''Romancing SaGa'' is a 1992
role-playing video game
A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
developed and published by
Square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...
for the
Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
. It is the fourth entry in the ''
SaGa
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...
'' series. It was subsequently released for the
WonderSwan Color
The (ワンダースワン) is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. It was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, and was the last piece of hardware Yokoi developed before his death in 1997. Released i ...
in 2001 and
mobile phone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...
s in 2009. A remake for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, subtitled ''Minstrel Song'' in Japan, was released in both Japan and North America in 2005 by
Square Enix
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...
. A remaster of ''Minstrel Song'' was released worldwide in 2022 for
Android,
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
,
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
,
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
and
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North Ame ...
.
The storyline follows eight different protagonists on quests through the world of Mardias, all culminating in a fight against the dark god Saruin. Gameplay features
nonlinear
In mathematics and science, a nonlinear system is a system in which the change of the output is not proportional to the change of the input. Nonlinear problems are of interest to engineers, biologists, physicists, mathematicians, and many othe ...
exploration of the game world, with the turn-based battles featuring group formations. As with other ''SaGa'' titles, there are no
experience point
An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...
s and character attributes and skills are dependent on actions taken in battle.
Production began in 1990, with Nintendo requesting Square develop a new ''SaGa'' entry for the in-production Super Famicom after the success of ''SaGa'' titles on the
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
. Series creator
Akitoshi Kawazu
is a Japanese game designer, director, producer and writer. After joining Square (later Square Enix) in 1985, he went on to become a central developer for the first two ''Final Fantasy'' titles, then acted as creator and lead developer for the ...
acted as director, designer and scenario writer. The character designers were created by
Tomomi Kobayashi
is a Japanese illustrator. She is best known for her character design and illustration work in the '' SaGa'' series of video games by Square Enix. Kobayashi has been termed an "iconic" artist for Japanese role-playing games, and has had multipl ...
in her first work for the series. The music was solely composed and arranged by
Kenji Ito
, also known by the nickname , is a Japanese video game composer and musician. He is best known for his work on the ''Mana'' and '' SaGa'' series, though he has worked on over 30 video games throughout his career as well as composed or arranged ...
, who had previously co-composed music for ''
Final Fantasy Legend II
''Final Fantasy Legend II'', known in Japan as ''SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu'', is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Game Boy. The second entry in the '' SaGa'' series, it was released in 1990 in Japan, and in 1991 in ...
''. The title "''Romancing SaGa''" was based on the adventure movie ''
Romancing the Stone
''Romancing the Stone'' is a 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Diane Thomas and produced by Michael Douglas, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The f ...
''.
Later versions included cut content and features from later ''SaGa'' titles. The PS2 remake included redrawn artwork by
Yusuke Naora
(born January 9, 1971) is a Japanese video game art director and character designer who worked for Square Enix (formerly Square). A former member of Toaplan,Translationby Gamengai. by Gaijin Punch. ). Naora served as the art director for several ' ...
and a redone soundtrack from Ito. The Super Famicom version sold over one million copies, and met with positive reception in the region. The PS2 remake sold 500,000 units across Japan and North America, seeing mixed reviews in the West due to its difficulty and art style. The remaster saw some praise for its updates, but several found it unwelcoming for series newcomers. Two more ''Romancing SaGa'' titles were developed, and gameplay elements from ''Romancing SaGa'' would be used in subsequent ''SaGa'' titles.
Gameplay
''Romancing SaGa'' is a
role-playing video game
A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
where the player takes on the role of eight different protagonists, playing through their narratives and an overarching story in a
nonlinear
In mathematics and science, a nonlinear system is a system in which the change of the output is not proportional to the change of the input. Nonlinear problems are of interest to engineers, biologists, physicists, mathematicians, and many othe ...
style.
After choosing a protagonist, the player explores the game's
overworld
An overworld (sometimes referred to as a hub world) is, in a broad sense, commonly an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other vide ...
freely, triggering narrative events, engaging in battles, and performing side activities. Over the course of the game a party of characters is built up, with some recruitable members being the unchosen protagonists.
Progression of the main narrative is based on the number of events the player completes, their current strength, and speaking to certain characters.
This free exploration is dubbed the Free Scenario System.
