Let me start off by saying that this is a fun game and I would recommend trying to track it down if you have come this far already. With that said, let me mention the fatal flaws right away before moving on to the positives.

Fatal flaw 1:
The game is far too easy. The snes version is actually a port. But for some reason, for the snes version, the designers decided to give the characters way more HP then in other versions. So your characters power up very quickly, and the enemies were not balanced well in response to this compared with the other versions, so they go down with little problem, for the most part. I even stopped upgrading my armor and weapons after a while to increase the difficulty, which worked. I also had little need for healing items, since, for some reason, there is no "MP" despite there being spells.

Fatal flaw 2:
The battle system is actually very interesting and quite unique. However, the problem is, you only get to control the main character and the others are merely NPCs. So what ends up happening is you start to feel like an observer for 80% of the battles, only being allowed to input an action for your hero. While the AI is actually very good for your characters, it is not possible to set any strategy for these NPCs like you would for Star Ocean (snes) or Star Ocean 2 (psx). The only bit of strategy you have is placing yours partners on a battle map. Keep the fighters near the top, to be aggressive, protecting the mages/healers, who should be placed in the back. That is about it, so you feel like an observer in this game for a larger portion of it.

If I could just have control of all my characters, and make this game more difficult, this game could even get cult classic status.

Thing that are good:
The music is your very good by snes standards and some of the tunes will stay in your mind. Some catchy tunes indeed!

Keeping in mind obvious limitations with the snes system and carts, the graphics are nice and colorful. Not that anyone plays an rpg/old school game for its graphics, but is has a few neat animations/sequences and is on level with FF6, or even a little better in some ways.

The story is unique. More or less, you are a dragon who has promised to protect a human girl who was stranded near your home after a crashed ship. However, she leaves when she is older, after becoming close with you, and you give her a horn to use in case she is ever in need of help. That day comes, but first, you must transform into a boy, as dragons can not survive for long in the human lands. So off you go to aid her, occasionally being able to transform into a dragon during tough battles (at the expense of HP).

However, even more unique, is the relationships between the characters. There is a lot of interesting dialogue and interaction between characters and after playing many rpgs in my life, I would even say it is pretty unique, especially compared with other snes games.

Sidequests: There are a few, like battle arenas in many towns, the "special" battles being especially difficult. Also, there are casinos with various games you can play.

Controls: If you have played rpgs before, nothing new, for the most part. The only thing is, "push" a directional button towards the enemy you want to hit.

So, the music is standard snes fare, above average even with a few standout tunes, nice crisp graphics and good story and character interaction. The only problems are that the game is too easy, and the user needs more to have more power over all five of his characters. Though these are only two problems, they end up being kind of a big deal and nearly game breaking. (I would say this game is even easier than FF6, a game famous for its easiness).

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/22/11

Game Release: Emerald Dragon (JP, 07/28/95)