Visually arresting, hilarious scrolling adventure game with some RPG elements, in a series of fantasy lands with multiple characters to switch in-between as the character to control. One is the swordswoman and bounty hunter elf Popful Mail, another is Tatt the magician, and the third is the diminutive dragon Gaw. All can and really should upgrade their armor/weapons at the soonest convenience, as they are pretty weak on defense and being foolhardy can result in a pretty quick death. Fortunately you can purchase or find food items to restore health, the elixirs that refill your energy when you run out, and the amulet that provides you with limited invincibility. The game is fairly longish and the slaying of monsters over and over gets a bit repetitive, but fortunately the game is rich with dialogue scenes that are frequently hilarious! Also, the dialogue is quite a bit different with each character you control. And those anime cinema scenes are a serious knockout! Eventually you will be able to choose earlier stages you can warp back to instead of hoofing it all the way back (very useful). Good to know, since you can screw up towards the end and miss a boss character you were supposed to get a magical orb from. Another nice surprise: the faster you beat the game, the more bloopers/outtakes from the voice actors you get to hear after the credits! Great fun, but purchasing the Strategy Guide with plenty of maps is a near-must, as the game is quite vast and you can get lost easily. Sorry this entry took so long for me to get to; I've been hard at work on some home projects, but they are mostly finished now so I can continue this series. Hope you are all staying cool, and I'll see you again soon for game #6!
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