Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya delivers a robust strategy RPG experience that builds on the series’ established turn-based formula. You command a sizeable cast of units—knights, mages, archers, and more—across battlefields that span forests, castles, and open plains. Each map is carefully designed to encourage tactical positioning: archers find vantage points on high ground, while cavalry units can charge along open corridors to flank enemy formations.

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Character progression feels rewarding and familiar. Main heroes like Nick, whose hand was turned to stone by the Empire of Iom, gain experience and level up RPG-style, unlocking new skills or weapon proficiencies. Side characters recruitable throughout the journey also grow in power, though their stat gains tend to be more modest. Balancing your front-line defenders with magic users and support units becomes crucial as enemy generals and spellcasters emerge in later chapters.

Enemy AI in The Sword of Hajya strikes a fair but challenging balance. Early missions serve as a gentle introduction to movement ranges, weapon reach, and terrain bonuses, but once the Empire’s heavy infantry and war machines appear, you’ll find yourself reevaluating strategies on the fly. Grouping units for combined assaults, protecting vulnerable mages, and exploiting chokepoints are key. The limited item inventory and weapon durability add extra layers of resource management without becoming cumbersome.

Graphics

On the Game Gear’s compact screen, Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya impresses with crisp, colorful sprite work and detailed map tiles. Characters are easily distinguishable by class—knights sport bright steel plate, while robed mages wave vibrant staffs. Animations, though simple, convey impact effectively: sword swings, arrow flights, and magic bursts feel weighty and satisfying within the system’s technical constraints.

Background art for each battlefield maintains clarity even when crowded with units. Forests are lush and green, castles boast stonework textures, and winding roads stand out against grassy plains. The limited resolution doesn’t hamper strategic readability; health bars and status icons remain legible, and unit portraits during dialogue sequences capture personalities despite the small size.

Menus and user interface elements feel consistent with the Shining Force lineage. Weapon tables, character stats, and skill descriptions are laid out neatly, though the default font can feel a bit tight on the Game Gear’s screen. Still, once you’re accustomed to the navigation, selecting the right item or casting the correct spell becomes second nature, enhancing the overall visual coherence.

Story

While not a direct sequel to Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention (Genesis), The Sword of Hajya continues the saga started in the Japan-only Shining Force Gaiden. It picks up the thread of Nick, Prince of Cypress, whose kingdom fell to the Empire of Iom. Stricken with a petrified hand that prevents him from wielding the legendary Sword of Hajya, Nick turns to diplomacy and recruitment, forging an alliance with the neighboring realm of Gardiana.

The narrative unfolds through concise dialogue exchanges before and after battles, introducing compelling allies like the Gardianan general and mystic adepts. The script balances light-hearted banter with the urgency of reclaiming a homeland, offering moments of camaraderie alongside the weight of war. For fans of tactical RPGs, the storyline strikes a satisfying middle ground—neither overly intricate nor disappointingly sparse.

Localization retains much of the charm of the original Japanese script, though a few translation quirks sneak through. These minor inconsistencies do little to detract from the central plot, which steadily escalates as you breach Iom’s defenses, rescue imprisoned villagers, and uncover darker machinations behind the empire’s rise. The steady drip of revelations keeps motivation high throughout the roughly 20-chapter campaign.

Overall Experience

Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya stands as a shining example of portable strategy RPG design in the early ’90s. It captures the series’ tactical depth while adapting its scope to the Game Gear’s limitations, offering portable battles that feel every bit as engaging as their console counterparts. Battles are varied in objective and terrain, ensuring you rarely repeat the same strategy twice.

The game’s pacing strikes a fine balance between story segments and skirmishes, allowing breathing room for character development and equipment management. Although the lack of a full musical score comparable to the Genesis title is noticeable, the uplifting battle themes and victory jingles still inspire a sense of triumph. Sound effects are crisp, and voice samples—rare on handheld hardware—add an extra layer of polish.

For potential buyers, The Sword of Hajya offers both nostalgia for longtime Shining Force enthusiasts and a solid entry point for newcomers to the genre. Its moderate difficulty curve, engaging narrative, and strategic variety ensure that each play session remains fresh and rewarding. Whether you’re revisiting a classic or discovering it for the first time, this Game Gear gem remains a must-have for lovers of tactical RPGs.

Retro Replay Score

7.1/10