Difference between revisions of "Shining in the Darkness"
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{{company|[[M2]]|system=VC}} | {{company|[[M2]]|system=VC}} | ||
| + | | distributor={{company|[[Tec Toy]]|system=MD|region=BR}} | ||
| system=[[Sega Mega Drive]], [[Virtual Console]], [[Steam]] | | system=[[Sega Mega Drive]], [[Virtual Console]], [[Steam]] | ||
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| md_date_eu=1991 | | md_date_eu=1991 | ||
| md_code_eu=1310 | | md_code_eu=1310 | ||
| − | | md_date_uk=1991-10{{magref|segapro|1|9}} | + | | md_date_uk=1991-11-11{{magref|ctw|362|27}}<!--1991-10{{magref|segapro|1|9}}--> |
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The game is a first-person dungeon crawler. It takes place in three areas: the Castle, the Town, and the Labyrinth. The Castle contains the King and his Court, and it is where plot progression usually takes place. The Town contains shops where the player can buy weapons, armor, and items, save the game, heal or revive in the church, and talk to townsfolk. In the Castle and Town, use {{left}} and {{right}} to navigate and {{A}} or {{C}} to interact. The Labyrinth is the game's dungeon and where all the battles take place. | The game is a first-person dungeon crawler. It takes place in three areas: the Castle, the Town, and the Labyrinth. The Castle contains the King and his Court, and it is where plot progression usually takes place. The Town contains shops where the player can buy weapons, armor, and items, save the game, heal or revive in the church, and talk to townsfolk. In the Castle and Town, use {{left}} and {{right}} to navigate and {{A}} or {{C}} to interact. The Labyrinth is the game's dungeon and where all the battles take place. | ||
| − | The Labyrinth is a 3D maze. {{up}} moves forward, {{left}} and {{right}} turn, and {{down}} moves backward. The game introduces a cross-shaped menu system that would become a staple of the ''Shining'' series. The menus are opened with {{A}} or {{C}} and present the player with icons for searching the area, managing items, or checking the status of members of the party. An icon is | + | The Labyrinth is a 3D maze. {{up}} moves forward, {{left}} and {{right}} turn, and {{down}} moves backward. The game introduces a cross-shaped menu system that would become a staple of the ''Shining'' series. The menus are opened with {{A}} or {{C}} and present the player with icons for searching the area, managing items, or checking the status of members of the party. An icon is highlighted by pressing its respective direction on the D-Pad and selected with {{A}} or {{C}}. Menus are dismissed with {{B}}. Enemy encounters happen randomly throughout the Labyrinth. Battles are turn-based and conducted through a similar menu system. Characters gain experience and gold from defeating enemies. After earning enough experience, they gain levels that increase their statistics. Statistics include: |
*'''IQ:''' The character's intelligence, which affects the character's resistance to enemy magic and the damage of his or her spells. | *'''IQ:''' The character's intelligence, which affects the character's resistance to enemy magic and the damage of his or her spells. | ||
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==History== | ==History== | ||
===Development=== | ===Development=== | ||
| − | ''Shining in the Darkness'' | + | Development of ''Shining in the Darkness'' began after Hiroyuki Takahashi and Kan Naito left [[Enix]] to found their own game development studio Climax Entertainment in April of 1990. While at Enix, Takahashi had seen programmer Yasuhiro Taguchi showcase a game with 3D dungeons and had seen the art of Yoshitaka Tamaki and asked them both to join him in developing his RPG.{{fileref|Games The 25 Greatest SEGA Games.pdf|page=26}}{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20140804042453/https://sega.jp/fb/creators/vol_17/1.html}} |
| − | + | ''Shining in the Darkness'' was announced on September 20, 1990 at a press conference held in All Nippon Air's Intercontinental Tokyo Hotel in Akasaka with the working title ''Shining and Darkness'' (シャイニング＆ダクネス). Takahashi and Naito discussed their concept for an RPG with 3D dungeons that contained stairways and decorated walls to differentiate it from other RPGs with 3D dungeons that necessitated creating a map due to their having plain walls.{{fileref|BeepMD_JP_1990-11.pdf|page=25}} They wanted to create an immersive RPG that would give players an emotional reaction akin to visiting a theme park or haunted house.{{fileref|BeepMD_JP_1990-12.pdf|page=44}} | |
