriors is a strategy RPG that might be worth looking into, though I haven't played it myself. I've heard people in the comments here praise the heck out of some Japan-only RPGs for the system that we never got, but that doesn't help you unless you're playing reproductions on hardware or a multicart of some kind. Good luck exploring the Game Gear library, and congrats on your Analogue Pocket purchase! That was one way I'd considered playing/streaming Game Gear, but I missed out on the first two preorder windows and couldn't be bothered by the time the ordering was opened up again.

[@ThreeFortyThree]

Just a note: The teleport spell in this game was called, “Raag”. I can’t remember if it’s missable, but it cost 0 MP.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@ThreeFortyThree I don't think you could miss it because it was linked to game progress. It could only be used outdoors to go between places, but unfortunately didn't work to warp out of dungeons.

[@AggelosKult]

I really like the monster designs! Never played Defenders of Oasis but feels super confy :)

[@hungrygoriya]

It was really chill until the final area!

[@videogamebookreviews]

"...after probing the locals there for information..." Sheep: Baaaa. 2:55 :-D If you didn't do that on purpose, take the credit anyway. I did like it.

[@hungrygoriya]

I did do that on purpose, haha... I love talking to animals in games, and I also don't like spoiling much about who needed to be spoken to. The sheep were a good stand-in!

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

Fair warning, I have a lot to say about this one So as you know, I love this game. I admit it's mostly nostalgia tho. I only had one RPG for my Game Gear for a long time. I had a car adapter for road trips, headphones, and everything. I got by with the Game Boy and the light attachment but that was rough at times So that's why I love this game, mostly. It's also because I like the setting and the cutscenes are fun. The encounter rate is ridiculous but I always over level in RPGs anyway. I like to grind until I can make sure I survive. This game tested my patience too tho. It got frustrating. But yes, Agmar is the game changer I needed, tho Saleem did get me thru a lot of battles alive. I like the soundtrack a lot more than you seem to. It's one of only a handful of 8-bit games I listen to. I usually hate 8-bit game music I also wanted to mention that "Varyu" is clearly a mistranslation of "Barrier," which always reminded me of the Varia suit in Metroid I have a soft spot for the Game Gear, Sega, handheld RPGs, and the Arabian setting so it's kind of a sweet spot for me. It's a comfort game I was a lil bit confused about one thing tho. The genie has a spell that transports you to any town you visited. It's called Raag. I used it to get back to town many times. Did you get that one? I'm not sure if I misunderstood that part Also, if you're ever looking for suggestions on handheld RPGs, especially Game Gear, it's my wheelhouse

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks for sharing all the reasons you enjoy this one. It seems like we're on the same page about a lot of things here! Also, I knew about Raag to teleport between towns, but it doesn't work to warp you out of a dungeon. My specific issue was with the game autosaving in dungeons with every step, and when you can't heal up if you're all out of items/MP, it makes for a very frustrating walk out of the dungeon. An exit spell to get you back to the entrance would've done wonders for the game in my opinion! And if you have some suggestions for me for the Game Gear, let's hear them! I have Crystal Warrior, Ax Battler, and the Shining game that was released in North America so far.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

Oh, you're right! I just confirmed that. I think I've played so many RPGs I have trouble keeping them all straight. I think it also didn't help that I always grinded to pass the dungeons. I don't like getting stuck so I tend to be cautious I would first and foremost recommend Phantasy Star Gaiden and Golden Axe Warrior. The former is exactly what it sounds like and the latter is a competent Zelda clone. Some people (including me) think it's better than the original Zelda. Lunar Walking School is another fun old school JRPG, tho not one of my favorites. Sylvan Tale is another one I definitely recommend. It's a pretty good Zelda clone. You'll have to emulate or get repro carts for most of these but they're fun

[@thewingedavenger1007]

Great review as always!

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thank you! Good to hear from you :)

[@sneakyskunk1]

I know nothing about the Game Gear(or the RPGs on it), so this was a fascinating watch. The vaguely Arabian Nights style setting just doesn't seem to happen all that much these days in any genre(or so it seems to me).

