Madō Monogatari I
| Madō Monogatari I | |
|---|---|
 Official cover art (Mega Drive version) | |
| Developer(s) | Compile[1] |
| Publisher(s) | Compile[1] |
| Designer(s) | Hitoshi Nishizaka[2] |
| Composer(s) | Masanobu Tsukamoto[2] |
| Series | Madou Monogatari |
| Platform(s) | Mega Drive, PC Engine, Game Gear |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game[1] w/ first-person perspective[2] |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Madō Monogatari I (魔導物語Ｉ, "Story of Sorcery I")[2] is a role-playing video game for the Mega Drive that was the last official Sega Mega Drive game released in Japan.[2] There was never an attempt to release this game outside Japan. The game is part of the long-running Madou Monogatari series.
It is a later revision to the Game Gear version (魔導物語I 3つの魔導球 Madō Monogatari I: mittsu no madō-kyū, lit. Story of Sorcery I: three magical spheres), which is based on the original MSX and PC98 versions, and borrows heavily from the PC Engine version (魔導物語I 炎の卒園児 Madō Monogatari I: honō no sotsuenji, lit. Story of Sorcery I: flame graduate).
Gameplay
The game takes place in a 3D maze with obstacles, enemies, and characters to confront.[3] Attacking monsters is similar to Paladin's Quest and the Phantasy Star series. A few examples of crazy items are Japanese curry, champagne, mini-elephant, and strange little crystals that may summon Santa. There is also a capsule item that allows players to capture enemies in a similar to the Pokémon video games. Once captured, these enemies will serve as allies to the main player. Both brains and brawn must be used as the battles and puzzles are equally difficult in the lower levels of the game.
Plot
Five-year-old Arle Nadja (later a heroine in the Puyo Puyo series) is a member of the magic school.[2] For her final exam, she must go through Satan’s tower.[2] Her knowledge and skills will be greatly tested with the puzzles and illusions of fiends that are inside.[3] Not all are illusions though, there may be rivals and friends in this tower.[3] So Arle has to be on the lookout if she wants to pass this test.[3]