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Fantasy RPG without the cuteness

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: January 21, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Most RPG Gameboy Advance titles suffer from the same problem, they're too cute! Short, cartoonish heros battle sweet looking bunnies that happen to throw lightning from their pink little ears. As much as I love RPGs, I just can't bring myself to play these games. But there are some titles that try to look a bit more real and gritty. Baldur's gate for the GBA is one of them. For those who have played the PS2 version, then this will seem quite familar. It looks and plays the same, although with a bit less to drool at graphically (as is to be expected on a handheld system). The plot is the same but with a few differences in the actual "dungeons" and a bit more of the city to explore. You can still choose one of three classes but in this version, your character is always a human male. Game play, so far, is smooth and fun, although it is far to easy to cheat by standing just outside of a monsters reach and blasting him with spells or arrows. Still, this is almost a perfect mini-sized version of the orginal. All the spells and feats seem to be included as well as the items (although the recall potion is oddly absent.) I'm still on Act One, but so far I finally feel like I got a Gameboy Advance RPG that is fun but isn't cute.

Excellent Dungeon Crawl

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: February 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This hack and slash dungeon crawl plays like the console version of the same name. You can be a human male fighter, archer, or wizard. The graphics are good for the gba and they pulled this title off surprisingly well. This is one of the few games I actually liked enough to play through. In my opinion there are WAY too many magic items and potions, to the point where if you crack open a barrel and there isn't a flaming burst adamantine longsword +5 in it it's a surprise, but who cares? This isn't a hardcore rpg like the baldur's gate for the pc (one of the best titles of all time). This is just a hack and slash dungeon crawl, and it does that very well. The locations are varied and interesting and you fight everything from kobolds, drow, frost giants, and even a beholder. Pick this title up and it will keep you entertained for many hours. Very enjoyable and a good D&D addition to the GBA.

Pretty Disappointed.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 31, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game was way too easy and short. I had this game for three days and beat it already. There wasn't much of a challenge to the game at all--which was ok, because then I didn't get stuck anywhere--but it was a little too easy. The real problem I had with this game is that it only took me about ten hours to complete it. The ending was sudden and abrupt. I thought that I was about half-way through the game--but then it ended. In my opinion, for $25 or $30, the game should last a while.

Fun, to a point

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is a game that is definitely all about the hack and slash. Everything else, including story, takes a backseat. The real development and appeal lies in the real time combat that dominates the game, and actually proves to be suprisingly fun.

One of my absolute favorite aspects to the Baldur's Gate games (particularly the computer version) is the atmosphere; and I believe this game is no less, though on a considerably smaller scale. The various worlds and areas explored aren't large, but they are detailed and fittingly designed. Music is used sparingly, which I see to be a minor complaint since, in my experience, Baldur's Gate creates tension and atmosphere without letting itself be dominated by the music.

The combat hack and slash is fun, as well as the vast amount of weapons and arrows and potions collected and nearly all of the barrels, etc. that are broken, and the replay is fun simply to try out the different classes (my favorite was the mage because of the awesome spells that you can learn.)

But unfortunately, it's not a very long game (was beaten in a week) nor a particularly complex one. And the replay only lasts so long; having been beaten so easily, I've beaten it many times since and have found each time less inclined to continue playing. If there are any major complaints to this game, in my opinion, it's that it's too easy and too short. I just hope that the sequel (assuming there will be one) will improve on both of those aspects.

Good game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Good RPG game. As someone already said, they give you way too many magic jars. The game play is pretty impressive, but there isn't really too much strategy involved. It's sort of a RTG game disguised as an RPG. And it's progressive so once you move from one stage to the next there's no going back to talk to everyone. All in all, it will keep you entertained, but it get's a little repetitive once you figure out that there's one basic strategy you need to kill EVERY guy.

Balder's gate in a handheld! What's not to like?! Well...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

To preface, I'm a big fan of the Baldur's Gate series on PC. The only one I haven't played is Icewind Dale 2. I recently got a GBA and wanted to play some BG on it. I'm just starting Act 2 as an archer but I think I have a good idea for how the game is overall.

I must say it's pretty well done, if you've played any other BG games you'll recognize the isometric view of your character (you only control one character, not a party, although you interface with a variety of NPC's). You start off with nothing which is kind of cool but it doesn't take long to get stocked up. It's a fairly linear story so far but there's lots of dungeon romping in the first act and you can pretty much go where you want in a certain level once you've beaten the enemies to get keys to unlock doors etc... Most of your money will come from selling stuff you find, which of course you'll then spend on even better stuff, as any good RPG should have you do!

The plot is kind of typical so far but a lot of fun. There are some pretty snazzy graphics for a handheld, the style is very much in the BG tradition.

A few cons:

1. Redundant at times, I got tired of chasing down the last couple of kobolds at the end of a battle which you'll do quite a bit in the first act.

2. The aiming of arrows is touchy and kind of annoying. Once you get it set though you're pretty powerful as you crank off arrow after arrow (you'll go through them quickly!)

3. There is a MAJOR gameplay glitch in this game. Once you complete one of the southern sewer sections in BG and you surface near the Ilmater priest, save your game. Don't save it again until you have the magic key from Kherek. If you do things in the wrong order you can get stuck and have to start over. I'm not exactly sure what the "wrong" order is but I did get stuck and others have too.

As others have said this is a scaled back game compared to the PC versions but that's to be expected. I am really enjoying it so far and it definately does have the BG feel to it. If you like RPG's, D&D, other Baldur's Gate games then pick this one up! I actually got it off of Ebay for about 12 bucks total and I consider that a steal!

It looks good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: July 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I think this game looks very good. The graphics aren't too bad, and the storyline is awesome. A must-have fore rpg players!

It's pretty limited.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I've played Dark Alliance II on the PS2, Champions of Norath, other simillar games, and the only problem with this one is that the skills are pretty limited and there's no map. Plus, the limited buttons make spells hard to use.

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