Memory Lane: Enix's Original IPs

A while back I did a post where I argued that Squaresoft has actually created quite a few orginal IPs (or intellectual properties) over the years rather than churning out sequel after sequel. I turned out to be only half right. They have plenty of original titles but they're heyday was the Playstation generation. When looking back at their original games, I made sure to only include those that received a US release and were released before Squaresoft merged with Enix. I thought I'd take the opportunity to do the same for Enix, whose titles are much less well-known in the US.

Enix was different than Squaresoft in that it mainly published its games rather than developing them in-house. Even the Dragon Quest franchise was originally created by Chunsoft though three key members always oversee its development. Enix first found success in creating computer games in Japan like Cosmic Soldier, Door Door, and Light Flipper before finding success on the Famicom. It's first Famicom game was a port of Door Door followed by The Portopia Serial Murder Case, an image and text based adventure game. Hideo Kojima actually listed the game as one of the inspirations that made him enter the videogame industry. The first game released by Enix in the US was also their most well-known:

Dragon Quest
Released as Dragon Warrior in the US due to a trademark conflict with another roleplaying game called DragonQuest that was trying to compete with Dungeons & Dragons, the first game was wildly popular in Japan and has become the biggest game in the country. The original game is simplistic compared to today's standards as it only had a single playable character rather than an entire party. The Hero is tasked with taking back the Ball of Light that was stolen by the evil Dragon Lord. It was designed to be more accessible than most of the other RPGs on the market at the time. Even though different developers have made Dragon Quest each one has been overseen by Scenario Director Yuji Horii, Monster and Character Designer Akira Toriyama, and Composer Koichi Sugiyama.

ActRaiser
While Enix released all four of the Dragon Quest NES games in the US, it didn't release another original IP until Actraiser on the Super Nintendo. The game combined side-scrolling platforming with city planning mechanics. Taking the role of the Master, players must rebuild the world after it's been brought to ruins. The Master first inhabits a statue and clears a section of the world of enemies through platforming before rebuilding it in the "God-mode." By clearing the world and gaining followers, the Master is able to gain more power. The game sold moderately well and is considered one of the best games on the SNES. A sequel was also developed but it dropped the city creation aspects.

Soul Blazer
A dungeon-crawler where players take on the role of a lesser-deity tasked with saving the souls of six villages. After each stage was cleared, another villager's soul would be freed and be able to help the player in some way. After saving the six villages, the player would gain access to the World of Evil and defeat the evil Deathtoll. The game was a modest hit in the US, selling 70,000 copies.

E.V.O.: Search for Eden
Lauded for it's originality, E.V.O. takes the player through the evolution of the world. Starting as an early fish, players eventually evolved through several time periods ending with the age of early man. It was a side-scrolling action game that allowed players to upgrade their creatures as they saw fit. The game received mixed reviews with the stiff controls and bland music being heavily criticized. The concept was highly original at the time and can be linked as a direct predecessor of Spore.

The 7th Saga
A RPG known for its unforgiving difficulty, The 7th Saga allowed players to choose one of 7 characters to search for 7 magical runes. It featured a crystal ball that allowed players to see enemies on the screen and possibly avoid them but enemies tended to be quick and difficult to avoid. The game, while always difficult, particularly ramped up once players traveled to the past. It was possible to be so underleveled that it was impossible to defeat even basic enemies. The game received middling reviews due to its intense difficulty.

Paladin's Quest
Paladin's Quest was another RPG that was standard for the time other than a few change-ups to the norm. One of which was that there was no MP bar. Magic instead used up HP and there was only one healing spell, which sacrificed the caster's life. Spells also came in the form of spirits which could be combined to create the magic. Items also had to be equipped to a character in order to use them. The most common item being bottles which could be used for up to 9 heals though these bottles could only be found in the game world and not be bought. Only two party slots were filled by main characters. The other two had to be filled by hiring mercenaries which could be swapped out with others but their equipment could not be changed. The game was popular enough in Japan to warrant a sequel, but it was never brought to the US.

Brain Lord
Brain Lord was an action RPG with a heavy emphasis on dungeons and puzzles. The player took control of Remeer, who is on a quest to find his missing father who went missing after trying to slay the last of the dragons. Up to two sprites, who could heal, cast magic, or deal additional damage, would accompany Remeer at any one time as he worked his way through five main dungeons. There were only two towns in the game, one of which held a battle arena where players could earn extra money on fights or betting on others. The player could also use a variety of weapons including flails, bows, axes, swords, and boomerangs (natch). The game attained most of its uniqueness by not allowing Remeer to level up. Instead, his abilities had to be improved by buying better equipment. The game earned average reviews and never got a sequel.