Battles trigger when the player encounters enemy sprites in field and dungeon environments.
The party engages the enemy in a preset formation arranged on a 3x3 grid, which impacts both attack range and defence from enemies. Equipment for playable characters includes their current weapon and armour. Abilities use a pool of Battle Points (BP).
There are no
experience point
An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...
s, with character statistics raising at random based on actions in battle. New abilities are unlocked by using weapons enough times in battle.
Winning the battle also grants the player money, used to buy items and equipment. If a party member falls, they will return to low health at the end of battle. If the entire party falls, the game ends.
The
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
(PS2) remake ''Minstrel Song'' retains the original narrative and many gameplay concepts including non-linear exploration, but all environments are rendered in 3D and elements from later ''
SaGa
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...
'' titles are incorporated. As with the original, once the protagonist is chosen, they can progress as they like through the scenario.
The game uses a quick save function, creating a temporary save when the party is in field or dungeon environments.
Hard saves can only be done in towns, where merchants selling new weapons and equipment can be utilised.
The player can customise their party through which characters they recruit, and
character class
In tabletop games and video games, a character class is a job or profession commonly used to differentiate the abilities of different game characters.
In role-playing games (RPGs), character classes aggregate several abilities and aptitudes, ...
es that impact abilities and statistics, magical schools that allow the blending of different elemental magic types, and weapon forging.
In addition to statistics rising depending on battle actions, a character learns or upgrades their skills by using it multiple times in battle. If several party members focus on one enemy, they unlock a Combination attack.
Character health is two-layered, with standard health and Life Points. LP are limited in number and only renewed by resting at an inn. A character loses LP by being knocked out enough times or through attacks which target LP; if the player character loses all LP, the game ends.
Synopsis
''Romancing SaGa'' is set in the fictional world of Mardias. 1000 years before the game's opening, a war raged between three evil gods—Death, Saruin, and Schirach—and the benevolent deity Elore. By the end, Death and Schirach are stripped of their powers, while Saruin is imprisoned through the combined effort of ten Fatestones and the sacrifice of the hero Mirsa. The Fatestones become scattered through the world, and the powers of darkness gather themselves to free Saruin from his imprisonment.
The game focuses on eight characters, each with their own narrative who are drawn into the quest to recover the Fatestones and defeat Saruin once more. They are Albert, heir to a noble lord in the region of Rosalia; Aisha, a peace-loving member of the nomadic Taralians; Jamil, a thief operating in the city of Estamir; Claudia, a woman raised by a witch in the land of Mazewood; Hawk, a notorious pirate; Sif, a warrior from the snow-covered region of Valhalland; Gray, a treasure-seeking adventurer; and Barbara, member of a travelling band of entertainers.
While each character has their own personal quest, they are drawn into the quest for the Fatestones.
In ''Minstrel Song'', the characters are overseen in their quest by the Minstrel, a figure who is secretly an avatar of Elore.
Once enough Fatestones are collected, the chosen protagonist faces the reawakened Saruin, defeating him for good. If ''Minstrel Song'' is cleared with all eight characters, a final scene shows them talking together, then setting out as a group watched over by the Minstrel.
Development
Production of ''Romancing SaGa'' began in 1990, when
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
approached series developer
Square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...
about developing a new ''SaGa'' title for their in-development
Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
. The request was due to the success of the previous ''SaGa'' titles on the
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
. Series creator
Akitoshi Kawazu
is a Japanese game designer, director, producer and writer. After joining Square (later Square Enix) in 1985, he went on to become a central developer for the first two ''Final Fantasy'' titles, then acted as creator and lead developer for the ...
was pleased at Nintendo's request, as he could make substantial improvements to his gameplay design on better hardware. There was also demand for a third Game Boy ''SaGa'', so two projects began in parallel; Kawazu led a team on ''Romancing SaGa'', while Square's new
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
studio developed ''
Final Fantasy Legend III
''Final Fantasy Legend III'', known in Japan as ''SaGa 3: Jikuu no Hasha'', is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Game Boy. The third entry in the ''SaGa'' series, it was released in Japan in 1991 and in North Ame ...
'' (known in Japan as ''SaGa 3: Jikuu no Hasha'').