| − | + | {{quote|Because we were on such a tight budget, apart from the programming and graphics, I did nearly all of the work on ''Shining in the Darkness''. I suppose the basic concept behind ''Darkness'' was "realism." I thought it would be exciting if the player could actually travel to a fantasy world and walk around, exploring old houses, dungeons and other places. It was in essence a continuation of the sense of excitement you'd get from moving through the dungeons in older games such as ''Wizardry''. By "reality," I'm not talking about true realism – I mean the feeling that you really are progressing through actual houses and dungeons, and the same thing applied to the battles.|''[[Hiroyuki Takahashi (Camelot)|Hiroyuki Takahashi]]''|ref={{fileref|Games The 25 Greatest SEGA Games.pdf|page=26}}}} | |
===Legacy=== | ===Legacy=== | ||
| + | {{ScreenThumb|Shining the Holy Ark, Shining in the Darkness.png|width=200|''[[Shining the Holy Ark]]''}} | ||
The game received a spiritual successor, ''[[Shining the Holy Ark]]'', for the [[Sega Saturn]] in 1996. | The game received a spiritual successor, ''[[Shining the Holy Ark]]'', for the [[Sega Saturn]] in 1996. | ||
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*'''Written and Produced by:''' [[Hiroyuki Takahashi (Camelot)|Hiroyuki Takahashi]] | *'''Written and Produced by:''' [[Hiroyuki Takahashi (Camelot)|Hiroyuki Takahashi]] | ||
*'''Special Effects:''' [[Yasuhiro Taguchi]] | *'''Special Effects:''' [[Yasuhiro Taguchi]] | ||
| − | *'''Assistant Director:''' [[Yoshinori Tagawa]] | + | *'''Assistant Director:''' [[Yoshinori Tagawa]] |
| + | *'''Subtitles:''' [[Bob Timbello]] (Japanese: 字幕 ボブテンバロー) | ||
*'''Artwork and Design:''' [[Hidehiro Yoshida]] | *'''Artwork and Design:''' [[Hidehiro Yoshida]] | ||
*'''Outline and Storyboards:''' [[Yoshitaka Tamaki]] | *'''Outline and Storyboards:''' [[Yoshitaka Tamaki]] | ||
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<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
ShiningintheDarkness Steam manual.pdf|Steam manual | ShiningintheDarkness Steam manual.pdf|Steam manual | ||
| − | ShiningintheDarkness MD US | + | ShiningintheDarkness MD US MDMini2 manual.pdf|Mega Drive Mini 2 US manual |
| − | ShiningintheDarkness MD EU | + | ShiningintheDarkness MD EU MDMini2 manual.pdf|Mega Drive Mini 2 EU manual |
| − | ShiningintheDarkness MD JP | + | ShiningintheDarkness MD JP MDMini2 manual.pdf|Mega Drive Mini 2 JP manual |
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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| item1=SitD MD EU pcb.jpg | | item1=SitD MD EU pcb.jpg | ||
| item1name=PCB | | item1name=PCB | ||
| + | }}{{Scanbox | ||
| + | | console=Mega Drive | ||
| + | | region=BX | ||
| + | | cover=SitD MD BX Box.jpg | ||
}}{{Scanbox | }}{{Scanbox | ||
| console=Mega Drive | | console=Mega Drive | ||
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==Technical information== | ==Technical information== | ||
| − | + | {{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Technical information}} | |
| − | {{ | ||
| − | {{ | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | }} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Latest revision as of 08:28, 14 November 2024
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| Shining in the Darkness | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console, Steam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: Sega | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer:   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Genre: RPG[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of players: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official in-game languages: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shining in the Darkness, called Shining and the Darkness (シャイニング＆ザ・ダクネス) in Japan, is a 1991 game by Sega and Climax Entertainment for the Sega Mega Drive. It is the first game in Sega's Shining series. Unlike most of the other games in the franchise, it is a 3D dungeon crawler RPG.
