Evolution of Shining Force 1991 to 2020 (28 Games in 6 Minutes) - NVSGamer

[@Retronomicon]

I appreciate you guys for liking the compilation! Make sure to like and comment so that I know to create more content like this. It really helps the channel and myself to know what people want more of.

[@justdev8965]

Thanks for this upload. Pretty awesome!

[@blankablueboy1501]

Good video, kinda depressing that shining force gassed out in the genesis/Saturn era. Just a crappy mortal combat now. 😓

[@joshua9832]

Are these games even at all related story wise anymore?

[@bannedname5036]

@@joshua9832 Anything after the Saturn isn't considered part of the original continuity, with the exception of "Resurrection of Dark Dragon" on the GBA, which is a remake of Shining Force for the Mega Drive. The other games are just kind of their own thing, regardless of if they tie to each other or not.

[@ObiKKa]

One timestamp error in description. First Shining Resonance version is at 4:35, not 4:25.

[@mhc706]

It’s like watching a childhood friend become an addict and destroy his own life. Rip shining force

[@Retronomicon]

The feels man, the feels.

[@naso1987]

@@shine400 that was the only game i beated, besides the first shining soul, no idea they were connected in same way xd

[@matthias4037]

Sonic Software Planning became Camelot Software Planning. They developed the GBA RPG Series Golden Sun or Mario Golf RPG and Mario Tennis. Their development and recent years has slowed down though. (Only 2 games on switch). That's the reason for the drop in quality of the Shining Games, the main developer is no longer working on it and also the classic games are no longer in the memories of the gaming audience. Sega thinks they have more success with action rpgs and the Otaku market. I think they are wrong though, classic SRPGs still sell if down right, which can be seen by Fire Emblems recent successes. Sega is missing out bringing a SF3 or SthA port or sequel.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@matthias4037 I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@jfricci807]

I haven't played Shining Force, which game do you mean?

[@PsycoCheese07]

Look how they massacred my boy...

[@baronsengir187]

My thoughts exactly...

[@kurisu3000]

Lol, like you've played all of them

[@danielfranciscoarias2341]

Somebody know how to use the shining source?

[@coballard5334]

@@danielfranciscoarias2341 yes

[@Syco600]

@@kurisu3000 like anybody asked

[@fwobebe5164]

How Shining went from an amazing tactics rpg, to a fighting game.

[@SeaSerpentLevi]

More like how it became a doujinshi franchise hahahah

[@retrohero2762]

After Camelot left they just threw darts on the wall hoping shit would stick

[@WaldoWheresReal]

Often the best, become the worst. - Sun Tzu

[@magacop5180]

@@retrohero2762 they threw shit on the wall hoping it would stick.

[@Retronomicon]

Sad indeed, gotta update it with the new game coming out that is similar to the original shining force. Hope it does well.

[@jessehenderson2967]

I miss the magic of old school RPGs....

[@Retronomicon]

Me too buddy, me too. The latest games I played that made me feel that was Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Nier:Automata.

[@gamingtyphoon8989]

@@Retronomicon you should play dragon quest 11. Amazing game and it has a good nostalgic feel to it

[@angelmagno4678]

I recommend you the Divinity Original Sin Saga (play it with a friend on 1 console\Pc), you will revive that old magic.

[@Retronomicon]

@@angelmagno4678 I played those games, they were great. Divinity Original Sin 2 was incredible. I can't wait until Balder's Gate 3 is done and hopefully a new Divinity Game will come out.

[@danieldonnici8863]

Take a look on Fire Emblem Three Houses, it's very good too

[@Domanese]

I feel like I just attended a funeral.

[@RagnarokAvatar]

The series has had its ups and downs, but there's one thing that can't be denied: the world needs Shining Force.

[@orangeslash1667]

I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@alucardvania986]

It really saddens me that so many great Rpg franchises with turn based combat and/or tactical combat become real time action games over time. I hear a lot of people say that the genres have become outdated, which isn't a possibility. Genres can't become outdated, but peoples tastes can change and I have heard many people say this is due to the instant gratification people say they prefer these days. Shining force, final fantasy & phantasy star as of now are nothing what they once were. I understand that things need to evolve over time as not become stale, but completely changing the gameplay, genre and appeal that what made itself so beloved in the first place baffles me beyond belief.

[@Retronomicon]

Tell that to the followers of Fire Emblem, they sure do enjoy the game still. EA said the same thing about single player games with good story being obsolete. Then they made That Jedi game and was one of their best sellers. With the state of gaming right now, I don't think any of these companies know what gamers actually want.

[@CIintB3ASTW0oD]

@@Retronomicon I'm sure they do, but they try to _tell_ us that's not what _we_ want so they can make the most profit off of the least amount of effort. They all want GTA online so they can have one game that makes them mountains of money for five years straight. So frustrating.

[@nullpoint3346]

I want to see truly tactical real time games.

[@argon7624]

@@nullpoint3346 for that you want the niche of the niche. I'd recommend multiwinia for a pure tactics RTS.

[@Buguese]

It's not that's it's evolving,i see what you mean,but one thing is that as long as it still "FEELS" like the game,that's all that matters,no?