During early production, Kawazu wanted to break away from the ''SaGa'' brand and call the game something different, but ultimately it retained the ''SaGa'' name.
The game's "''Romancing''" title was suggested by
Nobuyuki Inoue, inspired by the adventure movie ''
Romancing the Stone
''Romancing the Stone'' is a 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Diane Thomas and produced by Michael Douglas, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The f ...
''. Kawazu was a little mixed on the impression given by the title, but the illustrations and music helped make the game more in line with the "romantic" style implied by the title.
Kawazu acted as director, lead designer, and scenario writer.
The producer was
Masafumi Miyamoto
is a Japanese investor and businessman best known as the founder of the video game developer Square. Miyamoto graduated from Waseda University in 1983, and joined his father's electric power conglomerate, Den-Yu-Sha as a programmer in their soft ...
, founder and former president of Square.
Production was difficult, as while Kawazu had a larger team to work with, they also faced new technical and design issues.
Kawazu's aim was to change the gameplay style of having a single path players had to travel, instead creating multiple stories for players to experience at their own pace, giving birth to the Free Scenario System.
The Free Scenario System was designed as a direct contrast to the linear story structure of Square's ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' series.
The eight protagonists, with their own stories within the same world, drew inspiration from
taiga dramas, with the number referencing the Japanese novel ''
Nansō Satomi Hakkenden
''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' ( ja, 南総里見八犬伝, label=shinjitai; ja, 南總里見八犬傳, label=kyūjitai) is a Japanese epic novel (''yomihon'') written and published over twenty-eight years (1814–42) in the Edo period, by Kyokute ...
''. Albert's scenario was the first to be written. The number of characters was also due to Kawazu's wish for the formation system.
The narrative was difficult for Kawazu, as he needed to create a central plotline while crafting eight independent narratives.
Due to Nintendo's strict cart size limitations, several planned elements had to be cut from the final product.
The characters were designed by artist
Tomomi Kobayashi
is a Japanese illustrator. She is best known for her character design and illustration work in the '' SaGa'' series of video games by Square Enix. Kobayashi has been termed an "iconic" artist for Japanese role-playing games, and has had multipl ...
.
Kawazu had been looking for a suitable illustrator for some time, and when he saw samples of Kobayashi's work contacted her about working with him. ''Romancing SaGa'' was Kobayashi's first video game work, so she had to get used to the large amount of creative freedom she had compared to her previous projects. She was only ever sent a name and some elements from Kawazu, but otherwise left to her own devices.
Kawazu had a lot of input on what the characters were like, such as Albert being the only left-handed character, but could not have as much influence as he wanted due to other development needs.
Hawk's design was inspired by the character Blood from ''
Princess Knight
''Princess Knight'', also known as ''Ribon no Kishi'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. This manga follows the adventures of Sapphire, a girl who was born accidentally with a blue heart of a boy and a pin ...
''. Kobayashi's favorite characters were Hawk and main antagonist Saruin.
Kobayashi designed 40 unique characters, and at the height of her work was designing six per day.
The sprites were designed by Kazuko Shibuya, who had worked for the company since the 1980s and designed character sprites for the ''Final Fantasy'' series. She created the character sprites based on Kobayashi's designs. Due to their deep narrative connections, Kawazu asked Kobayashi to design the characters before any sprite work was done.
An important part of the sprite design was keeping the "delicate" colours within the limited pixel art style of the game.
The game made extensive use of
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
characters, as hiragana writing would take up too much space, but Kawazu needed to make sure the kanji was legible, making them extra-large and going against standard 8x8 pixel limit for writing.
Yoshinori Kitase
is a Japanese game director and producer working for Square Enix. He is known as the director of ''Final Fantasy VI'', ''Chrono Trigger'', ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''Final Fantasy VIII'' and ''Final Fantasy X'', and the producer of the ''Final Fa ...
acted as the game's field map designer, creating the world map.
The graphic design staff included Inoue,
Tetsuya Takahashi
(born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese video game designer and director. Takahashi worked at Square (now Square Enix), in the 90s as a graphic designer and director, participating on some of their most well-received title ...
and Hiroshi Takai, the latter of whom would work as a designer on future ''SaGa'' titles.