Contents
Story
Map
You are the son of Mortred, a warrior who was last seen near a dungeon known as the Labyrinth in the Kingdom of Thornwood with Princess Jessa. King Drake summons you to go find her, but just as that is about to happen, the evil Dark Sol appears and offers a ransom: Mortred and the Princess for the kingdom.
It is now up to you to rescue the two, defeat Dark Sol, and save the kingdom.
Gameplay
Dungeon and battle
Status screens
The game is a first-person dungeon crawler. It takes place in three areas: the Castle, the Town, and the Labyrinth. The Castle contains the King and his Court, and it is where plot progression usually takes place. The Town contains shops where the player can buy weapons, armor, and items, save the game, heal or revive in the church, and talk to townsfolk. In the Castle and Town, use 
and 
to navigate and 
or 
to interact. The Labyrinth is the game's dungeon and where all the battles take place.
The Labyrinth is a 3D maze. 
moves forward, and turn, and 
moves backward. The game introduces a cross-shaped menu system that would become a staple of the Shining series. The menus are opened with or and present the player with icons for searching the area, managing items, or checking the status of members of the party. An icon is highlighted by pressing its respective direction on the D-Pad and selected with or . Menus are dismissed with 
. Enemy encounters happen randomly throughout the Labyrinth. Battles are turn-based and conducted through a similar menu system. Characters gain experience and gold from defeating enemies. After earning enough experience, they gain levels that increase their statistics. Statistics include:
- IQ: The character's intelligence, which affects the character's resistance to enemy magic and the damage of his or her spells.
- Speed: Determines how often the character gets a turn in combat.
- Luck: The probability that the character will strike a critical hit. Also the character's immunity to ailments such as poison.
- Attack: The character's attack strength, which is augmented by weapons.
- Defense: The character's defensive strength, which is augmented by armor pieces.
If the main character dies in battle, the player is taken back to the church in the town with half the gold. If another character dies, he or she can be revived at the church in town.
The player is initially alone but gains two additional party members early in the game. Additionally, the dungeon contains three characters in need of rescue. Rescuing any or all of the three is optional, and the story changes depending on whether or not the player locates and returns each of these characters to safety.
The Labyrinth has five levels. After completing the four Trials of the Ancients (Strength, Wisdom, Courage, and Truth) in the first level, the player gains access to the remaining levels of the Labyrinth, called the Labyrinth Proper.
Characters
| Main Character | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The main character is named by the player. Unlike the protagonists of the Shining Force games, he has no default name if the player chooses not enter a name, though he is called "Hiro" in the game data before his name is replaced by the player's name. He is a knight and cannot use magic. He has the highest strength and hit points but the lowest intelligence, speed, and defense. He has the ability to try to run from an encounter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Milo Brax | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Milo is a healer who learns defensive and support spells. He has the highest luck.
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| Pyra Myst | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pyra is a mage who learns powerful offensive spells. She has low attack power but high speed and defense. She can be equipped with whips, which hit multiple targets in one turn, or staves, which are higher power but can only attack one enemy at a time.
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Items
Alkemist
Items are sold in shops, found in chests, or sometimes dropped by defeated foes.