[@inkmage4084]

Love the art/designs of the original series, it had such a charm to it, the new one lacks severely, as it looks generic. I'd love to make a strategy game, inspired by both Shining Force, and Final Fantasy Tactics.

[@Retronomicon]

You're off to a good start there. Both games are probably the best in the series. I hope for a Final Fantasy Tactics 2 one day, a real sequel, not the gameboy advance version which were very disappointing.

[@inkmage4084]

@@Retronomicon Yeah it was pretty disappointing. :(

[@jcdenton6577]

Same happens to anime... 90s art style was far better than what we have today...

[@Massproduce201]

Triangle strategy is a close marriage

[@orangeslash1667]

@@jcdenton6577 I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@eltiogroudon]

I miss when Camelot used to make rpg games, truly Golden Sun feels like a spiritual successor of that times when Cameloft used to make the Shining saga, but now Golden Sun is also dead, so..

[@Retronomicon]

Yes Buddy, Now a days it is all about "Waifus" or whatever. I remember hearing about shining resonance and was very excited to play it, until I saw that it wasn't shining force or anything close to it. I don't even know what it is any more, feels like Resident Evil.

[@hitkid2456]

They never recovered from their outing on the DS. For shame! We were even supposed to get new elements too...

[@orangeslash1667]

@@hitkid2456 I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@kayus83]

I only played Shining Force 1 and 2 , but after seeing all the successors, I played the "right" games. Especially Shining Force 2 was glorious ! Maybe the random lv-ups weren´t great but it wasn´t a problem back then. For me it´s very sad, that turn based strategy games have devolutioned. The gaming world has become kinda onesided. We had more variety back in the 90s.

[@hitkid2456]

The only other one I have played is Sword Of Hajya, but I really want to play CD, Final Conflict and III (in spite of the early polygonal nature of the graphics). Maybe some of the other Saturn ones, too.

[@THEGREATMAX]

@@hitkid2456 They're all really, really good. Only way to play some of them in English is through emulation, but FC and III were never released outside of Japan, and there are English patches online

[@THEGREATMAX]

@@hitkid2456 Final Conflict in particular does a really amazing job of connecting SF1 and SF2 and somehow even though it's gamegear, feels a bit more modern than both of them in some ways

[@mateobean6635]

I always wished I could have had 3 to play (even owned a Saturn, but never found the game) but 1 & 2 are two of my most cherished classics.

[@THEGREATMAX]

@@mateobean6635 Emulate 3. There are english patches and it's the ONLY WAY YOU WILL EVER PLAY IT

[@Randomark3087]

I'd love to see a new Shining Force, like the classic Strategy Games. After all, we recently got Streets Of Rage 4.

[@jongraves3097]

Me and my brother recently cooped it on xbox live through the GamePass. It was short and simple but fun while it lasted.

[@baronsengir187]

Dark Deity is out now

[@mrbagel6715]

Do you know about the mobile game

[@orangeslash1667]

@@mrbagel6715 I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@bobosmodernlife]

This is the evolution of the Shining series, not Shining Force. Still pretty cool.

[@Retronomicon]

Yeah, but I hate calling it the "Shining Series" because it really should've been Shining Force all the way. Now I don't really know what it is, but it sells. The Waifu craze is eating up all our old games. Look at Phantasy Star and my Evolution of Lufia video has like 4 vids, it is a sad state of affairs with gaming now-a-days.

[@MiBrCo4177]

@@Retronomicon I'm two months late to this reply lol, but... YES! I also think the shining series has went down hill. the Force series was amazing and I hope maybe one day we get a remake of 3, or all 6 games in the force series.. hell... even a port to steam would be nice, or switch for portability. but that is wishful thinking. I'll agree it does feel very waifu-y now and that's a bad thing for fans.

[@Kaiseran_Games]

@@MiBrCo4177 I support you and I hope more than that, to make Shining Force to be mobile tactics online game like Langrisser Mobile game...

[@jefinathariwirza6578]

@@Kaiseran_Games then it will be more waifu craze lol

[@tailspowell1113]

Yeah I still loves the Shining In The darkness And also shining force 1 and Shining Force 2 and maybe Shining Force CD But truly I loved The others they were like a true noble adventure of rpg I still don't see games like those today I am also big fan of Sega Genesis. But I wish there were games like that today Shining Force was a legendary game to me.🙂😌💯👍💪

[@megamaniscoolrightguys2749]

I played Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya on the 3DS, and it was the first SF game I ever beat. It was very fun, but I was sad to see that they don't make SF games in the tactical RPG style anymore. It's crazy to me-with how great Nintendo has done with the Fire Emblem series, you'd think these big companies would at least try to tap into that market with their own similar games, but FE remains without any major competitors. Incredible how one game (Awakening) just exploded in popularity and elevated a series that normally would've been extremely niche. Still... I'd love to see more effort from other companies.

[@Retronomicon]

Waifus sell more copies unfortunately. There have been tries at getting some of these older games back as remakes years back, one example is the Phantasy Star series, it was great and it didn't sell enough though. I wouldn't even mind if they just made a Shining Force Waifu game, just give me something resembling the original games.