Release and versions
''Romancing SaGa'' released on January 28, 1992.
It was the second Super Famicom title released by Square, following ''
Final Fantasy IV
known as ''Final Fantasy II'' for its initial North American release, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1991, it is the fourth main instal ...
'' in 1991.
Three guidebooks for the game were published by
NTT Publishing
NTT Publishing Co., Ltd. (エヌ・ティ・ティ出版株式会社 ''Enu Ti Ti Shuppan Kabushiki gaisha'') is a Japanese publishing and record label company, which is an affiliate company of NTT.
The company has published many albums, includin ...
under Square's supervision between February and May 1992.
A further guidebook, ''Romancing SaGa Destiny Guide'', was published on December 20, 2001 by
DigiCube
DigiCube Co., Ltd. (株式会社デジキューブ; ''Kabushiki-gaisha Dejikyūbu'') was a Japanese company established as a subsidiary of software developer Square on February 6, 1996 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The primary purpose of Digi ...
.
The game received
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
re-releases on the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
in 2009, the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
in 2015, and the
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
in 2016.
Gaming magazine ''
GamePro
Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' reported that ''Romancing SaGa'' was going to be localised in 1993, releasing under a different title.
Ultimately the Super Famicom version of ''Romancing SaGa'' went unreleased outside Japan, due to a combination of its potentially off-putting complexity and the amount of text needing translation.
An English fan translation, which required an official retail cartridge to run, was released online in 2015.
In September 2000, Square announced it had begun development on an enhanced version of ''Romancing SaGa'' for the
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
WonderSwan Color
The (ワンダースワン) is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. It was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, and was the last piece of hardware Yokoi developed before his death in 1997. Released i ...
handheld system.
The game was ported to the platform by Kan Navi.
Square was one of the major supporters for the WonderSwan platform during its tenure.
Its non-appearance on the equivalent
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
was due to Square and Nintendo's long-standing enmity over Square's break from them to develop for Sony's
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
.
According to the company, some of the original Super Famicom version's planned material was unable to be added during its original release due to memory restrictions, and that the new hardware would allow for a more "complete" version of the game.
The gameplay balance was identical, but they added the ability to dash, avoiding enemy encounters.
The newly added material includes an additional story scenario, as well as a side-quest that allows the player to gather all ten "Destiny Stone" items where previously only a few were accessible.
The game was released in Japan on December 20, 2001.
It formed part of a series dubbed "Square Masterpiece", a series of their classic titles for the WonderSwan platform.
''Romancing SaGa'' was also ported to mobile platforms by
Square Enix
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...
.
This version was based on the WonderSwan port, with some of the graphics adjusted for mobile platforms.
It released on March 5, 2009 for
i-mode
NTT DoCoMo's i-mode is a mobile internet (distinct from wireless internet) service popular in Japan. Unlike Wireless Application Protocols, i-mode encompasses a wider variety of internet standards, including web access, e-mail, and the packet- ...
models, March 18 for
SoftBank
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo which focuses on investment management. The Group primarily invests in companies operating in technology, energy, and financial sectors. It also runs the ...
, and July 9, 2009 for
EZweb
au, or au by KDDI, is a Japanese mobile phone operator. au is a brand marketed by KDDI in the main islands of Japan and by Okinawa Cellular in Okinawa for their mobile cellular services. au is the List of mobile network operators of the Asia P ...
.
The mobile version closed in 2018, when the services for older mobile titles were shut down.
''Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song''
A remake for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, titled ''Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song'' in Japan, was developed by Square Enix.
Kawazu decided to produce the remake following the release of ''
Unlimited Saga
''Unlimited Saga'' is a 2002 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (rebranded as Square Enix in 2003) for the PlayStation 2 as the ninth game in the ''SaGa'' series. It was released in 2002 in Japan and 2003 in North America a ...
'', which had received much feedback due to its experimental gameplay.
The remake was developed by Square Enix's Product Development Division 2, carrying over the original staff while aiming to make the game more approachable than the original version.
After the approach used in ''Unlimited Saga'', Kawazu designed the game to be a more traditional role-playing experience.
Kawazu added in many elements for the remake that he originally planned for ''Romancing SaGa''. The remake featured a number of aesthetic and mechanical changes, originating after Kawazu told the team they could make as many changes as they pleased.