| Category | Item | Cost (in gold) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auxiliary | Angel Feather | 24 | Escapes the maze. |
| Wisdom Seed | 8 | Reveals a map of the current level of the dungeon. | |
| Healing | Herb | 12 | Restores 20-30 hit points. |
| Healer Fruit | 100 | Restores 70-80 hit points. | |
| Depoison | 15 | Cures poison. | |
| Smelling Salts | 30 | Cures paralysis. | |
| Herb Water | 2,200 | Revives fallen allies. | |
| Miracle Herb | 8,000 | Revives a fallen ally with full health and magic points. | |
| Holy Water | 8,600 | Used to remove cursed items. | |
| Rings | Heal Ring | 9,000 | Casts Heal Level 3. |
| Barrier Ring | 7,800 | Casts Quick Level 3. | |
| Magic Ring | 12,000 | Restores 20-30 magic points. | |
| Crafting | Mithril Ore | 4,000 | Crafts Mithril equipment. |
| Dark Block | 4,500 | Crafts cursed equipment. | |
| Keys | Cell Key | 1,000 | Opens cell doors. |
| Dwarf's Key | 300 | Opens the door to the Cave of Strength. | |
| False Idol | — | Opens the cell door in the Cave of Truth. | |
| Rune Key | 500 | Opens the stone door to the Cave of Wisdom. | |
| Other | Forbidden Box | 6,000 | Produces a random effect in battle. |
| Magic Mirror | 3,500 | Reflects magic spells for a round. | |
| Map 1 | 500 | Shows trap floors in the Cave of Wisdom. | |
| Map 2 | 505 | Shows trap floors in the Cave of Wisdom. | |
| Medallion | 1,800 | Used as a checkpoint on gold fountains. | |
| Mystic Rope | 400 | Used to climb up holes in the ceiling to the next level. | |
| Orb of Truth | 1,500 | Reveals grim walls or the false altar in the Cave of Truth. | |
| Vial of Tears | 1,000 | Awakens the Water Spirit. |
Equipment
Weapons
Weapons
Flails attack multiple times per turn; whips attack all enemies in a group.
| Category | Weapon | Cost (in gold) | Attack | Equippable by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knives and Swords | Bronze Knife | 100 | +5 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | |
| Main Gauche | 900 | +8 | Hiro, Milo | Equipped on the shield hand, adds 10 Armor. | |
| Short Sword | 200 | +10 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | ||
| Bronze Saber | 300 | +15 | Hiro, Pyra | ||
| Madu | 2,500 | +15 | Hiro, Milo | Equipped on the shield hand, adds 20 Armor. | |
| Sword | 750 | +20 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Steel Saber | 1,250 | +25 | Hiro, Pyra | ||
| Long Sword | 2,530 | +30 | Hiro | ||
| Broad Sword | 9,000 | +50 | Hiro | ||
| Fire Sword | 12,500 | +60 | Hiro | Casts Blaze Level 3. | |
| Storm Sword | 25,000 | +110 | Hiro | Casts Bolt Level 2. | |
| Dark Scimitar | 28,000 | +120 | Hiro | Crafted from Dark Block. Cursed, chance of paralyzing wielder. | |
| Mithril Sword | 42,000 | +125 | Hiro | Crafted from Mithril. | |
| Light Blade | 65,000 | +150 | Hiro | ||
| Clubs and Axes | Wooden Club | 120 | +6 | Hiro, Milo | |
| Short Axe | 330 | +15 | Milo | ||
| Morning Star | 350 | +18 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Battle Axe | 1,380 | +23 | Milo | ||
| Double Axe | 3,200 | +30 | Milo | ||
| Battle Hammer | 8,800 | +38 | Milo | ||
| Great Axe | 11,800 | +45 | Milo | ||
| Mithril Axe | 38,000 | +120 | Milo | Crafted from Mithril. | |
| Flails | Flail | 800 | +12 | Milo | |
| Super Flail | 17,500 | +25 | Milo | ||
| Great Flail | 7,500 | +28 | Milo | ||
| Staves | Enduro Staff | 1,000 | +15 | Pyra | Cursed, causes backlash against wielder. |
| Fire Staff | 2,000 | +15 | Pyra | ||
| Demon Staff | 6,774 | +20 | Pyra | Casts Muddle Level 3. | |
| Woodstaff | 760 | +20 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Ice Staff | 3,500 | +25 | Pyra | Casts Freeze Level 3. | |
| Mithril Rod | 45,000 | +100 | Milo, Pyra | Crafted from Mithril. | |
| Doom Staff | 15,000 | +105 | Milo, Pyra | Crafted from Dark Block. Cursed, damages wielder for half of its damage. Casts Blaze Level 4. | |
| Whips | Bull Whip | 2,000 | +15 | Pyra | |
| Thorn Whip | 5,500 | +25 | Pyra | ||
| Steel Whip | 13,500 | +35 | Pyra | ||