[@megamaniscoolrightguys2749]

@@Retronomicon By "waifu," do you mean how you can form romantic relationships between playable characters? If so, FE Echoes didn't have that and it is a beautiful game, so I think a Shining Force remake (or new) could really work if they see what's worked for FE and promote it as an alternative to an already-popular genre. But who knows, because Langrisser was brought back last year and I don't think it's taken off as much as they hoped. I guess all of this is just wishful thinking 🤔😂 Oh well.

[@Retronomicon]

@@megamaniscoolrightguys2749 I meant by how lots of game developers/publishers are turning to making games with many good looking female characters that you recruit or create via character creation. It works and I don't really mind too much if the games kinda didn't deviate so much from their origins. Langrisser was great, got the remake with Original Artwork on (the new art was ghastly). Growlanser Generations is another good series.

[@hitkid2456]

@@Retronomicon The problem with those PS remakes were that they were budget titles. Just look at the quality of several of the tracks from the OSTs. And that lack of effort got them back in kind. Because of that, the PSIV remake never happened.

[@xacmashe3852]

​@@megamaniscoolrightguys2749to be fair, Echoes didn't sell well (because it was released when the 3DS was being phased out in favor of the switch) and I'm almost certain IS took it as a "clearly people want more marriage in their games"

[@JackDManheim]

It's such a shame that attention spans aren't a thing anymore. Turn-based RPGs were a lot of fun.

[@Retronomicon]

I agree on both ends. I would like the stories and seriousness of the older games, but I will take the newer ideas for a faster way to do turn-based rpgs. Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a good example of having your cake and eating it too.

[@creaturetransylvania8943]

I don't see how having something be turn based on action has anything to do with attention span.

[@WanOlDan]

@@creaturetransylvania8943 It doesn't. That was just a dumb comment blaming people, not style, for the "death" of something that's just not as popular anymore.

[@vladimirfruitin3118]

As long as it has good catchy music and very little grinding and fun special abilities I'm playing the game with turn based battles

[@alexmurphy9480]

@@creaturetransylvania8943 decreased attention spans means that people no longer have the patience to wait their turn. The fact that you needed that basic concept spelled out for you strongly suggests that you are part of the problem.

[@Leynx-Et-Fenrir]

Strangely enough, Landstalker is a part of the Shining Universe... Kayla, the lady chasing you, is the the herbs dealer from Shining in the Darkness while her two minions are monsters from the underground. I beg to differ that the downfall of the Shining series was to wander into Hack and Slash or ARPG. I think the main problem was that Shining series lost their special identity and universe. Let's say that Sega management of their IP during the downfall of the Saturn is one of the factor.

[@Retronomicon]

Yes, I remember playing Landstalker on the genesis as a kid and thinking about the connections. I agree with your assessment, it isn't that the other games are bad games, they just don't seem like shining force games or shining series games. I didn't feel much of a connection. I think they were going with the Final Fantasy idea of every game being its own story, but there are many connections with the original games in that series. I just don't feel that when I play the newer shining games.

[@AldorleaGames]

And what about Dark Savior? 🧐

[@Leynx-Et-Fenrir]

@@AldorleaGames Dark Savior is not a sequel of Landstalker even though they might share few specificities in view, gameplay and ideas.

[@AldorleaGames]

@@Leynx-Et-Fenrir I know it's pretty different but I remember it being considered a sequel, still. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Savior "It was referred to by GameSpot as a sequel to the developer's game for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole,[1] even though the games' storylines are unrelated and their gameplay is considerably different."

[@Leynx-Et-Fenrir]

@@AldorleaGames Be careful, Gamespot considers Dark Savior as a sequel to Landstalker but it is not considered as such by Climax

[@shiningforce2201]

I just can't believe why would they ruin such a beautiful series of my childhood 😞

[@THEGREATMAX]

The GOOD Shining Force games were made by Sonic Software Planning who later became Camelot and made Golden Sun and now make Mario sports games You'll probably never see another GOOD OG Shining Force game unless they get CAMELOT to work on it

[@shiningforce2201]

@@THEGREATMAX Exactly 💯

[@Francis915Emoji]

yeah... i dont know all after the shinning force 2, the hell it become fighting game?@!

[@shiningforce2201]

@@orangeslash1667 just checked the review, it looks better 👍🏻

[@orangeslash1667]

@@THEGREATMAX I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@sfseven7404]

I heard Shining Force compared to Fire Emblem so I decided to check it out because I love FE games. I’m really sad to see that they gave up on the tactics RPG genre when they did.

[@ivann6832]

