Prinny Introduces NIS Classics (Switch) Volume 1 Revision

We live in a golden age of remastering and remakes when it comes to video games. It seems that every week there are more classic games coming to life on a current generation console. This may seem like a crude attempt to squeeze a few more pennies out of gamers (and in many cases it is), but it is also very important for the preservation of retro games. The latest remaster to hit the Switch is the NIS Classics Volume 1 Collection, bringing a couple of tactical RPGs from the PlayStation 2 era to Switch.

The first of these games is Brave ghost, which was originally released in 2004. The game is an isometric tactical RPG that follows young Marona on her quest for financial stability who inevitably plunges into saving the world because that’s how these stories go. How do you do this? Well, Marona is what is called Chroma, someone who can see and interact with ghosts. In fact, Ash continually follows her, a man who turned into a ghost in the early moments of the game and serves as her caretaker and muscle in combat.

Combat consists of Marona using her ability to attach ghosts to objects on the battle grid and make them fight for her. Throughout the battlefield, there are numerous items, such as trees, flowers, and rocks. Attaching ghosts to these items will increase certain stats, so using a rock to bind a soldier will increase his defense, while a flower will increase a wizard’s intelligence and casting ability.

Ghosts can only be summoned this way for a certain number of turns, so there are many tactical considerations to take into account when deciding to summon and when to hold back. Summons too early or too far, and players can spend half of the ghost’s turns simply moving across the battlefield. The difficulty curve is quite steep and the game throws a lot of concepts to the player in the initial moments, so a little effort in the first levels to earn money and experience can be useful.

The second game in this NIS Classics Volume 1 collection, branded ‘Prinny Presents’ in a cheeky (but understandable) marketing move to draw attention to these lesser-known titles, is from 2007. Soul Nomad and the World Eaters, another PS2 release. It’s a suitably dramatic title for the unfolding story, which includes a collection of giant city-destroying beings called World Eaters that have recently been reactivated after more than 200 years of sleep. At the beginning of the story, the silent protagonist is given a black sword, which quickly turns out to have an ancient evil spirit inside him trying to take over the hero’s body.

It turns out that Gig, the spirit of the sword, was the one who originally commanded the World Eaters and would very much like to continue his work of destroying the world. Gig then enters into a Faustian deal with the hero, offering more power, but at the risk of taking over his body every time he uses it. The story becomes a balancing act for the hero, who attempts to stop the Eaters of Worlds using Gig’s power without getting lost in the process.

Similar to Phantom Brave, Soul Nomad consists of a series of isometric battle grids that the player can move to choose their path to victory. Before battle, new characters can be recruited and organized into units that can be summoned to the battlefield. Moving and attacking costs stamina, which can be recovered by giving up a unit’s turn. While characters do more damage the higher their stamina, certain abilities are only available when stamina drops below a certain level, so balancing these needs is one of the great keys to victory.

Both are well-loved tactical RPGs with their own cult following. Phantom Brave, in particular, has seen releases over the years, including a Wii version in 2009. The NIS Classics Volume 1 collection includes all previously released content for both games, as well as giving the sprites a bit of a boost. and illustrations. The sound remastering is particularly welcome, making the music in both feel more modern.

The problem is that both games feel dated when viewed on modern televisions. While sprites look solid and relatively vibrant in handheld mode, docked mode stretches them a bit too much. Additionally, they both struggle with uneven voice acting, despite having some solid performers in the cast. Both Phantom Brave and Soul Nomad still look a lot like games created three console generations ago, which may be appealing to some fans, but it feels lopsided by modern standards.

In addition to unattractive visuals and unreliable voice acting, the camera on Phantom Brave can be particularly unwieldy, causing a lot of headaches when trying to focus on a particular enemy or object when grouped with others. Fighters can climb onto each other and enemies, creating stacks that would be very easy to discern with a mouse and keyboard, but the Switch’s joysticks are slightly less accurate.

Phantom Brave and Soul Nomad may not be the first games to come to mind when we think of classic tactics titles, and despite our reservations, we’re happy to see them take on new life. For longtime fans of either one, this is a collection worth choosing – playing these games together on a handheld console will be an engaging enough prospect.

However, there simply isn’t enough of an update to its original releases to recommend this one to new fans. The rough edges of both games in the NIS Classics Volume 1 collection have really started to show in the last 15 years and without a comprehensive overhaul, a full remastering, or a full remake, it’s hard to recommend this duo to anyone who isn’t a dedicated fan. from tactical RPGs or from these games in particular.

conclusion

We’re always fans of watching lesser-known games in any genre get some love and exposure to new players, and the two games in the NIS Classics Volume 1 collection have a lot to offer fans of tactics. Phantom Brave’s combat system is unique among tactical RPGs and Soul Nomad’s version of the hero’s journey is still interesting 15 years after its release for PS2. However, both games feel even older than they are; The unappealing visuals and uneven voice acting in this compilation re-release will not change the opinion of anyone who was not a former fan, nor will it appeal to a new audience.