Tecmo Secret of the Stars

The Good
The game is really long and there are a lot of areas to explore. Secret of the Stars is not overly difficult, though more difficult than the graphics would have you believe. The story and adventures are mostly entertaining throughout. There is an element of switching parties which I liked and reminded me of certain sections of Final Fantasy VI, but I wish it had been more central to the progression of the game.

The Bad
The game's low difficulty is also a downfall. There were only a few places where I felt under-leveled and again the cutesy graphics will have you confused, thinking you may have gone to the wrong place first instead of actually having to level up a bit. This brings me to the next thing I didn't like about the game. There was not a lot of clear direction, especially during the middle of the game, which lead to a lot of needless wandering around. The party switching seemed to be more of an afterthought.

The Bottom Line
If you liked the first few Dragon Warrior (Quest) games for the NES and wanted to play another clone (there were plenty out there) then this game is for you. It has enough variety, including switching between parties at certain parts of the game and plenty of locations to visit. Though it would have fit in better as an NES title, it came out on the SNES; so what? Who cares if it looks like an NES game, Super Mario World looks like an NES game to me. Check Secret of the Star out and let it stand on its own two feet before you discount it as not worth playing.