[@hungrygoriya]

I've just barely scratched the surface in this console library too, so you're not alone. I think the only other games I've played in this kind of setting are Beyond Oasis on the Genesis, and The Magic of Scheherazade on the NES.

[@sneakyskunk1]

@@hungrygoriya Well now I have to check and see if you have reviewed those two. Keep 'em coming HG!

[@MarcVitamin]

love your vids

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you!

[@StewNWT]

Always happy to see more Goriya content. Can’t wait til you get to Alundra. Any plans to cover Lufia 1/2?

[@hungrygoriya]

Alundra's definitely on my list! And I played Lufia 1/2 a little while back and have been meaning to review them. I really liked both of them quite a bit.

[@StewNWT]

@@hungrygoriyaI'd be really interested to see whether you thought Lufia 1 was a bit too short on story and mostly about grindy dungeon crawling, although you don't strike me as someone afraid of the grind :) Goriya be way too hardcore for that. Lufia 2 is tehcnically a better game in virtually every regard (damn capsule monsters tho) but I strangely have more of an emotional attachment to Lufia 1. If you liked Landstalker I know you will LOVE Alundra - music is incredible, plot and characters are good, exploring the world is a blast and my god it's challenging.

[@leomargodoy2215]

Hello Hungry! Thank you for the video👍

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

[@HybridAngelZero]

Despite the very "this is an 8-bit RPG" flaws, I'm very looking forward to giving this one a run through. I actually have it on 3DS (I basically raided the eShop for every retro RPG before it shut down xD) so I can hopefully avoid the autosave shenanigans with the Retore Point feature (basically Nintendo's official name for Save States) and not to mention GG games look crisp and pretty on the 3DS' screen. Interestingly, in the original Japanese release, this wasn't related at all to Beyond Oasis/Story of Thor, the connection was pure marketing for the English localization. It is kind of funny that Sega had two unrelated middle-eastern mythology inspired RPGs so close together, though xD

[@hungrygoriya]

Oooooo! That's a fantastic way to experience this game. Good for you for getting your hands on it before the 3DS eShop faded away. Restore points would've saved me an awful lot of grief in this adventure... I'm jealous! And from what I understand, it's totally unrelated to any other Oasis games! So funny eh? I'm glad there are still some other games to experience that are set in this region/fantasy world style.

[@HybridAngelZero]

@@hungrygoriya Not gonna lie, I would not mind this style of fantasy story coming back in RPGs, it's a really cool setting!

[@BurstError]

an exceptional review of an average game 😏 great work HG!

[@hungrygoriya]

Awwww thank you so much!

[@StephenWilds]

That bit at the end was great.

[@hungrygoriya]

The sound of my heart shattering? Glad you liked it, haha

[@SPac316]

I remember having my save data wiped when I was playing Shining Force on Game Gear in the late 90s. I was so pissed! But I did start again and made it through eventually.

[@Gatorade69]

Always sucks. Had that happen on my Pokemon red cart back in the day.

[@hungrygoriya]

Noooo :( That's the worst feeling! I'm sorry that happened to you too.

[@johnpettigrew3056]

I tried that game on emulator and I liked it but not enough to finish it and I did the Phantasy Star on GG emulator also but didn't finish it. Not bad games and your "spot on" about the pixel art and if I would've played that instead of my black n white Game Boy, I would've been blown away 😂 There's definitely some Phantasy Star resemblance in character artwork and backgrounds. Sega had a small but super talented team. Excellent review with actual critical thought, I enjoy your reviews

[@hungrygoriya]

The Game Gear certainly has a lot of colourful charm to its visuals. I love the Master System for the same reason! Thanks so much for your kindness and your thoughtful comment, as always.

