So...what do we have here?

Japanese Game Box Front

The Lovable Shokran

Here's a game that I've been tracking down for a while now. The game is published by Takara, but Pandora Box is the group who actually made the game, and they make some interesting games indeed. Ever since I've played one of Pandora's best games, Traverse: Starlight & Prairie, I've been trying to track down as many of their titles as possible. They have made a number of Super Famicom titles such as Ryuki Heidan Danzalv, Kishin Korinden Oni, Yam Yam, etc. How does Arabian Nights stack up against all the rest?

Well, I wouldn't rank the game as highly as Traverse, but it's an interesting game in its own right. This isn't your typical tale of Aladdin and some magic lamp. The story takes place in a far away land where Ifrit, the king of Djinn, sits high in his palace. One day, an old magician named Suleyman comes and challenges his authority. Enraged, Ifrit uses the power of the elements to assault the man, but to his surprise, they have little effect on him. The old man then summons a spell of his own that knocks Ifrit unconscious. Ifrit awakens in the house of Suleyman and wonders if it was all a dream. Anyway, fast forward a little, and Ifrit is stripped of his powers and turned into a ring! As time passes…a young girl named Shokran stumbles upon the ring and releases the weakened Ifrit. Long story short, Ifrit was sealed in the contract ring, and the only way to set himself free is to fufill the wishes of 1,000 people (999 since he starts with Shokran). Interesting start, huh? (Thanks to ritchie of GameFAQs)

There are a few twists to this game that you won't find in most standard SNES/SFC RPGs. First of all, you have the power to use field cards. What these basically do is grant you certain properties depending on the type of card and its level. You must use them strategically because you can accidentally put yourself at a disadvantage or waste them if you're not careful (and you don't want to do that since the game can prove to be quite challenging at times). Another perk to this game is that it utilizes a multi-scenario system that gives the game multiple endings. It's not QUITE as complex as Traverse, but it still offers a bit of replayability. Other than those two features, there isn't really anything in this game you haven't seen before. The graphics and sound are…well, the graphics are okay, a little above average. The sound has an acquired taste, much like Traverse…but that isn't to say the audio is bad…It might be hit and miss for some, but I found the music to be pretty cool overall. The game is fairly hard to find complete and it’s pretty decent. I'm definitely not lamenting the $20 I spent on it.

- Written by Vyse the determined -