Adjustments were made so that players could easily experience all eight character narratives.
There were also additional tutorials to explain game mechanics.
Kawazu described the purpose of the remake as "a functional compilation of the whole ''SaGa'' series" that would combine elements from previous ''SaGa'' titles into one definitive game.
Kawazu acted as producer and director.
Takai returned to help with the game's design.
The art style referenced the sprite design of the original game, which Kawazu called more original than the prevalent realistic style of series like ''Final Fantasy''. It also emerged as an expression of the team's taste, without intending to appeal to the Japanese or international market.
It was also described as more "explosive" and expressive than the graphical style of ''Unlimited Saga''.
The characters were redrawn by
Yusuke Naora
(born January 9, 1971) is a Japanese video game art director and character designer who worked for Square Enix (formerly Square). A former member of Toaplan,Translationby Gamengai. by Gaijin Punch. ). Naora served as the art director for several ' ...
, lead artist of ''Unlimited Saga''.
A notable added character was the assassin Darque; Kawazu originally meant him as a new protagonist, but he ultimately became a new recruitable character.
The graphical style made use of the "sketch motion" techniques used in ''Unlimited Saga'', with the original artwork mapped onto 3D models.
Kobayashi returned to create new art, including character sketches based on Naora's redesigns.
The game's logo made reference to the Minstrel, a recurring figure in the game.
The game was announced in September 2004 via an issue of ''
Jump
Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory.
Jump or Jumping also may refer to:
Places
* Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...
'',
and released in Japan on April 21, 2005.
A dedicated guidebook in Square Enix's ''Ultimania'' was released on July 17, containing gameplay explanations, a strategy guide, interviews with the production team, and a gallery of promotional and concept art.
The ''Ultimania'' also included a novella written by Benny Matsumaya, a long-standing contributor to the ''SaGa'' series' additional media.
The game later re-released through PlayStation Network for
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
on April 9, 2015 as a PS2 Classic.
Its release, together with a special edition which included a download code and a jigsaw with an artwork by Kobayashi, formed part of the company's 25th anniversary celebrations of the ''SaGa'' series.
A North American release was announced at
E3 2005, featuring alongside other major titles from the company including ''
Dragon Quest VIII
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often ...
'', ''
Final Fantasy XII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. The twelfth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. It introduced several innovations to the series: an open wo ...
'' and ''
Kingdom Hearts II
is a 2005 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game is a sequel to ''Kingdom Hearts (video game), King ...
''.
The game released in North America on October 11.
For its Western release, the "''Minstrel Song''" subtitle was dropped as the original had never released outside Japan.
The English dub was handled by
New Generation Pictures
New Generation Pictures, Inc. is a production company specializing in voice recording for anime and video games.
Production list Anime ADR Production
* '' 3x3 Eyes'' (Geneon)
* ''Amazing Nurse Nanako'' (Geneon)
* '' Angel Tales'' (Bandai Entert ...
, who had collaborated with Square Enix on several titles within the ''Final Fantasy'' and ''
Valkyrie Profile
or is a series of role-playing video games created by Masaki Norimoto, primarily developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix (formerly Enix). The series is notable for featuring elements from Norse mythology.
Common elements
The ''Val ...
'' series.
The localized version received no European release.
Due to the existence of ''Minstrel Song'' and its Western release, the original title was not remastered as later ''Romancing SaGa'' titles were.
A remaster of ''Minstrel Song'' was announced in May 2022 for
Android,
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
,
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
,
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
and
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North Ame ...
. The remaster includes upscaled graphics, improved gameplay and additional elements.
The game was released on December 1, 2022.
Music
The music of ''Romancing SaGa'' was composed and arranged by
Kenji Ito
, also known by the nickname , is a Japanese video game composer and musician. He is best known for his work on the ''Mana'' and '' SaGa'' series, though he has worked on over 30 video games throughout his career as well as composed or arranged ...
, who had previously worked as co-composer for ''
Final Fantasy Legend II
''Final Fantasy Legend II'', known in Japan as ''SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu'', is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Game Boy. The second entry in the '' SaGa'' series, it was released in 1990 in Japan, and in 1991 in ...
