Illusion of Gaia - The Greatest Overhead Adventure Game Ever?

[@Xygor]

What was the most memorable part of Illusion of Gaia to you? Please consider supporting me at www.patreon.com/xygorgaming OR through KZbin membership by clicking the JOIN button above!

[@mikethered123]

Has to be the ending with the Earthen Womb music playing. The raft scene is nice, and so is the Itori Village intro.

[@theopatino2379]

Probably the Nazca painting, it also plays a big part in another one of my top favorite games, Shining Force 2.

[@fedupN]

Walking into Gaia's dark space. I remember just...sitting there...listening to the music and enjoying this space beyond space, sitting and being free. Like the End of Time in Chrono Trigger, it was a refuge. Oh, and probably just playing as Fredan. That was fun!

[@necrosadotor]

vampires boss when i rage quit and deleted it

[@SegaDream131]

The part in MU when you're at the alter and the hooded figures help lower the water....

[@jameshill2450]

What stands out in my memory the most is the part where you're stuck in a cave with nowhere to go, and you have to pay attention to your character and notice that there's a place where his hair is blowing in a breeze. Then you check the wall and find the hidden passage to move forward.

[@michaelcarter8268]

I remember that man shit this bring back memories

[@Rubrick23.]

Yes. Then you had to phone your friends on the cord phone call all the houses let them know you figured it out.😊😅

[@sovrinn16]

This game devastated me as a kid. There's so much sadness and loss in the plot. The final room before the last boss with all the souls of the people who died along your journey, god it hit me so hard.

[@omicrondelta249]

i cried when Hamlet jumped in the fire, i won't even fuckin lie

[@jeffondrement160]

Granstream Saga and Terranigma are more devastating ever than this story

[@childofthesun32]

The most memorable part for me, as a young teenager, was the raft story section with the girl. Back then, I hadn't discovered caffeine, I'd never taken drugs before or drank alcohol. I didn't have any semblance of ADHD. Didn't really have any worries, or concerns, or responsibilities in life. There was no internet or social media ruining everyone's minds... so I remember really enjoying the story sections and that one was excellent. I just really got tuned into it and wondering what was going to happen to us.

[@chuckweber542]

So true man those days were better.idk back then maybe it was cause I was a kid but things were so more enjoyable then.there seemed to be way better movies games shows etc back then.now its all internet and tic tok and just people with zero talent.

[@FluffyBunny9002]

That was my favorite part of the game too. I loved this game back in the day.

[@thefuzzyone69]

I don't know why, but as a kid I gave the guy who rescues you after that a weird voice. He was also the only character that I did so with. It just stands out in my mind the way I read "Vitamin C" way back when that I apparently thought was hilarious in my 8 year old mind

[@imacmill]

@@chuckweber542 _...now its all internet and tic tok and just people with zero talent._ Don't forget people that can't use simple punctuation, spelling and grammar.

[@omardrini8278]

I know this doesn’t concern me but why not playing this game even on an emulator without doing substance and using it to fuel your will against drugs ? I wish all the best

[@robart1979]

This game was strangely impacting for me. Dealing with a spoiled brat while starving to death adrift on a raft.. Listening to your friend tapping on a wall that had turned into a whale or something?, watching a guy drink a shot of poison and killing himself... this game's got balls.

[@jameshill2450]

Yeah, they were oddly comfortable killing off some of the cast of children ...

[@pacdiesel6240]

This was the first game that ever kept me awake past midnight playing it as a kid. The difficulty jumps from the dungeons to the bosses was pretty high, which I thought was a great challenge and made me feel successful when finally defeating the first boss and hooked me on the game. Very fond memories of this hidden gem of a game.