[@johnpettigrew3056]

@@hungrygoriya the Master System has excellent visuals and some look nearly 16 bit but the sound processor is terrible. The Mark III has excellent sound quality, it's night n day difference. I don't know why SEGA didn't give us the same sound processor, maybe they just didn't feel it mattered at the time. I've read that the Mark III isn't region locked so you can load NTSC games into the emulator and some say even the console itself and get the best of both worlds 😎

[@hungrygoriya]

@@johnpettigrew3056 Oooooo! I've heard about the differences in the sound. I think there's a mod you can do to an NTSC system to get the "FM" sound added in. It really depends on the game, but I don't always mind the default "PSG" sound of the NTSC Master System. I don't think the Mark III's cart slot is shaped properly to take NTSC cartridges. I'm not sure about loading them onto a Mark III multicart, but I think there's a physical incompatibility if my memory serves. If not though, I'd be down with hearing some old game soundtracks on the Mark III!

[@johnpettigrew3056]

@@hungrygoriya oh nice! I didn't know they made an FM mod for SMS but that's killer 😎 It's awesome that people are still dedicating their time and energy to upgrade the old school stuff. I still wanna own a Mark III though 😁

[@GunstarHeroes777]

It’s my baby! It’s not amazing but it’s got charm

[@hungrygoriya]

It was pretty fun until the end stretch. I can't believe how tough the last few hours (that's how long it took me!) of the game were.

[@MarcosCodas]

Wow, the sprites look amazing!

[@hungrygoriya]

Right? The whole game's lovely!

[@MarcosCodas]

@@hungrygoriya your capture gear for streams and videos never ceases to amaze, too.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@MarcosCodas Awww thank you! I wish I could say I was the mastermind behind it all, but my husband's the one doing all the soldering and tinkering to get all that up and running for me. I'm very lucky!

[@MarcosCodas]

@@hungrygoriya I totally get it! My wife is incredible and has helped me grow so much.

[@thehumbleone1983]

Nice review I gotta check this out on my Game Gear

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope you have a fun time with it!

[@jordanbertran5793]

Time to get at least a 24 pack of AA batteries, and fire up my ancient Game Gear, and replay Defenders of Oasis. I'll fire it up on my Retroid Pocket 2+. Thank you for reminding me of this gem.

[@hungrygoriya]

Make sure they're rechargeable... I hope you enjoy your playthrough!

[@MarcosCodas]

I also agree that the 3DS eShop was amazing. Virtual console, etc. so good.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's so sad that they're all gone now.

[@MarcosCodas]

@@hungrygoriya life is ephemeral. I’m okay with things “passing on”. It makes me appreciate the present more. The promise of “I can do it tomorrow” can sometimes prevent me from enjoying it today.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@MarcosCodas What a great piece of advice!

[@MarcosCodas]

@@hungrygoriya thanks! It''s a bit like fortune cookie wisdom, lol. But honestly, sometimes we're too focused on what the past had or what the future will have, that we don't appreciate what we have in the present. I want to appreciate the present more. And I have moooore than enough in my present to not have to worry about the future.

[@ZBR_ProXP]

Great video as always. That auto save sounds wacky and I’m so sorry you had to restart after your save messed up! That Salwa enemy is terrifying looking. So is this game not related to Beyond or Legend?

[@hungrygoriya]

The autosaving is such a mixed bag depending on whether it's working for or against you. And it was a super sad moment when I realized the battery had died and I lost all my progress. I think it was about 8 hours of streaming blind, but it only took me one stream to make up that time again since I knew where to go. Still a bummer though! And as far as I know, it's not related to the other Oasis games. I haven't played either of them, but I did pick up Beyond Oasis recently and am looking forward to trying it sometime soon. And thanks for taking the time to watch! I appreciate it!

[@ZBR_ProXP]

@@hungrygoriya can’t wait to see your Beyond video!

[@Aogami20]

I've never been a big fan of games with first-person RPG combat like Etrian Odyssey or Earthbound (tho it is still a great game). I like to see my characters do the thing. Also the main character's proportions in this game seem to be really different from most NPCs like his head is twice the size of theirs. I'm not sure if you've covered it before but since you're in the realm of Sega games, I recently got ahold of Shining Force CD for the Sega CD and it's a fun little jaunt back thru the Gamegear Shining Force games with upgraded graphics and expanded story; recommended!