'' (known in Japan as ''SaGa 2: Hihō Densetsu'') alongside
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the ''Final Fantasy'' video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve, with English singer-songwriter Elton Jo ...
.
Ito had helped with the sound design of ''Final Fantasy IV'', and knew that much of the cartridge space had been taken up with the graphics, impacting the music's quality.
Kawazu gave no specific instructions about songs, but often requested rewrites. Ito delivered most of the score before the final four months of production, and then had more rewrite requests.
When creating the score, Ito broke away from the musical style of ''Final Fantasy IV'', which had emulated
fingerstyle
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of guitar picking, playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with ...
playing, instead emulating
slapping with help from sound designer Minoru Akao.
Compared to the "smooth" sound of ''Final Fantasy'', Ito described the score of ''Romancing SaGa'' as "rough", using different instruments to Uematsu's work.
Ito was left completely burnt out after his work on the game.
Two soundtrack albums were released in by NTT Publishing; the original soundtrack, and an arrange album.
A remaster of the original album was reissued in 2019.
Ito returned as composer and arranger for the PS2 remake.
Ito found returning to ''Romancing SaGa'' both enjoyable and painful due to the fan expectations and love surrounding the title.
A part he enjoyed was allowing tracks to sound as they were intended outside the hardware limitations of the Super Famicom.
Ito worked on the revised score for two years, joined in his work by
Tsuyoshi Sekito
is a Japanese video game composer, arranger, and musician who has been employed at Square Enix since 1995. As a composer, he is best known for scoring ''Brave Fencer Musashi'' (1998), '' Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'' (2005) and ''The Last ...
and
Kenichiro Fukui
is a Japanese video game composer and electronic musician. Before working at Square Enix, he was employed at Konami. He was also an arranger and a keyboardist in the band The Black Mages. Additionally, Fukui arranged Angela Aki's "Kiss Me Good-By ...
.
The battle theme "Passionate Rhythm" featured vocal contributions from Kyoko Kishikawa, who had previously worked with Ito and other composers including
Yasunori Mitsuda
is a Japanese composer, musician, and sound producer. He is best known for his work in video games, primarily for the ''Chrono (series), Chrono'', ''Xeno (series), Xeno'', ''Shadow Hearts'', and ''Inazuma Eleven (series), Inazuma Eleven'' franch ...
and
Yoshitaka Hirota
is a Japanese video game composer and bass guitarist. His most notable works include the soundtracks to the ''Shadow Hearts'' series. Hirota was previously a sound effects programmer having worked on various Square titles. His first work as a vi ...
.
Square Enix hired singer-songwriter
Masayoshi Yamazaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter who plays guitar-driven blues, rock, and pop music, though he has also recorded piano ballads. Though he primarily plays the guitar, he has played the drums, piano, percussion, saxophone, and glockenspiel on so ...
to perform the remake's theme song "Minuet".
Reception
Original
Upon release, the game topped the ''
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' sales charts from
February 1992 to March 1992.
By 2002, ''Romancing SaGa'' had sold 970,000 copies in Japan, ranking as the fifth best-selling ''SaGa'' title at the time.
As of 2004, the Super Famicom original has sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide; over 1.1 million were sold in Japan, with further overseas sales adding 150,000.
''
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' magazine's panel of four reviewers faulted the game's graphics as inferior to those of ''Final Fantasy'', but lauded the freedom of choice given to players through its narrative and gameplay progression.
''Super Famicom Magazine'' praised the game's Free Scenario System, which allowed players to repeatedly enjoy the game however they wished.
In March 2006, readers of ''Famitsu'' voted it the 53rd best video game of all time as part of the magazine's "
All Time Top 100" poll.
Writing in a 2017 retrospective on the original game, Tristan Ettleman of ''
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
'' praised the game's ambitious open-ended structure compared to other titles of the time, but faulted its execution and confusing battle mechanics.
Remake
''Minstrel Song'' was the top-selling game in that country between the weeks of May 2 and May 26, 2005.
During the first week, it sold around 217,000, coming in ahead of ''
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance'' and ''
Nintendogs
is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was released in Japan, and was later released in: North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and other regions. ...
