Shining in the Darkness
Encyclopedia
Shining in the Darkness, released as in Japan, is a 1991 RPG for the Mega Drive/Genesis
video game console. It was one of the first RPGs released for the system, and began the Shining RPG series that would span four Sega
video game consoles as well as the Game Boy Advance
and PlayStation 2
.
On August 13, 2007, the game was re-released on the Wii
Virtual Console
in North America and on September 7, 2007 the game was re-released in Europe.
The game appears in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
for Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
.
The game consists of story line interaction, dungeon exploration, random monster fights, and predetermined 'boss' fights. The combat in this game operates similarly to certain RPG games of the same era (e.g. Dragon Quest
). Monster encounters happen randomly during dungeon exploration at which point turn-based combat proceeds.
Additionally, the dungeon contains three characters in need of rescue. Rescuing any or all of the three is optional, and the story changes depending on whether or not the player locates and returns each of these characters to safety.
, it is revealed that the villain of Shining in the Darkness, Mephisto (called Dark Sol in the English versions), is the son of Darksol and his chief follower, the sorceress Mishaela (the villains of Shining Force I
). After the final defeat of Darksol, the child was whisked away by Oddeye, the foremost Greater Devil of Darksol's archenemy, Zeon.
Mephisto's role in Shining in the Darkness places its entry in the timeline sometime following the events of Shining Force II
. Since Shining Wisdom
takes place but a few years later, it almost certainly takes place after Shining Wisdom as well.
#178 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.
game until more than six years after Shining in the Darkness made its mark in the region. The game also marked the beginning of the successful Shining series, which has since produced more than 20 video games and an animated TV series.
The second game in the Shining series, Shining Force: Legacy of Great Intention
, diverged greatly in game-play mechanic; however, many stylistic parts are reminiscent of Shining in the Darkness, including music and art. Other features such as the distinctive menu system, the use of priests for saving games and resurrecting characters, and several magic spells would continue to be used in every game in the series up to and including Shining Force III
, with the notable exception of Shining Wisdom
.
The game Shining the Holy Ark
gave the series a fleeting return to the dungeon crawler game-play mechanic, and uses a remix of the dungeon theme from Shining in the Darkness in its soundtrack.
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
video game console. It was one of the first RPGs released for the system, and began the Shining RPG series that would span four Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
video game consoles as well as the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
.
On August 13, 2007, the game was re-released on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in North America and on September 7, 2007 the game was re-released in Europe.
The game appears in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, known as the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in PAL regions, is a compilation of video games developed by Backbone Entertainment for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles...
for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Gameplay
Shining in the Darkness is a "dungeon-crawler" RPG. The game puts the player in control of the main character as he and two friends (Pyra and Milo) explore 3-dimensionally rendered dungeon mazes.Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
). Monster encounters happen randomly during dungeon exploration at which point turn-based combat proceeds.
Additionally, the dungeon contains three characters in need of rescue. Rescuing any or all of the three is optional, and the story changes depending on whether or not the player locates and returns each of these characters to safety.
Story
Shining in the Darkness is set in the kingdom of Thornwood. The king's daughter and the main character's father have vanished, while the evil sorcerer Dark Sol has appeared to threaten the kingdom. The main character is charged to find the Arms of Light, rescue the princess and his father, and stop Dark Sol.Shining Series continuity
In Shining Force Gaiden: Final ConflictShining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict
, the third of the Gaiden sub-series, is a 1995 tactical role-playing game for the Sega Game Gear, and is both a sequel to the original Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention, and a prequel to Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing. It was released after both games, with the intention of...
, it is revealed that the villain of Shining in the Darkness, Mephisto (called Dark Sol in the English versions), is the son of Darksol and his chief follower, the sorceress Mishaela (the villains of Shining Force I
Shining Force
Shining Force, known as in Japan, and otherwise known as Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention, is a 1992 turn-based strategy role-playing video game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console...
). After the final defeat of Darksol, the child was whisked away by Oddeye, the foremost Greater Devil of Darksol's archenemy, Zeon.
Mephisto's role in Shining in the Darkness places its entry in the timeline sometime following the events of Shining Force II
Shining Force II
, is a tactical role-playing game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console developed by Sonic! Software Planning in 1994. The storyline is not directly connected to the original Shining Force, although a Game Gear title Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict links the two games' plots.The game is much...
. Since Shining Wisdom
Shining Wisdom
is an Action-adventure game released for the Sega Saturn video game console. It is a part of Sega's Shining series of video games.- Gameplay :Shining Wisdom differs from its predecessors in the Shining series in that it was the first to employ an Action-adventure style of gameplay...
takes place but a few years later, it almost certainly takes place after Shining Wisdom as well.
Development
Sega allocated the bare minimum budget offered to out-of-house developers for the creation of Shining in the Darkness. In a 2009 interview, Hiroyuki Takahashi (credited for "writing" and producing the game) recalled:
Because we were on such a tight budget, apart from the programming and graphics, I did nearly all of the work on Shining in the Darkness. I suppose the basic concept behind Darkness was 'realism'. I thought it would be exciting if the player could actually travel to a fantasy world and walk around, exploring old houses, dungeons and other places. It was in essence a continuation of the sense of excitement you'd get from moving through the dungeons in older games such as Wizardry. By 'reality' I'm not talking about true realism - I mean the feeling that you really are progressing through actual houses and dungeons, and the same thing applied to the battles.
Translation issues
The English versions of Shining in the Darkness mistranslate Mephisto's name as "Dark Sol", which has led to much confusion amongst gamers, since this is virtually identical to the name of Mephisto's father, Darksol. Several other characters also have altered names, and the nation in which the game is set, Stormsong, is renamed as Thornwood.Reception
The game was reviewed in 1992 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#178 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.
Legacy
Shining in the Darkness is considered by many gaming historians to be a pioneer of Japanese console RPGs, especially in Europe, which would not see a Final FantasyFinal Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
game until more than six years after Shining in the Darkness made its mark in the region. The game also marked the beginning of the successful Shining series, which has since produced more than 20 video games and an animated TV series.
The second game in the Shining series, Shining Force: Legacy of Great Intention
Shining Force
Shining Force, known as in Japan, and otherwise known as Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention, is a 1992 turn-based strategy role-playing video game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console...
, diverged greatly in game-play mechanic; however, many stylistic parts are reminiscent of Shining in the Darkness, including music and art. Other features such as the distinctive menu system, the use of priests for saving games and resurrecting characters, and several magic spells would continue to be used in every game in the series up to and including Shining Force III
Shining Force III
is a video game designed for the Sega Saturn by Camelot Software Planning. It is a continuation of the Shining series. Comprising three separate but overlapping storylines, the Japanese version of Shining Force III was released in three volumes, known as:...
, with the notable exception of Shining Wisdom
Shining Wisdom
is an Action-adventure game released for the Sega Saturn video game console. It is a part of Sega's Shining series of video games.- Gameplay :Shining Wisdom differs from its predecessors in the Shining series in that it was the first to employ an Action-adventure style of gameplay...
.
The game Shining the Holy Ark
Shining the Holy Ark
is a first person role-playing game released for the Sega Saturn. It is a part of Sega's Shining series of video games.- Story :Three mercenaries - Arthur, Melody, and Forte - are hired by the King of Enrich to hunt down and capture a renegade ninja by the name of Rodi. The group pursues Rodi to...
gave the series a fleeting return to the dungeon crawler game-play mechanic, and uses a remix of the dungeon theme from Shining in the Darkness in its soundtrack.