Shining in the Darkness
A princess has been kidnapped, and hidden away in a labyrinth filled with monsters. Fortunately, you are a brave knight, who can handle the task. Plus your father disappeared into that labyrinth, so you have both personal reasons and your duty to take on that place.
This dungeon crawler for the Sega Genesis is actually the first of the Shining Series, even though it's of a different genre than the more famous Shining Force games, although there was a follow-up game in the same genre: Shining the Holy Ark for the Sega Saturn.
The action is also first person in pseudo 3D, much like the dungeons games like Arcana and the first Phantasy Star I.
Tropes used in Shining in the Darkness include:
- Anti-Hero: Pyra is described as such.
- Badass Damsel: Princess Jessa may need to be rescued, but can deliver bone-shattering kicks while in your party.
- Black Magician Girl: Pyra.
- Blob Monster: The slimes
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Mortred, courtesy of the Darkblade.
- Disproportionate Retribution: After literally running into Gila and getting scolded for it, Pyra responds by casting Slow on him as he heads off to the dungeon...
- Dying as Yourself: After being defeated, Mortred regains his sanity long enough to thank the party and reassure his son before passing on.
- Evil Weapon: Certain weapons and armors are Cursed with various negative effects.
- Faux First Person 3D
- Fiery Redhead: Pyra; her hair is normally dark pink, but in certain scenes and artwork she has red hair. Regardless of its changing color, she always has the personality to match this trope.
- Giant Enemy Crab: The Kaiser Crab
- Girlish Pigtails: On Pyra.
- The Goomba: Green slimes
- Guest Star Party Member: Certain characters can temporarily join your party as an uncontrollable fourth member.
- Hair of Gold: Princess Jessa, as well as The Hero.
- Heroes Prefer Swords
- An Ice Person: The Freeze spell.
- One-Winged Angel
- Opera Gloves: Princess Jessa
- Palette Swap
- Playing with Fire: Pyra's Blaze and Milo's Inferno.
- Random Encounters
- Randomly Drops: Although you can also get them to give you their items with the Muddle (confusion) spell.
- Razor Wind: The Blast spell.
- Requisite Royal Regalia: Finding the princess's tiara is proof she was taken into the labyrinth.
- Saintly Church: Where you can save your game.
- Save the Princess
- Shining Goodness
- Spank the Cutie: Pyra's mother isn't too thrilled with how Pyra ran off to go dungeon-diving with you and Milo.
- Standard Status Effects: Most of which are actually effective, surprisingly enough.
- Squishy Wizard: Pyra. This trope can be avoided for a good portion of the game (up to the first two trials) if you keep the Royal Tiara and don't give it to the Minister.
- Teleportation: The two-piece Medallion. By placing one half in a golden fountain, you can use the other half to instantly return there at any time. (Just remember to retrieve the other half if you want to switch to another fountain...)
- We Can Rule Together: Proposed by Dark Sol shortly after The Reveal that he's none other than Melvyl the mystic.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Old Vik the innkeeper gives your hero flak after learning you were forced to slay your own brainwashed father. The others present are more sympathetic, and Mrs. Vik even calls her husband on it.