Click image for larger version.  Name: 20160201_210714.jpg  Views: 31  Size: 71.6 KB  ID: 8455
Paladin's Quest occupies that special lower rung of SNES RPGs, hanging out with Tecmo's Secret of the Stars and trying to get adopted one day by a nice family. I don't know that I'd call it obscure, but it rarely makes the SNES RPG conversation, as it has to wait for Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasies, Breath of Fires, Lufias, and more before it's allowed to have its piece of the pie, but it's not for lack of effort.

Paladin's Quest actually goes out of its way to try and set itself apart from the crowd. Right off the bat, its pastel color scheme is almost jarringly different, as are the sprites, which are less detailed and more cartoony than the sort of games Square or Enix (though Enix did... publish... this one...) were publishing at the time. Next, the party system offers up a difference with the ability to bring along up to two mercenaries, so long as you can pay them, and there are quite a few out there, many with their own little side stories, which really does add something to the game, which is good, as its main story is pretty humdrum.

The magic system, though, is where Paladin's Quest truly goes off in its own direction. First off, there's no MP (and no Junction system...), only hit points. Your magic drains your HP. At first, this sounds awful, and doubly so when you realize that your physical attacks are impotent. However, it's actually balanced okay, and you don't have to carry around so many different types of restoratives. Secondly, spells level up their respective elements when used, completely independent of your character level, so using that magic to win fights not only makes you stronger and able to cast more, but makes you a better caster to boot. Thirdly, you can combine spells to make more powerful, even cross-elemental attacks. This is neat, and also gives more of the feeling of actually being a sorcerer.

While mostly ignored in the west, it was popular enough in Japan to get a sequel, Lennus II. In an age where translation patches, repro carts, and everdrives are common, Paladin's Quest has slid even farther from the limelight. I don't mean to say it's a secret masterpiece, but it is a neat game with some meat to it if you can stick with it, and has a pretty unique look and feel to it.

Have you played it? Hated its goofy color scheme? Liked its light-hearted script? Have a memory to share about it?