'', and completely selling out in some stores.
The game sold enough copies to qualify for
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
's
Ultimate Hits label, and was re-released in May 2006 at a budget price.
As of January 2006, the game had sold 500,000 units; 450,000 were sold in Japan, and 50,000 in North America.
''Famitsu'' was generally positive, noting the battle system's unconventional mechanics compared to other RPGs and enjoying the remake's faith to the original.
While ''Minstrel Song'' met with positive reviews in Japan, in the West it saw a mixed response.
The game holds a score of 58 out of 100 on review aggregate website ''
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
'' based on 23 reviews.
The gameplay met with a mixed response, with praise going to the world's open-ended nature and battle system,
but faulting many design elements and battle mechanics.
The reworked character designs were often questioned,
with a few critics calling them unsettling or ugly.
The music and voice acting divided opinion, with some critics enjoying it,
and others faulting it as poor quality.
Jane Pinckard ''
1Up.com
''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
'' praised the environments, but faulted many other elements from art to mechanics as poorly or confusingly designed, feeling it did little to improve on the mixed reputation of ''Unlimited Saga''.
The three reviewers for ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.
History
The m ...
'' saw potential in its battle system and world design, but generally faulted it as a poorly-constructed RPG.
''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
''s Joe Juba was highly critical, saying there were too many faults and unusual design choices to make the game worth playing. Andrew Reiner, in a second opinion, was still less positive and called the game "a measureless disaster".
''
GamePro
Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' praised the art design, but faulted the soundtrack, and found the progression system and design confusing and difficult to enjoy.
''
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
''s Greg Mueller called ''Romancing SaGa'' "a role-playing game without any substance", faulting its lack of narrative and confusing mechanics.
Meghan Sullivan of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' said the game would appeal to fans of the series, but thought that its unorthodox style and design would likely put off many gamers.
By contrast with many reviews, ''RPGFan''s Patrick Gann called it a refreshingly original RPG compared to the majority of titles on the market at the time.
Reviewing the remaster, Chris Shive of ''Hardcore Gamer'' noted that several elements of its design once innovative now appeared dated, additionally noting some outdated features such as the fixed camera angle that had not been addressed; he called the game a good offering for ''SaGa'' fans but a hard sell for many modern genre gamers.
''Nintendo World Rerport''s Neal Ronaghan disliked the visuals and found some of its mechanics confusing, but praised the soundtrack and battle gameplay, calling it a good entry point into the ''SaGa'' series.
Murillo Zerbinatto of ''RPGamer'' praised its replayability and updates for the remaster, but noted that some of its progression and mechanics would be offputting for casual gamers, summing ''Minstrel Song Remastered'' up as "a title packed with nuances and peculiarities that still stand the test of time."
Legacy
''Romancing SaGa'' proved to be a popular and influential title within the series, popularising the ''SaGa'' series and introducing mechanics and a scenario structure which would be repeated by later entries.
Following the success of ''Romancing SaGa'', two further titles were released for the Super Famicom: ''
Romancing SaGa 2
''Romancing SaGa 2'' is a 1993 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Famicom. It is the fifth entry in the ''SaGa'' series. It received an expanded port for Japanese mobile devices from Square Enix in 2011. This ve ...
'' in 1993, and ''
Romancing SaGa 3
''Romancing SaGa 3'' is a 1995 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Famicom. The sixth entry in the ''SaGa'' series, it was also the last developed for the platform. Originally released on the Super Famicom syste ...
'' in 1995.
A manga series based on ''Romancing SaGa'' was released in two volumes by
Tokuma Shoten
is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, m ...
in 1994 and 1995, written and illustrated by Saki Kaori.
Notes
References
External links
Official North American PlayStation 2 version websiteOfficial Japanese PlayStation 2 version websiteOfficial Super Famicom version info pageOfficial WonderSwan version info pageOfficial Mobile Phone version website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romancing Saga
1992 video games
Android (operating system) games
iOS games
Nintendo Switch games
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 4 games
PlayStation 5 games
SaGa
Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Video game remakes
Video games scored by Kenji Ito
Video games developed in Japan
Video games featuring female protagonists
Virtual Console games
Virtual Console games for Wii U
Windows games
WonderSwan Color games