Nintendo has looked back once more to take a step forward on the Switch console.
Here we have a revamp of the classic role-play game Legend of the Seven Stars which came out in 1996 on the SNES console.
It has had a huge visual upgrade to bring it into the Odyssey realm of Mario HD cuteness.
And the animations are all new, packed full of funny moments and movements like last month’s other beautifully curated game Wonder.
But underneath, the core mechanics that made the 90s title such a smash are there.
Tight, fun and easy to get into – this turn-based RPG slowly ramps up in difficulty to really challenge gamers in battle.
The story is quite simple and involves, as always, Bowser stealing Princess Peach.
But as Mario does his hero thing and goes to rescue her at Bowser’s Keep, a bigger villain takes control.
Exor the Giant Sword and the Smithy Gang crash down into the castle, breaking the Star Road and causing a tremor so mighty, it sends everyone flying.
The game moves to a 45-degree angle role-play game where you explore labyrinth-like forests, spooky sewers and fast-flowing rivers to fight your way through colourful zones on your bid to restore the scattered bits of the road.
As well as turn-based combat, you’ll also find yourself collecting treasure from discovered chests, chatting with locals for clues to solve the next task and enjoying a variety of mini games, like racing with Yoshi.
Two unusual characters to help you fight back against baddies are your bud Mallow, who’s a whiz with magic spells, and wooden puppet Geno, who’s seeking to restore calm to the world.
You team up taking it in turns with baddies to deal blows.
With an Action Command button press at the right time you can double down on an attack, dealing extra damage, while also fending off a blow with your shield in defence mode.
Every successful Action Command will fill the Action Gauge. When it’s full, you can unleash an extremely powerful Triple Move.
Each team member has special moves which you unlock more of on progress and there are also handy items that can be used in battle to send baddies to sleep, heal buddies, etc.
It’s all about fighting, boosting your experience points and building your heroes up in skill to take on bigger foes.
It’s quite simple to start but the game does a good job at making things harder as you progress and introducing newer players to RPG gaming.
The baddies are varied and their attacks equally unique, so expect plenty of Koopas, witches and Goombas as well as chained Donkey Kongs, Crocos and Exor himself.
The game looks great and the music is cutesy, light and fun as you’d expect.
Overall, this is a great introduction to RPG games and offers a challenge as you push through the title.
It’s got a lovely modern Switch sheen to it but still keeps all the core values of the original, classic game.
VERDICT 4/5