I see that many people miss the old Shining Force titles as much as I do. SF 2 was the favorite game of my childhood. That being said, most tactical RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics didn't really appeal to me because they don't have the world exploration that SF does. So I decided to share with you a list of games, which I think SF fans might enjoy, though not all of them are tactical RPGs. - King's Bounty series. This is a game from Russian developers, but it combines big world exploration and tactical battles. Also the game has a very nice atmosphere like in fairy tales, which resembles SF too. The soundtrack is also great. The best entries in the series are The Legend, Crossworlds, and Dark Side. - Fire Emblem series. This series is the first one that comes to mind when we talk about where the developers of SF drew inspiration for combat mechanics from. While it doesn't have a large world to explore, the latest entries (Echoes, Three Houses, Engage) have small locations that you can explore, interact with NPCs, and even do quests. - Dragon Quest series. If Fire Emblem can be called the “father” of SF, then the DQ series is its “mother”. One of the key SF developers worked on DQ games earlier in the 80's, so the influence is very clear. It's a traditional JRPG (without tactics), but the moment you run it, you immediately get a sense of the same atmosphere as in Shining Force 1-2. Story, characters, dialogues, music - everything here is reminiscent of SF! For those who are not familiar with the series, I would recommend starting with the last entry - DQ 11. On the one hand, it has beautiful modern graphics, but on the other hand, it stays true to its roots. - Golden Sun & GS The Lost Age. This is a series of also traditional JRPGs without tactics, but developed by Camelot - i.e. the same company that previously developed SF. And the developers themselves positioned it as a «spiritual successor of SF». Also, many reviewers included GS games in the list of the best RPGs of all time (see, for example, IGN top 100 RPGs list). - Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky FC & SC. It's also a traditional JRPG, but you can move your characters around the field, so tactics are important here, especially in the later parts of the game. The most important thing is the atmosphere and the story, fans of retro JRPGs should be very pleased! I also enjoyed «Trails from Zero» and «Trails to Azure», but they have a more modern setting, hence they have less in common with SF. As for «Trails of Cold Steel» saga, I found it very long, tedious and self-repeating, so I wouldn't recommend starting with it. - Mario + Rabbids series. Despite the rather childish style, the tactical gameplay in the game is quite deep, reminiscent of XCOM, and exploring the world is interesting as there are many secrets hidden in it. And lastly here are a few more tactical RPGs that feature world exploration: - Guid Saga Vanished Worlds. An upcoming indie game that combines world exploration and tactical battles similar to Divinity Original Sin with the visual style of a JRPG. Looks very promising. - Wandering Sword. Chinese tactical JRPG about martial arts in HD-2D style similar to Octopath Traveler. Has a large world to explore. - Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk. Tactical RPG from a French indie studio in which your squad of 8 characters explores dungeons. The game has a cartoony style and a lot of humor, and in this regard it is also somewhat similar to SF. - Arc the Lad 2. A Japanese tactical JRPG from the PS1 era. Also combines tactics with world exploration.

[@Retronomicon]

Thanks the for the list buddy. I love the Fire Emblem Series and plan to make an evolution video of that one eventually. It kept well to its roots. I've seen the Legend of Heroes series pop up so I have to try that one. Valkyria is definitely great and I remember playing Sakura Wars back in the day. I have to try some of your other mentions, definitely a good list of games to recommend to people who like the Shining Force games. I will also add Langrisser to that, I enjoyed that series as well.

[@ivann6832]

@@Retronomicon Thanks for a reminder about Langrisser. Also I have added some new games to the list

[@PRIDEALKIMIST]

Damn shining force 1 and 2 were so good, the last decent thing they made was force feather, it actually has nice combat and returns to the roots of the series, but it never made it outside japan, there's no english version available wich is a shame

[@Retronomicon]

3 was pretty good too. I know it looks like hot rotten garbage since 3d graphics age really bad, but it is still pretty good. Long Live the 2D though.

[@shaolinmatadordeporco6656]

Shinimg soul 1 and 2?

[@Retronomicon]

@@shaolinmatadordeporco6656 He was talking about the Shining Force Games. Shining Soul is ok, but very different from the originals.

[@thanatos8618]

​@@Retronomicon I think he's talking about the Shining series in general. SS may not be TRPG, but it was one of the best things they have done. I think remaking the game with better animations (but not forcing 3D through our throats) and better colors would de pretty good. And this is coming from someone who started with the first 2 SF games back in the 90ties.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@thanatos8618 I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@donstarlancer]

Talk about a massive identity crisis after 1998. I just can't believe that given Nintendo's success with Fire Emblem the past decade, SEGA never bothered returning to the SRPG roots that truly made this series shine.

[@orangeslash1667]

I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@donstarlancer]

@@orangeslash1667 oh that is definitely on my wishlist 😎

[@MatthiaGryffine]

I first got into the series with Shining Force II. I also really enjoyed Neo and Exa as well.

[@thomasmacdonough288]

Wow i didnt even know there were so many Shining games, i only ever played 1, 2 and EXA

[@ShadowWolfRising]

The moment Tony Taka took charge, that's when the Dark Days began.

[@abrahamlupis9354]

he should draw for eroges again

[@PhilMante]

Shining Force II is my favorite RPG ever made, It blends the complexity of an RPG with the simplicity of chess, bringing cute anime and classic strategy together. X-com did the same thing around the same time but removed the cutesy anime and replaced it with Mature comic-book style artwork, replaced magic & blacksmith weapons with Psionic powers & sci-fi weaponry, and made the game strategy warfare. Mario & rabbids is the closest thing we'll have in the modern day for tactical RPGs, but Shining Force II is the best. I still replay it over & over once a year with new characters & taking different promotion paths, which there are so many that most players will never play with the exact same combinations.

[@kagato0987]

I had no idea there were fighting games in this franchise

[@Retronomicon]

Yeah, it really went off the rails.

[@ALEQSANDR_]

Degradation (((

[@Retronomicon]

Sadly, Yes.

