Energy Breaker
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese tactical role-playing game
released by Neverland Co.
in 1996. It was awarded 30 out of 40 points in a review by Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu
. The game was not released outside of Japan.
series takes place in; namely, the presence of Priphea flowers, some terminology and conventions, an obtainable sword named after the Dual Blade, and a cameo by Lufia and Roman in the ending.
The story begins with Myra, a 21-year-old girl who has lost her memory
. She keeps having dreams warning that she must hurry to avert a catastrophe. After visiting Selphia, a fortune-teller who has just come to the town Myra lives in, Myra gets a lead on her identity when she is told to seek out a man called Leon, the "Whirlwind General" in a nearby forest cave known as the Erutowa Forest. She is then gifted a jewel called the Emerald of Light. While looking for Leon, she runs into a local scientist and inventor, Renard, and his robot assistant Gulliver. She then comes to join him on his adventure to find a flower called the Reincarnation that can bring the dead back to life.
After their adventures in Erutowa, Selphia gives Renard another jewel: the Sapphire of Light. As Myra and Renard travel on, they cross paths with foes such as Parasite, the Flame General and Limits, the Twilight General, who are on a mission to capture the jewels given to them by Selphia...
Battles take place on the same screen they are initiated, and are played out across a grid. The majority of battles are scripted, but returning to the site of a previous battle may cause it to start again as a random battle.
The distance a character can travel and the actions they can take in battle are determined by Balance (Bal), which recharges every turn. However, if the character has taken damage, their Bal will not recharge fully, limiting what they can do in the following turn. At first characters can only use a basic physical attack, but come to learn new attacks and magic through items scattered throughout the game and by accumulating Energy. On levelling up
, the player is prompted to assign a point to one of eight Energy columns, being those for light and dark water, wind, fire, and earth. The moves available to a character at any time are determined by their Energy distribution.
When talking to NPC
s, the player can choose which attitude to approach with and which questions to ask. However, the system is very basic and the attitude used rarely makes a difference to the conversation.
Reviews
Tactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
released by Neverland Co.
Neverland Co.
Neverland Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer founded on May 7, 1993. It has developed games for Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Dreamcast, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color, Nintendo DS, PSP and the Wii...
in 1996. It was awarded 30 out of 40 points in a review by Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
. The game was not released outside of Japan.
Setting and plot
Energy Breaker is set on a small, fictitious island called Zamuria. There are a few hints that Zamuria exists on the world that the LufiaLufia
Lufia, known as in Japan, is a series of console role-playing games developed by Neverland . In Japan, the games were originally published by Taito and later Square Enix , and after the closing of Taito's American branch after the release of the first game, Natsume Inc...
series takes place in; namely, the presence of Priphea flowers, some terminology and conventions, an obtainable sword named after the Dual Blade, and a cameo by Lufia and Roman in the ending.
The story begins with Myra, a 21-year-old girl who has lost her memory
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
. She keeps having dreams warning that she must hurry to avert a catastrophe. After visiting Selphia, a fortune-teller who has just come to the town Myra lives in, Myra gets a lead on her identity when she is told to seek out a man called Leon, the "Whirlwind General" in a nearby forest cave known as the Erutowa Forest. She is then gifted a jewel called the Emerald of Light. While looking for Leon, she runs into a local scientist and inventor, Renard, and his robot assistant Gulliver. She then comes to join him on his adventure to find a flower called the Reincarnation that can bring the dead back to life.
After their adventures in Erutowa, Selphia gives Renard another jewel: the Sapphire of Light. As Myra and Renard travel on, they cross paths with foes such as Parasite, the Flame General and Limits, the Twilight General, who are on a mission to capture the jewels given to them by Selphia...
Main Characters
: The main character. 21 years old. She starts the game without any recollection of her past life, and sees the fortune-teller Selphia to find some clues about who she is. She uses whips to fight.: An inventor aged 60. Slightly lecherous, but is also warm-hearted and kind. He initiates the adventure with his quest for the Reincarnation. He fights using a bazooka and his robot helper, Gulliver. Was given the Sapphire of Light by Selphia.: Renard's robot assistant. His nickname is Gully, and he speaks in a funny dialect. He cannot fight directly, but he is invulnerable to attacks and can block off enemies' paths.: A young man who meets the party after their encounter with Parasite. He was thought to be dead, but automatically revived thanks to his self-healing cells. He appears to be a young man, but he is actually just as old as Renard. He transforms his body to attack, using a gigantic claw for physical attacks and taking on enemy forms to use magic. Was given the Topaz of Light by his girlfriend, Marion.: A young girl traveling on her own who was given the Ruby of Light by Selphia. 10 years old and something of a precocious brat. She attacks using a pogo stick and Pigma, a baby dragon.: A baby dragon befriended by Dorothy. She and Parasite fought for his affection, but Pigma favored Dorothy in the end. The last dragon on Zamuria.: One of the four Generals of Darkness. Aged 24. Known as the Whirlwind General, he encounters the party early on. He seems to know both Myra and Selphia from somewhere.Non-Player Characters
: A blind fortune-teller who appears in town at the start of the game. She sends Myra on her quest and distributes the jewels sought by the Generals of Darkness to the party members. Prefers to go by her nickname, Selphie.: One of the four Generals of Darkness. Known as the Flame General, he is on a mission to capture the Ruby of Light. He was also ordered to kill Renard. A reptilian humanoid.: One of the four Generals of Darkness. Known as the Twilight General, he is on a mission to capture the Topaz of Light. He takes the form of a golden robot.: The guardian of the Waterfall of Wishes, where the souls of the dead are said to gather. She sent Renard on his mission to retrieve the Reincarnation.Gameplay
The game is something of a hybrid of tactical RPGs and standard console RPGs, in that between battles the player can explore towns and cities freely. Exploration is rewarded by the many items hidden around the island.Battles take place on the same screen they are initiated, and are played out across a grid. The majority of battles are scripted, but returning to the site of a previous battle may cause it to start again as a random battle.
The distance a character can travel and the actions they can take in battle are determined by Balance (Bal), which recharges every turn. However, if the character has taken damage, their Bal will not recharge fully, limiting what they can do in the following turn. At first characters can only use a basic physical attack, but come to learn new attacks and magic through items scattered throughout the game and by accumulating Energy. On levelling up
Level Up
Level Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am...
, the player is prompted to assign a point to one of eight Energy columns, being those for light and dark water, wind, fire, and earth. The moves available to a character at any time are determined by their Energy distribution.
When talking to NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s, the player can choose which attitude to approach with and which questions to ask. However, the system is very basic and the attitude used rarely makes a difference to the conversation.
Art
- The game features illustrations and character designs by Yasuhiro NightowYasuhiro Nightowis a Japanese manga artist and game creator who created the anime and manga Trigun. Nightow was born on April 8, 1967 in Yokohama, Japan. He moved to Yokosuka when he was in elementary school, and spent the junior high and high school years in Shizuoka....
of TrigunTrigunis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, published from 1996 to 2008 and spanning 17 collected volumes....
fame.
External links
- Energy Breaker at superfamicom.org
- エナジーブレイカー / Energy Breaker at super-famicom.jp
- Selection of screenshots from The Video Games Museum
Reviews