Eragon [GBA]

This November, Eragon will launch for almost every system on the market, and the Game Boy Advance is getting its own version of the dragon-riding game. We played the title at the recent Sierra Gamers Week event and are here to report on what could be one of the last RPGs for Nintendo's retiring handheld.

Before we dive into the game, this author must admit he has not read Eragon. (Why read the book when you can play the game, right?) So he begs your forgiveness should he get any story details wrong. That said, Sierra tells us the game is based on the book, instead of the movie coming out about the same time.

Eragon on the GBA plays like a traditional console RPG. The story opens with three elves (Arya, Glenwig, and Faolin) riding on horseback through a frozen forest when they are ambushed by Urgal, which appear to be orc-like creatures.

The player is thrown directly into battle, which consists of classic, turn-based RPG action with a couple new twists. A is a regular attack, B is a strong attack, and you enter combinations of four attacks at once. Different combinations yield different results, and some release a special attack. Character animations are nice and fluid.

There is also a Meditate command during battle, which appears to heal a small amount of health. Very small, actually: the three characters start out with 3,000+ hit points, and Meditate heals about 100. You also have the usual assortment of offensive and defensive spells at your command. But when a spell is cast, a meter pops up that shows the changing strength at which the spell will be cast (think of the swing meter from many golf games -- having an epileptic fit). The player tries to press A when the meter is at its apex so they can deal the most damage or heal the most hit points. It's a nice little addition to the typical turn-based RPG combat system, which by now is a bit tired.

Outside of battle, we have an overhead view of the map, and you can see your enemies roaming around -- so no irritating random encounters. The bad guys will chase you down, though, so you may want to try and evade them by holding down the B button to run. Looks like the world of Eragon is up to code with the Random Treasure Chest Bureau; you'll find the things lying around in the weirdest places. From the party screen you can change equipment and preview whether or not your new gear will increase or decrease your stats (a time-honored RPG pastime).

Arya, who seems to be leading this elf posse, decides they need to hunt down and kill the Urgal commanders hiding out in the caves nearby. So spelunking we go, for more battles and treasure-chest-discoverin' fun. Tiny insects crawl along the cave floors -- a nice touch. When we reach the first commander, he reveals that a group called the Shade is looking for us, and we apparently have something they want.

We have to admit, in the forty-five minutes we spent playing Eragon on the GBA, we were already finding the battles a little tedious. This one might appeal to those who haven't been playing these types of RPGs for the past 20 years. But it's not scheduled to ship until mid-November, and we'll have lots more coverage as its release draws nearer.

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