| Hex Whip | 20,000 | +60 | Pyra | Crafted from Dark Block. Cursed, chance of being entangled in the whip. | |
| Spears and Lances | Short Spear | 2,800 | +25 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | |
| Bronze Lance | 5,000 | +35 | Hiro | ||
| Long Spear | 9,500 | +35 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | ||
| Iron Lance | 12,000 | +75 | Hiro | ||
| Steel Lance | 20,000 | +100 | Hiro |
Armor
Armorer
| Category | Armor | Cost (in gold) | Defense | Equippable by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helmets | Cloth Hood | 120 | +4 | Milo, Pyra | |
| Leather Helmet | 300 | +8 | Hiro | ||
| Woven Hood | 450 | +8 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Fur Hood | 1,030 | +12 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Bronze Helmet | 1,200 | +14 | Hiro | ||
| Royal Tiara | 1,000 | +16 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | ||
| Magic Hood | 5,800 | +18 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Iron Helmet | 3,400 | +20 | Hiro | ||
| Elven Hood | 14,000 | +22 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Steel Helmet | 5,980 | +25 | Hiro | ||
| Mithril Hood | 11,800 | +26 | Milo, Pyra | Crafted from Mithril. | |
| Mithril Helmet | 9,800 | +32 | Hiro, Milo | Crafted from Mithril. | |
| Dark Hood | 18,000 | +35 | Milo, Pyra | Crafted from Dark Block. Cursed, lowers magic resistance. | |
| Light Helmet | 19,200 | +40 | Hiro | ||
| Dark Helmet | 26,400 | +50 | Hiro | Crafted from Dark Block. Cursed, blinds wearer. | |
| Armor | Worn Robe | 40 | +2 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | |
| Cotton Robe | 80 | +4 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | ||
| Woven Robe | 200 | +8 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Straw Robe | 250 | +8 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Hemp Robe | 700 | +14 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Fur Robe | 450 | +16 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Leather Armor | 700 | +20 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Leather Robe | 1,800 | +20 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Chain Mail | 1,200 | +26 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Breast Plate | 1,850 | +32 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Bronze Armor | 3,200 | +40 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Magic Robe | 16,000 | +40 | Milo, Pyra | ||
| Light Robe | 24,000 | +44 | Milo, Pyra | Crafted from Mithril. | |
| Iron Armor | 5,600 | +48 | Hiro | ||
| Magic Mail | 30,000 | +50 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | ||
| Sun Armor | 5,000 | +52 | Hiro | ||
| Steel Armor | 10,000 | +58 | Hiro | ||
| Frost Armor | 7,500 | +64 | Hiro | ||
| Mithril Armor | 18,000 | +68 | Hiro, Milo | Crafted from Mithril. | |
| Dark Robe | 22,000 | +70 | Milo, Pyra | Crafted from Dark Block. Cursed, attacks party members and heals foes. | |
| Light Armor | 36,000 | +80 | Hiro | ||
| Dark Armor | 18,000 | +100 | Hiro | Crafted from Dark Block. Cursed, chance of paralyzing wearer. | |
| Shields | Gauntlet | 120 | +6 | Hiro | |
| Leather Shield | 300 | +12 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Bronze Shield | 700 | +18 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Wood Shield | 3,500 | +20 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | ||
| Iron Shield | 2,300 | +26 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Steel Shield | 6,400 | +32 | Hiro, Milo | ||
| Magic Shield | 16,500 | +35 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | ||
| Mithril Shield | 10,000 | +40 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | Crafted from Mithril. | |
| Light Shield | 20,000 | +50 | Hiro | ||
| Dark Shield | 27,000 | +60 | Hiro, Milo, Pyra | Crafted from Dark Block. Cursed, reduces attack power. |
Magic
Some spells can only be used in battle, some spells can only be used out of battle, and some can be used both in and out of battle.
