Treasure Hunter G
| Treasure Hunter G | |
|---|---|
 Box art of Treasure Hunter G | |
| Developer(s) | Sting |
| Publisher(s) | Square |
| Director(s) | Kazunari Yonemitsu |
| Producer(s) | Shinji Hashimoto |
| Composer(s) | Mitsuhito Tanaka Hitoshi Sakimoto Masaharu Iwata Toshiaki Sakoda Yoko Takada Tomoko Matsui Akiko Goto |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom, Virtual Console |
| Release date(s) | Super Famicom
|
| Genre(s) | Tactical RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Distribution | 24 megabit cartridge |
Treasure Hunter G (トレジャーハンターG Torejā Hantā Jī) is a turn-based tactical role playing game developed by Sting Entertainment and published by Square (now Square Enix). It was released on May 24, 1996. It was published on the Nintendo's Virtual Console service on December 25, 2007 in Japan.[1]
The game was not released outside of Japan. This was Square's final game for a Nintendo console, released a scant two weeks before they announced their departure from Nintendo, until the release of Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice for the Game Boy Advance in 2002, in Japan.[2]
Gameplay
Treasure Hunter G's gameplay is very typical of its time, consisting of two types of gameplay (adventuring and combat). Adventuring is done in a fashion very similar to Squaresoft's Super Famicom games such as Chrono Trigger and Seiken Densetsu 3 with the group exploring various locations typical to the genre such as towns, forests, dungeons, castles and a few more fantastical locations. They make new allies and enemies and embark on a quest to stop the Dark Lord's plan of reviving Bone Dino and destroying the world. Combat takes place on a grid, with movement and fighting consuming varying amounts of Action Points. Other actions include using items, spells, special attacks and traps. Action Points increase during the game allowing for greater freedom in strategy.
The character sprites are pre-rendered from 3D models, rather than drawn by hand. This allowed for a feature unique among similar games for SNES: the character sprites are created for eight directions instead of the usual four.
Plot
There is a villain called the Dark King. He was sealed away until an unsuspecting treasure hunter releases him by attempting to get "treasure". Now Red, Blue, Rain, and Ponga have to stop him.
Characters
Playable Characters
Red: The eldest son of Brown-G. Although not the brightest person around, Red's good nature and resolute personality prove key in the adventure that would eventually save the world. Of the four playable characters, Red has the highest attack power, and many powerful weapons to take advantage of this.
Blue: Brother of Red. More emotional than his older brother, he is often prone to fits of tears in response to nightmares or difficulty. Despite this, he never leaves his brother's side on their quest to save the world.
Rain: A mysterious girl saved by Silver-G in the forest. Her true nature stays hidden for much of the game, but it is shown that she possesses several inexplicable abilities.
Ponga: An unusually intelligent monkey, Ponga is the faithful pet of Rain. His abilities include casting powerful spells as well as playing the violin.
Non-Playable Characters
Brown-G: Father of Red and Blue. Appears climbing on a metal bird (Ferric Falcon) at the beginning of the game. A natural born treasure hunter and adventurer, Brown-G often told his sons wild and outlandish tales in their youth. Much of the game is played with the main characters always one step behind their adventurous father.
Silver-G: Grandfather of Red and Blue, he originally assists the boys in finding their father in a nearby cave. An old, gruff and tempered fellow, he swallowed his wife's clock after she died so that she would always be with him. He dies defending Rain from several malevolent fire spirits.
Kujira: A humpback whale with a tendency to lack motivation, he is helped on two separate occasions by the main characters. In return, he provides them with transportation over the sea to several locations.
Dr. Hello/Harrow: Referring to himself as "The Last Mad Scientist Dr. Hello", he is a skilled genius in the fields of robotics and mechanics. Responsible for repairing the Ferric Falcon, he also serves as a trustworthy, although eccentric, ally.
Dark King: The game's major antagonist, he aspires to awaken the power of "Bone Dino" to remake the world as it was before.
Mio A powerful, although outwardly youthful-appearing mage who lives atop a tall mountain peak. She is instrumental in helping Rain unlock her hidden magical powers, but also seems to be attracted to her.
J-Elf and "Leonardo" The two people responsible for the revival of the Dark King, neither of these two seem to realize the dire consequences of their actions. J-Elf is a ruffian who later tries to attack Red and his group, but fails. The Turtle Samurai, whose true name was not given, was referred to as "Leonardo" by Blue, a reference to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In the various times in which "Leonardo" is encountered, he is shown to be a generally confused and bumbling character, somehow confusing Red-G with J-Elf on his quest for vengeance. Also, he appears in a short scene following the conclusion of the game's credits.
Music
The score for Treasure Hunter G was created by the seven composers that make up the Sting Symphony: Hitoshi Sakimoto, Mitsuhito Tanaka aka John Pee, Masaharu Iwata, Toshiaki Sakoda, Yoko Takada, Tomoko Matsui, and Akiko Goto. The 86-song soundtrack was published by NTT Publishing on June 9, 1996.
References and notes
- ↑ "トレジャーハンターG". Nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
- ↑ Rusel DeMaria; Johnny L. Wilson (2004) [April 2002]. "Across the Pacific". High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games (2nd edition ed.). McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 382. ISBN 0-07-223172-6.
24 May 1996: Square releases its last game for the Super Famicom, Treasure Hunter G. They will not release another game on a Nintendo system until 2002.
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External links
- Treasure Hunter G (Wii)(Japanese)