via Polygon
Golden Sun Is One of the Best RPGs Ever Made — and the Last of Its Kind
Golden Sun drew on classic RPGs like Final Fantasy and turned those inspirations into something unique and special
Golden Sun
Released Nov 11, 2001
Rating 88/100
Playtime ~90h
Rated Everyone 10+
Developer Camelot Software Planning
Publisher Nintendo
Golden Sun is a turn-based RPG released for Game Boy Advance in 2001, built around a magic system centered on elemental Djinn that players collect and assign to party members to customize their abilities and stats. The game drew inspiration from classic entries in the genre while establishing its own identity through puzzle-solving mechanics tied to environmental manipulation.
Recent coverage has revisited Golden Sun's legacy, positioning it as a standout entry in handheld RPGs that synthesized familiar genre conventions into something distinct. The game's blend of traditional JRPG design with its unique Djinn system and world-building has endured as a high point for the genre on portable hardware, though the franchise has remained quiet since its original releases.
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via Polygon