[@a.sanford8731]

I came here because I thought it would be cool to see how my favorite two Shining Force games grew up to be in modern times. Boy was I disappointed.

[@spaghettoyes8482]

My favorite Shining is Shining soul 2 I played it when I was still a kid and I keep replaying it from time to time since then

[@Heisssam]

I never knew that the shining series continued after 2. I only knew about shining force CD after that. I never knew that the series went so downhill. Like why even bother making these weird games that do not connect to the story of 1 and 2. The thing that also made in my opinion shing force 1 so good was how music connected whith the emotion of the story. Since art was done so well I really felt like I was there on battle field as commander MAX. I am actually thinking of recreating 1 as an MMO. I always thought about battling other players since shining force felt like sort of chess game to me.

[@Jeremyb2023]

They had massive success with Shining Force games on the Genesis. I don't know why they ever turned away from making the Strategy RPGS. Not only that, but it seems like the games lost character and became increasingly generic. It seems like many of the JRPGS became increasingly feminine and lost any real appeal outside of Japan. Most people really don't want to see these cutesy female heroes that are barely clothed and overly feminine men that look like they belong in a KPOP boy band. And then they wonder why these newer games don't sell. Looking at this video, it seems like there were three generations of Shining Games. The first one from the Genesis up through the Saturn which all look pretty good. The Saturn wasn't the most successful console and that probably had something to do with it. Then there is the GBA and PS2 Generation where they cranked out lots of games. It seems like they were losing their way in this generation but were still pretty appealing. They mostly abandoned the SRPG formula. Then we come to the point where they seem to have completely lost their way with the arcade fighting games and lower quality generic looking games from the PSP and PS3 generation onward. They need to get back to their roots!

[@Blitzkit]

Ahh yes, shining force II When i was a kid this was really one of the best games i ever played It was punishing (the first fight where you only have sarah, chester and MC aka bowie). Then you get Jaha (my favorite cute axe guy) Kiwi (i once thought he was a turtle throwing his shell at the enemy but turned out he was a fire breathing dragon??) Slade (was always referencing him because he showed first in the intro) Peter (sucks you can't control it at first) Then some characters i forgot A mage in brown suit (ivan i think?) A knight girl (may?) And a guy one An archer a male and a female A centaur archer? I forgot many of them, but the fun of advancing them to class, knowing that my MC has another class advance after him being a hero or some sort. And others turned badass like chester flying pegasus style or jaha being a badass with bigger axe :D

[@Retronomicon]

I love it, I still own it in box. It is one of the best games made and since it is in 2d it ages very very well. Slade becomes a beast as a ninja and Sarah as a monk is unstoppable. Many good memories with it.

[@m.bennett9656]

Mage in the Brown Suit: Kazin (fire, then death spells) May was the centaur archer. The archers were Elric and Janet (I had to look those two up here sf2.shiningforcecentral.com/characters/shining-force-ii/). Peter becomes absolutely OP later. I loved how you could evolve every character to a new class at level 20 and you had a choice to make with regards to their new class. Picking a new one meant completely changing their stats, weapons used, sprite and abilities. It was so satisfying levelling little tort to level 20 and he transforms into a flying fire breathing monster. Or turning Slade, the mobile but weak thief, into a freaking ninja.

[@constabrielbell4523]

Shining Force EXA was probably my favorite since it’s my first JRPG back in the ps2.

[@travisgovender5474]

Shining force, shining force 2,shining force resurrection of dark dragon best. I'd throw rest away... No hack n slash for me.

[@Retronomicon]

Agreed, I still enjoy the other games, but I hunger for Shining Force.

[@skilthiryx8800]

Go for shining force 3 and you will see what SF has to offer best

[@thevirginmarty9738]

Oh how the Shining series has fallen. Put Moogie in charge and it will come back to life.

[@Retronomicon]

Yeap, Now I don't even know what it is. It has little to nothing to do with the series at this point. Most disappointing.

[@alucardvania986]

I used to use Shining force Central so much!

[@thiagorodrigues556]

I loved EXA and NEO (PS2). From that point an on, the series definitely got in the wrong direction

[@demolitionizer7686]

Love the originals for genesis. Shining Resonance Refrain isn't too terrible either

[@baalfgames5318]

This is such a crime, seeing such a unique series with a diverse and likeable world and cast of characters devolve into a safe and uninspired JRPG that does nothing new or interesting. Also, the series had so much potential for a fighting game, with TONS of awesome characters they could have pulled from, and all the game has are humans, humans, humans and, oh look, ONE anthro! And it's a really generic and uncanny looking anthro, too.

[@jorgesaito461]

Oh, boy. It seems the Shining series kept changing to "whatever is selling at the moment".

[@THEMETALISBETTER]

My god we really went off the rails. I had no idea how bad it got.

[@rcmg4013]

Shining Soul 2 is one of the best GBA titles I've played. It has a lot of improvement from Shining Soul 1. Fast pace gameplay, great mechanics, different equipment builds, a lot of optional dungeons, and shitton of secrets. Then Shining Tears happen, WTF? Why is this game a lot shittier than Shining Soul 2 almost in every way?

[@Retronomicon]

Yeah, they've never been consistent, that's for sure.

