Game developer Camelot (which also made the legendary Shining Force series for the Sega Genesis, and, more recently, Mario Golf and Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64) designed Golden Sun from the ground up to take advantage of the GBA's horsepower, and it shows. Sharp, vivid landscapes, detailed towns and dungeons, and awesome weather effects--it looks like a Super Nintendo game with some extra zing squeezed onto a handheld system. Fans of Secret of Mana or Chrono Trigger will appreciate the feel of this game.

But the game's greatest strength is its magic system. Your characters each have their own latent psychic abilities based on one of the four elements of alchemy (earth, water, wind, and fire). The characters will be called upon to use their individual forms of telepathy and telekinesis to solve various puzzles in the game. Also, you can collect Djinn (elemental spirits) and link them to your characters. Not only can these Djinn be summoned in battle, they can also bolster or hinder your characters' latent psychic abilities, give them special attacks, and even change your characters' class. This system is similar to Final Fantasy VIII's guardian system, though far more intuitive and easy to master.

Golden Sun employs a basic turn-based battle system, but it has amazing spell and fighting techniques that really take advantage of the GBA's technology. The game achieves a nice balance between flashy attacks and the brevity of these same attacks--a lesson the makers of other RPGs should learn. Battles are beautifully and quickly fought, and don't overtax the gamer.

The game also has an addictive arena mode in which players can fight monsters they've already encountered in the game. Players can also link up with another GBA (this feature requires another Golden Sun cartridge) and fight against another party. While it's not true a multiplayer option, it adds a great replay value to the game.

Golden Sun's weakest point, however, is its standard-issue story. In essence: boy wakes up amidst disaster, meets stalwart friends, and rises to the challenge to save the day (all while living up to the image of his dear departed father). The story is a little stale, but the mechanics of the game transcend this flaw and bring the gamer into a state of handheld nirvana. --Bryan Karsh

Pros:

• Vivid graphics
• Deep, intuitive magic system
• Addictive multiplayer arena mode

• A plot straight out of "RPG Story Lines 101"