![\"DragonFantasyBook1_1\"](\"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/29\/DragonFantasyBook1_1.jpg\" "\\"DragonFantasyBook1_1\\"")
<\/center><\/p>\nWhat is it?<\/strong><\/font> JRPG adventuring modeled after classics from the NES and SNES eras is what you get from this retro tribute.<\/p>\n Who made it and where can you get it?<\/strong><\/font> Muteki Corporation<\/a> is the curator of this fine role-playing throwback, which is newly available with cross-buy on PS3 and Vita for $9.99. Previous versions have been released on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS. Click over to the official game site<\/a> for links to the various platform marketplaces. <\/p>\n How much did we play?<\/strong><\/font> Got the valiant out-of-retirement Ogden to level 31, assembled the legendary Hero\u2019s Armor, and defeated the Dark Lord and the Really Dark Lord to complete chapter one. Began chapter two and reached level 15 with the new adventurer, Prince Anders, while defeating Frosty the Snowman\u2019s evil twin, Freezie the Doom Man, in the frigid depths of the Ice Cavern dungeon. Most play time was spent on the Vita, though I did dabble some with cross-saving over to the PS3 and back.<\/p>\n Any technical concerns or hardware requirements you should know about?<\/strong><\/font> When launching the game on many occasions the sound effects and music volume sliders will both be toggled completely off without me ever having touched those menu options. Even after turning them back on and seeing the auto-save icon flash, they\u2019ll often be turned off again the next time I play. It is fairly annoying having to hit the setup screen to toggle the same options almost every time the game starts up. Other than that I haven\u2019t experienced anything serious bug wise.<\/p>\n Why should you play it?<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n \u2022\tTwo Nintendo Eras in One:<\/strong> Dragon Fantasy<\/em> captures the style and spirit of Japanese role playing on the NES and SNES all in one game. Not only does the game itself gradually evolve as you work from chapter to chapter\u2014you\u2019ll begin the first chapter as a single hero, by chapter two you\u2019ll be able to hire companions to fill out a party\u2014but you\u2019re also given options to tune the graphics and audio between 8-bit with chiptunes or an enhanced 16-bit mode with a higher quality orchestral sound. Or you can mix and match pixel and audio fidelity if, let\u2019s say, you like the sharper color palette of 16-bit contrasted by the bleeps and blorps of an NES game, or vice versa. Now that’s customizable nostalgia!<\/p>\n \u2022\tA Dash of Parody:<\/strong> This is an incredibly simplistic game, breaking down the JRPG formula to its barest of bones. Combat is nothing more than clicking a menu option and watching little slash or rudimentary spell sprites flash on the screen while text describes the effectiveness of the attack. An underlying sense of comedy keeps these basic elements light and refreshing. With names like Obligatory Ork, Sangria Enthusiast, Sgt. Killface, and Skelly Claus (yes, a skeleton dressed like Santa Claus wielding a giant candy cane like a club), you\u2019ll always be on the lookout to see what silly creature pops up in the next encounter. But more than the names, it\u2019s the combat descriptions that really amp the humor. \u201cHunka Burnin\u2019 Love has you all shook up.\u201d \u201cThe Eater of Faces gets confused by a spork.\u201d \u201cSkelly Claus knows Anders has been naughty.\u201d \u201cThe Mystic Man stops being so mystical.\u201d It\u2019s hard not to chuckle at battle text like that.<\/ol>\n Parting Thoughts:<\/strong><\/font> Dragon Fantasy<\/em> is a lighthearted reminder of how great JRPGs used to be back before the Square Enix merger, when Squaresoft and Enix were two separate entities dueling for genre domination. There isn\u2019t an ounce of originality or complexity to the game, but it\u2019s loaded with personality, old-school level grinding, peppy battles and plenty of nostalgic giggles that any one with a fond remembrance for this type of game is sure to cherish. They just don\u2019t make \u2018em like this any more. Oh wait, I guess they do!<\/p>\n![\"DragonFantasyBook1_2\"](\"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/29\/DragonFantasyBook1_2.jpg\" "\\"DragonFantasyBook1_2\\"")
<\/p>\n\n\u2022\tRetro Role Playing to the Max:<\/strong> As the title implies, Dragon Fantasy<\/em> is pure homage to genre greats Dragon Quest<\/em> and Final Fantasy<\/em> (with minor touches from other classics mixed in for extra nostalgia). Dragon Quest<\/em>\u2019s influences are especially strong, from the first-person, menu-based battle system, to the House of Healing style save\/revive system, to the heavy dent death puts on your gold coin pouch (don\u2019t forget to bank!). Everything you love–or love to hate\/hate to love–about JRPGs is wrapped up in this indie fantasy quest, whether it\u2019s tirelessly grinding out levels to become strong enough for the next boss or farming enemy fodder for enough gold to stock up on supplies or buy that vital weapon\/armor upgrade that\u2019ll push your party over the top. Random encounters also come fast and frequent, though fortunately the combat screen pops up right on the map so battles typically fly by in a hurry, without the disruption of load screens taking you off to a separate battlefield. The hit ratio during combat used to be old-school harsh as well, meaning both you and the enemy would miss attacks with absurd regularity. But fortunately a recent game update balanced the ratio to be far less infuriating.<\/p>\n