[@raptros]

I played the Shining soul games on the GBA, loved them to death. I was aware of the shining force series but i had no idea they were connected, here's another chance to check them out. Again the constant name changes makes it so hard to know what's what, they actually did a continuation to the action rpg games, i always wondered if they ever did, and i totally missed out on them because the names were different... i gotta check out those fighters though, i love fighting games, if they have enough depth i might actually like them.

[@Retronomicon]

There are lots of videos on youtube with people showing the gameplay of the fighting games. It's not bad really, seems they tried to actually make it with some quality.

[@thanatos8618]

Unfortunately... I think they didn't continue to make more games like Soul subseries. Only crappy messy 3D action RPG games with trash gameplay. I would love if they come back with Soul series, without forcing them into 3D, but with a bit of improvement on those animations and pixel arts.

[@calebfoley5872]

@@thanatos8618shining soul 2 with updated sprites and remastered backgrounds, maybe with a couple new attacks and slightly upscaled item icons…instant masterpiece. Would have such a strong although niche audience. The game is so simple in the best way.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@calebfoley5872 I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@lucleadergaming3487]

Never knew this series was this big... I remember hearing that Shining Tears was related to Shining Force... but gameplay-wise I just can't see it. I love shining tears though

[@orangeslash1667]

I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@GothicDragonX]

I never played Shining Force until recently with a GBA Shining Force Ressurection of the Dark Dragon. I love it and enjoy it, but seeing the devolution of turn-base RPG for this franchise is sad. On the bright side, thanks to indie studios and individuals for keeping the Turn base RPG genre alive.

[@orangeslash1667]

I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@Zafersan]

great video. My brother and sisters, let's mourn for everything from Shining inD to Force 3

[@lennethomega6731]

Still if troubles me to this day why did they not localize Shining Blade and Shining Ark for the psp, they were standard jrpg stories and linear, but they were good, truly regrettable. Always the good games that fans will love are left in the dark, always. But we always get the games we never asked for or even cared to have, weird world.

[@SaikyoDinosaur]

Dang. This was more depressing than i thought it would be.

[@thaneros]

I think it's cool that the series isn't tied down to one genre. It makes it unique imo. I'd love for Sega to release a compilation of every game one day.

[@theotherky]

The series that really got me interested in the Western style high fantasy genre, now devoid of everything that made me fall in love with it.

[@Retronomicon]

Yeap, just like everything else.

[@andhikafebrino4014]

There are no Shining Series after Shining Force 3, the rest is just a pale imitation of the real one

[@callmerel2809]

Use to play shining force 2 in my 3rd grade. Time sure flies.....

[@aceshighdueceslow]

there being more Action RPG entries for the Shining series makes sense, seeing as Shining in the Darkness was what started the series as a dungeon crawler, but seeing the most recent entries are fighting games just make me confused. Are fighting games *that* popular?

[@Retronomicon]

I just think that at this point, they are just throwing in anything they can think of since they kinda lost their identity. Waifus always work though.

[@KBgamer2010]

Honestly, I've completely forgotten Shining force 2 until just recently, but the main overworld Soundtrack was stuck in my head for at least 2 decades

[@SeraphimDragon]

Ugh... this hurts my soul so bad. It grabbed a gameplay identity the moment Shining Force 1 was made and the ones that followed soon after. But then they just... made it something else entirely, and when that didn't work, they resorted to essentially "selling sex" that had NOTHING to do with gameplay that made it famous to begin with. Shining Force lost its 'soul' when it turned into a beat 'em up game. SF1 was my very first game, and ultimately, the game that hooked me into a string of SRPGs and RPGs going forward to this day. Can't stress enough how much of an impact all the games that came after helped to shape my moral compass and love for actual story over... whatever the fuck this mess is.

[@Retronomicon]

Shining Waifus sell more unfortunately.

[@Mr_Red.25]

Glad that they changed the gameplay from turn based to real time action

[@EGWL93]

Started from Shining Force EXA, one of the most difficult but lots of elements to it. I just hope the developers brings back that element instead of a fighting game

[@Retronomicon]

I hope so too.

[@alexmorpheus6762]

Shining Force 1, 2 and Shining Soul 2 are my favorites. I still remember playing Shining Force 1 in 2004 when I was a primary school student.

[@silvestenest231]

they just died since 2004, but before this it was one of the best rpgs

[@Retronomicon]

Agreed, it became something far far different.

[@densha63]

*sigh. Things went downhill when the Shining franchise shifted from strategy RPG to action RPG...fans love the lore, story and gameplay of the older games and just getting the "Shining" title does not mean it will turn out great...I hope they did a remake of the Shining Force strategy games really. I think it is about time really...

[@ADeatonic]

I will say Neo and EXA were actually pretty fun. Not really what I want when I play a Shining Force game but they were fun.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@ADeatonic I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@ADeatonic]

@@orangeslash1667 if they'd ever put their games on PC I'd be all over it.

[@stevensmith4999]

Add 2021 to the continued evolution with a mobile shining force game announced a few days ago.

[@Retronomicon]

Will do, saw the trailer, really cool.

[@themadgamer4571]

Shining Force I and II were and still are the best I wish they had kept up with its style into this generation of gaming. I missed out on SF III. I remember seeing Shining Force EXA for PS2 and I was stoked until I put in the machine. I was like WTF is this? I still beat the game but it didn't offer what I was hoping it would.