| Category | Name | Level | Mana cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auxiliary | Egress | 1 | 9 | Escapes the battle and returns to town. |
| View | 1 | 1 | Shows a map of the area. | |
| Vision | 1 | 1 | Shows information about an item. | |
| Healing | Detox | 1 | 3 | Cures poison. |
| 2 | 5 | Cures poison and paralysis. | ||
| Heal | 1 | 3 | Restores 20-30 HP. | |
| 2 | 5 | Restores 70-80 HP. | ||
| 3 | 10 | Restores all HP for an individual unit. | ||
| 4 | 50 | Restores all HP for all party members. | ||
| Revive | 1 | 15 | Revives a fallen party member with partial HP. | |
| 2 | 35 | Revives a fallen party member with full HP. | ||
| Offensive | Blast | 1 | 2 | Deals wind magic damage. |
| 2 | 4 | |||
| 3 | 8 | |||
| 4 | 14 | |||
| Blaze | 1 | 2 | Deals fire magic damage. | |
| 2 | 4 | |||
| 3 | 8 | |||
| 4 | 14 | |||
| Bolt | 1 | 5 | Deals lightning magic damage. | |
| 2 | 8 | |||
| 3 | 20 | |||
| 4 | 40 | |||
| Burst | 1 | 5 | Deals fire magic damage. | |
| 2 | 8 | |||
| 3 | 12 | |||
| 4 | 20 | |||
| Freeze | 1 | 3 | Deals ice magic damage. | |
| 2 | 5 | |||
| 3 | 10 | |||
| 4 | 17 | |||
| Desoul | 1 | 8 | Small chance of one-hit kill. | |
| 2 | 15 | |||
| Support | Boost | 1 | 9 | Boosts attack. |
| 2 | 20 | |||
| Muddle | 1 | 3 | Confuses target. | |
| 2 | 7 | |||
| Peace | 1 | 7 | Prevents weaker monsters from attacking. | |
| Quick | 1 | 3 | Boosts speed. | |
| 2 | 5 | |||
| Screen | 1 | 4 | Silences target (prevents casting magic). | |
| 2 | 6 | |||
| Sleep | 1 | 4 | Puts target to sleep. | |
| 2 | 6 | |||
| Slow | 1 | 2 | Lowers enemy's defense and speed. | |
| 2 | 5 |
History
Development
Development of Shining in the Darkness began after Hiroyuki Takahashi and Kan Naito left Enix to found their own game development studio Climax Entertainment in April of 1990. While at Enix, Takahashi had seen programmer Yasuhiro Taguchi showcase a game with 3D dungeons and had seen the art of Yoshitaka Tamaki and asked them both to join him in developing his RPG.[17][18]
Shining in the Darkness was announced on September 20, 1990 at a press conference held in All Nippon Air's Intercontinental Tokyo Hotel in Akasaka with the working title Shining and Darkness (シャイニング＆ダクネス). Takahashi and Naito discussed their concept for an RPG with 3D dungeons that contained stairways and decorated walls to differentiate it from other RPGs with 3D dungeons that necessitated creating a map due to their having plain walls.[19] They wanted to create an immersive RPG that would give players an emotional reaction akin to visiting a theme park or haunted house.[20]
| “ | Because we were on such a tight budget, apart from the programming and graphics, I did nearly all of the work on Shining in the Darkness. I suppose the basic concept behind Darkness was "realism." I thought it would be exciting if the player could actually travel to a fantasy world and walk around, exploring old houses, dungeons and other places. It was in essence a continuation of the sense of excitement you'd get from moving through the dungeons in older games such as Wizardry. By "reality," I'm not talking about true realism – I mean the feeling that you really are progressing through actual houses and dungeons, and the same thing applied to the battles. | „ |
Legacy
The game received a spiritual successor, Shining the Holy Ark, for the Sega Saturn in 1996.