[@hungrygoriya]

I loved the visual style of battles in the Phantasy Star games where you could see your party participating in turn-based battles. And yeah, I'm not sure what's up with the main character's sprite being so different from the rest, but I still thought he was the best-dressed guy in the whole game! I haven't played any Shining Force games, but I've been on the lookout for Shining Force CD for a long time. I haven't been able to find an affordable copy, but I'll keep looking. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

[@Aogami20]

@@hungrygoriya The manga panel style of storytelling in Phantasy Star 2 and 4 are excellent. I really do recommend Shining Force. The whole series is good :)

[@skins4thewin]

I kind of wish this game had been released on the Master System too. Would have been a great addition to the system.

[@hungrygoriya]

I loved what the Master System had in terms of adventure games/RPGs. I agree! It would've been nice to see this one included as well.

[@mccloaker]

Thirsty Goriya Oasis was pretty refreshing, no pun intended.

[@hungrygoriya]

This comment reminds me of King's Quest V and that narrator that talks about the oases in the desert.

[@mccloaker]

@@hungrygoriya "DYING for a drink, Goriya?" *silly music*

[@wolfman11983]

OMG you lost the battery!? T_T I love this game for the console. That last dungeon though man. You are not joking. I had to do so much grinding to just feel remotely powerful enough to deal with it, and even then it was a struggle to the finish.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, it was super sad losing my save but it only took me a couple of hours to catch back up again. And thank you for saying that the final area was tough for you too! There have been a few people here in the comments that mentioned it was easy for them, and it's nice to know I wasn't the only one who struggled!

[@wolfman11983]

I wonder if it was because we did not grind out levels high enough to make it easy. I recently picked it up again for RA achievements, so I will find out.

[@The_Badseed]

Cool video. I never had a game gear. This reminds me of Scheherazade for the NES, I'd probably play that instead

[@hungrygoriya]

I think they both have their merits, but I also loved The Magic of Scheherazade! The music in that game is so good!

[@BackPalSA]

Something about your more recent recordings sounds much better. Did I miss you getting a new mic?

[@hungrygoriya]

Nope, it's the same mic! I don't usually tinker with settings either, so I'm not sure what to say other than thank you!

[@skins4thewin]

This game is an example of why using a guide can be so important, at least for the equipment stats. The older RPG's that don't tell you the equipment's stats in game are a real drag. Guides are a must for those! This game also badly needed an Escape item....What a shame it doesn't have one. Just another example of unfortunate early RPG design.

[@hungrygoriya]

Fair enough. I try to play games with what was provided with them, frustrations included.

[@woorusty]

As there are 3 saves slots, I copy my save on to another save slot before adventuring out from a safe area, that way if all goes wrong I can reload back at “base” with full health. I’ve never been able to get into RPG’s, but after watching your video I decided to give this more than just a quick go and I am starting to enjoy it. So thank you for your video. Have you played Game Gear Crystal Warriors? I wondered how it compares to this?

[@hungrygoriya]

That's a great strategy. Glad to hear you're enjoying the adventure so far too. You're very welcome! I haven't tried Crystal Warriors for more than a few minutes yet. I actually just wrapped up playing Final Fantasy Tactics and would love to try some more tactical RPGs in the future. That's definitely one of the ones on my list.

[@woorusty]

@@hungrygoriya I’ve only played Crystal Warriors for the first battle which I found very tedious and boring. I’ll keep an eye out for your video on it (if you make a video obviously lol) and see what you think. Thanks.

[@shades1756]

Replaying this one after 30 years away. It wasn't the best RPG ever, but it was one of the few decent ones I found for the Game Gear.

[@hungrygoriya]

It certainly has a lot of good aspects to it. I have a few other Game Gear RPGs I'd like to play someday too, like Crystal Warriors!