[@markkatain7891]

I guess my experience with this is different than most. This game came out when I was in 5th grade, and I remember watching a friend play it and it really didn't grab my attention- at that time, I was into games like Donkey Kong Country, Ninja Gaiden, Mortal Kombat II, Killer Instinct, Mega Man, etc.- but the music (specifically Itori town theme) was something I never forgot. One year ago, December 2020, I couldn't get the music out of my head so I decided to turn it on just to listen to the music that I remembered, and then I wanted to keep going, and eventually ended up playing through it with a guide. I was so hooked in to the gameplay and music that hours felt like seconds! My most memorable moment from the game was actually beating the final boss and watching the ending. I was floored! The music, emotion, and overall experience stuck with me for days after. I had never played RPG's of any type before this (unless you count Zelda II on NES) and this gem introduced me to Terranigma, my absolute favorite game on SNES and probably top 5 of all time. This was the game that turned me into a new JRPG fan and I have played and completed almost all of the "big ones" (Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Final Fantasy 4-6, Secret of Mana, Super Mario RPG, and many, many others) from that era- and it was all because of this awesome game. Excellent review as always!

[@DaleStrife]

The other RPGs you mentioned have been my favorites for years. I Had this game but could never get past the vampires when I was younger. I finally decided to try the game again and beat it today!

[@Terrancontrol]

As a kid I barely understood the story and thought the game difficult. Replayed as an adult I found the story to be one of the most ambitious and meaningful of any video game, focusing on complex themes of human nature and the world. There are long sections with minimal gameplay but a lot of meaning, and even though you only play as Will and see things from his perspective, the journeys of the characters around will are just as meaningful. And the game being far easier than I expected.

[@thenodrumdrummer2923]

My favorite part is the sky garden dungeon where you flip on the bottom side to fight enemies. Coolest dungeon in the game!

[@Jayspale]

The music has stuck with me since I first played it. Absolutely beautiful soundtrack and enhanced the emotional themes of the story. Solid top 5 SNES game for me. Still love the game to this day.

[@secretofmana-ananimatedtri3820]

I remember getting stuck for months in the Angel Village, not finding that freaking hidden door in the wall... Or the horribly hard to navigate territory of Mu, and the super hard to beat Vampires at the end.... Damn that game is good :D

[@ChXris]

I remember it blew my mind back then when you could jump to the underside of that flying temple. This game's creativity is off the charts. Hope to see you cover the final game in the trilogy!

[@Eener1000]

There is kind of spiritual 4th game in the series for the PSX called The Granstream saga. It was made by a lot of the og devs after they left the studio. It is a bit clunky early gen 3d, but it does have a certain charm.

[@ChXris]

@@Eener1000 Never heard of it, will check it out. There's always a certain charm with these old school rpgs.

[@wirlogx]

I remember how not only your character notices his growth on an advanced part of the story, also your friends show how much they've changed during it. (the polar opposite of Pokemon X & Y where your friends are the same and bland the whole game)

[@stest2935]

This was one of my favorite games in the 90s. I think his friend dying still gives me nightmares and so sad.

[@Bjorick]

most memorable part of this game for me? the vampire fight, i got stuck there for a long time as i had no healing items, once i finally beat it, i never used healing items again except for one or two late game bosses lol

[@johnnysuon]

Illusion of Gaia, I never knew it was a predecessor from soul blazer... I loved the part on the raft, especially how the main grew and developed from the beginning. One of the longest games I've played~ Thanks Xygor~

[@AlienFaun]

While I still haven't beat the game, the soundtrack still stuck to my brain since childhood.

[@IlkerDeth]

one of the most memorable aspects of the game to me was that the overall difficulty of the non-boss enemies is so low that I thought I perhaps missed a sort of difficulty selection at the beginning of the game or something like that BUT in steep contrast to it, the BOSS difficulty is so elevated at some bosses that I hardly believed that it was the same game I am playing similar thoughts apply to Terranigma too

[@kurosbelmont2355]

I absolutely love this game. So much fun. And a great story. Can you do a in depth video about secret of evermore? That game is absolutely incredible.

[@drumanaut]

Just about everything with this game was memorable to me. The music in particular I will always remember fondly. This was probably the first game I ever played that truly drew me in with the story and that I got emotionally invested in the story.

[@dracogeneious8613]

I loved going to all the real world locations, it was very educational in a pre-internet world for a boy absolutely obsessed with magic, adventure, and history. A truly fantastic game.

[@theopatino2379]

Man, I love this game, even had the boxset with the shirt... wish I still had it

[@ManofMystery89]

I remember first playing this back in 1994 or 1995 when i was 5 or 6 years old, and I immediately fell in love with this game. Even now over 25 years later it's still one of my favorite games on SNES!

