Growlanser
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Growlanser is a series of tactical role-playing games with installments on the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. The series is set in a world that is being taken over by an ancient evil.
The series is the creation of Career Soft, with publishing duties handled by Atlus Co. in Japan and Working Designs in the US.
[edit] Games
- Growlanser
- Growlanser II: The Sense of Justice
- Growlanser III: The Dual Darkness
- Growlanser IV: Wayfarer of the Time
- Growlanser V: Generations
Note that Growlanser V: Generations should not be confused with the American release titled Growlanser Generations, which contained Growlanser II and III. No plans as of the present have been made to release Growlanser or Growlanser IV in the West.
[edit] Other Goods
To add to the Growlanser experience, numerous soundtracks and DVDs have been released. These merchandises can be purchased from Japanese stores online such as www.cdjapan.co.jp (English) or www.neowing.co.jp (same site, but in Japanese).
A number of drama CDs have been released for Growlanser IV: Wayfarer of the Time, but more notable is Growlanser's very first collection of entirely vocal music from the same game in the CD Growlanser IV: Wayfarer of the Time Original Character Song Album, which features songs sung by the main characters of Growlanser IV like Crevaneil, Silvernale, Alphonse and Christopher, etc.
With Growlanser IV came an OAV to the series, featuring a situation from the game turned into an anime. Silvernale, the main character travels around in the city trying to figure out what's going on regarding a rebellion and is given the decision either to join it or go against it. The ending theme to the OAV is "Yakusoku" (Promise), Silvernale's Image Song, featured as track 10 on the Character Song Album.
The two DVDs released to compliment the series are called Growlanser: Densetsu no Isan and Growlanser: Aratanaru Densetsu. Densetsu no Isan covers Growlanser I, II, and III, and Aratanaru Densetsu covers Growlanser IV. Both are Atlus Interactive DVDs containing information about the featured games, interviews with certain people and character voice actors, character biographies, image galleries, and a special interactive game based on the real video game itself. The DVDs also contain special original episodes, which, unlike the OAV featured with Growlanser IV, are simply the character's game image set on a background from the game itself. They are short episodes of about fifteen minutes long that are more like skits played out between characters than real "episodes".
Aratanaru Densetsu features a "Quiz Colloseum" where the player is asked five questions pertaining to any of the games from I to IV in the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. For each level you complete, the player receives a part of the password for the section on Disc 2 entitled "???".