Versions
Localised names
| Language | Localised Name | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| English | Shining in the Darkness | Shining in the Darkness |
| English (US) | Shining in the Darkness | Shining in the Darkness |
| Japanese | シャイニング＆ザ・ダクネス | Shining and the Darkness |
Production credits
- Written and Produced by: Hiroyuki Takahashi
- Special Effects: Yasuhiro Taguchi
- Assistant Director: Yoshinori Tagawa
- Subtitles: Bob Timbello (Japanese: 字幕 ボブテンバロー)
- Artwork and Design: Hidehiro Yoshida
- Outline and Storyboards: Yoshitaka Tamaki
- Music: Masahiko Yoshimura
- Visual Support: Ryutaro Ishimatsu
- Technical Support: Haruki Kodera
- Director: Kan Naitoh
- Special Thanks: Media Mixture, Mad Cap
- Executive Producer: Sega Enterprises
- Created by: Climax
- Japanese cover artist: Yoshitaka Tamaki
Digital manuals
Steam manual
Mega Drive Mini 2 US manual
Mega Drive Mini 2 EU manual
Mega Drive Mini 2 JP manual
Magazine articles
- Main article: Shining in the Darkness/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
Mega Drive print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #120: "November 1991" (1991-10-15)
Ad with quotes from Hiroyuki Takahashi and Kan Naitoh in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-03: "March 1991" (1991-02-08)
also published in:
also published in:
- Mega Drive Fan (JP) #14: "March 1991" (1991-02-08)[23]
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-04: "April 1991" (1991-03-08)
also published in:
also published in:
- Mega Drive Fan (JP) #15: "April 1991" (1991-03-08)[24]
Advertisement on bottom half of page in Mega Drive Fan (JP) #16: "May 1991" (1991-04-08)
Artwork
Physical scans
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| Based on 36 reviews | |
| Mega Drive, JP |
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  Cart  Manual |
| Mega Drive, US |
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 Cart  Manual  PCB |
| Mega Drive, EU |
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 Cart  Manual  PCB |
| Mega Drive, BX† |
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| Mega Drive, BR |
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 Cover
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 Cart |
| Mega Drive, AS† |
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Technical information
- Main article: Shining in the Darkness/Technical information.
External links
- Sega of Japan Virtual Console pages: Mega Drive
- Nintendo catalogue pages: US, UK, AU
- Shining in the Darkness on Steam
References
- ↑ File:SitD MD JP Box.jpg
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-20 09:51)
- ↑ https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video/c/CPV6hrGp_d4/m/9EpVhNiDfEcJ
- ↑ File:CGW US 091.pdf, page 22
- ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1991-11-11), page 27
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-15), page 83
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/yCO37nvA4Ck5A7m_G3GEmGBstzt3YuTZ (Wayback Machine: 2010-11-23 02:24)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://www.nintendolife.com/games/megadrive/shining_in_the_darkness (Wayback Machine: 2017-10-31 18:34)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Virtual-Console-Wii-/Shining-in-the-Darkness--278909.html (archive.today)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/software/03.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-03-06 00:26)
- ↑ http://vc.sega.jp:80/vc_shiningdarkness/ (Wayback Machine: 2007-06-10 16:58)
- ↑ http://www.nintendo.com.au/index.php?action=catalogue&prodcat_id=41&prod_id=19767&pageID=4 (Wayback Machine: 2012-04-03 02:34)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 https://steamdb.info/app/71161/ (Wayback Machine: 2019-11-13 00:00)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 http://steamdb.info/app/71161/ (Wayback Machine: 2013-05-22 20:00)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 15.8 15.9 https://steamdb.info/app/71161/history/?changeid=5755274
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 16.8 16.9 http://steamdb.info/app/71161/ (Wayback Machine: 2019-11-13 00:00)
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 File:Games The 25 Greatest SEGA Games.pdf, page 26
- ↑ https://sega.jp/fb/creators/vol_17/1.html (Wayback Machine: 2014-08-04 04:24)
- ↑ File:BeepMD_JP_1990-11.pdf, page 25
- ↑ File:BeepMD_JP_1990-12.pdf, page 44
- ↑ File:Shining in the Darkness MD credits.pdf
- ↑ Sega TV Game Genga Gallery, Graphic Sha, page 35
- ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 2
- ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "April 1991" (JP; 1991-03-08), page 2
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 206
- ↑ Ação Games, "Novembro 1997" (BR; 1997-xx-xx), page 8
- ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Dezember 1991" (DE; 1991-11-15), page 138
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "April 1991" (JP; 1991-03-08), page 29
- ↑ Consoles +, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-11-07), page 92
- ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 134
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 186
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 8, "" (RU; 2001-10-04), page 295
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 88
- ↑ Games-X, "11th-17th July 1991" (UK; 1991-07-11), page 38
- ↑ Games-X, "24th-30th October 1991" (UK; 1991-10-24), page 36
- ↑ Hippon Super, "April 1991" (JP; 1991-03-04), page 40
- ↑ Joypad, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-11-19), page 73
- ↑ Joystick, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-1x-xx), page 121
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 63
- ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "June 1991" (JP; 1991-05-08), page 91
- ↑ Mega, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-02-17), page 71
- ↑ Mega Force, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-11-19), page 92
- ↑ MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 80
- ↑ Mean Machines, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-29), page 112
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 140
- ↑ Player One, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 58
- ↑ Play Time, "2/92" (DE; 1992-01-08), page 93
- ↑ Power Play, "12/91" (DE; 1991-11-13), page 170
- ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54
- ↑ Sega Power, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-06), page 38
- ↑ Sega Pro, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-xx-xx), page 58
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1992" (UK; 1992-03-19), page 28
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 67
- ↑ Sega Force, "January 1992" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 52
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Super Gaming, "Fall 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 6
- ↑ Tilt, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-1x-xx), page 50
- ↑ Tricks Gold, "Sega dlya strategov" (RU; 2003-01-09), page 162
- ↑ VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "November 1991" (US; 1991-1x-xx), page 38
- ↑ Video Games, "3/91" (DE; 1991-09-06), page 82
| Shining in the Darkness | |
|---|---|
|
Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Magazine articles | Reception | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs
Music: Sound Story of Shining and the Darkness (1991) | |
| Shining series of games | |
|---|---|
|
Shining in the Darkness (1991) | Shining Force (1992) | Shining Force II (1993) |
 |
Shining Force Gaiden: Ensei Jashin no Kuni e (1992) | Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya (1993) | Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict (1995) |
 |
Shining Force CD (1994) |
 |
Shining Wisdom (1995) | Shining the Holy Ark (1996) | Shining Force III (Scenario 2, 3, Premium Disc) (1997-1998) |
 |
Shining Soul (2002) | Shining Soul II (2003) | Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon (2004) |
 |
Shining Tears (2004) | Shining Force Neo (2005) | Shining Force EXA (2007) | Shining Wind (2007) |
 |
Shining Road to the Force (2005) | Shining Force Chronicle I (2005) | Shining Force Chronicle II (2005) | Shining Force Chronicle III (2006) | Shining Road II (2006) | Shining Wind X (2008) | SFCE Tokei (2012) |
 |
Shining Tears Material Collection (2006) | Shining Wind Fan Fest (2009) |
 |
Shining Force Feather (2009) |
 |
Shining Force Cross (2009) | Shining Force Cross Raid (2010) | Shining Force Cross Elysion (2012) | Shining Force Cross Exlesia (2013) | Shining Force Cross Exlesia Zenith (2014) | Blade Arcus from Shining (2014) |
 |
Shining Hearts (2010) | Shining Blade (2012) | Shining Ark (2013) |
 |
Shining Resonance (2014) | Blade Arcus from Shining EX (2015) |
 |
Blade Arcus from Shining EX (2015) | Shining Resonance Refrain (2018) |
  |
Shining Force Classics (2018) | Shining Force: Hero of Light and Darkness (2022) |
| World | |
| Strategy games: Gameplay | Items | Accessories | Weapons | Magic | |
| Shining related media | ||||
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