[@carinelaberge5352]

Everything about this game is memorable. But as a kid i remember being truly shocked when your best friend Seth gets swallowed by a giant sea monster. And then speaks to you in morse code in the tunnels out of Mu. Truly a wonderful adventure all around. Still top 5 fav game for me!

[@Xygor]

True, so many weird but fun moments!

[@Epic_C]

I always loved this game. Still have my original copy, and when getting the SNES Classic, this was a game I side loaded on it and was the first to completely replay.

[@endrankluvsda4loko172]

I absolutely loved this game back in the day. Well and now lol. The three most memorable parts to me in this game were 1: Being stranded on the raft having to collect fish, 2: Finding the Incan treasure ship, and 3: having to go in and out of that cave in the first town a thousand times trying to get that fishing guy to catch the pot that had that red jewel in it.

[@Xygor]

Thanks for these memories!

[@shnast-tv2]

Yes! Finally someone giving this the attention it deserves. This And Soul Blazer was great. But def. Illusion of Gaia was the best.

[@malik87breaker]

CHeck out Terranigma. :D

[@BurningUp99]

Wow the old SNES days..so many memories. What a great era it was to be a kid and a gamer.

[@ZetaCancri]

A very nostalgic game for me. One of my favorite games for over 20 years. A dark game, but extremely fun with an engaging story.

[@Atalas5]

I spent so many hours playing this game when I was younger, though I never managed to beat the Jeweler's Mansion. But I always had plenty of fun with this game.

[@Xygor]

Wasn’t it great?

[@TheUlt]

Illusion of Gaia. One of the best stories ever for a video game. Someone PLEASE turn this into a movie. Be forewarned, the pig sacrifice is a shocking dramatic twist.

[@quicoboy]

...my mom got me this for Christmas...it came with a shirt...I got stuck in the first town...the manual came with all the secret jewel locations...me and my cousins finished the game before we retuned to school...one of the best Christmas vacations ever...it will always stay with me...and so will you, mom...*Illusion of Gaia Intro Theme drops*...it is time to take my place in the great circle of life...

[@Darqueness]

Those freaking red jewels and realized some can be missed meaning you dont get the secret boss and such. Completely restarted my save to go all the way back more than once. Not super worth it for the avg player but for completionist I def had to do it. Great game overall, even with the slow, letter-by-letter, "you got a yummy tasty leg of lamb" stuff. :p Been too long, I should play this again.

[@JeskaRain]

The map with the trippy floating island where you see the Nazca lines. I was a kid back then but when I found out the Nazca lines were real my brain imploded. It really was possibly the best game on SNES. Arguably better than even A Link to the past. About Soul Blazer, I still listen to the soundtrack occasionally lol. That lonely village song is so good!

[@ROKMO]

I've always really enjoyed the music of this game and I really did appreciate the real world places you would go and how they tied it into the narative

[@alexiere]

They should have remade this instead of Act Raiser...this game brings back so many good memories...

[@Xygor]

Wasn't it incredible?

[@sirrealkiller8357]

Most memorable part? The poor pig. Still an excellent game. I feel like I never managed to "max" it out though since you couldn't back track. Between the Dungeon rewards and the collectable currency, I definitely didn't find everything, making it all the more exciting for a potential Remake or port.

[@Meilk27]

Literally made me cry as a kid

[@Xygor]

Haha, that's definitely a stand-out part!

[@ModdingNewbie]

I never finished the game either--my brother and I rented it one weekend, and we only got as far as Mu--but the real-world locations I read about in _Nintendo Power_ made me regret we didn't own it.

[@sithlord1051]

SoulBlazer! What an amazing game! I missed it the first go 'round back in the day, and only discovered it a couple years ago. I loved it from beginning to end. I have Illusion of Gaia, too, but have yet to play it. Your video has me anxious to do so. Thanks again for another fantastic video.