[@fwobebe5164]

Same, except I beat Neo instead. It was pretty bad. EXA at least had a few good moments, and a little more effort put into it.

[@DAGIEBOB]

Ill be dead cold and buried before i recognize Shining Resonance as apart of my favorite RPG series

[@Retronomicon]

It is definitely a departure that's for sure.

[@vidgameexpress]

Shining Force 3 is in my top 5 games of all time. It sucks we can’t get a remake

[@appeldenlim6463]

Its graphic and animation is so shit

[@thanatos8618]

Dude...how? I look at the videos of SF3 and the only thing I get is...sorry... disgusted. Idk htf they turned those beautiful arts of SF1, 2 and CD into...that. Look at Capcom...they took that art from BoF 1 and 2 and thought "lets make it even more beautiful"...and they did it with 3 and 4. The 5 one wasn't that bad...just the game itself is not anywhere near the level of the 2 previous ones.

[@pedronicolau9246]

@@thanatos8618 you should try to play SF3, the story is really well done, split into 3 games, gameplay is better then the old shining forces, such underrated game. To me is also up there on the best games that i have ever played.

[@mohamadrizal6165]

Ressurection dark dragon is the best. We need turnbased rpg system back

[@Retronomicon]

Definitely, I think some are coming back in the Indie scene.

[@vesper8]

Thanks for making this. So basically it seems to me like Shining Force EXA is the last good game in the series.. anyone concur?

[@Retronomicon]

Yeah, things have definitely gone down hill thats for sure.

[@user-xg5lg2pm5n]

as a fighting game, blade arcus is a good game 😗

[@Retronomicon]

@@user-xg5lg2pm5n It is, I like it. But it really has little to do with it's origins, I don't even think it has anyone from the original series. I guess maybe there is some licensing or copyright issues with the old games and why the new stuff is nothing like what the Shining Series used to be.

[@222wesker]

agree

[@honor0fbl4de53]

Some of that games reminds my childhood(specialy shining force 1 and 2,sometimes i think:If they had a remastered i would love and play a lot)

[@tyrenace6597]

Shining Force Neo was my favorite PS2 game of all time

[@Retronomicon]

I need to play that one some more. After the shining force series, I played extremely little of the other spin offs.

[@alexmambo606]

I need a game like shinning force 1-2, I tried disgaea but felt it was too wild , closest thing was final fantasy tactics which was awesome but that was like 20 years ago , please help

[@Retronomicon]

You can try Shining Force 3 on the saturn, or look up Tactics Ogre which is very similar to Final Fantasy Tactics.

[@alexmambo606]

I played sf3, I even played a more recent version that was fully translated for all 3 parts , not the same although it was ok , I wish they would remake part 3 in 1&2 format

[@Retronomicon]

@@alexmambo606 Yeah, prefer the 2d animations over the dated 3d stuff. I think to remember that some people have made a romhack of shining force 2 with some new story and characters you can get.

[@baboon_baboon_baboon]

Fire Emblem is closest thing to Shining Force but it’s a bit more on the anime side unfortunately. Edit: there’s also the Golden Sun series which involve one of the game designers from SF1 for some of the games in the series.

[@Retronomicon]

@@baboon_baboon_baboon True, at least it still stays true to most of it's origins. When you see a Fire Emblem game coming, chances are good that it is a Strategy RPG. Shining Force, who knows, it's a very mixed bag at this point, but it will definitely have lots of Waifus.

[@fernandoenamorado2480]

Looking to buy the shining resonance it’s the only game on current systems sooo…also I’m surprised not more ppl talk about shining in the darkness j was amazed to discover such a great game it’s basically tied to shining force and has darksol in it.

[@Retronomicon]

Great game for sure, any of the older games I would recommend whole heartily.

[@clairestark9024]

Devolution from what I've seen of late.

[@Retronomicon]

Across the industry unfortunately. Coming from the Golden Age of Anime, Games, and Movies, I find myself playing older games or watching older Media since a lot of the new stuff is Main Stream nonsense. The Main Stream is where ideas go to die.

[@benjamincuevas9627]

They should reboot shining force 3. It's not impossible they remade panzer dragoon.

[@saturnargentavis1901]

Shining force stopped after 3 in 1998. I dont recognize any of these weird titles afterwards. wish they would go back to the original formula

[@Retronomicon]

Same :(

[@greatninja2590]

Should add the mobile game which pretty much brought it back to its roots no global yet though.

[@jongraves3097]

I’m about to start the Shining Force series on my PI. I’m excited to finally play the Sega CD game as I missed out on that console entirely.

[@vermilion7777]

80s/90s anime character design was so much better. In the later games, all characters look the same.

[@Retronomicon]

Agreed, I still watch a lot of the older stuff to catch up on what I missed. It had a different feel to it. It wasn't called the Golden Age for nothing.

[@TelmoAmaro]

things really went downhill after the sega saturn... what the fuck...

[@Retronomicon]

Yeap

[@scakuto]

I don't know why they didn't stuck on the TRPG's and de dangeouns crawler. I still haven't found any tactical rpg that have the same charisma as the Genesis/Megadrive.

