Review by: Dr. I.M. Psycho

A few years ago, four girls formed a comic company. These girls named their company Clamp and they started to produce manga made only by them. They have no helpers and they have no assistants. All they have are each other and a cat who acts as their mascot. And yet, even though Clamp is only made of these four women, they have become one of the most powerful and popular manga companies in Japan. One of their most popular mangas was a story called Magic Knight Rayearth. And in 1995, Rayearth became an action RPG for the Sega Saturn. And now, in 1997, this game is finally on it's way to the US thanks to Working Designs. As we wait for the US release, I will tell you about the import version of Magic Knight Rayearth which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest action RPGs ever created since Legend of Zelda.

Magic Knight Rayearth follows the plot of the manga and the anime. It tells the story of three girls: Hikaru Shido, Umi Ryuzaki, and Fuu Hououji. These girls are just average middle school students who have never met before and all go to different schools. But one day, all three of their schools decide to go on the same field trip. A field trip that will change their lives forever. The field trip is to Tokyo Tower. While the three girls are there, there is suddenly a burst of light. All of a sudden, the three girls hear the voice of a young girl calling for help from the "legendary Magic Knights". And then, all of a sudden, the three girls find themselves warped into another world. They don't know where they are or how they got there, all they originally know at first is that they're not in Tokyo anymore. The three girls, after introuductions are aside, soon meet a mysterious man named Clef who looks like a young boy, but informs the girls that he's over seven hundred years old. He tells the girls that they are on the world of Cephiro and that they have been summoned there by Princess Emeraude. Apparently the world of Cephiro is in great danger and the Princess is being held captive by Sol Zagato, a young man who used to work for the Princess who has suddenly turned evil. Clef tells the girls that they cannot return home to Tokyo until they become the legendary Magic Knights and save the world of Cephiro. So, along with their companion, Mokona, a magical rabbit-like creature, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu must discover the ancient powers of Fire, Water, and Wind and save the world of Cephiro before it's destroyed. But as the girls soon discover, everything is not what it seems...

The graphics are what really draws you into this game. What amazes me is that this game was released in Japan two years ago and the graphics still astound me today. After you watch the opening sequence from the anime complete with the actual theme song, you're taken into the game.

The game is portrayed in a traditional bird's eye view RPG format. You take control of one of the three girls while the other two follow behind you. You can switch control among the three girls, so you're not stuck with the same character throughout the whole game. The game is played as an action RPG. What I mean is that you can see the enemies walking around and you can attack them on the map. Unlike traditional RPGs like Albert Odyssey, the game does not go into a separate battle sequence. This makes the game fast moving and more enjoyable to those who aren't into RPGs that are heavy in battles and experience building.

What makes the graphics shine is the detail that's included in the game. Everything in the game is just so full of color and everything looks so vivid. The towns that you visit during the game are impressive as well and each have a look that's especially their own. But what really gets me are the little details that Sega added. Details like lightning that sets trees on fire, the sunlight briefly fading as overhead clouds pass over it, and much more. There is just so much to see in this game that you won't know where to start.

The game also features a lot of anime scenes to help move the story along. Almost all of these scenes are made for the game itself and were not taken from the TV series. The anime scenes include recorded dialogue performed by the actors from the TV show. There are a lot of anime scenes and a lot of dialogue, so it really gets you into the game.

I could probably talk about the graphics for another few paragraphs, so I'll seize the moment and shut up now. I'll end my rant on the graphics by saying you've never seen a 2D RPG look as good as this, guaranteed. Now I'll move onto the sound. Surprisingly, the sound is just as good as the graphics. The music is rich and very enjoyable. I'm currently seeking out the import soundtrack, I love the music that much. The music always fits the scenes well. I could be wrong, but I heard that the music was taken directly from the anime series. I don't know if it's true or not, though. Another high point in the sound department is the spoken dialogue. It's very clear and high quality. There's also a lot of it, so Sega really took advantage of the Saturn's sound system.

Gameplay wise, the game is very similar to Secret of Mana for the Super NES and Super Famicon. If you were a fan of that game, like I was, you'll be right at home here. The controls are easy to use and simple to master and you'll quickly learn which one of the three girls work best in which situation.

Okay, now it's time for me to list the negatives, and for Rayearth, I can think of very few. I guess one of the major flaws is that there's no way to skip the recorded dialogue scenes. There's tons of dialogue during the first part of the game and so the game tends to be very slow for at least the first hour or so. It can get kind of annoying having to sit through every scene when you go back and replay it. Another flaw is that the game is just too easy. It's not that the game is short, it has a good sized story line. It's just that the game is so easy, you'll find yourself working your way through the game in no time. There were a few puzzles that stumped me a little, but other than that, it was smooth sailing from beginning to end. I have very little knowledge of the Japanese language and yet I still was able to get through the game with very little assistance from my friend who is fluent in the language and helps me play import RPGs. I don't know if the game will be made harder for the US release, but I hope it will be in a way.

Overall, Magic Knight Rayearth is one of the best Saturn games ever made. The graphics and sound are beautiful, the gameplay is simple to learn, and the story is excellent. The only thing that would of made this game even better is if it had a multi-player option like Secret of Mana did. I'm surprised Sega didn't think of making it multi-player, Rayearth would of been a blast if you could have three people controlling all three of the girls at once. As it stands, however, Rayearth is a fantastic game that should not be missed at any cost when it finally comes out over here.

Working Designs has been working on the game's translation for about two years now, so I can only hope they'll be finished soon. I can't wait to play this game in English. I'm sure Working Designs will do an excellent job with the translation, the game seems perfectly suited for the trademarked humor.

It all comes down to this. Do you own a Saturn? Well, if you're on Dave Z's Sega Saturn Page, then it's probably a pretty good guess that you do. Do you have a brain? I hope so. Well if you fall into those two categories, you will buy Rayearth when it comes out over here. Magic Knight Rayearth is one game that I will always remember when I look back at those "32 bit Days". It's a fine game for any system to have and I'm glad it's only on the Saturn, because we need all the great exclusive games we can get. A must buy.