Robotrek
It may come as a surprise to many of you but Robotrek was a kind of forerunner to Pokemon in that the player did not directly fight, instead using others to do the fighting for him. In this case, the player used highly customizable robots which he invented. Players could find spare parts that allowed them to adjust the equipment, special attacks, and color of the robot. Only three robots were allowed in a team and they fought one by one though they could be switched out at any time. Enemies could be seen rather using random battles. The game was aimed mainly at kids and had a much more lighthearted story than most other RPGs of the time. Robotrek was only a modest success though, selling 45,000 copies in Japan and 20,000 copies in the US.

King Arthur & the Knights of Justice
Based on a little known cartoon series of the time (one that I had never even heard of), the game was released exclusively in the US and was the first Enix published game developed by an American company. The game played in the same vein of Zelda and followed Arthur King and the rest of his football team, who were transported back in time by Merlin to save King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table from Morgan Le Fey. I'm not making this crap up. As Arthur King, players would have two of eleven knights of their choosing for the computer to control. Most quests were completed by collecting various items. The game was an utter flop. Critics panned the graphics, music, and the fact that the game was just a series of fetch quests. One even went so far as to call it a floating log of crap.

Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
Ogre Battle was one of the first strategy RPGs ever developed. Players began the game by being asked a series of questions to determine their suitability as a leader. The questions determine players' abilities and starting units. Units could be grouped together into parties of five and sent around the map to do battle and protect key points. Battles could not be directly controlled, instead a tactic would be chosen and the units would spend their turn following that tactic. There were also 75 different classes available in Ogre Battle. The game's name was inspired by Queen, a favorite of Yatsumi Matsuno to the point that every one of his games contains a reference to the band. This was one of the rarest games on the market for quite some time as Enix of America originally only produced 25,000 copies of Ogre Battle. It was remade for both the Sega Saturn and the Playstation and the games were still going for around $50 online. The game is now available on the Virtual Console on the Wii. The game received great acclaim and spawned several sequels and is considered the forerunner of Final Fantasy Tactics.

Mischief Makers
A 2D platformer developed by the legendary Treasure, Mischief Makers was Enix's first foray onto the Nintendo 64. Players took the role of Marina Liteyears, a cybernetic maid who must rescue her (slightly) perverted creator from the evil Empire. Marina's main method of attack was grabbing and shaking whatever object she got in her hands. She could also throw certain items. There were over 50 levels in the game as well as crystals to collect which would extend the ending slightly. The game received average reviews but noted that Treasure fans would enjoy it. The main criticism were against the midi music and sounds and the somewhat ugly graphics as well as the shortness of the game.

Star Ocean: The Second Story
Even though this is the second game in the series, it was the first to be released in the US. The RPG stands out for having a more science fiction setting rather than the typical fantasy fare. Star Ocean also combines random battles and real-time action. When players ran into an enemy, the scene would cut to a battleground where fights would take place sans menus. Another notable feature of The Second Story was it's astounding 86 different endings. It was a game guaranteed to give you plenty of playtime. The series is a great success with two further sequels and remakes of this and the first game on PSP.

Valkyrie Profile
Heavily steeped in Norse mythology, Valkyrie Profile was a standout RPG for Enix on the Playstation. Players would take the role of Lenneth, a valkyrie tasked by Odin to gather the souls of fallen warriors to take part in the final battle between the Aesir and the Vanir, known as Ragnarok. Much of the game takes part on a 2D plane, even though the overworld map is in 3D, hence the title of a game (profile or side-view). Gameplay consists of Lenneth locating and training the fallen souls for combat in Valhalla. A notable feature of the character development is that it mainly took place during their death scenes which could be highly emotional. The game was a massive success and lead to two sequels and a remake on the PSP.

Grandia Xtreme
The Grandia series is difficult to place under any one company due to it constantly switching publishers though its developer has always been Game Arts. Xtreme changed up the formula from the previous two games and focused on combat rather than story and exploration. Combat plays out much like Star Ocean except that they are unable to actually attack until a bar fills. Until then, players can only dodge enemy attacks and set themselves up for their own attacks. Xtreme was panned by critics for focusing too much on level grinding and having a weak story and only two towns. Grandia 3 was eventually published by Square Enix.

Robot Alchemic Drive
While games where players control huge robots are nothing new, RAD was different in that players controlled their robot from outside with a remote control. This lead to a more strategic game where you had to switch between your character and the robot in order to set up good views and avoid the destruction. There were three characters to choose from each with their own robots. It was favorably reviewed though the perspective, voice acting, and slow pace were detrimental to the game. No sequels were ever made.


The more I look through Enix's games, the more I understand why this was such a good purchase on Square's part. Enix developed none of its games while Square did. Square effectively bought up some of the biggest RPG properties in the industry and made itself the powerhouse that it is today. I only wish they supported more of these old games other than Valkryie Profile, Star Ocean, and of course Dragon Quest. Are there any that you would like to see revived?