Golden Sun: The Lost Age (2002)

This Golden Sun entry is a remarkable sequel that builds on the strengths of the original one. The game continues the epic tale in the world of Weyard, offering you a chance to explore new regions, uncover hidden secrets, and experience a story told from a fresh perspective. Its narrative depth is complemented by well-developed characters, each with unique abilities and motivations, making the journey feel personal and engaging.

Combat shines thanks to the innovative Djinn system. By collecting and assigning elemental Djinn to characters, players can customize classes, unlock powerful abilities, and experiment with different strategies, keeping battles consistently rewarding. And while this mechanic didn't changed a bit when compared to the first title, it is still very well implemented and executed. Though it has a couple of secrets you can unfold compared to the first entry, related to this mechanic which can lead you to having to replay the entire game if you are not careful enough, it can lock you out of an optional dungeon.

The game’s puzzles are cleverly integrated into the environment, often requiring observation, logic, and clever use of Psynergy (magic) to solve, making exploration feel both challenging and satisfying. Visually, the game is a showcase for the GBA, with detailed sprites, vibrant landscapes, and smooth animations. The soundtrack enhances the atmosphere with memorable melodies that range from adventurous and uplifting to mysterious and haunting, perfectly supporting the story’s tone. It is not as good as big JRPG titles, but it is definitely up there.

Although some may find the pacing slow at times and the dialogue extensive, the combination of exploration, strategic combat, and puzzle-solving makes the experience deeply rewarding. Overall, this game is a masterfully crafted JRPG that expands its predecessor’s world and systems, offering both nostalgia and fresh challenges. Its blend of story, strategy, and exploration cements its status as a timeless classic on the Game Boy Advance, a must-play for fans of JRPGs in general.

Imagine a reality where Golden Sun 1 was a flop and development for this one got cancelled. Not only the cliffhanger would have been awful, but also we would have missed one of the best JRPGs ever.

This is it, this my golden JRPG crown of the GBA era (alongside the Final Fantasy ports). It is great in almost every aspect: great progression, amazing story, cool characters, that superb ending...

I had such a fun time discovering Djinn combinations when I found out it was possible. After a while I searched online for all the other possibilites and DAMN!, I jumped in my freaking bed the first time I summoned Catastrophe (I missed out on Charon and Iris on my first playthrough).

You know what? Typing this made want to replay those beauties. I will fire up my GBA right now (I lost it like ten years ago, mate, obviously I will play them on my phone).

I can't even fathom how many hours I spent on the myriad of playthroughs I've finished on this title and its predecessor. If you played the newer Golden Sun reboot, don't let that title dissuade you--this game is leaps and bounds better. I despised how easy the new title was, and how much it coddled the player. As far as RPGs go, this is a true classic.

There is, however, one catch: DO NOT GIVE PIERS THE LASH PEBBLE OR YOU WILL GET PERMASTUCK. Fair warning.