[@mattlockwood6089]

I never seen you post this! First Lady of gaming 👸

[@hungrygoriya]

Glad you found the video!

[@projectmayhem6898]

Thanks!

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you very much!

[@MotherKojiro]

I've tried a few times to get into this one, but for whatever reason, it never quite stuck. I did want to take on its final dungeon, just because it's so notorious, but never got there; congrats on pulling it off!

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks very much! Sorry that this one didn't click with you. I had fun right up until the final area, especially because of the story.

[@ThreeFortyThree]

I had this one as a teen. It was and is one of my all-time favorite RPGs. It is also the only game that prompted me to call the Sega hint line for tips on getting past the final area. Oh, and the music is phenomenal. That opening wind instrumentation of the title song is forever burned into my brain.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@ThreeFortyThree The soundtrack was definitely a highlight! And it's cool that you were allowed to call the hint line. I used to beg to call in for point and click adventure game help and my parents always said no!

[@ThreeFortyThree]

@@hungrygoriyaWell... there is a longer story about my calling without approval and getting in trouble.. 😂

[@MotherKojiro]

@@hungrygoriya Honestly, it might've just been the timing; the older I get, the more I have to be in the mood for a turn-based RPG to be able to get into it. Of course, I say this while in the middle of SaGa Frontier, which is one of the quirkiest, fussiest, can't-tell-if-it's-buggiest-or-it's-just-a-feature, and having the time of my life; it just might be my all-time favorite RPG.

[@stopmikeandjim3196]

The setting and graphics kind of remind me of The Magic of Scheherazade, but without the overhead action sequences. Looks like it's much more difficult too. BTW, how did you capture the video from the Game Gear?

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, it's set in the same kind of world as The Magic of Scheherazade! I agree that it was a tougher game overall, especially with the autosaving troubles. So the capture was done with a Game Gear video out mod (by BennVenn). It's an installation that grabs the video and outputs it to a TV connector. My husband's handy with a soldering iron so he was able to get that installed for me. He also modified a Sega Genesis controller to be used with that setup. It's pretty awesome!

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

Interesting. I've never heard of this title, probably because I never had a Game Gear. I looked it up to see if this title had anything to do with the Sega Genesis game Beyond Oasis, which was also wholly owned by SEGA, had a middle-eastern theme and had "Oasis" in the title, but from what I can tell, there's apparently no direct relation between the two games. Which is very odd. But you should try Beyond Oasis too, as it's sort of SEGA's answer to Nintendo's Legend of Zelda games, but with the middle-eastern theming and some really good graphics.

[@hungrygoriya]

Funny how that happens eh? I wonder if they were even in development at the same time or something! I did pick up Beyond Oasis a little while back and have been meaning to play it. I've heard good things!

[@Cinetiste]

Hi ! Interesting review ! A question about the game, by the way ; was there a link with "Beyond Oasis" ?

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thank you so much! As far as I know, there isn't any connection between this game and the other Oasis games, even if it seems like there should be!

[@danieldoherty420]

That's some fun music. Reminds me of Ultima 4

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh interesting! I hadn't thought of Ultima IV with this music, but I can hear what you mean!

[@ggbetz]

I own this one, and I've loved it so far, but sad to know no creature comforts like return to town spells. Still, a very enjoyable game I look forward to beating! I did buy it thinking it was part of the Legend of/Beyond Oasis series 😂 but I didn't have internet then in my defense!

[@hungrygoriya]

There's a free teleport spell, but sadly it doesn't work when you're in a dungeon. I wish it did! And don't feel bad about not knowing it wasn't part of the other Oasis games series. It's a logical connection to make given that they're apparently set in similar environments (I haven't played either, but that's one little bit of info I do know!)

[@ggbetz]

@@hungrygoriya when you do get to them, and I hope you do, I hope you like them! So far Defenders has been my most enjoyable rpg on the game gear, its a very SEGA experience, I wouldn't have minded a remake on the consoles since SEGA didn't make a super game boy type device.