[@Edward-bm7vw]

There's a lot of nostalgia in this game for me. It was great

[@derekmoody5926]

Most memorable for me was the ending. I did not want to spoil it but it was worth it at the end

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

There were two parts that really stuck with me above all others in how dark they were compared to anything else on SNES at the time. First, fairly early on, when you go to the back streets of a down and stumble across human trafficking. Even today I can't think of many games that touch such a topic. Secondly, as a few folks have mentioned, was the Russian Glass/Roulette sequence. People gambling with their lives on the line felt far more disturbing than fighting for it. The game got dark. Spoilers Couple those things with cannibals, Jeweler Gem's reveal and its connection to Soul Blazer (and that trafficking subplot), and how in the ending, all of that harsh experience is forgotten in how the timeline is reset... the suffering that saved the world to go unknown... it was a heavy game for being so colorful and adventurous.

[@Laros82]

Same I remember the Russian Roulette Scene very well it's bot something I was aware if and it was shocking. Always loved the real world Locations and this Game made me really want to go to the Machu Picchu

[@jonathany6359]

X, I just have to say, the depth and breadth of your videos, as well as your production are ALWAYS spot on. Thank you!

[@Xygor]

Thank you for the praise!

[@SkyReaperOne]

It's been so long since I played through this game that I hardly remember any of it now. I remember I enjoyed it and that's about it. :( Thanks for bringing it back with this video.

[@tygrus3495]

Watermia. The Russian Roulette. Hamlet. Solid Arm... so many memories to mention, but won't do that for not to spoil the fun. Beautiful game, the music makes you feel so in peace. The original game was packed also with a T-Shirt. Regards.

[@Xygor]

Didn’t know that about the t-shirt!

[@kolpik3708]

Thank you so much. I've been trying to remember the name of this game for many, many years.

[@Xygor]

Glad I could help!

[@dannedifyoudo]

Loved that game. Not sure why it was so memorable when I was young, but it was. Great music.

[@kerplop]

I can only hope that ActRaiser Renaissance is the start of reviving all of these Quintet games.

[@Xygor]

Here's hoping!

[@aputridpileofb-movies6542]

It's most definitely right up there with Chrono Trigger. One of the best games of all time for sure. Did you know? Actraiser 1, Illusion of Gaia, and Terranigma all have a character named Teddy in them.

[@davidsterling7570]

My mother hated the raft and didn't quite get what the story was going for (partly due to the translation) but I've loved this game since I was 5. Would kill for a remake. Really, it just felt awesome to hear some of that music in a video again

[@Loto76]

I know it sounds farfetched, but I've mastered meditation where I can go back in time using my mind and live my life over again with the same knowledge that I have now. I'll remind my self to pick this up when it first came out in 1993 where my age was 17.

[@TheAzraelCrowley]

not sure i can note any specific parts of this game but all i remember is this was one of the most memorable games on snes that i was able to finish playing through, i was also renting it from a local mom and pop shop and i would keep the game for weeks before returning it sometimes. lol

[@insaneasock3156]

The soundtrack to this game is killer. I pop it in quite often.

[@RetroMoments]

Definitely a game Ive been wanting to play for a long time now. Even more stoked about it after watching this. Great video!

[@Xygor]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@thefitG]

I loved this game growing up

[@MrPhyxsyus]

Great game! Even tho I could never finish as a kid in a rental I could never forget about it. It was several years later I could enjoy it.

[@rustifowler9384]

The music in the Sky Garden! :O

[@supermahmoud]

My 1st RPG ever ! I had (and still have in my collection) the European version: Illusion of Time Also one of my beloved soundtracks of all time !

[@MegaHarv]

If I recall at the time the ESRB still hadn't been created yet, and that's quite apparent if you really analyze the game. Will is what? A Teenager? Let's have a teenager play Russian Roulette with Poison milkshakes! You know, fun for the whole family! Or how about the Child Slavery Ring, that if you want all of the Red Jewels in the game, you have to rat out an escaped child slave's location to the slave traders? Or what about the part where you BURN A MAN ALIVE. I didn't really think much of it as a kid, but as a grown up I'm legitimately surprised this game wasn't censored or even came out here at all

[@bobbyquinn2156]

An extremely underrated game. The nostalgia I have for it is overwhelming. My favorite part had to be the atmospheric music.

[@sandordugalin8951]

The Super Nintendo was such a golden age of gaming. Plenty of those games I still want to play today, if only for the music!!!

[@underwaterlevelz1947]

Thanks for the review. This is one cartridge I picked up a couple years ago but haven't had time to play yet. I tried Secret of Mana and got frustrated with it at the Spikey Tiger battle.