[@supercool1412]

I played shining force EXA first then the Shining force 1&2 even though the first 2 were great I think EXA is great wish they just named it differently and made it a stand alone series

[@Argonautx66]

To this day I love the Shining series.

[@Retronomicon]

Same here, was playing shining force 1 recently.

[@davidwhitney2524]

This series jumped the shark and then just kept going for like 20 more games

[@garvensman]

Feather looks so good. Keeping the tactics but making the battle interactive is awesome

[@CosmicDuskWolf]

So many are so different after the main Shining Force games. Well after Shining in the Darkness and the Tactical games. Its almost as if they are completely different games. Didn't even know there was fighting games to the series.

[@user-wd6ld3ln6p]

The final nail in the coffin would look like a mobile gatcha battle royale with "seasonal" battle passes. Oh, God.

[@Takato2527]

tbh, idm all Shining Tony Taka series cuz I like the dude's drawing, and it's from Shining series instead of actual Shining Force, so I can't say much. HOWEVER, BOTH SHINING SOULS ROCK! but man, SF Feather really make me scream "Look how they massacred my boy..." cuz it doesn't look anything near the series, at all. At least EXA and NEO look close enough (but still too much anime-vibe in it). I really hope SEGA do smth about Shining Force series during their redemption arc (Sonic Mania, Streets of Rage 4, Yakuza series, PSO2 localization and its expansion, etc.)

[@Retronomicon]

Hopefully, they seem to be turning back to their roots. I would love to see a Shining Force 4.

[@OdinC14]

Man i miss the gameplay of SF1 and 2. The only thing I can say is nice about the new ones is that Tony Taka art style(Old style was still nice though). If they would go back to their roots for gameplay and keep the modern art style I would be happy. Hell even a remake of the old games with the Tony art style would probably make bank and give old and new players something to enjoy.

[@magicalflare9133]

For me it's just Shining Force 1 & 2, and I played EXA a bit few years ago. I'll try the Game Gear and GBA ones these days, but the best ones will always be the classic ones (including the other Shining videogames, yes.)

[@Dagoth_Ur_1]

Shining Force 1 reminds me of Phantasy Star. And Shining the holy ark looks cool for it's time, dope battle theme too.

[@fehsantana]

Used to play shining force neo without knowing the series, also the Plin Plin Plon man, Gwyn has such a OP OST

[@matthewcarpenter9159]

That’s weird I remember watching the video but I don’t remember crying this much

[@orangeslash1667]

I recommend Unicorn Overlord, its strategy RPG published by Sega.

[@lowkokwee1551]

I am 42 now. And shining force 2 will always be one of the best game that i have played. Wish that it could be remastered to a better graphic but not 3D kind

[@simongrove2369]

This series really did peak at Shining the Holy Ark

[@supersonicsega]

They didn't know what to do with the franchise.. it's so sad

[@sneakretster]

As someone who found the shining series through a Sega Genesis compilation disc in high school and really got into Shining force 2, I actually enjoy Shining Resonance personally and the direction they've gone isn't necessarily worse but just alienating for people, I understand that. I feel like the devs should tap into the SRPG market and go back to their roots (considering the massive success of fire emblem and now even Girls Frontline is making a tactical game too) because it'll help breathe life into a slowly revitalizing genre. I feel like they could harmonize the best elements from both styles of games to find success in today's market: keep the character design and aesthetics more like the modern Shining series like Shining Resonance, but incorporate elements that people loved from the older games like it's more western fantasy influence with centaurs and elves and such. But that's just my two cents, I just want both audiences to be happy at least a little bit.

[@Retronomicon]

I agree, the new games aren't necessarily bad, they are just far from the genre it was once. I like to tell people that it is similar to Resident Evil 7 and the new 8 coming out. It will be a good game in the general sense, but is it really a resident evil game at all anymore? I call it Silent Evil or Resident Hill now since it seems like it's closer to a Silent Hill game than what the namesake is. Is the game good? Yeah. But it isn't Resident Evil just like these Shining Games are not Shining Force. The other part is, if fans want Shining Force, they have to support it. No money = no games and the Shining Series sells, so they do that. Unfortunately the fans haven't gotten a title to rally to.

[@daviddavidson6289]

Loli pedo PFP writes an essay on dogshit slop, no surprise, lol

[@TryAgain9999]

1:56 That is the character in golden sun tla special room of cut-content using the Action Replay, wow, finally I found it out

[@TryAgain9999]

00:10 the Wise One of golden sun?

[@IkeSan]

It's funny how a long RPG series gets a fighting game just to see if it sticks. I knew about this series because of Shining Hearts and its anime but too bad they never localized it.

[@HaidesTunicaRoja]

0:01 - 1:55 Evolution of Shining Force Games

[@kamon1992]

I'm glad the series still exists but it bums me out they abandoned the turn based strategy gameplay. Shinning Force 1 is still one of my all time favorite games

[@drow8508]

We need Shining Force SLG ！

[@xXSummonNightXx]

I will only recognise shining force 1-3 and shining the darkness. The rest of them I’ll just think of them as a different series altogether that take place in an AU.

[@JoseReyesuruboz4l]

You missed the Beyond the Beyond psx game, the very last original shining force game