Madō Monogatari I
| Madō Monogatari I | |
|---|---|
 Official cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Compile[1] |
| Publisher(s) | Compile[1] |
| Designer(s) | Hitoshi Nishizaka[2] |
| Composer(s) | Masanobu Tsukamoto[2] |
| Series | Madou Monogatari |
| Platform(s) | Sega Mega Drive[1] |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game[1] w/ first-person perspective[2] |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Distribution | 16-megabit cartridge |
Madō Monogatari I (魔導物語Ｉ, "Story of Sorcery I")[2] is a role-playing video game for the Sega 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 of Japan. The game is part of the long-running Madou Monogatari series.
Not to be confused with 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). This subtitle is not present on the Mega Drive version.
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 rice, champagne, mini-elephants, 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]