Grandia: Parallel Trippers
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| Grandia: Parallel Trippers | |
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| Developer(s) | Game Arts |
| Publisher(s) | Hudson Soft |
| Release date(s) | JPN December 15, 2000 |
| Genre(s) | Action RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Color |
| Media | Cartridge |
Grandia: Parallel Trippers (グランデイア： パラレルトリッパーズ) is a Game Boy Color game developed by Game Arts and published by Hudson Soft in Japan only. Is the only game in the Grandia series for a handheld and on a Nintendo system. It takes place on the first Grandia game, where a kid named Yuuhi, along with his friends, end up from their own world (the "real" world). In order to return, they need the help of Justin and his friends, who are ready for another adventure and willing to help.
It is commonly referred to as an "Action RPG" - A Legend of Zelda-esque role playing game with an overhead, "Bird's eye" viewpoint where you are free to roam large areas with minimal restrictions. The most obvious difference between this game and the main Grandia series is that the battles are played out in a first-person, Dragon Quest style view; using "Battle Action Cards" instead of showing characters and monsters actually hitting each other.
Despite featuring 28 of the most memorable Grandia characters (Justin, Sue, Feena, Gadwin, Rapp, Milda, Guido, Liete, Mullen, Leen, Nana, Saki, Mio, Lilly, Rem, Java/Jin, Gantz, Tentz, Pakon, Alma, Danda, Naina, Nikki, Gina/Chitto, Darlin, Derlin, Dorlin and Master Chang) as playable, as well as Yuuhi to bring the roster up to 29, the game only allows three characters to be in the player's "party" (team) at any given time.
[edit] The Aim of the Game
The majority of this game involves completing the three databases you are presented with in the main menu screens. Much like the "Pokédex" feature in the Pokémon series that pioneered similar games which play on our natural obsession with collecting, Parallel Trippers feeds on this urge and has the player searching every last inch of the game to acquire 100% completion of all three databases (Actions, Characters, and Monsters). The Action Database in particular is the game's biggest challenge; containing 275 entries, the majority of which require an in-depth knowledge of each character's specialities - and the game's inner workings - to acquire. 12 of these cards are unobtainable without the use of an Action Replay cheat device, as Hudson Soft saw fit to distribute them only to fans who attended game shows at which they were present (following again in Nintendo's Pokémon's footsteps).
[edit] Acquiring this Product
At the time of writing, Parallel Trippers does not sell for much on eBay (when it does appear, it sells for somewhere in the region of $20-30US), which somewhat conceals its rarity outside of its home territory. The only reliable method of purchasing this game as a non-resident of Japan is to utilise an auction agent such as Shopping Mall Japan and scour Yahoo! Auctions Japan for a copy of it. It is often available there, since Japanese gamers tend to dislike the game for some reason (a quick check of Japanese publications will reveal that Parallel Trippers received only average scores upon release); although it has been known to be popular amongst importers.
[edit] External links
- Shopping Mall Japan (A website which provides a means of buying products from Yahoo! Auctions Japan - see below - since most Japanese sellers will not ship to anywhere outside of their country.)
- Yahoo! Auctions Japan (A popular Japanese auction website which they use as an alternative to eBay.)
- Vast Lands of Grandia (fansite) - Parallel Trippers section