[@Xygor]

You'll love it if you love other games like this!

[@jenniferlee2608]

I love this game I remember it came with a free T-shirt and I used to wear it all the time I even wore it out till it was full of holes this was a game my mom and I would play together and try to figure out all the puzzles it was so much fun

[@FatherDragonMusic]

Thank you for keeping the fire BLAZING!

[@johnnyb4011]

The part where they play russian roulette with some poison liquid to get money to buy some bird? To progress the story. While Will gets guided by God/Gaia not to take the wrong one against the other man doing this to get money and medicine for his family. There is just so many great stories in this game overall. One of my favorite games of all time.

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

That is probably the second most memorable part for me. It felt shockingly dark compared to other SNES games I was playing then. Sure other games had more violence, but there is something more psychologically disturbing about gambling with your life than fighting for it.

[@80sMoviesRule1]

Unlocking the black night was the coolest thing my friends of I thought we could ever do.

[@BunBun299]

Wow, someone besides me remembers that Illusion of Gaia exists!?!? I loved this game back when it came out.

[@StiffAftermath]

Soul Blazer. So good. And as for Gaia, the music, man! The music!

[@toolman4745]

This game was so cool. I remember getting it back in the day. I mix it and Alundra up a lot in my head though.

[@willlamme1988]

Only video of this game I have ever seen, hell only mention of it ever since I played it.

[@JugglernautNr9]

Very unique game with a special atmosphere created especially by the music.

[@teaguevox8160]

I'm convinced young me subconsciously decided to get Illusion of Gaia because the box art was basically the same as Link to the Past's.

[@chrism2027]

Illusion of Time was a really good game with a very exciting story and a really nice soundtrack, which is often underestimated. But it's a good game

[@jonasking9587]

The 16 bit era will always be iconic. Don't get me wrong, we get better and more games now than ever...but I'd be lying if I said I did not miss that time in my life.

[@Strummie]

Really hope the release this on the Switch’s virtual console. It deserves the recognition.

[@Dn30383]

I ve played 2 times, but my fav is Terranigma and Secret of Evermore, but this game was on position 5 or 6 (behind Secret of mana, Shadowrun.....)

[@TheMelnTeam]

I enjoyed this one as a kid. The manual that came with the game really hyped up Mu, and it definitely was a spike in difficulty. I enjoyed that area a lot. The vampire fight was taxing in a way you'd normrally see more so in games like Pocky & Rocky. The area just before it where you were flipping sides on the flying level was memorable too, that + Mu are what made the game start standing out for me back then. Good game overall despite how convoluted the story could get. Though I think Terranigma is probably the best of the trilogy?

[@simeongarza6406]

The music was great!

[@CB-lh8gw]

I love this game. probably my #2 on the SNES... first being Chrono Trigger, I was a big fan of Super Mario RPG and A Link To The Past as well so those are all interchangeable... Oh and Secret of Mana and Evermore. I'm still pissed they never brought Evermore to the Wii-store... My SNES is temperamental at best so I don't often get to replay many of these in their original format but IOG and SOE still work most of the time...

[@obake6290]

Illusion of Gaea was very good. I thought is was just sort of okay when I was younger, but replaying as an adult was so much better. The gameplay and especially the transformations really stood out. Easily my favorite of the "series." Souls Blazer was fun, but basic. Then I just never clicked with Terranigma and never beat it despite trying many times over the years.

[@grams18]

Just remenber the original name of this game is "Illusion of Time". ;-) Along with "Terranigma", "Lufia II - Rise of the Sinistrals", "Secret of Mana" & "Secret of Evermore" one o the greatest rpgs availble on the SNES wich I still own as original cardridge + big book game guide wich was also included back then. The best aspects of "Illusion of Time" is that you play as a total of three different characters along the storyline and each of them has his own skills and abilitys for fighting and exploring the world and dungeons. The best moments I had at the "Ankor Watt" dungeon, the city and the dungeon with the big mushrooms, the very end of the game of course and if you´re able to manage to get all the secret orbs to get acces to the secret world dungeon. ^^

[@DavidBaronStevensPersonal]

When I rented this from Blockbuster as a young teenager, I thought even the game was one of the best even then Zelda 1 & 3, Chrono Trigger, and Sega's Shining Force, all set the bar for games for me

[@youtubestolemyid]

It is my understanding that the main character of Soul Blazer is the god of Act Riser. Also i think that Will (or Tim) is somehow relater with the main protagonist of Soul Blazer. Dunno about Terranigma, but i think that was the result of the hero failing to save the world.

