I’ll keep this short and sweet, as I just posted full details on the Campaign site.

The Save Our Series Campaign is now raising funds to run a magazine advert, if you can help or would like to know more, please visit the site.

It’s been years since we last petitioned for a new Shining Force game.

Now, it’s time for a different approach for an all-new campaign – please see the site for details:
http://sos.shiningforcecentral.com/

SFCer Ashley, who works at games^TM magazine here in the UK has dropped me a line to say that Shining Force III has made the top 100 games of all time in the 100th issue of games^TM.

To celebrate 100 issues, the magazine has put together 100 different covers, each featuring one of the top games. Naturally, SFIII is among them, as you can see from the cover here.

Only 400 of each cover design will be available, so they’re very limited edition. It’ll be down to chance whether or not your usual stockist happens to have a SFIII cover or not.

So, when the magazine goes on sale on September 2nd, the great SFIII cover hunt will begin! I for one will check all the local shops for it and will pick up any spare copies I find with the SFIII cover. Ashley, despite working for the magazine, does not automatically get his choice of covers and would dearly like a copy not only for himself but also one to send on to Camelot in recognition of their achievements.

Should I locate more than one copy, I will gladly give the second to Ashley for Camelot – any others will be available to SFCers (at cost price) and I hope all SFCers will do likewise to help each other out. I’ll take Thursday off work and spend the day visiting all the local magazine stockists if I can!

Good luck all 🙂

Hi all and apologies for the lack of updates of late. I’d like to say I’ve been busy working on the new site design & CMS but unfortunately that’s not the case. Just moved house a month ago and things have been somewhat busy since 😉 Hopefully will find some time over Christmas to crack on with some SFC work!

Anyway, on to the news…

The folks at gamesTM magazine have managed to do something amazing – they had an interview with Hiroyuki Takahashi and it features in the latest issue. SFCers in the UK should be able to find it at any good magazine retailler, while those of you who live elsewhere in the world should be able to pick up a copy here.

SFCer Ashley is part of the gamesTM team and has posted about it at the forums, and now I’ve read through the article I felt I ought to mention it here too – it’s a great read. I won’t say any more than that, as I don’t want to spoil the article for you – now go out and buy it! 🙂

Sega are letting the fans decide which game they’ll release next on XBOX Live Arcade! Vote for Shining Force by visiting www.genesispoll.com. Toejam and Earl are currently in the lead, but I’m sure we can get Shining Force ahead in no time. You’re allowed to vote once a day, and get your friends to vote too.

I don’t have an XBOX, but I’m voting – I’d like to think that if the original tactical games in the series get more interest, Sega might do the right thing and bring us a real SFIV.

Shining Force needs YOU! Vote now, vote often. Tell your friends!

Having finally gotten a chance to play Shining Force Feather I must say I am impressed. It’s been a long time since a Shining game has had me so eager to come back and play more, and the music keeps playing in my head at night. When I can’t sleep at night I find myself reaching for the DS. Such is the joy of Feather!

Although it’s a little tricky to get into considering that it is in Japanese and doesn’t use the classic 4-point menu system which made the original games so easy to pick up and play, and despite the fact that it doesn’t look very Shiny at first glance it really is a game worthy of the Force title.

Battle tactics are now more fun than ever with the ability to control the way you attack in order to score multiple hits against an enemy. I love the way movement now works and although at first I didn’t like not being able to attack with no Force Points, it does add another element of strategy to the game – you can’t just pile in, sometimes you’ll need to retreat a little and regroup. Combination attacks with other characters are great fun and make me think that in future games this sort of thing could be combined with the old SFIII Friendship System to create an even more amazing way to attack.

I really am loving this game, and recommend you give it a go – I’m enjoying it so much I had to create a forum for it even though I’ve been so slack as an Admin for the last few years. Of course this meant I had to set up forums for other recent Shining titles, perhaps less derserving of their own forums IMHO… but at least it’s cleared some clutter from ATS 😉

Sadly, no English release has been confirmed as yet but I have contacted a chap I used to be in touch with at SoA in the hope he can provide some more information.

Meanwhile, Play-Asia now have the game in stock and are shipping them out. You can order it through this link and make a little bit of money for SFC from your purchase 😉

Today saw the release of Shining Force: Feather in Japan, and I must say I’ve been quite excited about it.

Unfortunately I have yet to be able to play it as due to the ongoing difficulties with selling my house (and thereby being able to close the previous chapter of my life once and for all… 2 years after it technically finished) I’ve not been able to spare the money to order a copy 🙁

Today also marks 2 years since my new life without Lee first began and I think it’s quite fitting that on this day the Shining series may be starting its new life too 🙂

I’ve been trying to get a *cough*ROM*cough* of the game working on my DS as a stopgap until I can afford to buy it for myself but my n5 cart doesn’t seem to want to play it – some problem with not being able to save I think it says. Not sure, it’s in Japanese 😉 If anyone can offer any advice on this I would be most grateful as until my house sale goes through I cannot be spending US$50 on myself.

