e didn't review a single RPG last month, so I've been having withdrawl symptoms. Luckily, Golden Sun has come along to be the cure for my turn-based blues. This isn't a sequel. It isn't a port. It's an honest-to-God new role-playing game, and I can safely say that Golden Sun rocks.
You start by being woken by your mother, which is the beginning of about half of all RPGs. From there, though, this epic tale is woven in surprising fashion, allowing you to make an unprecedented amount of choices along the way (though the results are arguable). Psyenergy is your magic, but it's used for much more than battle spells. Isaac can summon a magic glove to grab items out of reach. Ivan can read people's minds, which is extremely cool. Then there's the Djinni, which are little creatures who are blessed with elemental powers. They can be summoned or used in big attacks, and affect a character's status.
Equipment and shopping are easily done, and the menus are quite helpful. Battle Mode either lets you compete in a survival-type scenario in endless fights, or match up against human players. I had a blast with Golden Sun. Its greatness even exceeds the nostalgia I felt for Breath of Fire's GBA port. We have a new ruler in the GBA RPG realm.