Illusion of Gaia: Difference between revisions

An [[Action Adventure]] game with [[RPG Elements]] for the [[Super Nintendo]], developed by Quintet. Enix (now [[Square Enix]]) published the game in Japan, and Nintendo published it worldwide, with release dates of November, 1993 (Japan); September, 1994 (North America). It was released in Europe in April, 1995 [[Market-Based Title|under the title]] ''[[Market-Based Title|Illusion of Time]]''. The game revolves around the adventures of Will, a boy with [[Psychic Powers]] who winds up having to [[Save the World]] from an ancient evil that wiped out the legendary civilizations of the past. The game never met the levels of success that ''[[Secret of Mana]]'' or ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' did, probably because it is short, but it is still well-remembered by many.

 

 

Aside from the ESP, Will is an [[Ordinary High School Student|ordinary schoolboy]]. At least, he is until the day he meets two people - Gaia, the [[Captain Planet and the Planeteers|spirit of the earth...]] er, [[Mother Nature|"source of all life"]], and Kara, a [[Rebellious Princess|runaway princess]]. Before long, Will is on the run from Kara's sovereign parents and trying to stop a [[Comet of Doom|doomsday comet]] under Gaia's direction, all while trying to reunite with his missing father. Will's [[Hero's Journey|journey]] takes him through an assortment of (16-bit renditions of) real-world sites, such as [[Mayincatec|Macchu Picchu]], the [[Ancient Astronauts|Nazca lines]], [[Temple of Doom|Angkor Wat]], the [[Far East|Great Wall of China]], and [[Pyramid Power|Egyptian pyramids]].

Is the [[Spiritual Successor]] to ''[[Soul Blazer]]''. Considered part of a trilogy which also includes ''[[Terranigma]]''.

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* [[Advertised Extra]]: The descriptions and marketing of the game, and even the ''instruction manual'', makes it sound like Lance, Eric and Seth had larger roles in the game than they actually do.

* [[All There in the Manual]]: As literally as you can get. The manual actually has a ''walkthrough'' in it, including Red Jewel locations and help for most of the [[Guide Dang It]] moments.

** Lilly acts as an [[Exposition Fairy]] of sorts during [[That One Level|Mu]]. Not so much in The Great Wall.

* [[Amazing Technicolor Battlefield]]: Serves as the site of the endgame...

* [[Ambidextrous Sprite]]: Shadow only.

* [[Anyone Can Die]]: Subverted when it's revealed that {{spoiler|Seth isn't actually dead.}} Played straight later on, with {{spoiler|Hamlet's}} death being a major surprise.

* [[Artificial Gravity]]: Seen on the Sky Garden, where you can jump off the edge and wind up walking upside-down on the underside with gravity pulling everything upward.

* [[Boss Rush]]: The end of the game forces you to fight every boss you've faced so far in succession, though you can still heal and save after a couple of them. At least the earlier ones are easier now that you're (a) using Shadow, (b) more powerful and carrying more health, and (c) presumably better at the game than you were when you first fought them all.

* [[Bowdlerise]]: Slaves are never called slaves, they are laborers or servants instead. References to the [[I'm a Humanitarian|cannibal tribe]] eating people were written out to the point that players wouldn't suspect they're a cannibal tribe. Most suggestions of polytheism are obscured.

* [[Bragging Rights Reward]]: You gain absolutely ''nothing'' for collecting all 50 red jewels aside from access to the [[Bonus Dungeon]] and its [[Bonus Boss]]. Oh, and you have to fight him using Will (instead of the stronger Freedan or Shadow) so it's probably a longer fight than most of the others put together.

** Since you have [[What the Hell, Hero?|to reveal the whereabouts of an escaped slave to an incredibly sinister hooded slave trader]] to get all 50 gems, you could say that this is just [[Laser-Guided Karma]]!

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]] / [[Someone Has to Die]]: {{spoiler|Hamlet the pig allows himself to be cooked and eaten so a village doesn't have to starve.}}

* [[Honor Before Reason]]: The opponent in the [[Russian Roulette|Russian Glass game]] drinks the only remaining (and therefore fatally poisoned) glass rather than forfeit the game. It turns out he's [[Soap Opera Disease|terminally ill]] and [[The Last Dance|trying to go out with a bang]] while putting his family on easy street with his winnings.

* [[100% Completion]]: Collecting all fifty red jewels grants access to the game's [[Bonus Dungeon]].

* [[Improbable Weapon User]]: Will apparently bashes in his enemies' brains with a ''flute''.

* [[Instrument of Murder]]: Will's flute. In the pyramid, {{spoiler|it sets off a sound-sensitive trap that reduces The Jackal to a flaming corpse and charred skeleton.}}

* [[Inventory Management Puzzle]]: Will can carry no more than sixteen items, and as you fill those slots with precious, finite Herbs, freeing up space for new quest items gets tricky late in the game. The 50 Red Jewels seem like a headache waiting to happen, but forunately they can be sent off to the Jeweler at any time.

** Lilly celebrates her 15th birthday at one point in the game, so it can be assumed that the ages of the other kids are in that area. Eric is likely the youngest, and Will is just a tad taller, so possibly older.

* [[Law of One Hundred]]: Collect 100 DP to earn an extra life (up to 9), allowing you to respawn in the same room when you die (albeit not at full HP).