Alternatively if just 15 of you order the game through this link to Play Asia, I will have enough credit with them to buy the game from my affiliate earnings. Or does anyone fancy buying it for me? Early birthday present? Late Christmas present? ‘We love you Moogie’ present?! 😉 lol. Doesn’t hurt to try, eh?

Anyway, while I’m here I may as well mention that I am still working hard on the new SFC CMS in all the spare time I have and I believe I have now broken the back of it. Really hope to have this ready for the site’s anniversary at the start of May, but no promises. Actual work has kept me pretty busy of late which is good because I’ll have to pay off my solicitor bill soon as well as continuing to pay the mortgage while the house sits empty. Nightmare.

Er… yes, anyway, SF:Feather. Buy it! It’s looking great 🙂

Okay, I’ve been rather out of the loop this last year so I have to say a massive thanks to everyone who’s contacted me about this – it really has got me rather excited!

It looks as though it’s time for me to buy a DS because Sega Japan have recently announced a new addition to the Shining Series, “Shining Force Feather”. What’s even better is that it’s not a Neo/Exa clone. Huzzah!

Now, I could pretend to be well informed and tell you all about it here, but truth be told you’re just as well to check out the news on the sites linked below!

I like the look of this, although it’s not quite the traditional Force style game as movement doesn’t seem to be grid based but instead seems distance/area based (a bit like Warhammer?) and following the selection of an enemy the side-view isn’t just to observe the attack you selected as it was in our old favourites, but instead more like a beat-em-up where you perform attacks on the opponent. Should prove interesting.

This is one I shan’t be dismissing from the onset!

What makes me even happier is that this has come at a time when I have started to feel the need to be here at SFC more often and be more involved again. The last few weeks I have been working on a brand new CMS for the site so that I can completely rebuid & redesign it, allowing for staff members to perform updates etc. Progress is going well (it’s already a damn sight better than the crummy CMS panel I made to add news, which I’m using now!) and I anticipate having it ready in time for the release of Feathers in early 2009! I should also be able to duplicate the CMS to redo my old sites too, but that’s down the line. One thing at a time, Moog 😉

I also started work on re-coding the old Forum RPG system a few months back, and although it’s on the backboiler while I develop the new CMS, the new game is still on the cards and I’m sure you’re going to love it!

Well, it’s time to continue with the new CMS development now.

Keep on Shining – there may be light at the end of the tunnel yet!

Well folks it has indeed been a very, very long time since I updated here. It’s unbelievable just how quickly the weeks and months fly by as one gets older.

This place may seem to have been forgotten, but I can assure you it has not been. There’s just been so much going on in real life (break-ups, new additions to the family, home improvements, and a recent very sad loss in the family) that this has really taken a lower priority. As I say every time (and do mean sincerely, despite it seldom coming to fruition), I do full intend to get this place up to date at some point ‘when I have the time’ 😉

But, something has come up of late which really does require at least this much of an update. Just before Christmas I found myself receiving Sega USA Press emails, directing me to new footage & features about Shining Force EXA, the latest addition to the series. Now I think you all know where I stand with regard to the newer titles in the series, but I also feel this is an important opportunity to form a relationship of sorts with SoA. I have already been sent a large EXA poster (which no doubt I shall pass on as a competition prize at some point) and been emailed two exclusive screenshots as well as an enquiry as to how to get more coverage for the game here!

So, Sega is at last taking notice and realises that SFC is the main online Shining community. Perhaps we can gain an ear to hear our cries for an old school Force title. Zod knows I’ve mentioned it in all my replies to SoA since they contacted me at the end of last year! 😉

Now, by way of demonstration that I appreciate their interest, that I do still do a thing or two around here and to satisfy those of you who have an interest in EXA, I give you 2 SFC exclusive Shining Force EXA screenshots courtesy of Sega USA!

Here’s hoping for a review copy, some contest prizes & perhaps a statement with regards to the future/past of the series sometime in the near future.

Many thanks to my contact at Sega USA for his interest in reaching fans of the series through SFC!

Keep on Shining, SFCers!

If you’re fluent in Japanese and English, we need your help!

The Shining Force III translation patch project is in need of able translators to finish off some missing lines from the Scenario 2 scripts. Although there are a few larger sections to be translated, these are being handled by our dear Aspartate who has done so much for non-Japanese-speaking Shining fans over the years, there are also some 300 other lines which need translating, varying from short and simple to longer and more complex.

This is such an exciting project for us all, it’s a shame so few of us are qualified to help. My minimal Japanese is unlikely to be of use, but perhaps you know rather more than I.

I’m sure there must be at least one or two of you reading this who know Japanese well and could spare some time to work on this. It’s not paid work, but you’ll reap the karmic rewards of helping out your fellow Shining fans.

Perhaps it’s not even you who knows the language – maybe you have a friend or relative who can help. I for one shall be asking Rei if he has time to translate some lines. Do you know anyone that can help?

If you can help, or know someone who’s willing to, head along to this thread and speak up!

Thanks all, and keep on Shining!