[@CasewellCruz]

Thanks, Xygor, been curious about this one.

[@Aaloysius]

I played this game maybe 15 years ago using a SNES emulator on my computer... I remember never finishing because some of the attacks were hard to do on a keyboard using the directional buttons and I couldn't advance in certain levels where you HAD to do the spin attack

[@nugboy420]

I love the story of this game. Still play it a bit once in a while. Back when my fiancé played games with me we found this about 7 or 8 years ago. I actually am at the Great Wall in a while. Crying about Hamlet or the pig again now cuz I think I’ve only seen it like 10x but haven’t in a few years. Only got about half way in each attempt to play but made sure to save a file on my computer at Great Wall lmao. Good video tho

[@michaelglover9214]

I loved this game... The naztec lines, ankor wat... The land of mu. The locations!!! The same developers made illusions of mana, and a few others.

[@ikmor]

My Friends owned this title. I borrowed it and played as far as I could get but got stuck in some mountain area or something, couldn't figure out how to progress. I liked the game though, boöut apparently not enough to see it through. ^^

[@numismaticstacker]

It was my favorite adventure game I've ever played. Hard to find a copy. I have the retron 3

[@TylerChristiaens]

Another great vid! Loved swapping between forms

[@Xygor]

Thank you!

[@nicodemous52]

This game is such an underrated gem.

[@johnnyscifi]

I love this games soundtrack. It's so good!!!

[@rosslee8354]

I personally like terranigma just a bit more, but it obviously wouldn't exist without this gem

[@TheDragonWolf83]

I love that game and everything with it. There are lots of old games i Love much more than the new ones

[@AeonsONE]

This game and a few other is the one that made me learn English growing up. I kept playing and bothers by dad do he can translate The words I didn't understand.

[@JohnnyTronny19841]

When Hamlet runs into the fire to cook themselves so everyone can eat. I was ruined - this game is amazing. I remember writing into Nintendo Power for help in the pyramid. Turns out I just needed to be Shadow and melt through the floor. I waited months lol

[@Howyeman]

I'm 37 years old now and still my eyes got all foggy and wet for a couple of seconds, just by reading the name Hamlet and remembering his sacrifice.

[@JohnnyTronny19841]

@@Howyeman I just turned 37! I replayed over lockdown and cried like a baby multiple times throughout lol

[@davidburnett5049]

I never figured out the one of the dungeon puzzles as a kid but otherwise a good game.

[@thenonexistinghero]

I love this game... but between this, Terranigma and Alundra... I'd say Alundra is the clear winner for me. I have trouble deciding which is better between Terranigma and Illusion of Gaia though. Overal the story starts out faster and there's actually a party of characters throughout the game. Basically a proper main cast. For Terranigma, for most part it's just Ark meeting new people, creatures, etc everywhere he goes as he progresses along. It's not until later in the game that a few other characters also get a bit more involved. Still, the storytelling in this game is heavier overal and much more impactful. There's a few real tearjerker moments, even when played today. In terms of story I'd have to give a slight edge to Terranigma, but in terms of gameplay I'd have to give a slight edge to Illusion of Gaia. I love puzzles in my games and Illusion of Gaia has plenty of good ones. Terranigma focuses more on action combat. As for the most memorable aspect of Illusion of Gaia... for me it was being adrift at sea. I just really liked it. The relationship between Will and Kara developing while also being stuck on a raft that's just floating somewhere. Easily one of the best bonding moments between characters in gaming, IMO. And I'm usually not a fan of romance since it's usually done poorly. I hate the romances in FFVIII and FFX with a passion, for example.

[@mrkarate8134]

A remake of this game would be nice

[@fritchoffnilsson2574]

Thank you for this. ❤️

[@DarkKaij]

I loved the game, but I was small and got stuck in one of the dungeons. I was unable to finish it... Oh the era before the internet...