[@MuzzleVulocity]

I played this back in the day and I remember it being really fun. I also didn't have a manual so it took some experimenting to figure out the Genies abilities. I still don't know to this day what two of his spells did. Also, since you're playing Game Gear games have you tried Psychic World or Ax Battler yet?

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh nice! Too bad you didn't have access to the manual, but the spells are definitely helpful if you know what they do! This was the second game I played through on the Game Gear, and the first was Psychic World! I loved the Master System game and I always wanted to try the Game Gear game. I haven't gotten around to Ax Battler yet, but I hope to!

[@versebuchanan512]

I had a Game Gear. I must have burned a few thousand bucks on batteries with Streets of Rage, man. Somehow it never even occurred to me there were RPGs on the system at all, despite me being a Sega kid and Shining Force fanboy

[@hungrygoriya]

Did you know that there's a Shining Force game on the Game Gear? There might be another one that was Japan-only that has a translation patch... I'm not sure though! And sorry to your wallet :( Batteries were no joke back then!

[@projectmayhem6898]

I beat this game a few months ago and thought you would probably like it.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah! I was having a great time with it until the final area.

[@chriskoschik391]

Watching this on my TV now, but commenting on my phone (I’m like that). I regularly rotate your videos when I work from home and I cannot recall a Gamegear game that you have covered? Is this the first? I vaguely remember this game lol. Focus on vaguely.

[@hungrygoriya]

This is my first Game Gear review! It wasn't until recently that I was able to stream from the hardware, so it's been a long time coming.

[@chriskoschik391]

@@hungrygoriya awesome! I loved it. If you ever decide to figure out the Gameboy Advance streaming, give the Lufia game a try. Your favorite blue haired best boy makes a comeback as well 😎

[@bilalahmedmuhammadabdullah11]

I used to watch your sonic 2 videos years ago.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks for coming back around to check this one out!

[@bilalahmedmuhammadabdullah11]

@@hungrygoriya No problem,and by the way do you usually make videos of games made by Sega or is it a mixed variety

[@hungrygoriya]

@@bilalahmedmuhammadabdullah11 Typically it's a mix of whatever I've played lately. It's all retro though, nothing modern.

[@bilalahmedmuhammadabdullah11]

@@hungrygoriya It’s rare to see retro explanations in these days,keep up the good work

[@rectangles333]

One of the last games I purchased on the 3DS Eshop before it closed! Another great review HG!

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad you got a copy to play! And thank you very much. Glad you liked the video!

[@videogamebookreviews]

If that had happened to me I think I would have said something stronger than "uh-oh". 14:40

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm well known for my endless patience. It didn't take me more than a few hours to get caught back up again, as inconvenient as it was.

[@catvideojogos]

Amazing 🤩

[@wallacelovecraft8942]

Good review.

[@hungrygoriya]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@RetroChaoz]

The save battery! D:

[@hungrygoriya]

It was a sad moment :(

[@danbauer3669]

Game Gear is my favorite to collect for! I've got around half the library but I don't have this one! At 0:08 I have every game there except Beavis and Butthead! How did you record game footage? Emulation? I wanna figure out a good way to record SGG.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh nice! I accidentally left a few out of the photo like Aladdin and another one I can't recall, but that's more or less my whole Game Gear collection! So to get video out of the Game Gear, my husband installed a mod kit for me. It's by BennVenn and because my husband's handy with a soldering iron, he was able to do the work. There are also screen replacements available, but we didn't replace the screen on this one since the plan was to output the video to a television instead. Some other ways to record SGG are with the Analogue Pocket + dock/adapters (way out of my price range), or something like the Mega SG with a Game Gear adapter. The mod made the most sense for us. There are some people that you could send a Game Gear away to that will install the mod for you if you're interested in that route.

[@danbauer3669]

@@hungrygoriya awesome! Thanks! I definitely have extra game gears lying around. I do have one with a modded screen and it's great! I let my friend use that one when we play 2 player. Thanks again! Perhaps I can put that SGG collection to work!